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Home → Miscellaneous

Happy New Year (and what a year it was!)

By Nasim Mansurov 45 Comments
Last Updated On January 2, 2021

With the year 2020 finally behind us, I wanted to wish a very Happy New 2021 Year to our readers all around the world. Thank you for being our readers, and for continuing to come back to Photography Life. It is an honor to write for such an amazing group of people, many of whom have become my friends over the years. I wish you the very best, and I hope you and your family have lots of health, love, stability, and prosperity in 2021 and beyond.

Christmas Tree

Without a doubt, 2020 was a tough and turbulent year for many of us, including our team here at PL. When we got kicked out of Jordan at the start of the lockdown back in March, I had no idea that I would be spending the rest of the year sitting tight at home. Borders were closed, people were getting sick and dying, and the pandemic was ravaging the whole world. The US was hit real hard.

As I was on my way home through Turkey, it was devastating to see Istanbul so empty and lifeless. In fact, arriving at the Istanbul Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world, was an eerie experience. It was practically empty, with most departure flights cancelled due to lockdowns:

Istanbul Airport Departures
Cancelled departure flights at Istanbul Airport

I had never seen anything like this before. Pages and pages of departure screens showing their “Cancelled” status. People rushed to the safety of their homes. Suddenly, the world became very different. My flight home was quite uneventful but worrisome. While I was boarding my flight to Denver, my wife was telling me about the empty shelves in stores and the problem with toilet paper shortages. I still can’t figure that one out…

The departure gate only had a few people, and when I boarded the plane, I realized that the plane was basically empty:

Empty Flight
I had a few rows all to myself…

I was exhausted and I wanted to rest, so I laid down and fell asleep, hoping that this was all just a dream.

Except it wasn’t. I got home, isolated myself in my basement for the next 3 weeks. I could not risk bringing the virus home when my mom is hooked up to the dialysis machine, battling two cancers. After two days, I got sick. I don’t know with what – it could have been COVID-19, could have been something else. My temperature stayed below 38C, but I had severe body aches. It lasted for a few days, but I thankfully recovered.

After I got out of quarantine, the world was in an even bigger mess. Record numbers of infections and deaths. The devastation to the economy, with the whole travel, food, and airline industries basically collapsing in a matter of months was rough for so many families. Some of my classmates passed away. COVID-19 was ruthless to anyone with health issues, especially the older folks.

It just kept on coming: The 5G Conspiracy Theory, BLM, murder hornets, wildfires, camera industry collapse… In short, 2020 had more than a few “are you kidding me?!” moments for many of us.

One could look at all the events of 2020 and label it as a very bad year. Some news outlets even named it the “year from hell”. Yet, there is always hope. Perhaps this was a way for our planet to say “enough is enough”. With fewer planes and cars on the roads, plants and wildlife took a breather. We learned the value of close family relationships, the value of being able to see each other face-to-face. The value of hugs and kisses with our siblings and closest friends. The value of being able to stand together and turn up in record numbers to let our voices be heard.

Fireworks

I am looking forward to a more positive and productive 2021. I believe in our humanity, kindness, love and care for each other.

Happy New Year dear friends.

With Love and Respect,
Nasim

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About Nasim Mansurov

Nasim Mansurov is the author and founder of Photography Life, based out of Denver, Colorado. He is recognized as one of the leading educators in the photography industry, conducting workshops, producing educational videos and frequently writing content for Photography Life. You can follow him on Instagram and Facebook. Read more about Nasim here.

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Noshir Mody
Noshir Mody
January 3, 2021 9:48 am

Happy New Year, Nasim.
Photography Life is a great web site. Thank you for the advice, articles and technical information that it provides.
Best Wishes.

4
Reply
Nasim Mansurov
Nasim Mansurov
Author
Reply to  Noshir Mody
January 4, 2021 11:55 am

Thank you Noshir, I appreciate your feedback!

0
Reply
Les
Les
January 3, 2021 12:05 am

I have been an avid follower of Photography Life for a very long time. I can’t even remember when I first discovered your website but have enjoyed all the articles and found it very informative and helpful. In 2020 your articles kept me entertained when I needed to escape from the stress of another Covid day and also very educational when it wasn’t possible just to get out with my camera because we were again “locked down”. I want to wish all of you at Photography Life all the best in 2021 and keep up true great website. You helped me through 2020.

3
Reply
Nasim Mansurov
Nasim Mansurov
Author
Reply to  Les
January 4, 2021 11:59 am

Thank you Les, I really appreciate your feedback!

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Diamantino Casimiro
Diamantino Casimiro
January 3, 2021 4:03 am

From Portugal, (have you ever photographed here?) Thank you and also for you a best new year and the best possible health for your mother. Photography is life, she helped me in confinement, editing by editing … I love Silver Efex Pro 2. I say goodbye, friendly greetings!

2
Reply
Nasim Mansurov
Nasim Mansurov
Author
Reply to  Diamantino Casimiro
January 4, 2021 11:58 am

Thank you Diamantino! I would love to visit Portugal. Porto has been on my bucket list for a long time now, so I am hoping that I can do that sometime this year or next year, provided that we are back to normal life.

1
Reply
JOE
JOE
January 2, 2021 11:49 pm

Happy, Healthy, and a Safe New Year!

2
Reply
Nasim Mansurov
Nasim Mansurov
Author
Reply to  JOE
January 4, 2021 11:58 am

Thank you Joe! Warm wishes to you and your family!

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Dan Francis
Dan Francis
January 2, 2021 8:28 pm

Thanks for those incredible thoughts Nasim! I’m really hoping that 2021 will bring some sense of normalcy. Happy New Year to you and your family!!

2
Reply
Nasim Mansurov
Nasim Mansurov
Author
Reply to  Dan Francis
January 4, 2021 11:58 am

Thank you Dan, it is great to hear from you!

0
Reply
Kevin
Kevin
January 4, 2021 9:01 am

Happy New Year, Nasim! And thanks for keeping this wonderful site going into 2021. I’ll keep reading with interest.

1
Reply
Nasim Mansurov
Nasim Mansurov
Author
Reply to  Kevin
January 4, 2021 12:03 pm

Thank you Kevin! Looking forward to publishing a lot more content in 2021!

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Michael Lee
Michael Lee
January 4, 2021 8:36 am

Thanks for sharing this, Nasim. As you obviously know I was right with you during the Dubai-Jordan Trek when all of this went down. Quite an experience. One that I certainly won’t forget. Seeing the empty halls at Istanbul International Airport was quite an experience but I would also add it was quite eerie seeing the main tourist sites in Istanbul deserted and being the only people at the dining room of our hotel. I hope you’ll be able to host another one of these treks in the near future. There are quite a few places in Jordan and Turkey we didn’t get the opportunity to visit. So Happy New Year otherwise.

1
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Nasim Mansurov
Nasim Mansurov
Author
Reply to  Michael Lee
January 4, 2021 12:08 pm

Mike, I was going through some pictures on my phone yesterday, remembering how you and I were walking the streets of empty Istanbul and eating some awesome food in restaurants that were otherwise packed full on a normal day. Crazy, but definitely brings some good memories. Hoping that we can go back to those places again. The original plan was to go to Cappadocia and I know you couldn’t join us with your busy schedule, but perhaps next time you can make travel plans to fit Turkey as well :)

I would love to go back to Jordan again. Too bad we were cut off right before our Wadi Rum adventure, but I will make sure that we have plenty of time for the next trip. Perhaps we will focus a lot more on Wadi Rum this time!

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Waldemar Kruk
Waldemar Kruk
January 4, 2021 2:37 am

Haven’t written anything to you, Nassim, and on this forum for a long time!! 1st of all HAPPY NEW YEAR 2021 to YOU, Your Family and ALL STAFF at PL!
Will the World recover from COVID 19 the way we all hope so the life will be as before COVID 19? Who knows? Will vaccine help us to carry on our life we used to before 2020? I doubt for there are thousands of people who will never vaccinate, who will be potential carriers of the virus, spreading it around thus bringing more death. Will there be other viruses there in Asia, Africa and other parts of the World waiting to attack us again and again? In my opinion the answer is (must be): Yes, this will happen again and again for the humans destroy the planet in the speed of light and before long we’ll face more and more challenges in our lives….. Am I pessimistic? No, I am not! I believe I am realistic and could see our best cameras CANNOT!! Cameras do record the moment the shutter is closed but the destruction we’re causing to our planet is ‘not a moment’ it is a CONTINUOUS, SENSLESS PROCESS, and no-one is going to stop it…. unless new ‘covids’ will do it for us!!!

Warm Greetings from down under where COVID has had a very minimal ‘successes’ due to the correct policies implemented by our governments, AUSTRALIA!

1
Reply
Nasim Mansurov
Nasim Mansurov
Author
Reply to  Waldemar Kruk
January 4, 2021 12:23 pm

Waldemar, it is always great to hear form you! Thank you for your kind wishes, we really appreciate it!

Unlike our government, both Australia and NZ have done great. I wish we reacted the same, things would have been very different. I agree with what you are saying though, it looks like more viruses and issues will be hitting the humanity in the future. This is our chance to unite and work together, despite our differences.

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Gary
Gary
January 3, 2021 12:55 am

Amen.

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Vinnie
Vinnie
January 2, 2021 10:15 pm

Happy New Year to you and your family Nasim. Hopefully, things will start to get back to some normalcy in 2021, although I think it is going to take the better part of the year for that to happen.

1
Reply
Nasim Mansurov
Nasim Mansurov
Author
Reply to  Vinnie
January 4, 2021 12:03 pm

Vinnie, thank you! That’s true, I agree, I think it will take a while until things get back to normal.

0
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