Looking Back At 2010, and Forward to 2011

When I started the Beyond the Lens blog, I just wanted to share my thoughts and ideas about my work, provide helpful information to other photographers, and nurture another creative passion that I have, writing. I didn’t know whether it would last, but I remained committed to updating it regularly, and just let it evolve as I found my own writing voice. Now three years and 360 posts later, I’m still learning and discovering what that voice is, and I thank you for reading and helping me along the way.

As for the future, I plan to focus more on what readers seem to want most (and what I’m most passionate about) – the art and craft of photography. I’ll be writing articles on digital workflow, camera techniques, printing and framing, marketing and business for photographers, inspirational quotes and ideas, and of course sharing my own images as a way to inspire you in your own photography. But most important is creating a community of people who enjoy and appreciate the beauty of nature and the landscape, and want to convey their emotions and feelings through their own photography. This gets you beyond the hype of technology and gear, and into the core of who you are, and what you have to offer creatively as a unique individual.

As Brenda Ueland says in her great book If You Want to Write– “Everybody is original, if he tells the truth, if he speaks from himself. But it must be from his true self and not from the self he thinks he should be.” No two of us are alike, therefore originality is simply a question of learning how to express yourself. Together with my photo workshops, these are some of the ideas I want to address and inspire you to work on in 2011.

And for those of you that are not photographers, I have not forgotten about you – I will be writing more articles about the healing power of nature, collecting and displaying fine art photography in your home or office, and more issues of the Beyond the Lens Photo Journal. Watch for these articles in the Beyond the Lens Newsletter – which will now be sent out monthly with lots of resources for both home and corporate buyers. The very popular monthly wallpapers will continue in 2011 with the added challenge that I will attempt to capture the images the very same month – should be fun!

Top 10 Posts of 2010

Looking back at the past year, here are the most popular posts of the past year based on visitors and comments

1. How Photography Keeps Me Happy

2. Beyond the Lens Photo Journal – Vol II

3. Exporting Images from Lightroom for the iPad

4. Controlling Exposure and Blending in Photoshop – Video Tutorial

5. GuraGear Kiboko Backpack Field Review

6. Searching for Motivation

7. How to Choose Between Canvas and Framed Prints

8. Don’t Quit Your Day Job

9. In Search of Excellence

10. When Is Photography Real?

Thanks again for your support and friendship – your ideas and suggestions are always welcome!