I love data. And photographic data is the best kind. The Lightroom Dashboard gives photographers an awesome look into their Lightroom catalogs. So every year, I take a look at what I did the year before.
Cameras
In 2017 I [gasp!] switched from Canon to Sony. Nothing against Canon at all. I’ve been shooting Canon since 1987. But I love the fact that Sony packed a full-frame sensor in such a little package.
Camera Usage
Lenses
This one kind of surprised me. When I bought the Sony, I picked up a 35mm lens to go with it. I didn’t think I’d get much use out of it, but it was my most used lens in 2017. The Canon 85mm is the one I use most for portraits, but it didn’t even come close to the numbers the 35mm had.
Lens Usage
Other Stats
- Photos taken in 2017: 8546
- Favorite aperture: 2.8
- Favorite ISO: 100
Photos by Month
Checking out the statistics on the Lightroom Dashboard isn’t just about geeking out over some data. It also gives me ideas as to how I can improve in the following year.
Basically, I need to shoot more. I need to get outside my bubble and work with different lenses. Last year, I shot 302 drone images. I expect there to be a lot more of those in 2018. Then again, quality is more important than quantity, so who knows? Road trips back and forth between Montana and Portland will offer plenty of opportunities for travel photos, and I intend to spend the summer re-acquainting myself with Montana.
Daniel Hedrick 