Setting Photography Goals: 2020

It’s time for me to look back on photography goals I set for 2019 and make new goals for 2020.

I’ve done this process for the last four years. I think about the 3-5 things that I want to accomplish for the year. Some of my goals over the years have been shooting goals:

Photograph a bird in flight

Some of the goals have been learning a new technique either in my camera or post-processing.

Figure out Luminosity Masks

Ok. I still haven’t figured out luminosity masks and it’s been on my to-do list for the last two years. Maybe it’s not going to happen.

Since I’m a travel photographer, some of my goals have been travel related. I announced my India trip as an intention a year before I actually went. Sometimes announcing your goal will motivate you to make it happen.

Last year, I told you about my project to get 100 “Nos“. That project is still on-going. I haven’t yet reached my goal. I’ve had a lot of “Yeses” sneek in along the way.

Types of Goals

Over the years, I’ve had goals like:

• Make $1000 from photography
• Book 2 photoshoots
• Sell 3 prints
• Go to a photo workshop
• Take a photograph of the Milky Way
• Get 1000 followers on Instagram – I’m still working on this one – follow me!
• Photograph 100 strangers
• Book a solo exhibition
• Travel to India

Think about where you want your photography to be this time next year. Keep some goals realistic, but you can reach for the stars on others.

Maybe your goal will be to complete a 365 Project or carve out more time to photograph each week.

Be really specific with yourself. Rather than “make money from photography”. What is a realistic amount? $100? $500? $1000? Being specific will help you assess whether you met your goal or not.

Work towards your goals and check in with them during the year.

Your goals won’t happen by accident. What is one step you can take – today – to make this specific goal happen. I can’t reach my goal of photographing 100 strangers if I’m never out on the street photographing people! I can’t make $1000 in photography if I’m not pursuing various revenue streams. I can’t show my photos in exhibitions if I haven’t submitted images to galleries.

My travel to India goal helped me with my goal to photograph 100 strangers. Streets of Agra.

In Zen Photography, I talk about accepting yourself as a photographer. Knowing yourself, what you know and what you don’t yet know how to do in photography, is a big first step in accepting yourself.

End of the Year

It’s time for me to look at whether I met my 2019 goals or not.

As always, it’s a mixed bag. As long as I met the majority of my goals, I’m happy. There are always a couple of goals each year that fell by the wayside. I take a moment to decide whether that unmet goal will be on my list for 2020. Sometimes I just need more time to achieve my goal. Sometimes my priorities have changed and that goal is no longer relevant to my photography life.

It’s all good.

While you’re looking at your goals, think about other things you accomplished this year that weren’t on your list. Be proud of what you achieved this year!