Paterson Photography Lethbridge

Planning for 2019 – my goals

So as 2018 comes to an end I am planning what goals I want for the next year. I have the same general items for each year that I am in business …

  • Improve my photography
  • Keep my website & blog up to date
  • Improve print quality and types of prints offered
  • Add more courses and workshops

But those are general and if I did not have them then there would be a big problem as everyone or every business should have something to work towards.

So what do I have to work toward? I have heard many experts say we should have three types of plans / goals in our lives. The first are the BIG ones, or the dreams. The second is the more achievable ones (medium goals) but still will require some work and the third is the easy ones. SO for the next year so far I have the following…..

Big Goals

  • Drive to the Northwest Territories
  • Drive to Ontario for the fall colors
  • Go to Churchhill to photograph the polar bears
  • Get out kayaking more
Goals - get out for more camping

Follow my exploring here

Medium Goals

  • Upgrade my 70D’s to the promised Canon 7D mark III
  • Add a vacuum press to the printing department
  • Head back to the coast for a whale watching trip
  • Head to Jasper to photograph Caribou
  • Add more premade frames to my selection
  • Update some of my display prints in the studio
  • Build a copy center for artwork and get polarizing filters for lights
  • Market more of my nature / wildlife work

Little Goals

  • Clean-up the backroom and the attic
  • Clean up my camera gear, and organize
  • Get out shooting more
  • Organize the shooting room more
  • Update my outside sign
  • Switch out my main hard drive in the office
  • Build more specialty frames

I know that these will change but I like having things to work towards. On last years list was a major rebuild of my website and I FINALLY got to it with two weeks remaining in the year, but it feels great to have that mostly done.

So what is one of your goals / plans for 2019?

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Newsletter back online

With the new website I am able to get the automation on the weekly newsletter to work. I hope 🙂

People on the mailing list will be getting their first newsletter using the new website today (Thursday December 27, 2018). If this works an update will be sent out every Saturday morning starting this Saturday as long as there are new blog posts to send out. On rare occasions I may send out an extra newsletter but as I am planning now it will only happen once a week.

Time savings

Using this system should save me over an hour a week from trying to do it manually. PLUS I don’t have to try and remember to do it.

Tell a friend about the newsletter!

If you know anyone that is interested in photography have them sign up at the blog or below. The more the merrier!

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Boxing Day Brawl

Went out for boxing day and came across a major brawl, could not believe how these two fought. The special was half price on a really nice bush and they both wanted it!

Alexander Wilderness Park

Canon 70D
Sigma 150-600
1/2000
F9
1600 ISO

Boxing day brawl
I saw it first!

It has been a good winter so far, a few crazy windy days but overall very nice. It is funny how the animals react to the weather. On windy days it is like all the animals moved out of the province or went into hibernation. A couple cold days do not seem to effect the animals, in fact they seem to like a few cold days. After a few cold days they change again starting to slow down and stay hidden more. Then once it warms up it takes a few days for them to start moving around again.

Boxing day brawl #2
I was closer to it

I didn’t want to put up with the boxing day brawl at the mall so I thought that I would head out to the river bottom and see what was happening. Not a lot of animals around, saw few birds, but the deer were everywhere. I wonder how the wolves, coyote and foxes do during a winter that is overall very mild. The deer look to be in really good shape as their food sources are not covered up like they were last winter and the winter before. If this keeps up the deer will be in really good shape come spring.

Boxing day brawl big hit!
It is MINE!!!!

Even our backyard feeders are not being used like they have been in the past couple of winters. Sure there are birds but not in the devouring herd like they have been for the last two years.

See more nature fine art prints in my gallery

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Cold Weather Camping

Cold weather camping
Waterton Lakes National Park

I hear from many people that say you cannot enjoy cold weather camping. Well I am here to say yes you can. You do need to make a few preparations when it turns cold but it is possible.

You really do not need to put your campers and camping supplies away come September like so many other people do. In fact with more months of cold in Canada then warm you should head out and try some winter camping so you can keep using your camper. With a few preparations you will be all set to make memories in the other 8 months of the year!

Make sure you do your research and prepare for emergencies. You will find that when others are bored at home you will be enjoying those long nights sitting by the fire or in your camper.

Here are a few tips to make it more enjoyable, it is in PDF format as there ended up being a lot of information. Feel free to share the link if you like. Cold weather camping tips here.

If you are a photographer you will also find that the winter gives you a lot of opportunities to shoot. Opportunities that you would not have at other times of the year. Long nights and less air pollution allows you to take amazing night pictures, from Astro images to painting with light. Add to this a warm place to warm up and you may find you get addicted to winter shooting!

Cold weather and astro photography

If you always wanted to take some Northern light pictures then winter is the best time for this as well. Long nights give more chances to get the perfect image. It also seems that the winter makes the aurora a lot more active. So get yourself in your camper and head out to a dark sky area like Writing on Stone. Writing on stone is open all year for camping with power plug ins it is like being at home.

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Christmas Day frost

Came back from walking the dog and really wanted to do some more pictures of the Christmas day frost. It was so nice I did not want to drive any place and possibly miss it. Grabbed a macro lens and headed out to the front yard to see what there was. Sometimes the best pictures are those right in front of your face. This was the case with my front yard, there were lots of photo opportunities.

It was actually a great day even with the clouds and the frost as it felt really warm with zero wind. Could take a few months of this temperature to enjoy getting outside and shooting. So one of my best presents had to be the Christmas day frost but I don’t think it will hang around.

Frost20181225I042c
Frost20181225I042c
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View more of my images in the gallery

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Full moon on the rise

Headed out to shoot the (almost) full moon rising tonight. I thought that the cloud in the distance was too thick to get the moon coming out of the horizon. I was surprised to see the moon right on time. For shots like this a really cold night generally gives less distortion. But I can never resist the opportunity to shoot the rising moon when it is clear. Was nice to have the White Turtle III with me to use as a base of operations.

Full moon rising
Canon 70D, Sigma 150-600 @ 600 3200ISo 1/80s F9
Full moon rising with a windmill in front
Full Moon Canon 70D, Sigma 150-600 @ 600 3200ISo 1/400s F9

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