YEARS END.

2017.

By David Metcalfe

December 20^th, 2017

It only looks like I'm kicking a small child.

Photo by: Adam Collier

I feel like I cheated 2016 by not writing many words in my years end post. Here's hoping I remember all the little details of 2017. Also, I'm shaking things up this year so clicking any underlined words will give you a treat to listen to.

TWENTY SEVENTEEN: Depth Over Distance

Cheers to 2017.

Little did I know what 2017 was about to bring. Early into the year I discovered an old Ben Howard song I wasn't even aware of. As shocking as that was, it became my year's theme. Depth over distance. I learnt that just because something was short-lived did not make it worthless. That new seasons were okay. That time could feel limited and not infinite. I started to put value in the deep and meaningful. Old friends could become just that. Some smoked, most drank, and everyone swore. To laugh, and maybe to cope? I continually made the decision to put effort where effort was found.

Cheers to 2017.

January: All We Got, City Of Stars, & To Build A Home.

January was a cold and slow month. Recovering from the end of a relationship I started to shake my habits. I went to a complete strangers birthday and knew no one. A new musical brought a friend into my life for a few months. Sherlock returned. From Here & Away started to take strides. There was a lot of birthdays, drinks at Forth, and seeing cheap movies at the theatre. I bought a new car and immediately missed my old one. I helped a friend with their booth at the wedding show. I was asked to be a wall artist for Kit & Ace. I submitted my art for a show not expecting to be chosen.

February: I Found, Ultralight Beam, & Midnight.

February was like a dull roar. February was a headache waiting to happen. I watched people drop hints about their plans, goals, ambitions, passions - while I coasted. Lives altered in February. I learned that I'm damn fine at stripping away colour. The mild weather made for a fantastic first Festival. Playlists bounced back and forth between groups. FH&A moved in at The Forks. Less photos, more studying. Lattes turned into London Fogs. I picked up a second job. I put myself up on the walls for all to see.

March: Where's My Love?, 715 - CR∑∑KS, & High Hopes.

March was a really funny month. We were reunited and we played in the fog. Different groups started to get together. St. Patricks day was a hoot. I was creative again. Music was sadder than ever. I had a fixation with the tennis courts. I worked, a lot. The late nights started. Kaleo was beautiful. A childhood hero of mine died (don't worry, he's fictitious).

April: Sunday Candy, Hello My Old Heart, & Unchained Melody.

We took a lot of photos. Personal photos. Client photos. Stuck to our groups, explored a lot of parkades. April was the beginning of a lot of concerts, even later nights, and bonfires. Birthdays happened. Breakdowns happened. People switched jobs. Friends flew home. We went to the zoo. Riverdale was in full swing. I got really, really sick for a while. I tried yoga. There was another wing eating competition and it was still a ton of fun.

May: The Chain, Don't Threaten Me With A Good Time, & Believer.

I was healthy for a bit and then I hurt my back. May was full of little trips outside the city. Seattle officially became a big part of my family's lives. I didn't take many photos - I was too busy living. Cliche, I know. The final weeks of May marked the beginning of some of my favourite weeks. The highest and brightest points of 2017.

June: Ten Goodbyes, True Care, & The Funeral.

Oh, June. June consisted of summer's best night. June was coffee. June was ice cream. June was weddings. Endless walking. Seeing how long it takes to drive the city limits at 3:00AM. My art was auctioned off. Friends had me over. I learned to see art in unfamiliar places. Lives started changing in bigger ways. Wednesday nights were regularly busy. Life spiralled.

June was short-lived.

July: Desperado, Come On, Mess Me Up, & Waves.

July was for keeping busy. July was more weddings. The worst day of the year didn't seem so bad this time around. I worked with new people. There was many concerts. Ballet in the Park. Fringe. Oh how I love Fringe. I saw the same play four times. Markets popped up. Homecoming was everything I needed it to be. I thought July to be a weight off my chest.

August: The Mixed Tape, Rapture, & Outta My Head.

August was hot temperatures. August was Seattle. August was the last of wedding season. A month full of birthdays, including mine in which I turned 24. We went to Ichiban and that was a ton of fun. We made some new friends as Folklorama came and passed. Summer fell into Autumn and the visits to the US began. August was the perfect transition month.

I forgot how much I loved airplanes.

September: Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, All Time Low, & Lifetimes.

I took a break.

October: Seven Nation Army, The Best Is Yet To Come, & Strawberry Blonde.

I'm struggling to remember October even though it wasn't very long ago. October has always been my favourite month of the year. August is a close second. October was full of hanging out with friends. Soccer windups, halloween parties, and curling all made appearances in October. October was a lot of talking on the phone in frustration. I tried to get more involved. I was invited to an indoor soccer team and it's been fantastic.

October was anticipation for November and it did not disappoint.

November: Way With Words, One More Light, & Claire De Lune.

November was unexpected. Inspiration came out of nowhere and led to a week of photos. It was so nice to work with such great models and collaborate with other photographers here in the city. At it's highest point I jumped on a plane and flew off to Vegas. I didn't use my camera once. It was fun to go back to how it all began using only my phone. November was a huge realization of where I want to take my art and what my goals for 2018 are. I came back from my trip and went straight back to work. It'll be like that for a few more weeks.

December: Mercury, Explosion, & Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.

This post is so bittersweet. It's almost paradoxical. I take a year's worth of my photography in every form possible (iPhone, film, digital personal, digital professional) and try to summarize it into one post. But then I end it off with this.. I am writing this post earlier than usual, into December. Typically I'll post my years end closer to January but honestly I don't expect to take many photos this month (hopefully I'm wrong). I'll be working a ton at my job and the evenings will be busy I'm sure. I'll update December as it happens. But I thought this would be an opportune time to write my expectations and goals for 2018. A few people know this about me but I expect to take a step away from photography. Don't get me wrong - I love photography, so much, and it's always going to be a heavy influencer in my life. This September I ran face first into a wall that kept me static for quite a while. I had just spent the Summer doing more wedding photography than I've ever before.. At the end of it all I was exhausted physically and creatively. I think I've finally come to terms with the fact that it's just not for me. I'm okay with that realization. I still love weddings, and I still love wedding photography. It's just not going to be my career from here on out. I won't be promoting myself as a wedding photographer anymore. To all my future clients please don't take this as my resignation from wedding photography. To all the wedding photographers I work with regularly, I hope to still shoot for you in the future and assist you whenever you need. I just find that the more I promote myself as a professional the less passionate I am about what I do. I want to continue to be in love with photography and the best way to do that is to focus on being creative instead of using my skills as a means of income. In 2018 I saw so many people leave their jobs to pursue photography full time. I need to pursue creativity full time and for me that's taking a step back and getting a fresh perspective. I'm going to take 2018 as a chance to narrow my focus to provide my best yet. 2018 will be the year where I set out to define photography and not let photography define me anymore.