Bob Crum

It's that time again. New Year's resolutions! I'm on it. 1. Make a budget and stick to it. Yep, that'll work if my computer is forbidden to visit amazon.com. 2. Forgive myself and move on from past mistakes. You know, I once thought I made a mistake, but it was only a thought. 3. Take a frequent break from all screens. Stop watching reruns of The Little Mermaid on the telly. Forget it! 4) Drink more water. Oh sure, and have to pee every 30 minutes. 5) Stop hitting the snooze button. Impossible!

Let's simplify: Save money, enjoy life, drink less, take a trip, lose weight, help others, find love, get fit. Do these make and break resolutions sound familiar? How soon do you break them? January 3rd? With a smidgen of willpower maybe January 10th. Well, you tried.

Enough. Here's my one, authentic, genuine resolution for January 1: I hereby resolve not to make any stupid New Year's resolutions. There! That's specific, measurable, attainable realistic and relevant. Sweet success is assured. How many will join me in this resolution revolution? Forget the gym... pass the eggnog!

Photographically speaking, I've been considering Project 365, shooting at least one photo every day for the coming year... 365 photos by next Jan 1. Perhaps just photos made only in and around Fillmore. Anyone else interested in this project? If enough Fillmore photographers express an interest, I'll set up a Facebook page to add photos from participants. Your thoughts?

Speaking of photos, Santa left you a new camera, right? After reading the manual, you commenced photoing the Christmas festivities with jolly abandon. I am so proud of you! Now, what to do with all those precious photos? Digital images floating around Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. are fleeting at best. Worse, technology constantly evolves making all the so-called digital social platforms unstable and risky. There's no guarantee your digital photos will be up on the Internet five years hence. A photo book/album is an excellent alternative and sure to become a family heirloom. Offload your best photos from your flash card or smartphone to a folder on your computer. From there, upload to a photo book/album printer. What's more, the tactile feel of the pages of a photo book/album full of precious memories is an indescribably pleasurable experience. Enough said?

As promised, the following is a partial list of photo book/album printers. Prices vary because of options. User friendliness varies. Persevere. Check the printer's website for details. The following are some of the most popular photo book printers: Costco Photo Centers, https://www.costcophotocenter.com/ProductDetails/Photobooks. I have had a photo book printed by Costco picked up at Oxnard and was very pleased. Another printer is Adorama Pix: https://www.adoramapix.com/app/products/photo-books. Mixbook is relatively new but already known for quality with lots of options and simple to use... https://www.mixbook.com/photo-books. A very popular quality photo book printer is Snapfish. Lots of templates and Snapfish actually guides you through the process. A standby printer is the classic Shutterfly. Lots of add-ons and plenty of options for a beautiful photo book... https://www.shutterfly.com/photo-books. Another great printer is Amazon Prints, great pricing, a trustworthy brand, easy to use... https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Prints/b?ie=UTF8&node=14866317011. Last but not least, Nations Photo Lab. At their website, they discuss the difference between a photo book and a photo album. Worth the read, here... https://nationsphotolab.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360006144354-Top-8.... Go online to cut & paste. Persevere! Happy booking!

Photo of the week is a gorgeous rose to ring in the New Year with beauty. My trained insect on the flower assures focus. His name is Bug.

Send questions, comments and/or suggestions to: focusonphotography@earthlink.net