New Years Resolutions in Nature Photography

Text and photos by Heather Cline 

Fireworks

It's a new year and a popular time to make resolutions to improve our lives. If you have aspirations of advancing in your nature photography, then it's important to stay active. I can appreciate how challenging that can be at times, so here are five ways you can stay active in your photography pursuit this year. 

#1 Join A Club or Community

Photography clubs, communities, and meetup groups are a great way to stay active in photography in multiple ways:

• Photo critiques by experienced photographers are common activities in photography clubs. These provide motivation to capture and submit what you feel is your best work - and because these critiques often occur throughout the year, you need to keep shooting to have images to submit all year long. 
• Competitions are also common among clubs. Similar to critiques but also assign scoring or ranking. If competition drives you, these are an excellent motivator to keep producing your best images. 
• Fieldtrips or meet-ups are one of the benefits of joining these groups and serve a few purposes: the opportunity to shoot in new places you may not have been to, the ability to shoot with others if you aren't comfortable going out alone, and the benefit of collaborating and learning from likeminded photographers. 

It's easy to find a club near you. Just google 'photography clubs near me' and you will be surprised how many clubs and meet up groups are out there. From personal experience, there is generally a wide range of expertise among club members from beginners to seasoned photographers. Some clubs charge member dues and others are free. Outings may range from nearby and low mobility to a day trip with hiking involved, so there are options for everybody. 

Brandt's Cormorants photographed during a fieldtrip

#2 Volunteer

Do you have a passion for photography and want to put it to good use? Try volunteering. You would be surprised how many organizations need photography skills to help their cause. You don't have to be a professional, you just need a camera and a willingness to help. 

Not sure where to start?

• Think of areas or subjects you are interested in and the organizations that support these causes, then reach out to see if they could use your services. For example, one day, I called a local Wildlife Care organization that cares for injured and orphaned wildlife and asked if they needed donated images or someone to take photos and they were thrilled that I reached out. I've been volunteering with them ever since. 
• Simply Google 'volunteering my photography skills' and you will find many ideas and places where you can help. 

Not only is this a great way to stay active in photography it also feels good to use your skills to give back!

Orphaned rabbits being cared for

#3 Blog or Vlog

I started blogging years ago as a means to share my images with friends and family. I've since written almost 300 posts, and it has been a great motivator to keep looking for and capturing my favorite subjects. It has also inspired me to learn new skills and techniques so I may share them with others through the blog. 

If you don't love writing, try vlogging! You don't need any fancy equipment. I put together an experimental vlog in summer of 2024 to chronical my adventure at the Yosemite High Sierra Camps and did it all with my 'not so new' smartphone. 

Tenaya Lake, Yosemite National Park

#4 Register for a Class or Workshop

• Community colleges both offer photography courses in a variety of subjects, both in-person and online. You can even earn an associate's degree in photography. I took many courses at my local college when I was first learning photography, and I found the quality of education to be quite good. 
• If you are looking for a shorter-term commitment, local camera shops often offer one day, or even one-hour courses and webinars tailored to different interests and skill levels. 
• For a more immersive experience, you can register for a photography workshop. These may last from one to multiple days and are generally more expensive than other courses, but you get the benefit of smaller group sizes with more hands-on attention on your specific needs. In addition, these double as guided trips which can be great if you want to explore an area you have never been to before. 

Emerald Pool Waterfalls, photographed during a workshop in Zion National Park

#5 Set Some Goals

This one requires less of an outward commitment than the first four approaches but writing down your goals is a proven method for achieving them. If you want an insurance policy to hold yourself accountable, share your goals with others. These don't have to be grandiose to be effective, like getting published on the cover of a magazine. They just need to be something you think you actually want to and will do. Here's a few goal ideas to keep you active:

• I'll keep my camera with me so I can capture unexpected moments
• I'll start a project that I'll share with someone at the end of the year 
• I'll learn a new skill, like night photography 
• I'll take a self-portrait every week for one year 

Experimenting with light painting at night in Death Valley National Park

Taking time out to focus on our hobbies (or dreams) can be challenging when so many priorities compete for our time, but there are ways to stay active and improve so we can enjoy them even more. I hope these five tips help you advance your photography in the coming year.