My Photography wrap-up for 2019 // Best Photos and what I've learned
I guess this is a bit of a late wrap-up but here we are! I think it’s so valuable to look back on your work over time and see where you’ve improved.
One of the things I love most about photography is that there is always something more to learn. It’s always important to keep pushing forward. Even if it makes looking at your older photos a bit uncomfortable at times!
I’ll do “in no particular order” until I get to number 1 because I definitely have one in mind! And I’ll stick to my own personal projects rather than weddings.
Astrophotography
I’ve really tried to improve my astrophotography this year. And I think I’ve been pretty successful. I’ve invested in some wide-angled lenses, (the 7Artisans 7.5mm f2.8 fisheye for micro four thirds, and the Samyang 14mm f2.8 for my Lumix S1) I’ve even dabbled with a star-stacker, opting for the beginner-friendly Move-Shoot-Move (review here if you’re interested in learning more!)
If 2019 has taught me one thing it’s that I think I’ll always dabble with astrophotography, but I don’t think I have the patience to do it full time as my main focus. I am fastinated by astro. I really am! I went to the astrophotography exhibit in Liverpool museum at least five times last year. I just kept gathering my friends and family up, saying, “You’ve GOT to see this!”
But you do need one thing that I’m not too great at… patience.
For instance. You can find the right spot with no light pollution, and figure out when the new moon will be. You can book a cottage or a hotel, or camp out in the middle of Monument Valley for the night in preparation. And then it can be completely cloudy and you get nothing. Try again in a month if you can afford it!
I stayed in the Brecon Beacons in Wales for a few nights over a new moon and got literally ONE good photo. I mean. I do really like it, but still! I was hoping for a full night of success but the clouds were not my friend.
Here are three shots taken January, August, and September in 2019. A steady progression I think, which is good to see!
Somewhere in Wales (lol) Lumix GH5, 7Artisans 7.5mm f2.8, single exposure, 30 seconds
Brecon Beacons, Lumix S1, 24mm f4, using the Move-Shoot-Move tracker, 60 second exposure
Hunts Mesa, Monument Valley, Lumix S1, 24mm f4, 30 second exposure
You can get great photos close to home
Of course, I love to travel! I love nothing more than having my camera with me in a new exciting place. There will be plenty of that later on in this list. But first, here are some photos taken in sunny England that I really love. I ended up going to London a hell of a lot last year, for work, fun, and get-togethers. Of course I have to take some photos!
London, Lumix S1, 24-105mm f4
Liverpool Cathedral, Lumix GX85 with the Oly 17mm f1.8 prime. Which is FIT.
Rainy London, with a very NOT weather-sealed Lumix GX85 and Oly 17mm f1.8 lens.
Snowdonia, Lumix GH5 with 35-100mm f2.8 lumix
Landscape photography really is my joy. There. I said it.
I love all kinds of photography. Indeed, one of the best things about having a camera is trialing all the different types, expanding your skills, and seeing what you love! But I just love landscape/travel photos so much. I love capturing the places I visit in my own way. I love it. If I could paint I think I’d love that for the same reason, but I’m crap at that so photography it is.
I got some fantastic photos during my American Road Trip (there’s a full 3-part blog series on this trip with tons of photos! Here’s the first part). Honestly it’s so hard to choose my favourites from this trip. it’s all so fresh and wonderful in my mind. But here are a few.
Yosemite National Park, Lumix GH5 with Olympus 9-18mm f4.something
Monument Valley at Sunrise! Lumix GH5 with Lumix 25mm f1.4
You can get good photos when you’re stuffed into the back of a van
Honest. You can! I went on a jeep safari in Maderia and I was right at the back, all boxed in. Still tried to take some photos. The mist at the top of the island was stunning. Love me some moody mist! Here are some other shots from the trip too. It might just be me (it probably is just me) but the shots on the moody beach just hit me right in the chest. The colour grading I went with makes the scene feel so desolate and weird. And I love how the warm red car stands out on the second one.
I guess this is what I mean about landscape photography. It makes me feel stuff. When it’s done well, anyway. I know I have so much more to learn, but I like these images.
I only packed my Lumix GH5 and the Meike 12mm T2.2 cine lens. Nothing else! I mean, I packed underwear and stuff, but that was IT for photography gear. It was pretty liberating.
Bulls in the mist. GH5 Meike 12mm T2.2
Lumix GH5 with Meike 12mm T2.2
Lumix GH5 with Meike 12mm T2.2
It is very hard to take a bad photo in Switzerland
Seriously. It’s all so bloody epic-looking. I took the first one out of the window from my hotel room!?! Again I was quite happy for some moody mist. It adds a bit of atmosphere and I’m not the biggest fan of empty blue skies.
Lumix S1 with 24-105mm f4
Lumix S1 with 24-105mm f4
Finally… my favourite image of the year!
It’s a bit technical, and I love it because it’s a slightly different way of seeing a very well-photographed place. It was a composite from like 200 images, and I had to photoshop out the (numerous) plane trails to clean it up a bit. So much traffic in America, even in national parks, even in the early hours of the morning!
I love it! I love it! I love it!
Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed the photos! Hope you learned a lot yourself in 2019 photography-wise, and as always, keep shooting, pew pew pew!
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