It has been well over 3 years since I wrote the first rendition of this blog, and my ambitions have changed a lot since then. I figured it was time to catch up and manifest my future photography goals once again.
Progress updates
While I haven't checked off every single one of the goals I set out during my first blog, there has been significant progress made since that was posted. Namely, in the animal department.
One of my goals was to capture "something other than a squirrel or bird". Looking back, it's amazing how many bird and squirrel pictures I have managed to take. As exciting as new species are, I am very proud of the improvement I've made in my bird photography, I've managed to find several new species while birding, and my photos get better every time I go out (in my own humble opinion). I feel like I have a better sense of what I'm doing.
In terms of the bigger fauna that I set out to find, I have photographed some larger animals in the past few years to check this off the list. Since writing that piece, I've captured photos of a fox, a few deer, and a few dozen seals.
My trip out east last summer introduced me to an array of new wildlife that I went crazy over. Not just that they were new animals I had never seen this close, but the sheer abundance of them made them amazing subjects in my photos from the trip, which was undoubtedly one of the highlights for me.
Speaking of trips, traveling was also one of my previous goals. Because the original blog was written during the pandemic, it is understandable why I had such a strong sense of cabin fever. That and I was still in high school, so I had never lived in a new city yet. I was desperate to get out and explore, and that is starting to come to fruition now that I'm older.
Under the sea
Growing up I was always called a fish, simply because whenever we went swimming I was always the last to leave the pool. My love for the oceans has only grown since then, and what better way to show my appreciation for this seascape than with photography?
Underwater photography is something I only imagine professionals doing. I see creators on Instagram diving with these magnificent creatures, or some who have even turned their photography and videography into a documentary. It always feels magical watching them swim with these beasts, I can only imagine what it would feel like to be there in that moment.
The Galapagos Islands are the top travel destination on my bucket list for many reasons, namely the wildlife. Not only do the islands host several endemic bird species, but their marine life is even more impressive. Pop quiz: did you know that I love sharks? Did you know my favourite shark is a hammerhead? Did you know that the Galapagos is the only place in the world where hammerhead sharks will swim in schools? Enough said.
True tropicals
On a similar topic of passions, I want to see in real life, in come the houseplants. My plant collection has ebbed and flowed since the blog I wrote about them, but that doesn't mean I don't still admire them.
Another photography dream of mine would be to travel somewhere and find these plants in their native habitat. Some places in Central or South America would have the plants I keep in simple 4-6" pots climbing up massive trees, with leaves bigger than my entire plant.
While I might not capture photos as dynamic as those that I would in the Galapagos per se, it would be a dream to see these plants I know and love in monster form, thriving in a tropical environment.
Self-portraits... with a twist
Is this a style of photography I absolutely LOVE, yes. Is it a style that I think I would be good at, not really. But is it something I want to try, why not?
The content creator girlies that I follow online have consistently shown up with this tasteful upgrade to the selfie and I am so here for it. A lot of the influencers I follow always put their own artistic spin on these photos through their outfits, their hair, or even the editing of the photo, and I think it would be fun to try it myself.
I don't see this as something I would be sharing with others, more of an exercise to stimulate my mind creatively, but also to show better appreciation for my body. If there's ever a point in the near future where I am in a creative block and having a bad body day, the solution may very well be a self-love photo shoot and playing dress up!