Conclusions for the new year

I originally posted this as a reply to a discussion thread on DPR.

I don't have any resolutions in the sense of "I must do that" but I drew a few conclusions from what happened and what I've talked about with others:

1. Go back to raw+JPEG. I prefer the immediacy of JPEG and how my camera processes it. However, on a few occasions raw has been beneficial. My only regret is that then the JPEG is stuck at "fine, large" which to some extent defeats the purpose of having the SOOC JPEG.
2. No need for new gear at the moment. Close to a year ago I sold my previous setup and downsized to just a DSLR with a kit lens. I'm enjoying photography more than I had for the last few years.
3. Use wide angle judiciously. I analyzed my photos to see what I enjoyed and why my oldest stuff often seemed better. Before I got my first DSLR I was limited to 35 mm equivalent focal length. That seems to be my preferred angle of view so when I take my camera out of the bag I set the zoom to that angle and first try to frame this way.
4. Don't overthink the composition. When I'm having a hard time framing and start thinking about rule of thirds, leading lines etc. it just means that there is no photo in that scene. My old stuff was often just basic amateur's "move off-center and keep it straight" and somehow it worked.
5. Analyze which photos get the most likes and why. On average, people do prefer better photos. (That is true even for cat photos, although they have to be judged separately. :) ) If I can figure out what works I might learn something.