As 2025 draws to a close, I thought I would share some of the things that motivated me over the last year. I hope they can give ideas to help inspire you, too.

There’s a reason I posted very different images above and below. It illustrates one of the great things about photography. This art opens up a world of exploration and adventure. That adventure doesn’t need you miles away from home, although those two were for me. The first was shot in Finland and the second in Albania.

Photography offers the chance to see things you might not otherwise see. That motivates us.

If it were not for photography, I probably would not find the motivation to get up at dawn in the summer to see the sunrise. Nor would I read about the history of photography. Exploring how images once looked is fascinating. That brings us to DxO Photolab.

DxO Photolab Motivation

Do you get inspired when developing your photos? The following photo was developed in DxO Photolab. After extensive testing, I found that it gives the highest-quality image reproductions. It also allows trying out the looks of different films and techniques from history. Thus, it gives an understanding of why photos from a particular era had a certain style.

Getting Motivation from Other Photographers

Best of all, photography has allowed me to meet and become friends with a wide range of fantastic people from around the world. I am grateful for that. Looking at the news and listening to some of the nonsense that world leaders are spouting, I need it. Despite the continuing wars and people running around with guns, most people are friendly and just want to get on with their lives. Photography is an excellent distraction from all the world’s woes.

Making a Change

Something that changed for me last year was moving from writing for Fstoppers to Petapixel. I enjoy writing, but sometimes I feel like a change. The new platform lets me focus on writing educational articles, which I enjoy the most. I hope you will follow me there. A lot of work goes into writing those articles, and it is a pleasure to share what I have discovered with you.

New Gear Motivations

This year, something that has changed is my buying of two new pieces of equipment. First is an additional camera: the OM System OM-5 Mark II. I now have three digital cameras, the others being my OM-1 and OM-1 Mark II. The OM-5 Mark II has a much smaller body, making it ideal for travelling; I took it with me to Albania this year. Like my OM-1s, it is IP53 weather-sealed against dust and water ingress and has many of the advanced features found only on OM System Cameras. (That is the only link on this page where I earn a little commission. Please use it to buy gear from the OM System website.) If you are considering buying an OM System camera, I can offer free advice.

Another purchase was a Godox V1 PRO flash. With its enormously powerful output, it is great for photographing events.

I also bought a Canon Pro 1100 printer from Fotospeed. Fotospeed makes some outstanding printer papers, and delving into the world of printing is inspiring.

Books

I love great quality photography books. I am halfway through reading “The Lives of Lee Miller“, and repeatedly browsing “Lee Miller: Photographs” and “Lee Miller’s War, Beyond D-Day“, all by her son, Anthony Penrose. Those are books I can recommend to you.

Annual Challenge

Each year, I set up a challenge for photographers to take just one photograph a week. One of over twenty people set the theme choice for each week . If you want inspiration for your photography in the New Year, then why not join us in the Northumberland Camera Club? It’s open to anyone, anywhere in the world.