2021 Reflections and look ahead to 2022
As per usual, I thought I’d put together a small review of the year. I always find it a useful exercise in reflection, helping draw a line under the previous 12 months and to consider what I want to do with the year ahead. Looking back it’s been a very quiet year, and like many, external factors have had a big impact on my photography in 2021. Whether it was through having COVID, or simply being unable to get out and take pictures due to lockdowns. Not to mention having a nearly two-year-old running around. Sleep? What's that??
There were some highlights though. I had my zine featured in Black and White photography, which definitely felt like an accomplishment, and the wedding photography business I set up with a friend in 2019 finally had some weddings to shoot!
With all that in mind, there were a couple of things I thought I’d mention as part of looking back over 2021 before considering what lies ahead in 2022.
YouTube
I started 2021 as I’d ended the year before, by putting some videos out on YouTube. I was learning a lot with each new video, and they were well received. I had a few ideas for future videos and was happy with the progress. However, when I got COVID at the beginning of Feb, it completely knocked me sideways. Although the main symptoms lasted about a week, I struggled with other issues for about 3 months afterwards. The worst of these was struggling to recall words and complete my sentences. It felt like my head was full of fog and I couldn’t see the way ahead. Trying to make videos during this time would have been futile, and once I began to feel like my old self again, the motivation for creating videos just didn’t return in the same way. I’m still intrigued by what role video might play in my plans going forward, but for now, YouTube is on pause.
However, you can still see my old videos (and like and subscribe of course) at www.youtube.com/darrenrosephotography
Being part of a local community
During the middle part of the year, I took part in a series of monthly markets in Bedford, run by the excellent team at Bedford Flea. Doing these markets reminded me of the importance of meeting people in person and building real-life relationships. When people pick up a print and decide they want it to have on display at home, it’s very humbling. It says so much more than a like or thumbs up on social media.
I decided to focus on local markets and to be an active part of the creative community, and if you’re a photographer or an artist of any kind, I cannot recommend enough taking any opportunity you can to get your work in front of people and to start building those relationships and networks. You never know what opportunities it may lead to.
Photography Competitions
For the first time in a few years, I didn’t enter any major photography competitions, which was quite refreshing. After having an image commended, and another printed in the book in the 2019 British Wildlife Photography Awards, I decided to take a little break.
There are a few big competitions throughout the year, and they’re not that cheap to enter - especially if you do them all - and I’d grown a bit jaded by the whole process. It was nice to see people I know do well, and get images into books, but having no personal investment in whether I did well or not felt great.
Will I take in any in 2022? Maybe, I’ve still not decided. I’ve got some images that I’m proud of, so who knows.
What are my photographic goals for 2022?
If you’ve followed for any length of time, you’ll know that I often experiment and try different approaches. However, over the last few months, I seem to have settled into a rhythm of only shooting personal work with my monochrom digital camera and a Holga. It keeps my kit small and light, which I find quite liberating.
A while ago, Neil Mansfield shared an article on Twitter about the Helsinki Bus Station Theory, and it stuck with me in quite a profound way. As I looked back through my work, I could literally see how I’d kept jumping off the bus after a couple of stops, getting a cab back to the station, and picking a different route. Therefore, if I’m going to try and do anything in 2022, it’s to stay on the bus a little longer and see where it leads.
Unsurprisingly, I’ll continue to stick with more traditional approaches to sharing my photography, with at least one zine coming out as early as February and a larger book being released later this year. It’s been nearly 18 months since my first zine, so I thought I’d better get my act together. As before, I’ll be self-publishing unless anyone fancies taking a gamble on me ;)
In a similar vein, I’ll also be returning to the local markets in 2022 to get my work in front of people, sell physical prints, and continue to build on the local network of creatives and art buyers.
I do need to try and maintain focus on my website and blog a little more, with the intention of keeping my galleries up to date, reducing my dependency on social media as my main portfolio. Is blogging still relevant in 2022? No idea, but I intend to do more of it too.
And finally, some images...
I’ve decided to pick an image each month of 2021 and looking back, you can see what I mean about constantly changing styles! They aren’t necessarily the ‘best’ image I took that month, but they do all represent a key moment or fond memory from the year.
Featuring 36 colour images from three areas of local heathland through the seasons, Heathland | Rejuvenation covers my exploration of three heathlands in Bedfordshire over the last 6 years.