Year in Review

I don't know about you but I'm happy to wave goodbye to 2025. This year was a little chaotic, far too busy, and went by too fast. That being said, photographically I had a good year. I made it out a lot, at least in the first half of the year, saw many new species, and improved a lot in the kinds of images I am taking.

Throughout the year I made a concious effort to move past portraits of birds and try to get more action and character. This lead to taking far more image bursts and filling a lot more hard drive space, but I also got a lot better at culling quickly. Overall I am much happier with the kinds of shots I am keeping. The progress year over year keeps stacking up, which is really what it's all about, continual improvement.

Equipment

I made a few significant gear changes this year. The most significant was the Nikon Z 800mm F6.3. I spent most of 2023 and 2024 shooting with the 400mm F.45 with either the 1.4x or 2x teleconverters. Over that period I also concluded that where I shoot, getting closer isn't just difficult, it's not possible. This is due to location. The wetland where I shoot has muddy shores and I am often at the edge of the water. In most cases this should not be a block, just go into the water. At this particular wetland it is a Ducks Unlimited Conservation site where the wetland is bolstered by bringing treated efluent water from the nearby community to keep the water level sustainable. This is great for the lake, but I'm not keen to enter the water as a result. As the majority of my 2024 images were shot at 800mm by using a TC, the actual 800mm lens was the best move I could make.

The second change is camera bodies. At the start of the year I added a Nikon Z50II APSC body as a backup that included the Expeed 7 autofocus with subject detection. This little camera surprised me and enabled shooting dual cameras, Z8 with 800mm, and Z50II with 400mm (600mm field of view). That combo with very helpful being a small light second body with very high IQ. The only real downfall is the small EN-EL25 battery. By the end of the year I made a decision to trade my trusty Z6II and some unused lenses in for a Z6III to have all those updated AF capabilities in a full frame body. The Z6III with the 400mm + 1.4x TC will not be much larger than the Z50II but I get better video capabilities, better burst shooting, and better battery.

Results

As I collect images over the year I need something to do with them. Every year I make a calendar for the next year. This takes care of Christmas presents to family and friends where it is something personal I made myself without needing to buy something individual. I feel like it is appreciated and works well. There is a sense of satisfaction seeing my images in print.

This year I also took an opportunity to submit some of my images to a year end photo contest hosted by Duade Paton on his youtube channel. I was honored to have my favourite image of the year selected as the overall winner. While in general winning contests is not and should not be a requirement to find satisfaction in the images you make, it does feel good to be recognized.

So long 2025

Overall I had a successful 2025 with lots of personal growth and even a little recognition to finish off the year. Looking forward to 2026 and many more opportunities to get outside in nature and enjoy the sounds and smells and sights of the beautiful wildlife around me.