You can drive a car on the freeway staying in your lane by looking back through the rearview mirror. While it’s not the best way to drive a car, it’s completely possibly.

You just don’t want to run your life that way. Especially when it comes to health, finances, and relationships.

Add photography to that list, too.

Year in Review (Looking Ahead)
As a wedding photographer, I take a serious look at my business and the inner workings of what makes it tic. This includes the four pillars of what I believe make a successful wedding photographer today: education, experience, networking, and tools. None of which come cheap.

At the end of the day, awards, re-tweets, and blog comments mean nothing more than a mechanism to earn happy clients. I take those accolades seriously (when my Mom or Mother-in-Law (M.I.L. as she is know) comments, I pause, blush for a moment, then get back to what I do: take meaningful photographs of couples in love.

I’m in a constant search for growth that leads to a fulfilling creative avenue in not only photography, but personal fulfillment. As much as love creating, I love to share. Especially with other photographers, theoretically my competition. But I look at it as a way to give back and help make the wedding industry a better place.

I give you my 33 Photo Tech blog posts from 2012, which I hope inspires, encourages, and motivates you as you plan for 2013.

Grab your notebook (quick read time: 5 minutes, complete digestion 30 minutes):

1. Master Dark Arts and paint with light like Annie Leibovitz.

2. General impressions of shooting medium format film for portraits.

3. Nikon D4 vs medium format digital

4. Learn a few golden nugget marketing tips for photographers.

5. Push off and go Pro with my lessons and tips of going full-time photography.

6. How to make amateur photography pay {10 Trusism, 75 years later}

7. Delay Instant Gratification (Shoot Film!)

8. How to pimp the work you want to shoot.

9. Behind the scenes with a test shoot in the Florida Everglades on an airboat.

10. “Warm up, Thou Shalt Do” as part of my 12 Commandments of Shooting MF Digital (also relevant to 35mm shooters).

11. See how to set up PhaseOne Capture Pilot for iPad/iPhone

12. Art of Stitched Portraiture {Bokeh Panorama}

13. Take a peek behind the scenes of a collaborative test shoot in a studio.

14. Learn how to develop a photographic style.

15. Get your Dan Winters on, geek out with on-axis fill for portraits, and see for yourself a comparison between MF Digital and 35mm.

16. Headdresses for Flirty Fleurs test shoot (keeping it real and having fun).

17. Learn from one of my biggest mistakes this year, and expensive lesson that helped me develop a new skill.

18. Learn to Lightpaint on a whole new level.

19. See a head to head face-off between the Paul C Buff Einstein 640 vs a Profoto D1 Air 1000.

20. Tips for Shooting Landscapes in Ireland (Enjoy the Unknown)

21. Gear Essentials for Landscape Photography (My recommendations)

22. Understand the Importance of Where to Buy Gear

23. Tips for Photography at Burning Man

24. How to choose the right crayon (tool) for the job.

25. David Hobby asks the hard questions on shooting medium format in his interview on the Holy Grail of lighting blogs, The Strobist. Read the interview here.

26. See the importance of studying the Old Masters.

27. Five lessons from 90-year-old artist Charles Beck to live by.

28. The Profoto D1 Air & PhaseOne V-Grip Air Review at Burning Man

29. Five lessons from John Michael Cooper I recommend.

30. Behind the Scenes with Lester Wunderman, A Real Mad Man on Madison Ave

31. Event + Attitude = Outcome at Burning Man (My personal story)

32. On the Business of Side of Photography {Conversation w/ Becker}

Lastly, while this isn’t a blog post, I’m proud to share this article live on the PhaseOne’s website:

33. Feature testimonial on the PhaseOne website about shooting digital medium format in the wedding and portrait industry.

I hope you enjoy these yummy leftovers from 2012. I’m signing off for now to spend time with loved ones and will reconnect in the New Year!
__________
Five photography-related blog posts you’ll love :
The Hit List: 32 Photos Tips & Tutorials to Inspire, Encourage, and Motivate
How to Choose Your Best Photos
My Pictures Would Only Be Better If I…