Photography goals 2025: How I grew as a landscape photographer

Setting clear photography goals in 2025 helped me grow both creatively and personally. Getting out of my comfort zone has always been a challenge for me, and that includes photography. I tend to revisit familiar locations again and again, drawn by their changing light and moods. But this year I wanted something different. I needed a way to push myself, explore new places, and approach my work with fresh energy.

This year, I decided to set myself clear photography goals. The idea was to train more intentionally, explore new locations, and push myself to improve my skills. In Switzerland, I challenged myself to photograph both famous landmarks and hidden spots that are less known. During my trip to Lanzarote, I set a photography goal for each day, which helped me look at the island with fresh eyes. I also experimented more with blue hour shots, tried panoramas with my Nikon Z8 and my drone, and even took my first steps into astrophotography.

Goal 1: Finding new photography spots in Switzerland

My first photography goal of 2025 was to discover new spots in Switzerland, especially close to home. Since I drive a lot every day for my marketing job, I wanted to find local places that I could visit easily without spending too much time on the road. This goal was also about getting to know my own region better and adding less-known images of Switzerland to my portfolio.

This year, I was happy to find some new locations that quickly became favorites:

✅ A spring viewpoint above Montreux with fields of blooming narcissus
✅ A magical forest filled with wild garlic in spring
✅ A peaceful lake with a lonely tree standing on its own tiny island

Spring sunset landscape photography above Montreux in Haut-de-Caux, showing blooming white flowers, traditional mountain houses, and a panoramic view of Lake Geneva and the Canton of Vaud in Switzerland.

Wild garlic woodland photography featuring a small river in Allaman, Canton of Vaud, Switzerland. Captured in spring by Jennifer Esseiva using the Nikon Z8.

Goal 2: Shooting during blue hour and twilight

This year, I also wanted to experiment more with blue hour photography and twilight landscapes. It may not be something new, but until now I was mostly focused on dramatic cloudy skies or colorful sunsets. In 2025, I made the decision to stay outside longer, wait for the blue hour, and capture more images from a single photo session.

Here are some of the shots I was most happy with:
✅ Minimalist blue hour compositions at La Geria Vineyard in Lanzarote
✅ Twilight layers of the Swiss mountains in the Gantrisch Nature Park
✅ Long exposure seascapes in Lanzarote with a minimalist style

Landscape photography of the volcanic vineyards of La Geria in Lanzarote, Canary Islands, captured at blue hour under a full moon. The image features curved rows of vines surrounded by black volcanic soil, with distant volcanoes rising in the background. Soft, dusky light and moon glow create a surreal and serene atmosphere. Taken by Jennifer Esseiva with a Nikon Z8, this scene blends tradition, geology, and lunar magic.

Landscape photography at twilight capturing the rolling hills of the Gantrisch Nature Park with the snowy peaks of the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland under a soft evening sky.

Goal 3: Panorama photography with my Nikon Z8 and drone

I also wanted to try more panorama photography, both with my Nikon Z8 and with my drone. To do this, I searched for locations that could work well for wide, sweeping compositions. I have always loved panoramic shots because they offer a perspective we are less used to. They can enhance the sense of scale of a place and completely change the way we see it.

Here are some of the panoramas I was most happy with:
✅ Panorama of the Berglistüber Waterfall in eastern Switzerland
✅ Drone panorama of my friend overlooking the Bachalpsee, a different take compared to the famous vertical shots from this location
✅ Panorama of a hidden cave and its private beach in Lanzarote

Panoramic long exposure photo of Bärglistüber Waterfall in the canton of Glarus, Switzerland, taken from behind the falls inside the cave. A person stands silhouetted in the scene, highlighting the scale of the natural rock formation. Captured with a Nikon Z8.

Panoramic self-portrait taken at sunrise on Órzola beach in Lanzarote, Canary Islands. The photographer, dressed in a flowing red dress, stands alone on the quiet black sand, framed by the volcanic cave's opening. The scene captures a moment of stillness and freedom, where soft morning light meets the raw beauty of the Atlantic coastline. Shot with a Nikon Z8, this image blends landscape, movement, and solitude into one timeless composition.

"Aerial landscape photography of Bachalpsee near Grindelwald, Switzerland, showing a wide panoramic view with a man in a yellow jacket admiring the alpine scenery.

Goal 4: Exploring famous spots in Switzerland

Switzerland is often described as a dream destination for photographers. Ironically, I was never so drawn to it, maybe because of the famous saying that the grass is always greener on the other side. For 2025, I decided to change that and set myself the challenge to photograph some of the most famous photo spots in Switzerland. I wanted to finally see them in real life, but also to challenge myself and test if I could still create images that felt personal and meaningful, even in places that have already been photographed thousands of times.

Here are some of the shots I was most happy with:
✅ The iconic Seealpsee with patchy light playing across the landscape
✅ A moody scene at Ferpècle
✅ A November sunrise at the Lac Bleu of Arolla

Landscape photography at Seealpsee in Appenzell, Switzerland. Moody alpine lake scene captured with a Nikon Z8 in atmospheric weather.

Moody autumn weather at Ferpècle in the Canton of Valais, with the mountain reflecting in the turquoise river fed by the glacier. Light fog and clouds linger after the first snowfall of October, creating a dramatic alpine atmosphere.

Final thoughts

Looking back, setting clear photography goals in 2025 was one of the best choices I made for my creative journey. These goals pushed me to explore new places, try new techniques, and see familiar landscapes with fresh eyes. Some challenges were harder than expected, but each of them helped me grow as a photographer.

In the end, photography goals don’t need to be big or impressive. What matters most is that they motivate you to get outside, experiment, and enjoy the process of creating.

And most of all, enjoy the moment. Happy shooting.

Published on 11.12.2025 by Jennifer Esseiva