“Your photography is a record of your living, for anyone who really sees.” ~ Paul Strand
My 2021 in pictures:
Photography has become a passion of mine. Most of my blogging posts are taken by me myself and I, so I guess in fact they could be considered a selfie. Kidding. Kinda. But it actually isn’t taking pictures of myself that I like, in fact I really hate taking pictures of myself though it is par for the content creating business. And I will admit it has given me confidence over the years, since I was that girl who hated having her picture taken as a teen (and doesn’t have many of them from that time period to look at, unless you want to see pictures of my hand in my face.) to now posting every other day, and having my face (though really outfits) plastered on all my socials and this blog. A Leopard can change her spots!
While I shoot fashion posts, I still love taking stills. And it should come as no surprise that most of them are nautical inspired. In fact most of my favorite subjects to shoot are nautical. In no particular order I love shooting coastal sunsets, buoys, window boxes, gorgeous unique doors, anchors, boats, and lighthouses. pffft I know that is a lot. I also aim for a pretty sea glass picture from time to time, though that is definitely a lesson in patience.
I feel like this year especially my photography improved quite a bit as did my editing. I look back at pictures from even just five years ago and I admit I cringe quite a bit. The composition and how I edited was extremely cringe. But that is the incredible part about keeping at and practicing a craft. You improve and over time you can see that improvement and it is incredibly rewarding.
Boats
I love photographing boats and I got to take a lot of pictures of them this year. I also got to sail on them which was so much fun and made my heart full, especially since last year I was unable too. Boats especially sail boats, row boats, and dinghy are not only colorful in looks, but also in their history. I love learning about who they are named after and the why.
Florals
This past year I was lucky enough to go to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens several times. And each time it turned out to be a unique experience with the changing of the seasons. New England tends to be a late bloomer, (pun intended) but when it does it is vibrant and colorful.
Bouys
I have an obsession with buoys. I wholeheartedly admit it! I don’t know where it came from, but it is very real to the point that I will stop along the road to take pictures of bouys that I see and may or may not end up doing some trespassing because of it. (oops!) It might be because I have a theme going, and no it isn’t the nautical, but actually because they are so colorful!
Lighthouses
Lighthouses were actually what really began my love of taking pictures. And it is only fitting that I am sharing another snap (because I have thousands!) of the most photographed lighthouse in the world. I love their strength, there unique and sometimes ornate architecture, and the resiliency they represent. This past year I went on a lighthouse tour through Maine and got to see many of the lighthouses.
Nautical
Since I spend every moment I can at the beach and even incorporate it into my work, I take a LOT of Nautical pictures, not just boats, but Adirondack cars, and life guard stands. The first picture is actually one of my favorites I took this year. It just fills me with peace every time I look at it. And the last picture is one of the last sunsets of the year and in my opinion one of the prettiest!
Travel
While it was another year with limited travel and none off the beaten path, like I typically like to do, it gave me the opportunity to really explore the places I do love. And discover their hidden gems that even I didn’t know about. I was blessed to stay in some incredible hotels for work, and while I am not an interior designer, I discovered a love for photographing the gorgeous interiors.
Coffee
I couldn’t do a pictures post and NOT share my coffee pics. As a friend says he is always shocked when I don’t have the java goodness in my hands for a picture. Not only is coffee the good stuff, it makes an excellent subject! I have more times then not thought about making a Stan account on Instagram and maybe some day I will with all my coffee shots.
I took a lot more pictures. It is actually crazy the amount of photographs I have on my phone and laptop, and the amount of pictures that I have deleted. These are literally a smidgen of what I took, but they are the ones that resonated with me, and also didn’t make me cringe to much!In fact many of them made me smile with the memories of those moments of this past year. And at its core that is what photography does. It evokes feelings and memories. And for me, these photographs evoke joy.
Do you like to take photographs? What are your favorite things to shoot? What is your favorite photo of mine?
