Photography Lovers End Of Year Contest | My 2021
At the end of the year it's always a thing to look back at the year, and what better way to do that than by grabbing the images that you found important enough to capture over the course of the year. Every photo says something, and often when you look back at such a photo you think back to THAT one moment, and you experience a part of the feeling that moved you to take that one photo. Because every photo, no matter how simple, shows a piece of feeling. An experience, an emotion or an interest.
It will come as no surprise that my blog about my 2021 has photos of dogs. The dogs are a significant part of my life. In fact, I can't imagine life without my four-legged friends around me.
The first photo I'm going to show is a photo I made this year of my little Myla Mouse.
Myla is very special
And why this photo? Quite simply, because she looks so happy in this photo. She is so wonderfully happy and so very happy in this photo. The special thing about Myla I have often explained, how we had to fight so hard together to get to where we are now. And even though that 'fight' to get her to listen, to build a bond with her, is long behind us… it remains special to have such a strong bond with this very sweet girl, all these years later. .
Myla is giving
Myla never nags for attention. Myla is just there! Myla is never annoying, on the contrary. She feels unerringly what you need and gives it unconditionally when it is in her power. She is a very quiet dog indoors that just goes to sleep, or she is watching what you do. Myla doesn't argue with the other two dogs, Myla gets up from her place when another dog thinks it should lie there. Myla loves being with you, and even now that we have to admit she's getting older, she still wants to be active outside every day.
She is starting to show age flaws
Unfortunately, this girl is also starting to show some age flaws. For example, her hips are no longer completely healthy, she has some problems with her joints so that she does not sit down often ... she only does that when she has a fantastic day, which makes this photo extra special because here she went on her own happily sitting in front of me. A smile on her precious gray muzzle, telling me she wants to play and that I should throw the ball in my hand away for her. Which of course I do for her with love and pleasure. And which she then skips after. Her whole face shines at those moments, she still finds herself very fast and most important of all, she enjoys it to the fullest. To see that joy in her is just amazing, and it melts my heart every day, so I just make sure she can enjoy every day. Once she's tired we cuddle together and I make sure she has a nice place where she can rest from the exertion… and save her energy for the next time. Hopefully this can last a while. I don't want to miss this snout!
I decided to end my membership of the photo club
The photo above is special to me in that it contributed to my decision to end my membership of the photo club.
Theme assignment
This photo was taken as a result of a theme assignment, where groups had to work together and eventually a series of photos (4 photos) had to be made that would portray the theme "Freedom".
Compromise
Now everyone knows if you have to work together in groups, you have to compromise. And there is a good chance that you cannot do your own idea that you would really like to carry out because the majority does not agree with it. That also happened with this assignment. The majority of 'my group' wanted to show the mask duty that would come to an end in the Netherlands at the time of this assignment to portray the theme "Freedom". What you see in the photo is the balloons that are released ... towards freedom, and a number of mouth caps have been tied to the balloons, so that they get their freedom in the wake of the balloons.
Not my idea
This was the idea of the people in my group, and if the whole group is very enthusiastic about it, then you have to go with it, even if you don't agree at all. And actually see absolutely nothing in this idea.
This was the umpteenth time
Now this can always happen once, but in my two-year membership with this club I've experienced these 'limitations' a little too often. And after 2 years I still felt like a stranger within the club… this has meant for me that my inspiration for photography did not build up, on the contrary in fact. The reason I joined the club was to build new contacts with like-minded people, and find back the inspiration and motivation. This has not happened in 2 years, and in the two years that I was a member I have also heard just too frequently that my ideas that came to me were “TOO extreme” and so on.
Go my own way again
After this umpteenth 'disappointment', if I may call it that, I decided to go my own way. And for the time being, to give myself the time to explore my own possibilities, and to see where my interests lie within these possibilities.
This has partly ensured that 2021 has been a year for me in which I photographed EXTREMELY little.
Another disappointment
The story behind the next photo is another reason why I left my camera in his bag even more often.
My first wedding shoot? Uhm ... NO
In the photo you can see a beautiful castle. Yes, I immediately fell in love with it ... and in and near this castle it was actually the intention that I would photograph my first paid wedding. Unfortunately, this all turned out to be a little different, and I was able to see the true nature of man once again. A wedding is not something you do in an hour. They asked me to shoot from 8 am to 2 at night, and believe me… I did it with love and pleasure. But not for next to nothing. Just because I'm not registered as a professional photographer doesn't mean I shouldn't incur any costs for such a day, and that doesn't mean my time is free, nor does it mean I'd be happy with it' One command that I say YES and AMEN to everything.
People showing their true colors
Long story short, the price they were willing to pay was so far below what I had in mind that I felt cheated and the whole story ended up not going through. These people showed their true colors, and the colors were not so nice! So no wedding to photograph! Instead of that, just a day spent with my dogs. And without having to incur additional costs.
Back to my dogs, having fun with Skipper
And then of course we got back to my dogs. I have always been happy with the presence of my big hugs, but especially in this Covid time, when uncertainty is great for everyone. You never know in advance whether something will suddenly change again. We live from lockdown to lockdown, the dichotomy that arises among people in society. It affects me as a highly sensitive person. And then it is so nice to just not think about anything but to go out with your dogs.
Feel the love from my dogs
Enjoying each other's nature and the movement that automatically comes with it. Feeling the joy and love that a pet gives you. Always and unconditionally! That means that even in these uncertain times my days are always filled with love, and that allowed me to get over my disappointments again. Shrug and move on. Be like Lana!
Where one door closes, another door opens
I felt like a door had slammed shut in front of me, but there are plenty of options. Where one door closes, another door opens. The hope of earning my money with photography I have not so much given up (giving up is not in my dictionary), but I have put it on hold. And honestly I don't know if I'll ever get it out again. I think it's more important to first get back the fun in photography, without immediately hanging a revenue model there. In addition, I have to focus on what is possible… and those possibilities are currently not in photography for me. Not the way I'd like it to be. I have to find 'myself' again. Being able to make a compromise between “will” and “can”.
A 'rest' year of reflection
This year has certainly not been my strongest year ever, in terms of photography, and certainly not the year in which I photographed a lot. From a photographic point of view, this year can best be described as the year in which I hardly touched my camera. The first year since 2007 in which I photographed so little. A 'rest' year of reflection!
This photo was taken to show my partner his work. He bought a wood lathe at the beginning of this year, and hopes to be able to do something with it. He would like to work from home more, start his own business, and he hopes to do that with woodturning and other woodworking. He made these Christmas ornaments for us at home and I thought it was definitely worth photographing. That also gave me a moment where I once again experienced the pleasure of photographing.
The love for photography is still there
I am convinced that as the circumstances change, the situation will allow it again… that I will be carrying around with my camera more often. The love for photography is still there, and I still have plenty of ideas… only at the moment it is not possible to implement those ideas. But the moment it is possible, I am convinced that this will happen, and that I will certainly find the pleasure in it again. It is not an out of sight, out of mind story.
But let me say I took a big step back this year to come back later better than ever before. What is in the barrel does not sour. If 2022 will be the year in which I can start tapping that keg? I don't know…