After a bumpy year, I felt the need to look back and catalogue a few of the interesting things that I photographed, and experienced during 2010.  My work is varied to say the least, and about the only things I don’t photograph categorically are babies and weddings.  This is somewhat of a joke to those who know me because even these are occasionally broken.  It’s minimally amusing because when people ask me what I do, they automatically think weddings and portraits.  When they find out my specialty is primarily architectural photography, the next inevitable question is, “who are your clients?”  Well, this list is for them (and me so I can review the diversity of my profession, and be thankful that my work is often interesting.)  A few examples:  bridges and commuter trains in San Diego, a stainless-steel ping-pong table, a fiber optics testing facility, the installation of a walking-reheat furnace, an HDTV exhibit, various commercial sites from the air, celebrity homes, a church opening, construction sites, a titanium distribution center, and a tight deadline Santa Monica “treasure hunt” project.  In addition: there were many homes (scary apartments to opulent mansions,) commercial sites, restaurants, and hotels.  This may sound like a lot of work, but it is punctuated with creativity-draining periods of idle shutter buttons, unused computers, and addled brain matter.

Fortunately, some of that time was used for travel, and somewhat less so, re-modeling a bathroom.  This year it was Panama, Cambodia and Vietnam.  Experiencing Angkor Wat re-kindled my interest in b&w photography which was a welcome change that challenged me to learn new methods for old techniques.  It has been at least 20 years since I washed a print in a darkroom.  The romance is undeniable, but in this age the computer rules, and I am okay with that.  I can tell you that it is just as much work (and if I’m honest, more) creating a fine art print on the computer, but the control is worth the long nights.  Learning when to be done was a new challenge for me, and I now have a little taste of what my artist friends go through creating a painting.

The inevitable merging of still and video photography marches on and I was able to to incorporate video into my work-flow to a limited degree this year.  I have been experimenting with different ways of shooting video, and feel that the new video-capable SLR’s will be what I end up using in 2011.  The quality is undeniable, and I doubt the handling issues will bother me much as I am so used to using an SLR that I’ll adapt with a few equipment additions.  2011 will see the continuation of skill and equipment upgrades, so I can better meet client needs in this area.

In compressed retrospective it was a very interesting year filled with variety, education, and exciting new experiences.  My hope for the coming year is simply more of the same.  Could I ask for more? Of course, but growing as a human being, artist, and finally a business is more than I ever dreamed possible not too many years ago.  Well, maybe a little less idle time would be welcome, after all, there is another bathroom awaiting my blundering home improvement skills…