At the end of every year I go through the images I made in the last 12 months and pick my ten favorite photos. This is something I recommend you do as well. It’s a great way of seeing how your work has progressed, and what directions it might go in the future.

Here are four questions you can ask yourself as you look through your photos. The answers should help you plan your photography goals and activities in 2018.

• Have you photographed any new subjects this year?
• Have you bought and used any new lenses or other gear?
• What new skills have you learned over the last 12 months?
• What projects and goals can you set yourself in 2018?

My top ten favorite photos from 2017

For me, 2017 has been a year of transition in photography. A house move and the arrival of a baby has kept me occupied with non-photography stuff. I’ve also traveled a lot less than in 2015 and 2016.

My goals for 2018 are simple.

Travel more. I’m planning at least two short photography trips in European countries as well as the photography tour to Rajasthan in February with Matt Brandon.

Plan and hold one-day photography workshops in my local area (south-west UK). This will be a good way to meet other photographers as well as expanding my business to teaching locally.

Learn new skills. I’m looking into buying a drone early next year and taking the course required to use it commercially in the UK. I’d like to learn how to use portable flash better, and I’m going to buy a macro lens and do more close-up and macro photography.

Here are my top ten photos for 2017. Links to my previous top tens are below.

Blacksmith Katie Latham at work. Part of an ongoing project I have photographing craftspeople.

Singer Annika Skoogh. I approached Annika after seeing her sing locally and asked if she’d be interested in a shoot.

Carnival parade, Dawlish. A little bit of street photography. A charming moment captured.

Mia. A contortionist, in a box.

Yma, dancer. A portrait taken with a Lensbaby Edge 50 lens, which gives a tilt effect. I plan to use this lens for more portrait shoots.

Another photo of blacksmith Katie Latham.

Dunster castle, Somerset. Another photo taken with the Lensbaby Edge 50 lens.

My wife, with bump. Yes, the cottage is a real house that somebody lives in, and no, we don’t live there!

Another portrait of my wife.

Our baby boy Alexander at one month old.

More favorite photos

You can see my top ten photos from 2016 here.