It has become somewhat of a tradition. Every year, as Christmas is upon us, I like to reflect on the year that will soon be over. What was great about it? What could have gone better? As in previous years, I would like to share my thoughts with you in my 2017 retrospective.

If you would like to have a look back in time, you can go read my previous retrospectives.

2017: The year I became a YouTuber and started to vlog

Last year I told you that I was thinking about realising one big new project that would be time consuming and also put me out of my comfort zone. That project was starting to create videos about my landscape photography and sharing them with you.

After thinking long and hard about it if I would really enjoy doing it, I decided to just go ahead with it in June on Luxembourg's National Holiday. I took my gear and headed out to photograph the fireworks of the celebrations from atop the Sofitel Grand-Ducal in Luxembourg City and create my first ever vlog about it.

A few days later I uploaded the result to my newly created YouTube channel and things got rolling from there. I started uploading new videos almost weekly about my landscape photoshoots and I was happy to see that you enjoyed watching them. I also created a daily vlog about my trip to Iceland, which I actually still have to finish editing. Other important projects have kept me from finalising the last few videos in the series.

If you haven't done so yet, you should definitely subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Switching to the Fujifilm X-T2

One of the biggest changes for 2017 was related to my camera gear, as I decided to switch from Canon to Fujifilm.

I had been a happy Canon shooter for many years, but for various reasons, which I explain in a video on my YouTube channel, I decided to take the plunge and buy a Fuji X-T2 with a couple of lenses.

Since that day, I have almost been shooting exclusively with the Fuji. I have taken it several trips and I have even used it for various professional projects.

Travel

As every year, I try to travel as much as possible. Being a father, it's not always easy to combine a family trip with landscape photography. It sometimes takes a lot of effort to enjoy the holidays with my family but also making sure that I come home with a few decent pictures.

Tuscany, Italy

I believe I managed to keep a balance between family and photography in Italy's Tuscany where I created some of my favourite pictures this year. The green fields and hilltops and Italy's Tuscan farmhouses are an incredible subject for landscape photography.

Normandy

My trip to Normandy was fairly short, but I took the time to create my first couple of travel vlogs at the incredible white alabaster cliffs of Etretat and at the famous Mont Saint Michel.

Iceland

Iceland had been on my list of destinations for several years now, but the timing to go there was never quite right. I am so happy that 2017 was finally the year I travelled to this incredible country. In the span of a week, we travelled all around the ring road and witnessed one incredible landscape after another. The weather in Iceland is very capricious and changes all the time, but the pictures I managed to make in some of the amazing locations were worth every hardship we suffered through. I documented the whole trip in a daily vlog which you can watch on my YouTube channel.

2018

What will the new year bring?

First of all, there will be more travelling. I already have two trips planned and ready to go. I can't wait to go there and create new landscape pictures. The first trip is already coming up this January, so stay tuned for more information...

Then I intend to take more personal time to film more videos. My head is buzzing with plenty of ideas and I wish to create more travel vlogs as well as more vlogs in Luxembourg.

As I told you last year, I wanted to take a break from exhibitions in 2017 and that is pretty much what I did. I still organised a few smaller art displays, but nothing major and no vernissages. 2018 will be different and it will start with a bang! In February I am very excited to hold an exhibition at the Cercle Munster in the very heart of Luxembourg City. The vernissage will take place on the 20th February and you should write down the date and come have a drink.

Later this year, I have another major exhibition planned, but more information about that in the coming months...

As for the rest, you can expect plenty of new pictures, stories, prints, workshops and a couple of other exciting projects... My photographic adventure goes on and you are along for the ride. I wish you all the best for 2018!