2021 in Review - Y Hanson Photography
This year has been a rollercoaster ride, and likely the first of many. I’m sure most people can relate when I say that burnout has been a key fixture in my mental state throughout the many stages of this pandemic. Despite that, 2021 has been an incredible year for my photography and creative development. In 2021, I did 109 photoshoots, made 51 youtube videos, and uploaded 85 shorter videos on Instagram. Since buying my Nikon D780 in late July, I have taken 73,000 photos.
One of the most exciting things I have discovered this year is the joy of film photography. My desire to shoot film intensified throughout the winter of 2020 and 2021, though I was hesitant to start for fear of making many costly mistakes. However, after having an overwhelmingly positive experience with my first roll of film (taken on a disposable camera during the heatwave in July, of all things), I decided to take the plunge and invest in a good film camera. The Nikon F801s I purchased was shockingly similar in layout to my digital camera, which facilitated a seamless transition into film shooting. The downside of this is that I now take two cameras with me everywhere I go.
Another thing I have enjoyed immensely in 2021 is street photography. I began doing street photography at the very end of 2020, during the dark and rainy days of November and October. In 2021, I got to experience the joy of street photography in bright sun, incorporating harsh shadows and unusual reflections into my images. Street photography has been a way for me to cope with the turbulent weather conditions we are experiencing due to climate change. I took photos during the historic heat wave, catastrophic rains, and intense forest fire smoke that we experienced in Vancouver in 2021. I would like to think that I am playing some small role in documenting these events, and I will continue to document them as they escalate in the coming years.
In December of 2020, I wrote out a list of my “Photography Goals” for 2021. Looking back at that list, I am proud of how many of them I have achieved. Since then, I have started renting a space at Studio Doris for four full days per month. I have purchased both strobe and continuous professional lighting for my studio sets, and I have been giving more and more time and attention to the backdrops and sets for each shoot. I am excited to get started writing out my goals for 2022, and even more excited to achieve them. 2022 may not be an exciting year after everything we have been through in the last 20 months, but I am ready to meet it head on and do my best to document the experience.