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Happy New Year! I can still say that, right?
Here’s what I’m not doing in January: making grand plans, committing to ambitious projects, or pretending this is the month everything changes.
Instead, I’m taking inventory. Checking what’s working and what’s quietly breaking down. The systems, habits, and behind-the-scenes pieces no one sees but are essential for a photographer.
With that in mind, this month’s article leans into exactly that kind of work. The unglamorous pieces of photography that often make the difference between a workflow that quietly supports you and one that eventually trips you up.
January also marks the lead-up to Out of Chicago LIVE!, one of my favorite ways to re-energize creatively as the year gets moving.
Cheers to re-tightening the knobs,
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THE OBSERVANT LENS
Reflections to deepen our craft and sharpen our vision
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This felt like the right moment to say thank you. This newsletter continues because you’re here reading, learning, and making space for thoughtful conversations about photography.
To start the year, I put together a small giveaway just for subscribers, featuring a few items from the best gift list. You’ll have 7 days to enter, and I’ll randomly select five winners, each receiving a couple of gifts.
Open to U.S. residents 18+.
Five winners will be selected at random on January 22, 2026 and notified by email after the entry period closes.
No purchase necessary.
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THE LIGHTROOM COMPASS
Navigating a better processing & photo organizing experience
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There’s a certain kind of photography work that doesn’t show up in the final image. Updating settings. Cleaning gear. Calibrating monitors. Making sure the behind-the-scenes pieces are still doing their job.
This article walks through nine simple checks I revisit regularly to keep my workflow, gear, and files running smoothly. It's not necessarily the most exciting work, but it’s the essential kind that buys you time, energy, and fewer surprises down the road.
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EARLIER WAYPOINTS
A Useful checkpoint from an earlier issue that's still pointing true
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While we're in the spirit of checking in on systems and workflows, here are some resources worth circling back to:
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JOIN ME AT LIVE! 2026
Educational opportunities to grow, inspire, and connect
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Only a few weeks until I’m back teaching at Out of Chicago LIVE!, a three-day online photography conference with 50 instructors and more than 100 interactive sessions. Each instructor delivers a main presentation and then joins additional sessions like image reviews, portfolio conversations, show and tells, post-processing help, photo challenges, and more.
What brings me back every year isn’t just the depth of learning, though there’s plenty of that. It’s the energy of being surrounded by photographers who care deeply about the craft, share generously, and show up excited to learn together.
Over three days, you’ll have access to 100+ live sessions, countless opportunities to ask questions and connect, and a full year of access to all the recordings.
If winter has you feeling a little creatively quiet, this is one of my favorite ways to refill the well.
Free Photo Challenge Webinars
Creating Atmosphere with Long Exposure Photo Challenge with Huibo Hou on Tuesday, Jan 20, 2026, at 1:00 PM Eastern
Huibo will demonstrate how long exposure techniques can transform water and clouds into expressive, atmospheric elements.
Register for Free Webinar
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Floral Grocery Store Glory Photo Challenge with Donna Eaton on Tuesday, Jan 27, 2026, at 1:00 PM Eastern
Donna will show how everyday flowers from a grocery store or local market can become striking photographic subjects.
Register for Free Webinar
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Photographic Breakthroughs Webinar
on Friday, Jan 30, 2026, at 1:00 PM Eastern
Five instructors from Out of Chicago LIVE! 2026 will each share a photograph or short series of images that represents a personal photographic breakthrough.
Register for Free Webinar
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FOCUS POINTS
To utter, repeat, and shape our mindset
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“Doubt is an uncomfortable condition, but certainty is an absurd one.”
— Voltaire |
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TRAIL FINDS
Curated resources, news, and inspiration for your journey
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1.) Beth Young’s First Snowfall in Banff Gallery
Beth Young shares a stunning winter gallery from Banff and the Canadian Rockies, capturing first snowfall, clearing storm light, and quiet, fleeting moments in winter landscapes.
2.) Eric Bennett’s New Collection “Desolation”
Eric shares a new gallery exploring the Badlands, reflecting on their quiet beauty, personal restorative power, and the urgent need for greater legal protection of these fragile landscapes.
3.) William Patino’s “Stop Forcing Your Editing | Try This Painterly Approach”
William Patino shares a painterly, intuitive editing workflow that encourages slowing down and responding to the image, rather than forcing a rigid process.
4.) Watch Two Out of Chicago LIVE! 2026 Photo Challenge Recordings
Small in Frame Wildlife with Ray Hennessy and Photographing Food in Action with Solli Kanani are two free photo challenge webinars available to watch on the Out of Chicago blog.
5.) Girls Who Chase’s “Capturing Awe” Virtual Summit in April
This is a live virtual summit on April 18–19, 2026, featuring foundational and specialized sessions on weather, lightning, volcano and lava, and aurora photography, with all presentations recorded for attendees.
6.) FotoClave Conference, March 20–23, 2026 in Santa Cruz, California
FotoClave is a long-running photography conference, first held in 1957, returning to Santa Cruz this March for four days of learning, field experiences, and community, special thanks to my friend Josh Cripps for first putting this one on my radar.
7.) Enrico Fossati, “How Landscape Photography Learned to Destroy What It Loves”
Enrico examines how influence, repetition, and commercial pressures in landscape photography have contributed to environmental harm, and reflects on the responsibility image-makers carry within that system.
8.) Photo Cascadia’s 2025 Year in Photography
If you ever need a reminder to make time for trips with photography friends, the 14th edition of Photo Cascadia’s annual Year in Photography video delivers exactly that.
9.) Cole Thompson’s “Do These 10 Things to Be Happier with Your Photography”
Cole Thompson offers a candid, opinionated reflection on vision, creative independence, and letting go of external validation in pursuit of a more fulfilling photographic life.
10.) Favorite Images of 2025
I've been enjoying the feast for my eyes from friends who released their favorite photographs from 2025: Jennifer Renwick, Michael Frye, Charlotte Gibb, Sarah Marino, David Kingham, Michael Bollino, Ron Coscorrosa, Matt Payne, William Neill, and Mads Peter Iversen.
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nature photography • photo education • lightroom training
Copyright © Chrissy Donadi Photography, All Rights Reserved.
606 Liberty Avenue, 3rd Floor, #107, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
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