Making Plans, Telling Stories

Sunday 29 December 2024, 22:44 by Michiel Heijmans | 2,181 views | 4 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

"But wouldn't you like to write for us?" Through Elja, I joined Focus Magazine and, through Elja, found my way back to Photofacts. Thank you!

When I told Elja that my two-year streak of columns for Focus would come to an end in late 2024, he asked whether I would like to continue writing my columns here.

Yes, of course! I didn't have to think about it. The Straatfotobijbel has opened so many doors for me, that it is an honour to write for Photofacts again!

Over the past two years, I shared my wanderings in monthly columns for Focus Magazine and enjoyed the reactions, additions and people I met through the columns.

I understand that after two years, it is time to make room for a new columnist. Of course. But I do like writing, to get things off my chest and as a way of organising my thoughts.

A very brief summary of my past three years: During a burnout, I bought a camera and decided to become a photographer in September 2021. Or at least to try.

Street photography was my passion and I enjoy taking business portraits. I fell in love with photography, and taking photographs is part of that.

For Photofacts, I wrote the Straatfotobijbel, a textbook. For CameraNu, I give talks and organise photo walks, the latter also for Fotowolk.nl. Last September, The Observer, my photobook, was published. I make the podcast 30 Minuten Sluitertijd with my friend Niels de Kemp.

I have only just started, and even though my columns for Focus have stopped, my photography journey continues. There is plenty to tell!

Over the coming months, I will take you along in my uncertainties, things I think about out loud, and I will share things that I hope will make you think. They say there are no stupid questions. Just you wait.

Making plans

By now, I have also realised that the life of a professional photographer is never regular. Evenings, weekends, you can work eight days a week if you want to. The balance is sometimes hard to find, and I really do my best.

The balance between making new plans and carrying out old ones is another difficult one. I don't know what it is like for you, but when I get enthusiastic about something, my urge to take the next step and keep growing is strong. We'll see where it ends up.

Oh, and those plans often catch up with me, too. Then a plan or project is almost finished and I am already thinking about the next one. I want to start working on that straight away. A constant restlessness.

Over the coming year, I want to approach those projects with more attention, just like these columns. Hopefully, I will get you thinking about your project that still isn't finished, or that you really ought to bring to an end.

A friend once said to me: "You have to plan your plans". Obvious? Not at all. Consciously sitting down and writing out what you want to work towards in your photography gives you direction and makes it measurable. Set interim goals and 'celebrate' them.

So if your wish and goal is to photograph the northern lights, start planning and enjoy it when you have an idea of when and where you can capture them. Book a trip and, for example, look up the right settings for your camera. Small steps make big plans manageable.

Telling stories

One of my personal plans for the coming year is to tell even more stories. With photographs and words, or a combination of the two. The deeper I sink into the swamp that is photography, the more I notice that I need more depth. From snaps to photographs and from photographs to stories.

Last quarter, I took a Photography Masterclass with National Geographic. And although the end goal was to submit a series of photographs, optionally, I wrote an article about how the picturesque village of Zoutelande deals with tourists and all the new-build housing. The combination of text and images appeals to me enormously. The story behind the photograph.

There are plenty of photographers who would rather leave that open to interpretation. "Work out for yourself what my photograph is about". I do like having the story alongside it. Perhaps it is a need for the complete picture, and the opportunity to form your own opinion and disagree with my story. Discussion leads to improvements, and feedback is often constructive.

When reading my stories, look especially between the lines and find my uncertainties, my imposter syndrome and my personal challenges. Perhaps you will recognise something sometimes, or have a tip for me. We'll see, and I am looking forward to it! Until next time, okay? Lovely.

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