Twenty-Eleven
PHOTOGRAPHY
I think I did well with the Nikon D5000 I had. It's a fine camera, and I certainly have no complaints with the quality of images I got from it. But after FCN, I began to shoot in Manual mode more often, and that's when the limitations of the D5000 became apparent. The camera was small in my big paws, and I needed more manual controls. The D90 didn't have what I needed, and the new D7000 also fell short for me. I decided to get out of the 'consumer' range altogether and bought a D300s, and I love it. A big reason why I love it is because it feels great. Nearly all of the controls I need are just a button/dial away, and I don't have to do any menu-diving to change them. I feel I can take any photo with it. It would be perfect if I could control the ISO with the Fn or DoF Preview button + one of the dials, but that's a minor gripe with an otherwise great camera.
The D300s, however, is a bit more sensitive to technique and exposure issues than the D5000 was. It won't forgive underexposure. It's a heavier camera, and that's good for me, but that also makes it a bit more vulnerable to even the slightest movement. I was somewhat disappointed with the photos I took at MFF (some of them were too noisy and/or unsharp for my tastes), but I found common errors among them. With the D300s, even slight underexposure can be dangerous, especially if I have to push the shadow areas during post-processing. I'm no longer safe at 1/60s for shutter speeds at 35mm; it has to be 1/80s at the very least now. I need to lessen the diffuser usage, too; it can really light the subject more than I'd like, and add shadows, if I'm not careful.
I've already started work on fixing those issues, and I'll have them ironed out before I attend my next fur con, which is Furry Connection North. I always try to make the next set of photos better than the previous set, and that's the plan for FCN. I also plan to buy at least one more lens this year. I have my eye on the Nikkor 35mm f/1.4G, and I'm still looking at the Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8. The 35mm will get way more usage, and it's higher on the priority list (and a bit cheaper). I'll also buy a couple strobes, and I'll look into making my own muslin-style backdrop sheet (though I'm not above paying for one). So, yeah, I'll get more serious about photography this year. Every shot counts, and high-quality is one of my standards.
MUSIC
I planned to contribute another one-minute piece to the 2010 Furry X 60 project. But I had some software and hardware issues (mostly caused by Windows 7 incompatibilities) and became busy with other things in life, and I ran out of time and couldn't get the piece completed and submitted before the deadline. Still, I realized that I should share more of my music, even in small doses. All of the processes (writing, composition, performance, sequencing, etc.) are very time consuming because I'm the only person doing them. But I do enjoy them, especially when the finished product turns out well. I can't promise I'll have a album released this year, but I'll definitely post more music.
HEALTH
I'm changing my exercise routine. For years, I've been training like a powerlifter, though I'm definitely not one. I'd always go for max weight, and that meant less reps. The strength gains were there, but they came very slowly. And the truth is, I really don't have the body for weightlifting. I'm 6 feet and 2 inches tall, and I have long arms and legs. Weightlifting certainly isn't impossible with that type of body, and I think I've done well over the years. But if you know how levers function, then you can understand why the exercises are more difficult for the taller guys.
I have the strength, but the reality is that I don't (and won't) have the size to match it. It won't happen without taking lots of expensive drugs and changing my lifestyle almost 180 degrees, and I'm not willing to do that at this point in my life. So, I'm gonna get away from the powerlifting style of training. That means, less weight and more reps (8 to 12) in each set. I'll still go for max weight, but I won't sacrifice my other sets for it. I'll also do a lot more cardio exercises. I'll probably be a little slimmer before the year ends (though I don't really need to lose the weight). I'll have to find a way to do that without losing too much muscle, but I'm up for it. And that leads into the next thing...
FURSUIT
Simply put, I think my fursuit sucks. Really. I have only myself to blame for it, though. I made all of the design choices, and I chose the person who made it. Looking back, I realize I was a bit too hasty with some of my decisions on the suit. I should have waited a bit longer and done a little more research. I was quite happy with the finished product when I received it... or, at least, I thought I was. But I put on the suit for less time with each con I attended in 2010, and it wasn't because of all of the photography I do. I haven't enjoyed suiting as much as I should because I don't like how it looks. It's too fluffy, and believe or not, it's actually too big for me. I can still walk, run, dance and such in it. But when I watch videos and see pictures of it (after the con ends), I'm almost always displeased.
If you've seen me in suit at cons, then you've seen that I'm not exactly very 'active'. If I'm not dancing (if you wanna call it 'dancing'), then I'm not doing much in the way of activity. I just kinda go from one place to another, interacting with others and taking pictures with them, and... that's it. Now, of course, that's what most fursuiters do, and it's nothing new. But I want to do more, and I know I can do more. I see guys like JD and Skroy doing backflips and bouncing all over the place, and it makes me think about what I do in suit. I say to myself, 'I can do that! I WANT to do that! I'm every bit as capable as those guys!' But I can't do what they do because my suit won't allow me to do it. Now, usually, I'll just blow it off and say, 'Hey, that's what HE does and that's HIS thing', and move on. But Abrahm, my character, isn't supposed to just lurch around from one place to another. He's not simply my 'other side'. He's an extension of me. He has traits that augment some of mine. And you know, I'd like to express some of them. But when I'm in that suit, my options are very limited... moreso than I'd like.
My fursuit needs a major update. snapcat did an amazing job with the head I commissioned from him (I still get compliments on it), and I'll be keeping it. The bodysuit, however, MUST be changed. I've thought about having it altered to provide a better fit. But there's no one near me with tailoring skill (I certainly don't have any), and I'm not sure how a 'commercial' tailor would handle it (IF he/she could handle it). Another complication is that most of the builders require duct-tape dummies, and getting family/friends to help me with that is difficult because our life schedules aren't the same. I'll likely have to find a suit-maker who can build the suit using measurements alone, and that won't be easy. But I have to make it happen.
CONVENTIONS
I'll attend Furry Connection North, Anthrocon, IndyFurCon, and Midwest Furfest this year. I had good times at all four cons last year, and I'll definitely return to all of them. I'll be at AC Wednesday - Monday; FCN and MFF, Thursday - Monday, and IFC will likely be a Friday - Monday break (the hotel was DEAD on Thursday, last year, and that was the worst day of the con for me). I didn't have any roommate issues with any of the cons, last year, and I'll likely look for roommates again for this year. If you're gonna be at any of those four, then I'll see you there. :)
And there you have it. Those are some of my plans for 2011. 2010 wasn't a bad year for me, but 2011 should be better.