Wow, I can’t believe August is already right around the corner! On top of that, it is also tough to believe the last blog post I put together was all the way back in February (oops!)

The year has been something of a whirlwind, as real estate photography has more or less taken over my days. Though I still try to set aside a day or two here and there to get out and capture the coast, it has definitely been tougher this year. If I get out to take photos for myself more than two or three times a month, I’m doing pretty good!

With this blog post, I felt it would be a good idea to take a moment to catch up on some things that have happened since I last checked in on the blog. After all, it has been almost six months!

As I’ve already touched on, real estate photography has been the bulk of what I’ve been up to since we last had a blog post. To date, I have photographed 153 houses, two hotels, and one retail space this year. That is SO much more than what I did in 2023, and sometimes it feels overwhelming. But, learning the business side of photography and making this a career has made me appreciate the times I get out in nature more as well.

This year, I’ve felt that I’ve done a better job at using my drones as well to capture the coast. Year after year, I have always said that I want to fly my drone (and, as of a few months ago, droneS - I added a second one to my arsenal), but this year I have actually followed through on it. The result has been a showcase of the beaches from a whole new perspective, culminating in a 2025-2026 wall calendar with some of the best images. If you want to pick up a calendar of your own, you can do so in my shop (I try to ship them same or next day!)

Outside of taking photos and getting out on adventures, this was the first year I was named a finalist in the annual Coastal Style Best of Awards, making the final round of voting in both Photographer and Real Estate Photographer in Sussex County. Though it would seem I didn’t win either, I am still proud to have made it that far. The competitor in me is disappointed I didn’t win either of them, as I felt for the first time that I EARNED them based on the quality of my work, but know I’ll be back and will take the crown next year (you heard it here first!).

It has also been a whirlwind year seeing all the news releases about being a finalist in the annual Bird Photographer of the Year competition - a global competition dedicated to showcasing the best bird photos from around the world. Two of my photos were selected as finalists, and the competition was FIERCE I’m sure. It was a hard decision picking which images to submit, having looked at the past winners prior to making a decision. Sadly, neither of them placed after the final round of judging, but this, too, has just motivated me to work and grow even more as a photographer.

The last thing we’ll cover is what has become a staple in my In Review blog series - the favorite photo I’ve taken. Normally I would leave it with just a single image, but given the time that has passed since the last post, I think it is only appropriate to share a few. One of them, the northern bobwhite, you’ve already seen earlier in this post, but here are a few others that have really caught my eye since February in the slideshow below (plus, the blog post finishes beneath that, so keep reading!)

If you’ve made it this far into this post, thank you so much! I kind of rambled on a little more than what I normally do on the blog, but there was so much to catch up on that I wanted to share. 2024 has been a fantastic year so far, and I can’t wait to see what the last few months have in store. Thank you for taking the time to check-in, and here’s to the many adventures ahead!

- Tyler

Don’t miss this other content from Tyler Smiley Photography:

FOLLOW TYLER SMILEY PHOTOGRAPHY ON SOCIAL MEDIA