G’day and welcome to my blog, where I document my life as a photographer, writer, podcast host, dad, partner, and hoarder of cats! At the start of every year, people take a brief moment to reflect on their goals for the year ahead. Resolutions are not really my thing, but I have been encouraged lately to take a moment and consider what I have coming up this year, and what I want to achieve. And yes, this Creative Goals For 2026 article is coming out a little late. I have no excuse other than I wasn’t really sure what my creative goals should be. I have been thinking about them for some months now and, after a positive start to my creative year, have finally settled on a few goals I want to share with you. If you want to see what I achieved last year, take a few minutes to check out My 2025 Year in Review, where I detail the outcomes and experiences with events, street walks, gear, The Camera Life Podcast, and the Bright Festival of Photography, which were highlights of the past year. While I will talk very briefly about camera gear for 2026, you can get a full rundown of my kit in What’s In My Camera Bag – 2026 Edition. Without further ado, let’s unpack what this crusty old street photographer has in store!

More Writing

I wouldn’t be much of a blog writer if I didn’t kick things off with an update on my writing plans for the year. In 2025, I barely touched this blog and published only two posts. The first was in January and the second was in March of 2025. While I still wrote for clients such as Shotkit and Lucky Straps, my personal writing suffered immensely as I suffered from burnout and a severe lack of enthusiasm and interest in my own work. It’s a shame, and I feel cross at myself for not writing more, as I always find peace and comfort working through my experience with words. The good news is, I have started 2026 with a fresh perspective and commitment to write and publish a blog every two weeks, on average. So far this year, I have written seven articles on this site, including Street Photography With Old Friends…And The Fujifilm X70, Why The Fly Was My Favourite Photo From 2025, and Prahran Skate Park With A New Fujinon Lens! More on that later. I have also written my first gear review in some time. When I wrote for Shotkit, I was often reviewing new gear. I had missed that style of content, and so have also committed to more gear reviews to highlight the gear I use and why I use it. My first gear review article, Fujifilm’s Fujinon XF 23mm F1.4 R LM WR – First Impressions, details my early experiences with a new, pro-level prime lens.

Looking ahead to 2026, I want to write about broader photography topics and non-photography experiences and products. While sticking to my one-article-a-fortnight goal, I want to document my street photography adventures to keep a journal of my walks, the gear I used, and how I found the experience. In the past, frequently documenting my street photography had the flow-on effect of inspiring me to get out more with my camera in hand. I did some street walks in 2025, but I lacked inspiration and motivation. More on that later, too! Aside from my street photography, I want to dabble in a number of genres to build my skill set, experience, and confidence as a photographer. With the gear I already have, I want to explore more macro photography and venture farther from home, including local gardens and the Botanical Gardens in Melbourne. After all, I am less than 2km from the gardens. Other genres that I want to explore further include pet photography and toy photography. Pet photography is easy for me, as we have five cats and one dog. Everywhere you look in this house, there’s a furry friend just begging to be photographed. As for the toy photography, it’s a genre that I have played around with over the years. I recently wrote an article for Lucky Starps titled Toy Photography Is Far From Child’s Play. Toy photography is a lot of fun, and the sky’s the limit when it comes to creating scenes or simple toy portraits. My article caused a bit of a stir as we are holding a special Toy Photography episode of The Camera Life Podcast tonight! Throughout 2206, I want to push myself with this genre to create more dynamic sets and shots with our vast collection of modern and retro toys.

New Blog Clients

If you read my 2025 Year In Review, you will know that I parted ways with Shotkit last year. Rather than focusing on the end of that relationship, I would like to discuss my future plans to grow my client base. One of the biggest challenges content writers face is being replaced by AI bots writing near-flawless content. With a few text prompts, anyone can create correct and convincing articles on almost any topic. The quality of the content has increased significantly even in the last 12-18 months alone. It is a threat to bloggers, writers, authors, and copywriters – especially those who rely on their writing to make an income. My writing is part of my income, so I am one of those who will be affected by the AI craze. We’ve talked about it a lot on The Camera Life Podcast because it is also threatening photography for the same reasons. My hope is that the AI craze will slow down, and people will crave real images and words over those created by algorithms and code. But I am not holding my breath as it is likely to be a number of years before the shift back to genuine content evolves. That’s a pretty loose prediction, but it definitely concerns me.

This year, I have already reached out to a number of publications and sites seeking new writing gigs. I have contacted a number of Australian camera stores and content sites offering my services as a photography-based content writer. Unfortunately, the response rate has been minimal at best, and the take-up rate has been even lower. Howver, I did land an opening with the editor at Australian Photography magazine. Australian Photography magazine is one of the few local publications pushing out print magazines. To their credit, the publication has survived the decline of print media and has supported Australian photographers for over 70 years. My first article, Why Less Is More And More Is Less, has just been published in the April/May 2026 edition of the magazine. I am so happy and just a little proud to get my first in-print article out in the world. I certainly hope that I have impressed the editors and that more work will flow my way. As for other clients, I will continue to reach out to Australian and international sites to build a stronger client base and increase my capacity.

Lucky Straps & The Camera Life Podcast

Working with Justin, Jim, and Yelana at Lucky Straps has been an absolute joy, and we’ve already made significant progress this year towards team goals. My relationship and role with the team are two-fold. On the one hand, I co-host The Camera Life Podcast with Justing and Jim. Behind the scenes, my role includes locating guests for our Thursday morning interview shows, handling guest communications, and supporting them throughout their live interviews. For our Monday night podcasts, I research the latest news in the photography industry, social media posts, product launches, and more. That information is compiled into a running sheet and forms the structure of each show. The Camera Life Podcast is a labour of love that never feels like work. We often say that we love what we do – and it’s the absolute truth. We have a lot of fun, and working alongside Justin and Jim makes me incredibly happy. They are a pair of adorable idiots. Then, on the other hand, I work with the team to support Lucky Straps in any way possible. That includes representing the brand in person and throughout my online interactions with the photography community. And let’s not forget the BFOP weekend! More on that later.

PS. If you haven’t checked out The Camera Life Podcast, it’s available on YouTube and podcast platforms. We go live twice a week. Every Monday evening at 7:30pm AEST (Australia), we live-stream the Random Photography Show. Then every Thursday at 9pm AEST, we conduct a live interview with a local Australian or international photographer. It would mean a lot to me if you checked it out and even subscribed, so you get notifications in your time zone. Thanks. G

Street Walks

As mentioned earlier, part of my 2026 goals is to push myself out the door, often and with intent, with a camera in my hand. Street walks have so many benefits beyond the final images. For one, getting out of the house more often is good for my mental well-being. As Covid and the subsequent lockdowns taught us, it’s not healthy to be cooped up inside for too long. Given that I work from home, it’s very easy for me to become complacent and lose motivation to take my camera out and about. It’s also good for my physical health. My street walks usually last an hour or two, and in most cases, I am always on the move. Granted, it’s not a 5km run. But it’s often a 5km walk, and that’s better than nothing. Finally, street walks inspire me to look for new and interesting subjects, locations, and compositions. In 2026, I intend to significantly increase the number of walks. Already this year, I have been out and about a lot and also enjoyed many walks with friends and groups. As a result, I am gradually building up my physical fitness. Another element of my 2026 plans is to conduct small-group walks around Melbourne and South Yarra. It’s been on my mind for some time, and I will put together a plan (that I will share here) around the logistics, pricing strategy, etc. The aim is to offer street photography experiences and education, much like a workshop. It’s still a work in progress, and I want to get it right the first time. Stay tuned!

BFOP 2026

Probably the biggest highlight of 2025 was attending the Bright Festival Of Photography (BFOP). Justin and I attended our first BFOP in 2024 and were blown away by the whole event. We made so many amazing friends during that first festival and discovered the power of community to elevate our craft. BFOP 2025 amplified those experiences massively. Not only did we get to meet up with old and new friends, but we also ran a Lucky Straps stall at BFOP HQ and aired live podcasts from our accommodation every morning. It was an incredible weekend, and we were humbled by the love and praise for the podcast and also for the Lucky Straps products we had on offer. During BFOP 2025, I also took some time to visit the Alpine Light Gallery. Matt Palmer and Mieke Boynton own and staff the gallery and have created an incredible creative space in the heart of Bright. You can read all about that experience in my article, Alpine Light Gallery – A Creative’s Oasis. Looking ahead to BFOP 2026, it is still early days, but that hasn’t stopped us from planning how Lucky Straps and The Camera Life Podcast will fit into this year’s festival. Justin has already booked our accommodation at the same house we rented last year. This is perfect, as we know how to set up that space to live-stream our podcasts. We still have a lot to work through, but we have some cool ideas in the works, so stay tuned.

Projects

I have often admired photographers and videographers that empark on a project to tell a story in a unique way. It’s something that I have had trouble establishing and sticking with. While my core genre is street photography, I have expanded it to include toy photography, macro photography, and a small amount of product photography. I enjoy these genres, so I have made a commitment to explore them more in 2026. However, I want to sink my teeth into a bigger project, and I think I may have the answer. I’ve lived in the South Yarra/Prahran area for over 30 years, and have photographed the Prahran Skate Park for the past 10 or so years. Not as an ongoing project, but more as a familiar place to practice my photography. A couple of years ago, the local council invested in upgrading the site to a modernised skate and basketball park, and even acquired neighbouring land to expand it. I have found myself drawn to the park more and more, and I love documenting the skaters, ball players, and the community that uses it. My thinking, and it’s still a work in progress, is to document the community and discover the story of its inhabitants. I intend to incorporate a mix of skate and basketball action, along with environmental portraits. I am building up the courage to also sit down and talk with the locals to gain a deeper, more personal understanding of the park and its community. Still working on it. But it has something to offer.

Travel

Health and finances permitting, I want to travel more this year and expand my skill set in new and exciting locations. While my partner and I would love to travel to Japan, the reality is that it’s a huge expense, and recent conflicts resulting in oil shortages have driven up prices – including flights. While we hope that the conflicts will end and the world will return to some semblance of normal, it’s just a tad too volatile at the moment. So what to do? I guess the answer is to become a tourist in my own country, and even to explore more of my home city, Melbourne. Melbourne is a huge, ever-expanding city, and aside from my local neighbourhood, I haven’t explored much of the area. So in 2026, I want to use our public transport system more and get out to new areas for walks and for chasing the light. My partner and I are also planning a week in Tasmania in April/May. We are spending the first half of our trip in Hobart, where we will explore the city, Salamanca, Battery Point, and also spend a day at Mona – Museum of Old and New Art. Then, we will spend the rest of our time in Launceston visiting family. I know it’s not the same as slurping ramen at 3am in Shinjuku, but it’s the best I can muster for the moment.

Final Thoughts On The Year Ahead

Wow, I didn’t realise I had so much to say about my plans for 2026. One reason that I took so long to write and publish this article is that I wanted to have a solid understanding of what I hoped to achieve this year. Creativity is often something you have to keep stoking into life. All the best plans in the world are meaningless unless you get busy carrying them out. I feel I have made positive progress on almost all of the above plans and will continue to monitor, evaluate, and evolve them as I travel throughout the year. I will write about many of these experiences and continue to expand upon my musings in 2026. Be safe. G