I did, I had resolved to enter a portrait every free study last year to try and improve in my studio lighting skills. I unfortunately petered out the last 3 months, still trying to decide how much I learned/improved
one thing I definitely took away is I need to interact with my subjects more for some more dynamic looking poses/images...
I set some goals but then changed them. I am yet to learn how to photograph the natural light itself. If anyone would like to tutor me on that I could make it my goal dream come true for 2012.
The only listed goal I had was to get a "love it or hate it" entry, with the voting breakdown showing a valley in the 5's, rather than the usual spike. Came close one time but no cigar.
I did end the year with my site average ratcheting up another .1 to 5.6. My current FS entry is going to drop that back down, but I knew that before I entered it.
I did, I had resolved to enter a portrait every free study last year to try and improve in my studio lighting skills. I unfortunately petered out the last 3 months, still trying to decide how much I learned/improved
To ME the ones in the middle of the year are better.... Not sure of you call it a hump but hey :-)
- a couple of 7: I got three 7 (and one more in Lego challenge then DQ'd)
- 3-4 ribbons: I got 5 (6 with the Lego challenge)
- an average score over 6 (at the end of the last 3 challenges will be over 6.10)
- top 10 in the FSM (my December entry is doing quite good, so I guess I can be in the Top Ten).
- 4 months before the end of the year I set another goal: to be in the top 25 in the DPC Ribbon Race - I'll be close but I guess not able to reach it.
Didn't really set the goal at the beginning of the year, but early on I noticed my overall average rising, and I tried really hard to get it above 5.5. I bested that marked and keep making it rise. Although 2 of my shots will knock it down slightly, I'm sure others will help it continue in the positive direction.
For 2012 my goal is to comment more than I do now. Currently I'm sitting at approximately 15% comments to votes. That's pretty good, but I would like to make it up to 20%. Note that the vast majority (All but maybe 20 or 25 of my comments) are done during voting.
I had 5 goals, and met 4 of them. But the 5th goal was to ribbon, which wasn't a really a real goal anyways, since I was not expecting to be able to do that.
But I got my top 5 full of 6s and made it into the top 10, and got my average over a 5.5, which were all goals
My DPC goal is, and has been, to replace a shot in my top row. Haven't done that for two years running. Will try again this year, I suppose!
That has been on my goals for several years, and it finally happened last summer.
Another of my goals was to be recognized more often in the Posthumous Ribbon thread. I was pleased with my progress on that goal. But of courrse, those two goals are diametrically opposed.
I entered my very first challenge one year ago today. My initial goals were 1) to get a score above a 6, 2) get an honorable mention or higher, and 3) learn to properly edit my photos. This year 1) I had several images with scores above 6 and one above 7, 2) I received two honorable mentions and one yellow ribbon, and 3) I learned a lot about processing my images. On a day to day basis I get frustrated with my photography, I often feel clueless, and I have little confidence in my abilities with a camera. However, if I step back and look at the year, I have learned a tremendous amount and my photography has improved immensely. If I can make half as much progress in 2012 I'll be doing well. My main goals for 2012 is to take more risks in challenges and learn lighting.
I've had a good year I set some goals at the begining and had to change them because I achieved them quicker than I thought I would.
So far I have achieved 3 of the 4 goals still on my profile page:
Get all 7's on my profile page Get a score of 8 or higher Get published on 1x Get a ribbon in a free study
I never thought I would get an 8 and I still wonder if a ribbon in a free study is possible for me since I usually use up all of my good photos on other challenges. But we will see. I need to set some new goals to keep me motivated.
Why? Goals of any kind help me to give my best. The most important thing is not being disappointed if we don't reach them. Without goals I wouldn't create my Dawn of the Dead entry.
For other people goals are unuseful, everyone's approach is different.
Why? Goals of any kind help me to give my best. The most important thing is not being disappointed if we don't reach them. Without goals I wouldn't create my Dawn of the Dead entry.
For other people goals are unuseful, everyone's approach is different.
You are confusing goals with passion for photography. Some of us suffer from this horrible condition. The numbers mean nothing if photography is your true passion.
PS Another change, just can't get the words right! (it is all this French confusion!)
I know very well the difference between passion and goals: passion is my engine, what makes me alive when I plan a shot. You can see my efforts for the conference final in the WPL. That was not a goal, was only passion and respect for my teammates (to submit my Heavy Metal entry I didn't sleep the entire night). Goals are not as important as passion but they're useful and can be funny. That's all.
I know very well the difference between passion and goals: passion is my engine, what makes me alive when I plan a shot. You can see my efforts for the conference final in the WPL. That was not a goal, was only passion and respect for my teammates (to submit my Heavy Metal entry I didn't sleep the entire night). Goals are not as important as passion but they're useful and can be funny. That's all.
Alessandro has a good point. Passion is definitely what drives you, but with some goals you can take your creations to a whole new level. I think a goal can give you a direction, a plan, something to look forward to, it can push you even harder that passion alone may not help you achieve it. Passion and goal go hand in hand in my opinion. One cannot succeed with one but without other. Of course how that goal is set is totally up to the individual, it can be short term or long term, it doesn't have to be from Jan 1 to Dec 31st of a particular year. I have a shoot coming up this Saturday and my goal is to be able to generate at least 2 great images out of that. That is my goal for this Saturday and because of that I have been thinking of some ideas for it.
DPC goals are certainly nice, but setting goals independent of DPC is also important to achieve your photography goals. This way one doesn't have to wait for a particular challenge to come up to shoot for a certain theme or subject.
