 It's hard to believe another year is gone. It's like sometimes I feel like I'm on a runaway train and the longer I'm on it, the faster it goes. At the beginning of a new year, I find it's a good time to reflect on the past and make plans and goals for the year to come. I find this yearly evaluation to be important in all aspects of life and photography. So let's talk photography. That's what this vlog is all about. In 2019, I shot 100% black and white for all my personal work. It was a great experience, completely immersing myself in making black and white images. It was very liberating going out on a shoot, knowing exactly what I was there for, looking past the color for textures and shapes. It was hard at first. The more I did it, the easier it got to find an image in a scene that was going to work okay in black and white. I was surprised how much quicker I got over time at finding my photos. It's just, I guess, a matter of training your eye. But I think that the reason the process was moved along pretty quickly is because I was completely immersed into it. That's all I was there for. That's all I was seeing was black and white. I liked going out with my camera and knowing that color wasn't even an option. It really just simplified the process. Sometimes limitations can really help the growth of your photography. Sometimes it's better not to have too many choices. I could go to a scene, a location, and I didn't have to worry about the mental gymnastics of, is this photo going to be in black and white or is it in color? Because it was always going to be in black and white. I think with such a focused approach, it has made me a better photographer. And that's kind of the goal. I wanted to do the photography that I was most passionate about. And I figured I might as well just jump in with both feet. I love black and white photography. Let's just do it 100%. I'm the kind of person that when I commit to something, I jump in with both feet. And that's kind of what I did with black and white. I love it so much. If I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it all the way. It's just the type of person I am. One year I decided for a new year's resolution, by the end of the year, I was going to run 50 miles. By the end of the year, I ran 50 miles. So I guess I got to be careful of what I commit to. That's why I'm so fond of my YouTube channel name, Right In The Edge. It's about being out there where it's not so comfortable. And that's how I saw going into black and white photography 100%. It wasn't that comfortable. That's why when I added film to my photography, it really wasn't all that comfortable. It's hard. I like to be out there, Right In The Edge. Being head to 2020, I'm now wondering if it's time to bring back color into my photography. I'm not saying stop shooting black and white. I'm just saying to allow myself the option to shoot color if I see a subject that I just I don't want to pass up on or I just want to do something in color. I don't want to shoot a color photo, not limit myself, not limit my creative choices. I absolutely love working in black and white. You could say it's my passion, but I also recognize that there are just some subjects that work better in color and I don't want to eliminate those creative avenues if the need arises. If I come across something, I want to give myself permission to shoot it in color. So you may see a few color photos on this channel again. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. But going forward, I do worry about limiting myself. I'm worried about maybe stunning my growth as a photographer. My goal is to continuously strive to be better, to be growing as a photographer. I've been doing this for a long time. I'm nowhere near where I want to be. That's why I do these extreme things like all one kind of photography for a year. It's all to become a better photographer. That's all I've ever wanted to be. By the time I punched that card, my time was up. I hope I've reached that potential that I've been striving for all my life. And another reason I'd like to bring back color is I like my YouTube channel, at least for my YouTube channel. I like it to be a little more accessible. I mean, let's face it, I'm shooting film quite a bit of the time. I'm shooting all black and white. I will down my audience potential pretty small. It might be time to bring in more, offer more to a wider audience. Not to be everything for everybody, but still doing photography my own way and ensuring the way I do it. But make my channel more accessible, a little more educational for a larger group of people. That might not be such a bad thing. So for 2020, I still plan on doing black and white and I'm still planning on doing as much of that as I can afford on film. I really like what I'm getting on my black and white images with film. But I want the freedom and the option to add color. I might even shoot some color film, who knows. I'm thinking also about trying to do some tutorials on my iPad. Thinking about maybe doing some affinity photo for the iPad, if anybody's interested. Let me know. I haven't downloaded it yet. But I think it might be kind of fun to experiment with it. I'm really excited for this next year. I really want to get back to trying to bring back a little more adventure into my photography. When I got in photography in the first place, it was about being outdoors. It was about the outdoor experience. And I feel like I may have lost a little bit of that over the last few years because of the YouTube channel, trying to be efficient and get as much done as possible. But I'd like to get back into more camping, more overnighters, more adventures. Take you out on some outings around this wonderful state that I live in. I could work my whole life here in just this state and never run out of things to photograph. So that's what I'm hoping for this next year. It's kind of taking you along on a little bit more of an adventure, a little bit more of the experience. Like so many other YouTube channels, for 2020 I'm trying to come up with a way to generate more income. So I'm kind of coming up with a merchandise line that I'm going to have on my website right in the answerphotography.com that in hopes that it will kind of help support the content that I'm creating over here, hopefully it will get me out in the field more. So I'll have a few items, a few t-shirts, mugs, that kind of thing. If you want to help support this channel, the content, then just head over there and pick something up. I should have stuff there next week or two. Yeah, that's right in the answerphotography.com. I know I don't do a lot of marketing on this channel and I don't even talk to money. I mean, I feel kind of silly talking about it now. But that's just the reality of it. If I'm going to continue to produce this stuff, I need to find a way to pay for it. I think my wife would appreciate it. But anyway, that's my spiel. Before I end this video, I just want to thank all those who have subscribed to my channel and all those who have left comments and encouraging words in the comment section. It's been very much appreciated. I don't expect my channel to get a lot bigger this next year, but I do appreciate all those who have decided to come along for the ride. So until next time, thanks for coming along for the ride. My name is David Patton. When I started photography, I wanted to make art. I wanted to be a landscape photographer. But with a family to feed and bills to pay, I decided it would be better to be a working photographer than a starving artist. So I took a job as a photojournalist. 25 years and thousands of assignments later, it was time to go back to my first love. It was time to follow my passion. Come along on my journey to become the best photographer I can be. Whether it be film or digital, I will be sharing what I learned through my successes and my failures and hopes to inspire and educate. This is my journey. This is Bright in the Edge.