A new year is upon us and already speeding by, so I thought it might be a good time to think out loud here on the blog. I wanted to check in with where I am and where I’d like to go, with this site and otherwise. Feel free to skip this, of course, but also feel free to chime in if you like!

If you’re new to Wanderland, welcome! I’m your host, Kelly. I started this site with big ideas years ago, and have sadly neglected it far too often. But I still love to explore, and I love to photograph the things I come across–the idea of this site was to share some of that exploration and photography, while also giving tips on travel destinations and photography. Last year, I moved with my family from central Florida to Virginia, so there’s lots of new stuff to see and photograph, even if this tragic pandemic has put a damper on things.

I’ve always enjoyed photography, but got serious about it around 2005, shortly after my first daughter was born. To finance the inevitable Gear Acquisition Syndrome, I started doing paid gigs–families, engagements, eventually weddings. Weddings are EXHAUSTING, let me tell you. I haven’t done that stuff for a few years, and honestly it feels like both the quantity and quality of my photographic work has suffered for it. With the new year and new surroundings, I’m hoping to kick myself–and this website–back into gear. It presents a good opportunity to talk about developing and refining techniques, since in some ways I feel like I have a lot to re-learn.

Also, I recently got myself a new toy: a quadcopter drone (DJI Mini 2) that produces some pretty stellar photo and video results despite its small size. So I hope to share my learning process and results from that as well. Photographically, I’ve been a Canon dSLR guy all along, with a collection of lenses ranging from vintage manual-focus to modern glass. But the Gear Acquisition Syndrome is coming upon me again, so I think I’ll soon invest in a new Canon RF mirrorless SLR, and make the leap from APS-C to full-frame sensor while I’m at it. Looking forward to sharing that journey as well.

As for this site, right now it’s small and lonely and, again, too-often neglected. I’m hoping to add content more regularly, and hopefully develop a regular audience of enthusiasts who can interact here, sharing tips or just enjoying the ride.

So again: Welcome, and thanks if you’re reading this. Here’s hoping for a productive and adventurous 2021!

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