2024 Recap & favourite photos

Like every year I want to do a short summary of the year before. It's really awesome to read the recaps few years later and see how much my life has changed and how many cool photos I took.

This year was really challenging for me. One of the hardest years (if not the hardest) in my personal life and the best year in my photography career, so let's focus on the positives.

1. The beginning of this year started rough but it was also the time when I was able to spend some time in the mountains and most importantly surrounded by my beloved snow. It's also the time I took one of my favourite self-portraits.

2. During this past year I used the most props (and also the coolest ones) ever and also was able to take self-portraits with another person. It was a great experience and will definietly do more photoshoots with other people.

3. This year I not only used many props but I build a structurte and used smoke grenades - something I was planning for a long time.

4. Then I decided to create my first serious series - "Slavic Demonology" (it's not done yet and cool shots are comming). Because of that I wanted to know more about my Slavic culture and there's not a better source than the people, who actually practice paganism today.

5. I had a chance to attend a Kupala Night celebrations that lasted for a few days. It was an amazing experience honestly. I've met lots of cool people. During those celebrations I took one of my most famous photos - "Topielica". The duckweed felt surprisingly nice!

6. Then it was time for a Werewolf - another slavic "demon" and the coolest "Dziwożona" (oh, how I love this photo! - it was a great day filled with mushroom picking and then this photoshoot). Oh and let's not forget a bloodbath - I poured a fake blood to the water and took my favourite profile picture ever!

7. Then Winter came shyly. Previous months were really blurred - even now I had a hard time remembering what was happening in my life. In November I finally slowed down. I was spending a lot of time in the mountains. The fog came and filled my mind with peace. I took another photo that I love so much. The place totally took me by a surprise! A witchy cottage in the middle of a field. During that day I also took my favourite landscape photo and another with deer antlers that I was dreaming about!

8. I also sew by hand and embroidered my first slavic dress (which I am so proud of) and the chainmail coif!!! It was hard at first that's why It's my favourite piece of outfit now and will definietly take more photos in it. I also got my first sword (which I didn't make xD)

9. For my project I also re-edited my older photos!

10. My self-portraits was also featured on a book covers (more will come soon).

11. Finally I published my first ever calendar (I have tears in my eyes writing this) and opened my own online store with prints! (LINK TO THE STORE) I also was given the patronage of the Slavic Press Agency (iSAP)

Plans for next year: The obvious one is to move full time to the mountains and renovate my cottage (which I didn't have time to do this year), take even more photos and take part in a bigger projects. Also I would love to publish a photo book with my finished series and create some exhibitions. Otherwise I don't plan anything because life is unpredictable in itself

I am sure I forgot about something but hope you enjoyed reading that. Thank you for supporting me and being a part of this journey. You have no idea how huge part of my life you become and I won't be able to thank you enough.

Love, Erinthul.