I’ll be honest, I’ve found it difficult to commit to posting regular content on here in recent months. I’m sure you’ve noticed – and I apologise for the lack of updates.
The Active Photographer has always been a place where I share – and, hopefully inspire a little bit – based on my real-world activities as a photographer/writer.
Truth be told, what I’ve been up too lately has focused more on the ‘nuts and bolts’ of running a business and less on the photography itself. It happens sometimes; it has to happen in order to push things forward.
Sure, I could have conjured up a bunch of scenarios and passed them off as assignments that I could share with you – but that wouldn’t have been true to the ethos of what the site has always been about.
I’ve spent days – weeks – working on business and personal development (both equally important when you work for yourself). I’ve not been out on the hill or down by the water so much, but I have consciously focused on my health and fitness (which is somewhat ironic, given that I’m sat here trying to shake off a cold as I type!).
Life seems to have got awfully busy of late (both with work and on the home front).
But frankly, everyone is busy these days, aren’t they? So, no excuses.
Do we really have the time to read long blog posts in the same way we used to?
If you’re anything like me, I’m guessing the answer is ‘no.’ You might even favour Instagram as your primary go-to source of inspiration (this is the platform I’ve concentrated on most recently and I can certainly see the increased engagement – and enjoyment).
As I see it, then, the only way I can juggle everything is to simplify.
I realise that in order to deliver the sort of content you’ve come to enjoy (and which gives me the greatest satisfaction when sharing), I need to make a few changes.
So here’s what’s going to happen…
I’m stripping things back. I’m personalising. I’m experimenting with a slightly different approach. I’m having fun with it.
Whilst The Active Photographer website isn’t going to take on a ‘diary’ format, I am going to view it more as a place to quickly (and regularly – that’s the point!) drop thoughts and ideas.
These may take the form of a quick 1-minute video grabbed from my Instagram stories, a round-up of links to resources I’ve found useful in the past week, maybe even a ‘top 5’ type of list… It could be something as simple as me sharing a single picture along with a short caption. FYI – Test/Review pieces will still feature, remaining in their current style.
The point is, I want to strike the balance between ease of posting and ease of consumption by the reader/viewer/listener.
“But what about the podcast?” you might ask.
Ah yes, the podcast. This has always been the cornerstone of the site – and one of my most enjoyable ways of sharing information with you. It’s also always been very well received.
Well, fear not, it isn’t going anywhere – but I have decided to put it on hold… for now. And, as I want to be accountable, here’s my announcement on the record:
The podcast will officially relaunch in May.
This gives me plenty of time to record, produce and schedule a good number of shows – each with solid, ‘real world’ content at their core. In turn, this means there should be no gaps in broadcast from week to week.
Other developments are also in the pipeline, including a new look to the site. But one step at a time; let’s get the new posting format well and truly under way first.
So there you have it. Things are happening. Thanks for bearing with me whilst I make the necessary modifications to the way I deliver The Active Photographer to you.
As ever, if you’ve got anything to say – please leave a comment below.
