Well, that was a year hey. Blink and you missed it. Crumbs, it went by so quick didn’t it?
But the relentlessness never stops as focus for some people moves onto selecting and publishing a ‘best of 2023’ on our blogs.
Normally I’d have mine done nice and early. I always had a goal to be one of the first to have it published because I used to think that by now everyone’s a bit sick of seeing other people’s annual highlights.
Or maybe that’s just me!
But I don’t think anyone should feel pressure to post a ‘best of’ by any false deadline or for any reason other than the three P’s – pride, psychology and portfolio.
Let me explain…
It’s hard to see the wood for the trees, the wheat amongst the chaff, the diamonds amongst the rough… when you’re at the end of a year with head spinning, thumbs burning and retinas smouldering.
If you’ve not been picking blog selections as you go along, you won’t realistically know what absolute nuggets of golden wonder exist in all the thousands and thousands of photos you’ve delivered.
For me, picking my annual favourites is my way of filtering down my work to the frames I’m especially proud of. The photos that feel very ‘me’ and it helps me compartmentalise what I feel is my absolute best work of the year. And I mean ‘best’ entirely by my own taste.
I always start with a sense of dread and always – always – finish with a real feeling of pride about what I’ve created. Yes, for me personally on an artistic level, but also for what I’ve given to my clients this year.
I see my ‘best of’ post as a line being drawn under that year. A full stop.
Boxed off, filed away, done and dusted.
I don’t feel like my year is ‘put to bed’ until I’ve done my annual blog post. And once it’s done I feel a freedom to move forward.
I don’t want to turn my back on the year as if I want to forget it but I fully believe that we should be as focused – if not more focused – on what we’re going to create in the future as what we’ve created in the past.
So I love making my annual selection (I always pick 150) because that’s the year fully finished and that always feels great and makes me look forward even more to the next year of weddings.
The process of picking a best of collection is a daunting, time consuming, arduous and mildly stressful one.
As with many things, it’s not fun until it’s done.
I go through each wedding in photomechanic, and flag anything I feel is ‘bloggable’. Then I go through that bloggable set and filter it down one more time.
When I’ve got a bloggable set from each wedding. I put ALL those photos (usually around 50-100 per wedding) into one folder and then I randomise the order.
After that I go through and flag anything that stands out to me for one reason or another. My personal rule here is that if it’s a maybe it’s a no – this stops me overthinking.
Usually I end up with 300 or so after this, then I just keep going through and being more and more ruthless until I have my 150.
I do try and make sure there’s at least one from every wedding.
Once I have the 150 I go through one final time and ruthlessly pick out a handful to add to my portfolio pages on my website.
Despite being a little bit soul destroying and quite time consuming I love this process because once it’s done:
1) I have a blog selection from every wedding, ready to be uploaded
2) I have my best of selection ready to blog
3) I have my portfolio set from that year which I can use on my website and instagram
So as well as feeling proud, and psychologically free to move forward with purpose, my portfolio feels fresh and up to date.
But for now, no pressure.
Enjoy the holiday season however you choose to do that. Make sure you take a break, and don’t feel bad about it. Rest is vital.
It doesn’t matter if you do your best-of tomorrow, in January or February or whenever… or even if you do it at all. I just thought I’d tell you why I’m an advocate and how I approach it.
If you do make a best of 2023 blog post I’d love to see it so send me a link when it’s up.
Thanks for reading my sporadic ramblings here this year. I appreciate it.
Adam
PS – I’m launching a new project in the new year, more info at https://thefedwed.com
