Somewhere in between all these things I have taken on personal photography projects, such as daily photo challenges or learning to use a new piece of camera gear.
These personal projects have made me challenge my skills and forced me out of my comfort zone which, in my opinion, is crucial if you want to get better at something. Every time I have shared the results of my daily photo challenges I have doubled my orders for portraits and other photography assignments, so I truly believe people can see my progress through my images. Pulitzer Prize nominee Vickie Lewis gives you these great tips on creating a personal photography project in this article over at Digital Photography School.
What is a personal photography project?
I define a personal photography project as choosing a subject to shoot over and over again over time. It can be as simple as shooting your kid’s sporting event every weekend, photographing an intriguing building near your home six times, or creating a series of portraits of your friends.
What’s the value of personal projects?
Some photographers are reluctant to shoot the same subject over and over again, but by photographing it more than once, it gives you some great opportunities to grow as a photographer.
- It gives you the chance to get it right.Have you ever said, “I wish I would have done X better?” By going back and shooting something more than one time, you create the opportunity to analyze your mistakes, and go back and do it again. In this exercise, you shoot one day, analyze what you can do better, then tweak your shooting until you learn to nail it every time.
- It gives you some structure.When you have some free time, you don’t have to wonder what you are going to shoot. If you have committed to photographing the City Hall in your town six times, you can just go shoot it. On the other side of the coin, you can also put your shoots on your calendar weeks, or months, ahead of time.
What makes a good photo project?
- Have an objective, a goal. Be clear on your outcome. It can be to master a new skill, to create a series of prints, or to make a calendar as a gift.
- Select a subject that you can return to over and over again.
- Choose something you are really interested in, and passionate about. For ideas, think about the activities you and your family are involved in. Would any of your hobbies make a good project? Are there places you love to visit or photograph?
- Find something to shoot within 10 or 20 minutes of your home.
- Commit to something that either happens on a regular basis at a scheduled time, or a place you can just show up and shoot anytime. For example, a ballet class that happens every week or a favorite park, botanical garden, or lake.
- Choose a subject with a variety of visual possibilities.
- Choose a subject with a learning goal, or end product in mind. You might want to learn more about light, or shooting in manual mode, or photographing people.
How to be successful
- Make a commitment and write out the whys of doing the project.
- Find an accountability partner, a coach, a class, or a photo group, to share your progress.
- Put the time commitments on the calendar. Treat this as a new ritual. Plan the time and treat it as sacred.
Ideas for your own personal photography projects
Here are some ideas to get you started on your own personal project.
- Shoot the full moon every month for six months. I chose to shoot the monuments in Washington, DC with a full moon and created a beautiful series of art prints.
- Photograph a local park 10 different times, at different times of day. This is a simpler version of my Oregon Coast project.
- Shoot a local landmark at all times of the day. It could be a building, for example the City Hall, a mountain, or a river. This project will give you an opportunity to learn about the quality of light at different times of days, the right angles, and it’s simple! Buildings and mountains are always there for you.
- Shoot a kid’s sporting event every weekend. This will help you refine your skills with stopping action and learning focus.
- Make portraits of your relatives and create a beautiful coffee table as a Christmas gift for the family. A great way to take care of that holiday gift list, as well as learn more about photographing people and developing a style of your own.
- Photograph pets. Pets can be a real challenge. It will be an opportunity to learn about capturing action as well as learning about light.
Read the full article with even more tips over at Digital Photography School.
Source: Digital Photography School
