
Is it really 2025 already? Happy New Year! I thought it might be a great time for a year in review, a sort of wrap-up of 2024. Time to take stock of the extraordinary year that was.
On the whole, I’d have to say 2024 was a banner year for me. It didn’t go as expected, and at times it felt like it was a wild ride, but an extraordinary year in many ways.
Coming in Hot, as Needed
The earliest days of the year found me getting word that one of my pieces got an award over at Minted. They did a test run of one of my black and white pieces and I was under contract with that for a bit. I also got word that some folks were going to Cuba but, alas, I didn’t think I could tag along for the ride.
Time to queue up our first big change of the year, In February, I left the tech industry and decided it was time to stop pretending. Moving full speed ahead as a photographer, I jumped at a last minute spot on the trip to Cuba. (“Wait for me, I’m coming!” I said as I booked the trip a mere three weeks before departure.)
Thinking about the days when I would share travel plans with Mom and wondering how I was going to break the news to my sister, I embraced my inner, “just go for it!” Cuba is a bit tricky, since it’s not really open for travel and I really wasn’t sure what I was getting into with this one. Even I was a bit tentative, how was I going to explain this to her?
She was, like Mom, happy for me. “If anything goes wrong, I’ll rent a speed boat out of Miami. Why, I’ll come in hot, just swim out and I’ll get ya!” Ah, that’s my sister. She’s always got my back! I somehow managed to get myself to Cuba pretty easily, despite having visions in my head of a speed boat with my sister frantically waving on deck as I boarded the plane.
Havana, Ooh na-na
Havana was incredible. One of the best trips I’ve done. I could not believe how wonderful a location it is. The people, the food, the architecture, the old cars, the nights, the drinks. Did I mention I checked off a bucket list item by enjoying a Cuba Libre at a bar in Old Havana? It came at a time when I needed a break and it was just the break I needed.
There’s no Internet in Cuba, no cell phone service, no Google, no credit cards, it boils down to a whole bunch of “no’s,” but, for me? It was one big YES. It was a fabulous time of unplugging from the universe, leaving all of my cares and worries behind, walking around with just a map and a camera (and, let’s face it, sometimes even ditching the map!) Taking lots of photos and really having a great time. It was like a giant reset button that came with wonderful images to boot. Phew!
Rolling Right Along
After returning from Havana, as I started processing images, I had a bunch more fun. In another change, I wanted to volunteer more and happened to meet up with an old friend at a photography festival. The result? I am now a volunteer (board member actually) for a local non-profit arts group. I love helping out and it’s so great to do a little something for the local art community.
May found me photographing the O Henry Pun Off competition, which was loads of fun. I didn’t realize how difficult and how entertaining it is to do puns. What a blast and I got some wonderful portraits too.
During this time, I also reworked my website and launched a gift shop along with some newer work. Carol’s Little World, my gallery site, is really revamped and I’m much happier with it now.
Middle of the Year Extraordinary Highlights
Chase the Light, the annual fundraiser for Photographic Center Northwest was right off the hook! I participated again this year, and did a bunch of shooting over at the water gardens. We had some cloudy days and I was able to make my way over there to capture the ponds in the good light.
Unfortunately, the weekend I was supposed to take the photos for Chase the Light was blasted out, with high bright light that I usually dread. This year, instead, I opted to sneak into my local grocery store and shoot, of all things, some produce. Hey, what can I say? The dragon fruit had a banner year and I wanted to capture them in all of their glory. The fundraiser wound up doing quite well, I believe it even got extended, and my work sold, so I was happy about that. Good news all around.
I got published in Canvas Rebel again, which is always a treat. In fact, if I had to sum it up, 2024 was the year of the publications for me. I wound up with a lot of them over the course of the year and it’s continuing into 2025 with another interview in Voyage Austin.
Three Minutes in Total
It would be hard to wrap-up 2024 without mentioning the solar eclipse. At first, I was not going to photograph it but then, as luck would have it, the darn thing came right over my house! I found myself in over three minutes of solar eclipse totality, which was a wild ride. At the last minute, I frantically ran around and tried to get a filter for my camera, managing to get one that would work with my iPhone. The trusted iPhone held up well, and I got the images I wanted to get, which were clouds and a sky that was interesting.
Some of my work was published in Technological Singularity (ah, published. There’s that word again!) All in all, the eclipse was grand. And solar. And total for over three minutes. Well, you had to be there I guess.
But Wait…There’s More to This Extraordinary Year
The photo groups were engaging this year for me as well. For one, I did a presentation on, “Getting Your Work to the Next Level,” which was fun (and now on YouTube!) and, speaking of YouTube, I posted some of my older sessions from the Austin Studio Tour up there, adding some content to that channel. It’s still growing as I have videos here and there. I was also a competition judge several times, which is always fun. I get to critique and talk about photography.
There were photo walks too, we went to San Marcos where I was followed by an odd duck, checked out the holiday lights in Georgetown, went to the painted churches twice, went to Elgin a little bit and checked out the Sign Bar twice, Old Settler’s Park for the Pioneer Days, shot the Field of Honor with the flags, Georgetown for the poppies, and Zilker Botanical for bluebonnets and other assorted flora. There might even be one or two I’m forgetting here but I managed to get out and around a bit.
Putting the Extra in Extraordinary
Some of the highlights and “good stuff” as I like to call it. Let’s see,
- Got an award and launched a new print at Minted,
- Did Chase the Light in Seattle,
- Published in Canvas Rebel,
- Published in Technological Singularity,
- Signed to the Hug Artist collective,
- Published in Writerly Magazine,
- Did a show with the RRIC photo group in the Jester Gallery,
- Included in the catalog for that show as well,
- Published in Nova on the Road,
- Invited to speak at the SPE conference (to be held in 2025,)
- Signed and launched limited edition work with Singulart,
- Participated in the Austin Studio Tour over at Austin ArtSpace gallery,
- Included in a show over at Penfold theater gallery,
- Launched a class over at Colorado Photographic Arts Center,
- Learned a lot about AI-based marketing,
- Did a Twitter/X space on photography,
- I stared in a Podcast,
- Upgraded my iPhone to a new model,
- Revamped several of my online pages, adding a bunch of followers on most of my social media platforms.
It really was an extraordinary year in many ways.
Embracing the Extraordinary: A Colorful Encounter in Cuba
Now, for the image that I’ve shared with you. This one, from Cuba. She’s a fortune teller, actually tarot card reader, who I met in one of the plazas in Old Havana.
What can I say about this image? Oh, wow! Have you ever seen a visual feast that looks like it just stepped off the pages of a color wheel? My friends, let me introduce you to what I can only describe as an explosion of vibrancy and personality. Picture this: our protagonist—a fierce, fabulous regal queen draped in a picturesque yellow floral ensemble, complete with a coordinating yellow bow that would make even the most duchess-like headgear green with envy. Not to mention the accessories! It’s as if a parade of eye-catching necklaces transformed into a tactile wonderland right around her neck.
Now, let’s talk about those nails. Seriously, stop the world! Are they fingers or are we one googolplex of creativity away from being a modern art installation? Those long, fabulously gestural nails could easily double as a piece of avant-garde sculpture. I mean, who needs a paintbrush when you can just channel your inner Picasso through your fingertips, am I right?
As I chatted with her, a question popped into my mind: What kind of life experiences can those hands tell? Surely there’s an epic saga behind every glimmering bead and intricately designed accessory—a lifetime of stories encapsulated in jewels and a beautifully adorned yellow bow. Is she a collector of wild adventures or simply someone who embraces each day like it could be her last dazzling performance?
And let’s not forget the slight playful sass emanating from that cigar poised coyly against her lips like a cheeky secret waiting to be whispered. It’s as if she’s saying, “Life? Oh, darling, it can’t be anything but colorful!”
Picture yourself in her world for just a moment. You wake up, jazz up your look with enough embellishments to make even a Christmas tree feel underdressed, and step out into the world ready to spread your own brand of unique joy. How liberating would that be? A reminder to sprinkle creativity and vividness into every facet of our lives—even if it’s just a Tuesday.
Extraordinary Endings
Now, as I reminisce about my own attempts at accessorizing, and I look back on the year that was, I recall those “embellished” periods of my life—where my accessories were less “statement piece” and more “I didn’t check the mirror before leaving the house.” But here she is—a beautiful testament to the idea that life, like our fashion choices, should be executed unapologetically. The year was an unapologetic year in many ways. Extraordinary? Yes, that too.
So, let’s take a page from her handbook of brimming self-expression and give ourselves permission to be extraordinary—be it through our wardrobes or the way we navigate this sometimes mundane world. Let those creative juices flow, unleash the accessories, and become your own work of art. Let’s usher in 2025 with gusto and embrace all the excitement the new year brings. Here’s to doing even more in 2025 and having a ton of fun in the process (rescue speed boats optional!)
In this world that often tries to box us in, let’s be bold, bright, and maybe just a tad outrageous. Because at the end of the day, why blend in when you can stand out like a dazzling, multi-colored treasure? Each day is a canvas—so paint it wildly, friends! 🎨✨
Until next time…
PS I hope you had a great year too. Don’t forget to subscribe to Carol’s Little World for more.