When Tim Tebow made the great speech of 2009, not even halfway through the season, he put himself out there. He did it for the simple reason that if you set a goal and tell no one, there’s no skin in the game if you don’t accomplish that goal. However, if you broadcast it, you have set the world up to watch if you fail.
For my goals of 2010, I’m going to put myself out there.
Here are my 10 photography goals for ’10:
1. Outgrow. My current camera body is rated for 100K actuations. That’s 100,000 times Canon says I should be able to take a picture before the camera has the potential to start failing. Why should I want my camera to fail? I don’t, but the more times I snap that shutter, the better I get. By setting that milestone, I dedicate myself to picking up the camera more frequently and really using it. Therefore, learning more.
2. Outreach. By attending at least 6 photogroup meetups this year, it will expand my depth of knowledge by collaborating with other experienced photographers. It will also give me the opportunity to pass along what I’ve learned thus far, which I enjoy doing.
3. Out do. Submit to at least 6 photography competitions this year as an incentive to shoot better quality pics.
4. Get legit. File the proper paperwork for a Tax ID number, sales tax, state registration,insurance, and join the PPA (Professional Photographers Association). This establishes me as a legitimate photographer and gives me credibility.
5. Get published. Show up in print in a serious publication. Something along the lines of Rolling Stone, Spin, Tulsa People, etc.
6. Get sponsored. Find a vendor to fund my passion. Something that I can back with a clean conscience. Something that I believe in using.
7. Get frequent. Update my blog at least twice a week. Staying connected, you know.
8. Get the good stuff.
What Canon L glass looks like from a distance.
Keep my investments in future lenses to L glass. Pricier, but from what I’ve seen so far, definitely worth the extra money. Don’t buy any lens, if at all possible, unless it’s the pro quality. Because it’s the lens that makes the image.
9. Get specialized. Find a photography genre that plays to my strengths, that I enjoy, and get plugged into that genre. Own that space. Be the (insert) photographer that everyone goes to for (insert) photography.
10. Give back. Find a way to be philanthropic to other photographers and the community as a whole. Give, and it will be given back to you.
Thanks for listening and watching to see if I fail. I find that highly motivational.
