Tracks to the Future. © Richard Danter

I took the photo above on a walk last weekend. I thought seeing the tracks leading away made a good metaphor for this post. Leading into the future…

Goal setting. This is something I have been doing for a couple of years now, deciding on goals for the year ahead, but this is the first time I am sharing those goals publicly.

The idea is to help me with some direction instead of wandering aimlessly through the year. I find it all too easy to deal with things as they arise without taking time to stop and look at the bigger picture and make sure I am actually headed the right way.

It also means I can look back at the end of the year and get a feeling for how well I have done, what I missed and where I should try to improve.

So, here goes, my 5 goals for 2014 are…

#1 – Focus on my brand. That is a little vague, but I feel that it is important that people know who I am, what I do, and how I work if they are to chose me to work with them. Whether it is to photograph their wedding, create a record of their family as it grows, or produce images to help them promote their own business endeavours, I want people to want to work with me.

#2 – Keep the web site up to date. This is much more tangible. I want to keep the information on the site current and fill in the (numerous) gaps. Hopefully this will really help with #1 too. And part of this goal is also to blog more frequently.

#3 – Refresh my samples and albums. After the web site, the next thing I need to do is show exactly how those pixels translate to artwork for the home or business. It is just so much easier to physically hold a print or album than to imagine what it would look like.

#4 – Do a personal project. I love working to create images for other people, nothing beats seeing the look on a bride and groom’s faces when they see their photos for the first time, but I would also like to experiment and create some images for myself. I have some ideas and need to actually get the ball rolling on at least one of them rather than just thinking about them…

#5 – Attend two training sessions. One of the things I love about photography is that there is always something new to learn. Last year I attended a couple of fantastic workshops and not only did I learn some new tricks but I also got to meet some great fellow photographers. I really enjoyed chatting with them and learning about how they work and what interests them. So I think this is a critical goal that will probably be on the list every year.

Right, now you know. Let’s see, this time next year, how I do!

Take care

Rich

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To comment on this post via Twitter use #radanterGoals and include @radanter if you want to be sure I will see it.

And so it begins, 2014 is upon us already. I know it’s a bit of a cliche, but every year really does seem to go quicker. My birthday and Christmas always seemed to take forever to arrive when I was a kid (birthdays in December are such a bad idea!) but now, just as seem to get used to the idea that I am another year older (if not wiser) I find the number has gone up again!

So, what has 2014 got in store for us all I wonder?

It is already looking like a good year for us and we are off to a running start with our first wedding fayre this Sunday, 12th January, at the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth. Doors are open from 11:00am until 3:30pm and we are really looking forward to meeting everyone. Do come along and have a chat, we’d love to hear about your plans!

Last year I planned to blog more often, but I don’t think I did a very good job of it so this year I am telling you all about it in the hope that it will make me stick to it. In fact, this year I am going to let you know what all my goals are. I didn’t do too badly on last years goals but maybe making a public declaration will motivate me even more to achieve them. Look out for another blog post soon…

I’m also going to be updating the web site with new photos and information. First on the list of things to do is actually write the About page, which has been on the to-do list for way too long.

First step in hitting that target was to get a decent photo so you know what I look like. Much as I hate being on the other side of the camera, I bit the bullet and did a selfie. Not your typical selfie I know, I didn’t use my phone and I didn’t stand in front of a mirror. 🙂

Well, I guess that’s it for the first post of the year. I really do hope you have a great year.

Take care,

Rich

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To comment on this post via Twitter use #radanterNewYear and include @radanter if you want to be sure I will see it.