How to start a blog in 2018. Swear and be over-dramatic. (Frickin' nailed it). Much like everyone who starts a blog I have done the thing where you then conveniently and completely forget to do anything with it for several months. I guess that means that again, I'm nailing it. Wittering out the way, 2017 was pretty good for me. It was (objectively) pretty crap for humanity with various acts of madness, but Edge of the Map got an exhibition (it's still there btw), I was "Highly commended" in a nationwide photo competition, got a couple of pretty sweet features and was interviewed by Seafox Creative, all of which made me feel pretty darn special. I also FINALLY got a new camera (Nikon D7200) which is pretty sweet. (Already looking at upgrading it, gonna go for that full-frame goodness). 2018 could either be the year I really nail this thing, or just carry on meandering. To be fair, my aims for this year are pretty lofty - but not unobtainable, here's a quick rundown of what I'm aiming for.
- Write a book, provocatively titled "Alternative Facts & Where to find them (in Cornwall). It's going to be the normal ridiculousness I write in my social media posts, but it'll actually detail how I took the photo accompanying the text, hopefully it'll be a good way of giving basic instructions without boring anyone to death (does anyone know a publisher who won't rip me off?). - Make a short film, not sure what about, not sure how, gonna give it a go. It'll probably be a black comedy or something like that. I'm probably going to be in it/ direct it/ edit it and then put it on Youtube so it can be forgotten with all the cat videos no one watches anymore.
- Outex. When I've saved up enough money I'm going to buy some Outex housing for my D3300 and really give water photography a go, it's constantly inspiring to me and the fact that I can't do it is maddening. The urge I have to walk into the sea with a very vulnerable camera is probably similar to the urge collectors of rare currency suffer when they're near an unlocked vault door, and the nearest guard has tripped over and belted himself around the head with a truncheon...or a vase of flowers. I guess it depends on how romantic he was feeling. - Smoke photography. God help us all, especially the lungs of the models and me. - People photography, I want to capture people doing what they love, there's nothing more impressive to me than someone doing what they love and seeing the care they put in to it, there's something parental about it and I want to make that look epic. - Printing. Buy an A3 printer, sell cheaper prints. It's gon' be good. - Draw more, learn calligraphy, get my designing shoes back on. I mean, to be fair, there's a lot more I want to do as well, read more, cycle in another country, have a "say yes" day, learn origami, build a desk, buy a macbook so I can edit on the go again, do more beach cleans, be social, but that all seems wilfully self indulgent. I guess I should also make a note to try and blog more. By the way, a big shout out to the people who mentioned you actually read this and wanted to know why I hadn't continued (it was forgetfulness with a dash of lazy). You actually made a difference to my world and I thank you for that. Anyway, you'll hear from me again soon. I hope you're well, keep an eye on the insta page, give the FB page a like (it needs attention (as do I (obviously))). OH! I nearly forgot. I'm doing this challenge me thing, send me ideas for stuff you'd like to see me take photos of. Gonna do as many as possible and try to give it that Edge of the Map vibe. BYE!