As we welcome in 2012, January is a great time to reflect on the past year and resolute ourselves to make a fresh start for the year ahead. It is also a time when we awaken to new perspectives on life and our surroundings; reminding ourselves of all the new and exciting things we have that are about to begin. Follow our handy tips and suggestions below to find out how, through photography, you can symbolise the start of a New Year and all it might encompass with this month’s photo theme; ‘New Beginnings’:
Celebrate the start of the day. With dawn, comes a new day which many see as symbolic of new beginnings and a fresh start. Try to capture the point in the day when the sun is rising, when foggy morning skies begin to clear or even attempt to capture the world waking up; families waking, commuters travelling, animals rising from hibernation.
Capturing new growth in nature and people is a great way to show the passing of time, from old to new. Look around you for plants that have withstood the elements or flowers beginning to spring up early. In the animal world, new beginnings can be found through the shedding of skins, the opening of cocoons to reveal something new and beautiful or through the gift of new born offspring. In our own lives, birth of children and marriage all demonstrate families growing and new chapter’s beginning.
Consider other types of growth which can also help to visualise new beginnings in your photographs too; the expansion of towns and cities, poignant renovation work or services put in place that help to equip communities for the better.
A renewed sense of energy can also bring about the notion of new beginnings. With this in mind, try to capture this energy and spirit figuratively in your photographs. An image showing discarded bad habits might represent new goals for 2012, or travel, exploration and the process of packing for a trip can demonstrate the need for a new experience and a taste for new cultural and natural diversity. Thinking deeper, consider how you might represent a person’s emotional journey of change, for example, going from the dark into the light or walking away from the past.
