Let's Try This Again & 2024 Portfolio Update

Every year I try to keep up with a blog and I never actually do anything. Last year I tried starting one, but Wix.com(the site I use to build my website) charges an abusrd amount of money to send out newslestters each month. While I can still write a blog, it's hard to get this out the masses without a newsletter. They do offer a free option, but the number of emails I can send out per month is low, but it can work for now.

So, with that said, I have a temporary work around. At the moment I will only be sending out one newsletter a month which will inform everyone about the new blog posts. This will allow me to get these posts out and also not spam your inbox with emails which nobody wants. I can still create these blog posts without them being sent to your inbox. My plan is to create one about once a week or twice a month.

The blog posts will feature a bit more long form content that what's featured on social media. Also with the toxic nature and state of social media, it's becoming more benefical to not rely on social media to get my name out there. Algorithms constantly change and keeping up with them is a never ending battle. I just want my photos and words to be shared with people who want to see them and over the last couple years, those numbers seem to dip further and further.

I am still trying to fully understand how wix.com uses their blogs. There appears to be a way I can allow followers to comment on posts and also download and an app where you can easily interact with my blog posts. I think you have to create a membership which is different from a subscriber. I'm still trying to figure out how that works. I'm not a marketer or web desingner, so trying to wrap my mind around everthing is a bit difficult for me. My idea of this is create a place where you can interact with my photography free from the absurdity that is social media.

If you are receiving this email that means you have agreed to sign up for my newsletter. You can certainly opt out of this, but I do promise to only send out an email once a month with a few exceptions here and there.

This may sound like a lot of rambling and it probably is, but I'm just trying to get my thoughts and ideas out to. There will be a few more updates coming along the way. My goal through the winter is to slowly revamp my olnine store. I'll be offereing float frame canvas and possibly framed prints as an optoin in my online store. It might take some time, and my online store might be down for a week or so, but it will be so worth it in the end.

In the meantime, feel free to checkout out my 2024 portfolio by clicking here: https://www.jasonrayphotography.com/2024-portfolio

2024 seemed to start really strong with some nice wintery condtions back home, followed up by a beautiful trip to the North Shore of Minnesota. I'll be heading back there in a couple of weeks too! I also vetntured out west for a wedding and photographed a few scenes along the way including Teddy Roosevelt NP, Yellowstone NP, Grand Teton NP, and Badlands NP. I didnt' take many photos in all of the parks, but I did get some beautiful shots of the Tetons. And what few images I took at the other parks, two of them are featured in my top 10 images of the year which are seen below.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park. I love the expansive views that are in the Dakotas and those clouds were absolutely beautiful this day.

This was my number 10 image of the year. I photographed it at Yellowstone NP at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. It's a bit more abstract and I love it. It features a canyon wall on the opposite side of where we standing. A small waterfall was created from the melting snow and ice. While the grand scenic images are always a treat to photograph, these smaller scenes are lot of fun to shoot. It helps to get my creative juices flowing.

While the first half of the year provided me with some great opportunities and condtions, the last half of the year seemed to not be as great. I still got some nice images in the summer and fall, but for the most part, the large majority of my stronger images came within the first six to seven months. That's the way it goes in landscape photography. You can't be creating 5 star images everyday and with the lack of snow around here this winter, it's been very difficult. Instead of complaining about it, I'm going to be using this time to fine tune a few behind the scenes things, like actively writing a blog and updating my online store and preparing for the art/craft show season.

If you like and enjoy my stuff, consider checking out my online store https://www.jasonrayphotography.com/shop or you can support me by "Buying me a Coffee."

Until the next time,

Jason Stuempges