In Review - The Year 2023
What a year it has been! I can’t believe 2023 has already come and gone, yet the new year begins in under 36 hours.
Rather than doing a new entry for In Review for December, we’ll be taking a look back at the whole year of 2023. To say it has been an exciting year would be an understatement, and so much has happened over the last twelve months. So with that, let’s jump right in and take a look back at the year that was.
As many of you know, this year I took on a challenge of trying to photograph at least 100 different species of birds that call the Delmarva Peninsula home. The peninsula is home to a huge array of birds, as it serves as a key migratory and nesting site for different species - this means some birds come for the summer and leave for the winter, and vice versa, like ospreys and piping plovers or even the occasional snowy owl (I would have loved to include one of these, but alas it wasn’t meant to be…).
Ultimately, I managed to photograph 127 unique species of birds as part of this project! This doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of all the birds that call Delmarva home, but I am still very proud of this. Not only did I learn a lot about the different resident species, but I also got to explore new places like Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Cambridge, Maryland and James Farm Ecological Preserve in Ocean View, Delaware as I sought new entries.
Up next for this project is to compile all the best images with some additional information on the birds and put it together in a book - my hope is to release that before the end of March 2024, so stay tuned for future updates on this final stage of the Birds of Delmarva Project!
2023 was also the first time I experienced the Outer Banks. Back in April, I spent a weekend there with my friend Kevin Lynam, another local photographer from here at the Delaware Beaches.
I was truly blown away by the beauty of the Outer Banks, and cannot wait to go back and explore it again in the future - one weekend was no where near enough, and there’s so much more to see!
The year wouldn’t be complete without thinking back to all the amazing experiences I had at Assateague Island either! To have such a magical place so close to home is a real blessing, and I enjoy each and every trip I make to there. It isn’t just about the horses either (though they definitely play a big role in what draws me there). The landscapes and sights are equally as amazing, and the mostly untouched wilderness of the island offers so many opportunities to capture amazing landscapes from unique points of view. Of course, documenting the wild horses is fun and exciting as well, and no matter how many times you capture them on camera you can almost always expect an exciting encounter with them.
Adventures aside, this year was the first full-calendar year I spent doing photography full-time. It has been full of ups and downs, but I sort of expected that - running a business is never smooth sailing, and I’ve learned a lot along the way. The business has done better than expected, and I ultimately made about $5,000 more than I projected this year. 2024 looks to be even better yet, and I can’t wait to apply some of what I’ve learned this year to continue growing the business and successes of 2023.
On the real estate photography side of the business, this meant photographing over 130 homes this year.
For nature photography, it meant getting some print, book, and calendar sales, but also finding other opportunities - for example, I landed my first collaboration with Backyards of the Sea, owned by Mark Baratto out of Key West. In this partnership, Mark creates derivative works from my photos in his unique style, and sells them as canvas prints. They are really cool pieces, and I hope to someday make the trip to Key West and meet him in person at his gallery there.
The photo to the left shows a sample of Mark’s style from a photo of the Indian River Lifesaving Station I sent as part of our partnership!
It was through the business side of my photography that I also set out to donate at least $1,000 through the Photographer’s Promise program - the philanthropic side of my business. Ultimately, the donations only reached about half that goal ($495), but to know that my work contributed to the efforts of organizations like the Assateague Island Alliance, MERR, and the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays still makes me proud.
As always, we’ll wrap this edition of In Review up with my favorite shot, and having a year’s worth of photos to go from, this is probably the hardest decision I’ve had to make for one of these! Ultimately, my favorite photo from the year is this one of an osprey taken in September when the Point reopened again.
Choosing this photo was no easy task, as there were so many directions it could have gone. In the end, I think the deciding factor was ultimately the tones and colors. The grasses in the background are a wonderful, soft green, and the sand is very light from the morning sun. They provide a really nice contrast to the dark browns of the osprey, especially with the shaded side of the bird being the one captured from this angle on the beach.
Looking ahead to 2024, I’m extremely optimistic about all the new opportunities and excitement on the horizon.
I’ve spent some time the last few weeks trying to get myself set up and organized to make it an even better year than 2023 was, and can’t wait to get started working on growing as a photographer and person.
Thank you all for taking the time to check-in and read this latest edition of In Review. It has been a wonderful year, and I am so grateful that you’ve come along for the ride with me.
Here’s to another year full of adventures in 2024. Happy New Year!
- Tyler
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