Making plans and my ideas board for 2026

In my local camera club newsletter, just before Christmas, we were asked to consider the question 'What photography exploits do you plan to pursue in 2026?

Well, I have been away from regular photography activities and the camera club for most of the past two years, and this question has been getting me thinking. You see, I had a busy year of shooting in 2023, during which I travelled and worked on many projects, both indoor and outdoor. However, I had a sudden, unexpected visit to A&E in November that year, and I ended up in coronary care for a couple of weeks.

I had big plans for shoots in 2024, but I had to put them on hold as all my energy and attention after my recovery went into a major house renovation we had already planned for that year. The first trades, including groundworks and the demolition of some internal walls, started in mid-March, while the last trades—laying the driveway—concluded in mid-November - so 'puff' 2024 disappeared as quickly as it arrived.

As a result, 2025 became a year of recovery for me. The first half of the year was focused on healing, and in the second half, I gradually began to fit out my Studio, a dedicated space added to the home during the building work in 2024. While waiting for the Studio to be ready in 2024 and 2025, I took advantage of any studio closing-down sales and online bargains to purchase a collection of lights and modifiers for my Studio, gradually building my inventory as economically as possible.

All my equipment is now unpacked, tested, and ready for action! I feel incredibly fortunate to have spent the last couple of months in my Studio at the end of 2025, where I tested lights, explored different setups, and conducted several test shoots before the holiday season. I look forward to building on that experience and sharing it with others.

That brings me to my other photography plans for 2026. Throughout the year, I intend to undertake several studio-based projects.

I will invite fellow photographers, creatives, and models to join me for 'studio play sessions' of collaborative experiments exploring various photography and lighting techniques, including gels, reflectors, light modifiers, and gobos, and photography styles, themes, costumes, etc. I also want to focus on a couple of long-term projects that I will work on throughout the year.

One of these projects will involve photographing bearded men in various lighting and poses. The other will feature a female model posed outdoors in landscapes filled with different colours, such as red poppy fields, bluebell woodlands, yellow rapeseed fields, and purple lavender farms, among others.

Additionally, I plan to team up with other photographers to accompany me on these shoots, making for fun, creative days out for all involved.

So I have a lot to pursue in 2026, but I'm not in a rush; if some of these projects extend into 2027, that's perfectly fine. I have set up my ideas board and given it the catchy title of ' Creative Lens 2026 and beyond. '

Does anyone want to join me and be involved? Contact me or leave a comment below with your details.