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Resolutions for the New Year

Nikon Ambassadors share some of their imaging-related plans for 2025.

Taku Kumabe photo of a sunrise long exposure of a city in the distance

© Taku Kumabe

With a renewed outlook to the new year, we asked our Nikon Ambassadors to weigh in on what they’re planning for 2025. Work will bring travel for most, with globe-trotting being the norm. Of course there will be plenty of tradeshows, conventions and workshops, as both attendee and instructor/presenter.

Many of the destinations include a lot of travel within Canada, much of it in British Columbia. Including the West coast, Vancouver Island, Tofino, Haida Gwaii, the Great Bear Rainforest, Klahoose Wilderness Resort, and the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary. Other stops such as the Canadian Rockies, Pincher Creek, Baffin Island, and Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta. Finally, some of the key locations include Calgary, the Yukon, Churchill in Manitoba, Sharbot Lake, the Great Lakes, and Atlantic Canada, including Nova Scotia and Ottawa, as well as road trips through Ontario and other provinces.

Travels to the US include stops in Colorado to California and Washington, Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Tetons, Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Montana to Utah and Texas, Maryland to NYC and of course Las Vegas.

Then it’s off to: Switzerland and Belgium to Slovakia and Italy, Svalbard and Finland to Iceland and Greenland, Botswana to Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, Kenya and South Africa to Nigeria and the Republic of Congo, Japan to Taiwan, Malaysia and Bali to Singapore and Bhutan, Australia to Jamaica and Barbados to Costa Rica, Mexico to Argentina and the Falklands, Patagonia and Chile, South Georgia and Antarctica…

We asked our Nikon Ambassadors what their photographic and filmmaking resolutions are for 2025. Along with personal growth and enrichment in their respective specialty, enhancing their video and filmmaking related skills are top of mind. Read on for what they told us.

Kristian Bogner wants to capture more extreme athletes, which means getting back into training himself so he can physically get to the difficult locations they [play in], to “capture them at the peak of their sport.”

Martin Gregus says that along with paying more attention to his social media, he’s looking to: “get funding and start filming/photographing two conservation stories—one on brown bears in Eastern Europe and one on avian influenza in South Georgia and the sub-Antarctic islands.”

Monika Deviat plans on carving out time for a personal project along with exploring more of Canada. She notes: “Living in Alberta, I’m fortunate to have easy access to incredible dark-sky areas, which makes it tempting to stay close to home. However, I think venturing to other parts of Canada would be amazing. The country’s diverse and fascinating landscapes have so much to offer and inspire.”

Living in the forested hills of the Madawaska Highlands, east of Algonquin Park, Tony Beck is planning on rediscovering the animals and scenery observed in his youth. “The lack of light pollution here should also inspire our creation of dramatic night sky compositions,” he adds. 

Preston Kanak explains that his resolution for 2025 is to build on work he put into himself last year with regards to self-improvement, both personally and professionally. He says: “This year, I’m focusing on deepening my connection with the outdoors and embracing all it has to offer. I’m also excited to share more of this journey—through social media and my website—as I explore growth, nature, and the stories that come with it.”

Véronique Duplain explains that in her creative process, she often produces very static photos. So, for 2025, she wants to challenge herself: “I plan to incorporate more movement into my images by exploring different techniques.” She explains that her goal with the #SelfieProject “has always been to learn, and I remain committed to that path while continuing to spark timely discussions through the themes I explore in my photography.”

Viktoria Haack has a list of things she’d like to accomplish this year, including revamping her website and photographing more wildlife imagery. Which she says, “is a relatively new genre for me.” She’s also going to start a photography project this year.

Sean LeBlanc wants to, “complete a personal photography project in a genre different from my professional work.”

Taku Kumabe wants to branch out of his comfort zone this year, “I hope to focus more energy on things that are a little beyond my normal scope of work; whether that be creating studio portraits or focusing more on video work, I would like to continue to push my own creative boundaries.”

Michael Fayehun has his sights on streamlining workflow, updating his website and delegating more to his team due to his hectic travel schedule, “to ensure a more seamless experience for my clients.”

Sam Sciarrino will also be updating his website to reflect current business trends along with “continuing to document progress on various projects for future book publications, expanding educational initiatives and entering photographic competitions to challenge and showcase my work.”

A focus on storytelling

For Tzara Maud, storytelling is where she’s focusing in 2025, “to explain more of the story behind the picture; to inform more and to inspire more,” she says by explaining what’s in her mind when she’s creating her imagery.

Jenny Wong explains that as a storyteller, she’s “always trying to expand my repertoire of skills. On social I'm best known for wildlife and hiking photos, but portraits and people is something I shoot for almost every assignment, so improving that skillset is top of my bucket list for the new year.”

Video is key

Jenny Wong knows that these days more people consume stories through video. “Improving my workflow in the field to include more video is very important."

When it comes to video, Viktoria Haack wants to experiment with film and film editing, Tzara Maud wants to get better at creating reels with herself in them and Monika Deviat wants to get more into video as well.

Michael Fayehun explains that his studio has a team for video but wants to personally get more involved in the video work and Sam Sciarrino plans on integrating video as well.

Kristian Bogner has been dabbling in DaVinci Resolve, “for 8K60 N-RAW conversions and colour grading since the Z 9 came out, but I want to take my skills to the next level.” As does Sean LeBlanc.

Lu Chau says he’s going to be “diving back into video directing, focusing on creative music videos like I did pre-pandemic.” In addition to directing, he’s also working on expanding more of his business revenue by upselling additional video production services.

Martin Gregus is looking forward to editing a film he did on Polar Bears last year.

And Michelle Valberg said along with savoring every moment of her travels this year, her plans include completing the full-length documentary Breathe in the World, Breathe out Music.

Here’s to a year of creativity, growth, and unforgettable experiences!

Learn more about Nikon Canada Ambassadors.