Setting goals

At the beginning of the year, many people make resolutions. I am no exception, but I like to call them goals.
Setting goals and deadlines is essential when you are a freelancer. Some deadlines are determined by outside events such as a contest, a show, or conference. Others are more vague and it helps if I set myself a deadline to get that article written or to get my photographs in front of the public. Some projects are seasonal (articles have to be submitted two or three seasons in advance). In any case, I write down my goals for the month - and am lucky if I achieve half of them. Yet, that is better than not having any goals in the first place.
While the year is still young, I am happy to report that not only do I have some lofty goals for this year, I already took steps to achieve them. I have decided to sell my photographs at a craft show, so I am currently looking into suppliers and the necessary paperwork involved with such an endeavor.
I hope to add some new birds to my stock photo list this year, but because of the warm weather there aren't too many birds at our feeders or at Beechwood right now. So, yesterday I took advantage of our membership card and went to the Aviary. The lighting is not the best (naturally, the tropical rainforest is too dark to take any decent photos in it). It is a great advantage that the birds at the Aviary are completely fearless. One of them actually walked under my tripod. The photo above shows one of my best efforts. Too bad the bird didn't wear a name tag as I have no idea what it is. Whatever its name, it is a beauty.