2024 New Year’s Resolutions Photographers Will Definitely Keep
As photographers flip their calendars over to 2024, waving goodbye to a year of great gear and hopefully even better photos, it is time for shutterbugs to usher in the New Year with top-notch — and totally realistic — New Year’s resolutions.
This Year is Finally the Year for an Updated Website
“I will update my photography website this year,” says one photographer, who has said the same thing for the past six years but recently had to ask Zenfolio to unarchive a couple of image galleries that went offline due to inactivity.
“For some reason, two of my galleries were archived. That makes no sense. I definitely added new photos to those pages recently,” the photographer says before realizing that the pages haven’t been touched since 2014.
“Hmm. Well, anyways, this year is the year,” they say sheepishly.
3-2-1 Backup in 2024
The 3-2-1 backup strategy is the best way to ensure that files are safe, even if something horrible happens. Three copies of data on two different storage devices and at least one copy of photos in another location. Easy.
“Oh yeah, I’m going to get my backup strategy in order this year,” a frantic photographer explains while looking wide-eyed at a desk covered in scattered hard drives, including some that, somehow, feature FireWire ports.
When asked where all their photos are stored, the photographer says, “You’re looking at them, pal,” gesturing to the rat’s nest of chaos. “The images are one spilled coffee away from total loss, probably. But I’ll deal with it this year.”
“And I definitely won’t get overwhelmed this time.” Hopefully, they will check out PetaPixel‘s Photo Backup Guide to help reduce the stress of file organization.
The Year of Organization
Similarly, another photographer says their New Year’s Resolution is finally organizing all their old photo and video files.
“They’re sort of all over the place,” says the optimistic photographer who wishes to remain anonymous. “In 2010, I labeled my files based on location. In 2013, after doing nothing the prior two years, I went with a new date structure. And off and on, I’ve sort of organized files by subject. However, most of the time, I do nothing and don’t touch my files.”
With tens of thousands of files floating precariously in a disorganized mess of nested folders, the photographer may have some duplicate files needlessly occupying storage space. When 2025 rolls around, the frazzled photog certainly won’t have added a few thousand more unlabeled files to their library.
“Nope, definitely not. I’m going to get it under control,” they say.
“My sanity depends on it.”
‘I’ll Use Lens Caps in 2024,” Promises a Lazy Photographer
“Everybody loses lens caps from time to time,” one photographer explains while opening a new package of unbranded lens caps purchased from Amazon to replace the ones they lost in 2023. “Right?”
Wrong.
“But, this year, I’m going to put lens caps back on my lenses before tossing them in my bag,” the photographer promises.
When asked how many they’ve lost over the years, the photographer replies, “Uh, well, I don’t know… a few, I guess.”
A check through a decade’s worth of Amazon purchases reveals the truth. It’s dozens. They have somehow lost dozens of lens caps, front and rear alike.
Trying New Photo Styles
A popular New Year’s Resolution for photographers is to embark on a quest to tackle a new project, perhaps a “take a photo every day” or “try a new lens” challenge.
“I’ve always thought portraits are so cool, but I’ve never really taken any,” a landscape photographer says. “So last year, I said I’d take at least one new portrait every week.”
“I made it to February,” they say, with false confidence that this year will be different.
Another photographer did a 52-week photo challenge, where each week they needed to shoot in a different location, use various techniques, and photograph new subjects. “I did it for a few weeks before going back to shooting only the stuff I like.”
“But, you know, I got many new photos of birds, so 2023 was a total win. I never used the wide-angle lenses I spent thousands of dollars on, but whatever.”
Never Leave Your Camera Behind in 2024
“I can’t even imagine how many photos I missed last year because I left my camera at home instead of bringing it with me when I went out,” explains a disappointed photographer. “But this year, I will take my camera everywhere!”
When asked if they took their camera with them during their New Year’s Day errands, the photographer got red in the face and refused to answer the question. They walked away when asked if they had missed any good photo opportunities because of leaving their camera at home.
‘I’m Going to Share Only My Best Photos This Year,’ Promises Instagram Addict
For some, they aim to share more of their work in 2024 and finally publish all the photos they capture online. One photographer hopes to improve in the opposite way and share fewer images.
“Last year, I think I put about 800 photos on my Instagram,” the prolific photographer explains.
“In hindsight, I guess maybe only a dozen of them were really good. A lot of them were just sort of the same thing from eight barely different angles.”
“But this year, I will definitely share only my best stuff. Quality over quantity, you know?” the photographer says, nodding.
They shared 25 photos of the same three fireworks early on January 1. New habits take time, after all.
Not Buying New Gear
When asked how much they spent on new equipment last year, a gear-obsessed photographer who aims to overcome Gear Acquisition Syndrome, better known as G.A.S., checks their lengthy bank statements.
“Hmm, looks like about $10,000. No, wait, $12,000.”
And did they use the new equipment to take better photos?
Sucking air in through their teeth, the photographer finally replies, “Well, not exactly. I didn’t really need an f/1.4 lens since I mostly shot at f/2 anyway. And I don’t really use the fastest shooting speeds on my new professional camera or, frankly, do anything differently with it than I did on my old DSLR.”
“But I think all the new gear does make me a better photographer. People think I’m a pro when I’m out with all my new stuff. I feel powerful and cool. Still, though, this year, I think I’d like to spend less money on new gear and focus on getting better with the equipment I’ve already got,” they explain.
The photographer was last seen browsing Adorama, reading the latest camera rumors, and checking their bank account, muttering, “I’ve got enough for that.”
Editor’s Note: For those who may not have caught on, this story is satire.
