My 2021: A Year in Review
By Ryan Thomas LaBee
Remember when we all collectively thought: shwoooo! Thank god 2020 is over! 2021 is here, and we will party like it's 1921!
No? Just me?
Oh, poor, poor little naive Ryan.
Now, don't get me wrong, of course, 2021 was better than 2020, but when the bar is set so damn low, it doesn't take much to cross it.
This will not be a list of resolutions because, like many, I tend to fail miserably with my new year's resolution. This will be a straightforward account of my 2021 photographic accomplishments. I will be documenting what went well. What went wrong. And what I hope to accomplish in 2022.
How The Year Began
The first photo shoot I did in 2021 (might have been the tail end of 2020, actually, but it was definitely my first photographic output of 2021) was this snowy set featuring Chloe Massengale.
This was one of many 2021 collabs with Chloe, but this particular shoot is one of my favorites and became a cover image for my first publication of 2021.
This set (like many of my favorite photo sets) was completely unplanned. It began to snow, and Chloe reached out and expressed she wanted to do a snow-set, as did I, so we made it happen. I find that some of my favorite work works in this way.
Most Popular
My most popular post of 2021 was oddly a re-edit of an old image of my frequent collaborator Jess (@floral.alien.cat on Instagram).
2021 found me obsessed with editing my images to mimic the Kodak Aerochrome film stock. Aerochrome is an infrared film that causes the greens and yellows of trees and grasses to take on a neon pink or purple shade, which creates a surrealist/otherworldly look that I cannot get enough of. This re-edit would inspire me to start my Alien Worlds Series.
I love this image, and clearly, so do most of you.
Personal Favorite(s)
This will feel (to some) like a bit of a cop-out, but for my personal favorites, I'm selecting all the weird-ass shit I made this year. Whenever I decided to not focus on my perceived ideas of what others might like and instead focus on what I wanted to create, magic tended to happen. This pretty much makes up all of the Alien Worlds Series & my 31 Days of Halloween.
I find I'm happiest when making weird stuff that could only ever have come from me. I want to focus on that more in 2022. I don't know how to make this sort of work profitable for me, but I know I'm least happy when doing family portraits… senior pictures… and weddings. I admire anyone who does this type of photographic work, but it just doesn't get me excited–though it does tend to pay, which is a point in its favor.
What Could Use Some Work
If I think back, I was most unhappy with my work or an experience when the communication between myself and my subject or customer was poor.
It always came back to not enough communication!
At the beginning of the year, I was shooting a lot on film, and I think I should have vocalized my intentions and mitigated expectations better. Several sets I shot with a vintage lens I had never used before, and low and behold, a ton of the images were out of focus because the lens had a focusing problem. I was embarrassed, to say the least, but in my opinion, the photos still have a sort of charm to them. But, I suppose that's up to an individual's tastes, and I wish I had vocalized my intentions more clearly.
In October, when I was working on my 31 days of Halloween project, I agreed to work with a new model/photographer who had been reaching out repeatedly to me in hopes of working with me. We agreed on an outdoor location and style of the shoot, but she changed everything up last minute on me. She said it was due to weather, but it was just an overcast day which I thought would benefit the horror themed photos we were creating, but I didn't say that. Instead, I capitulated and agreed to shoot in her in-home studio space.
Next thing you know, we are shooting her ideas, which had strayed far from what we agreed on, and what resulted were images I was unhappy with and frankly couldn't even use for my 31 days of Halloween project.
I felt used.
I felt dumb.
You won’t click with everyone you work with I suppose.
Ultimately this experience was my fault. I didn't voice my concern with the photoshoots direction or my uncomfortability. I should have said NO.
Lesson learned. Mistake will not be repeated.
In 2022 I want to be more comfortable with saying no.
Also, I want to be better at getting photo sets done. I have a tendency of taking on a lot of projects and some fall by the wayside. I want to get better at not doing this, which, ultimately goes with saying no. I also take on a lot of other peoples projects because I don’t like saying no.
Looking to the Future
I'm happiest when I'm creating something I feel deeply about. This doesn't always align with my financial goals, but it's what makes me happy. Starting in 2022, I will be more selective with my photographic output. I also want to align my photography more with my storytelling.
One of my favorite modern photographers/artists is Brooke Shaden. She marries storytelling with her work so wonderfully. Her work also has this great mix of beauty and the macabre.
I created several pieces during my 31 days of Halloween heavily inspired by her work, and I think I would like to take even more inspiration from her moving forward—at least in regards to her approach to art.
Final Thoughts
It’s okay to say no.
Focus on work that speaks to you.
Learn from your mistakes.
Happy New Years! Enjoy this rock cover of Auld Lang Syne performed by my talented little brother! We shot the video in 2019… hopefully our 2022 will be MUCH better than our 2020.
