The Photographer by Paul Bate

A new year is always a great time to kick your photography plans into gear. If you haven’t done so already, here are 8 new year resolutions to consider

1 Take more photos

Help a shark! Photo by Jessica Sjödin – **f/7.1 | ISO 200 | 1/400s**

My number one advice for anyone wanting to improve their photography is to simply take more photos. It’s like anything, the more you practice something the better you will become. So whether you are a landscape photographer, travel photographer, wildlife photographer or even if you enjoy taking portraits, try to set time aside regularly to just focus on your photography. Or if you find it difficult to do so when you are home because of everyday life, why not book to go away for a few days to just concentrate on photography? You’ll be amazed at how much your work improves over time by simply taking more photos.

2 Do something with your photos

Paris photo book flat-lay. Photo by Ben Locks

There is no doubt that the positives of digital photography (as opposed to film photography) far outweigh the negatives (excuse the pun). However, I think one of the big negatives of digital photography, is that for many photographers, their photos just end up sitting on their hard drives forever.

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So, this year, why not plan to do “something” with your photos? You can of course look to sell them through Picfair. Or you can just get into the habit of posting regularly on social media. For those who have a bit more time on their hands, you can even create a photo book of your best photos. Not only do these kinds of things help promote you and your work, but it’s also great to just have your work out there rather than on a hard drive.

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3 Learn something new

Professional photoshoot outdoors. Photo by Imagerisium – **f/7.1 | ISO 100 | 1/160s**

Photography is like any other hobby or profession, in that there are always elements that you can improve at. At the start of each year, I set myself a goal of learning something new that is related to my profession or business. For example, a few years ago I purchased a drone and learned how to use that for aerial photography. Another year, I taught myself all about SEO. Last year I learned how to create reels for social media.

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Learning something new can be incredibly rewarding not to mention help improve your photography. For example, you may be someone who has never used a flash but want to or you may struggle with photographing in low light conditions. Or maybe you are not hugely confident in using editing software. So think about what you would like to learn and spend the next 12 months working toward learning or improving whatever that may be.

4 Set yourself a goal

As well as learning a new skill, another great New Year resolution is to set yourself a professional goal. In other words, something that you would like to achieve. This could be anything from shooting something you have always wanted to shoot, or for example, this might be an event, a place or even a type of photo that you have always wanted to capture.

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Or your goal could be more business-driven like having a photo published in a magazine or newspaper. You could even set yourself a goal of winning a photography competition and spend time actually trying to capture photos that are going to have the best chance of winning. It’s OK if you don’t achieve your goal. This is about giving you something to focus on.

5 Look through your old photos

Working with digital photography. Photo by Ikostudio – **f/4 | ISO 400 | 1/30s**

I’m sure like me, there have been times when you have looked through your old catalog of photos and found a few great photos that you missed when you were editing. In fact, there have been so many times when I have found photos from past shoots that have gone on to sell very well. So, if you have time, it is always worth having a look through your old collection of photos and possibly even re-editing some photos to see if you can find some hidden gems that you missed.

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Remember that photos that are sitting on your hard drive will never sell. But if they are in your Picfair Store or out in the world, they might. You never know.

Learn how we can increase your sales, develop your brand, and generate interest in your site.

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6 Join a local camera club

Photowalk. Photo by Oliver Pearce – **f/5.6 | ISO 320 | 1/500s**

Photography can be a lonely hobby or profession most of the time. You generally work by yourself and may not get the opportunity to bounce ideas off other people. Joining a local camera club is a great way to improve your photography by sharing your photos and getting feedback from fellow photographers. Camera clubs often also put on competitions which are again great for focusing you on something specific.

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And there are of course often talks by professional photographers which can be very helpful in giving you tips and advice on a whole range of different topics.

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7 Work on a personal project

The photo project. Photo by Jason Kessenich – **f/5 | ISO 1600 | 1/13s**

think that even if you are a seasoned pro, it is always very useful to have a personal project on the go that you can work on. This can be a great way to escape the everyday mundane aspects of being a photographer and allow you to do something that you love or are passionate about. Or it could just be a photography technique that you want to experiment with like light painting or macro photography.

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Try to think of a project that you are so passionate about that it won’t feel like work. But rather something that you can spend months working on without any hesitation.

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8 Update/refresh your website

Retro workspace. Photo by Showitbetter – **f/3.5 | ISO 800 | 1/200s**

All of us photographers (me included) are guilty of neglecting our websites. It’s just one of those tasks that often fall at the bottom of the list. But your website is incredibly important as it showcases you to the world. So set aside a day or two to go through and update your website accordingly.

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Make sure that you have added any new work that you have done or had published. Shout about your achievements, update your contact details, and most important of all, make sure that your website is optimized so that it doesn’t take ages to load. Trust me, as someone who regularly commissions photographers, nothing is more frustrating for an editor than having to wait for each page or image to load.

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You may of course have your own new year’s resolutions, but the above will not only make you a better photographer but might also make you a more successful one too.

AuthorKav Dadfar

Kav is a full-time photographer and author of 400+ articles. He is also a judge on the Wanderlust Magazine Photography of the Year competition and leads small group photo tours around the world. View all articles

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By Newsdesk Dec 30, 2022 10:00am

Celebrity Cruises is sailing into the future with the launch of a new virtual experience dubbed, the “Wonderverse.”

In an industry first, travelers will get to “see before they sail,” exploring a hyper-realistic, digital recreation of aspects of their newest ship in Celebrity’s transformational Edge Series, Celebrity Beyond, complete with the ship’s spaces, entertaining signature moments like Celebrity’s famous Martini Bar Flair Show, and the ability to visit top destinations that Celebrity sails to—from Alaska to the Caribbean and Europe to Asia.

In addition, guests can meet and chat with the line’s key leaders as digital avatars, including President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, the Captain Kate McCue—the first, and still only, American female captain of a major cruise ship, and Nate Berkus, Celebrity’s Edge Series travel ambassador and designer of the Sunset Bar on Celebrity Beyond.

Built-in partnership with virtual event platform architects Surreal Events, Celebrity’s Wonderverse is also complete with mini-games and activities, entertainment, easter eggs, and much more, all hosted on the web at celebritycruises.com/wonderverse.

Once logged in to the Wonderverse, consumers will move from space to space, enjoying immersive, interactive content throughout, as they learn more about the ship and the destinations they can sail to on Celebrity Cruises, including:

The Magic Carpet that soars cantilevered above the sea with uninterrupted vistas for enjoying virtual cocktails or dinner. The first space users will experience, it also doubles as a meeting space, providing a dynamic way for users to interact together virtually.
The majestic Grand Plaza, the social epicenter of Celebrity Beyond, spanning three decks with the brand’s signature Martini Bar at the heart of it all, will serve as a social-first lounge where passengers can connect, listen to music, enjoy Celebrity’s iconic Martini Bar Flair Show and chat with Celebrity’s President and CEO, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo.
The Resort Deck, featuring a Rooftop Garden, the ship’s Main Pool, unique cantilevered float pools, and sunken seating offers interactions with Captain Kate and Nate Berkus, who showcases the brand’s 2024-2025 season offerings. Visitors can also relax in lounge chairs and jump in the pool.
The Nate Berkus-designed Sunset Bar, where Berkus shares his personal travel experiences reflected in the internationally-inspired ambiance at the multi-level, multi-terraced outdoor space while visitors enjoy one of the most talked about spaces on any cruise ship.

The journey begins with a user-controlled tender game to the iconic Magic Carpet, where participants will have a chance to create their own personalized avatar. Participants will then be transported to the Resort Deck, where they will be greeted personally by Captain Kate, on hand to help answer questions and can explore the ship from there.

From there, visitors can also experience some of the world’s most breathtaking destinations in the Wonderverse, including the Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier in Alaska; Santorini, Greece; Japan’s capital city of Tokyo and the Mt. Fuji; and the white sand beaches and clear Caribbean waters of St. Lucia, all before reuniting with Nate Berkus at the Sunset Bar, where they’ll have the opportunity to ask him a series of questions about the ship and destinations. As part of the experience, guests will be able to easily access a portal for immediate bookings.

For more information on all Celebrity Beyond sailings, visit www.celebritycruises.com.