Photographic Projects

For many photographers—whether you make your living taking pictures or not—finding inspiration in everyday life is difficult. At home, at work, en route to the grocery store, even in our favorite neighborhood parks, we don’t often consider the normalcy of daily life worthy of images. That said, when I’m travelling, even if the subject is a plain store front or street sign, its novelty seems inherently creative—and well worth the effort of pulling to the side of the road and unzipping the camera bag. So how, I wonder, can we reorient our perspectives of home to be inspiring rather than mundane?

It is possible—when I travel back to places I once called home I can (now that they aren’t home) see the great photographic opportunities that I previously overlooked. When I lived in Missouri, for example, on old Route 66, the two-lane curvy highway was lined with gas station and hotels closed down because of Interstate 44. What great photos and stories I could have pursued during my three years living there if only I had seen it from that perspective! And in Atlanta, Georgia, another place I lived for many years, I now return and think of all the interesting stories I could have captured in those small mountain towns up north or in the Okefenokee Swamp area down south. Thankfully, due to these wistful experiences and the grandeur of the landscape where I currently live, I can now see that my home is chock full of photographs. My drive to work, the way the setting sun casts light on the hill across from my house, the alleyway behind my office….

True, part of this shift in perspective has to do with Montana being, well, Montana. Part of it also has to do with committing myself to the photographic projects. This summer, at a lunch date with Martha Larsen (of Martha Larsen Photography), a Summer Intensive graduate, Martha told me about a project that I had casually mentioned (though never actually done) when she was in school. I had told students to tote their cameras along with them everywhere they went and take at least one photo a day for a month. At lunch, Martha said that she hadn’t missed a day in two years! Inspired, I bought a Panasonic LX3 –a great camera, by the way, equipped with a RAW setting and fast F2 24 -60 millimeter (equivalent to 35mm) lens that can shoot higher ISOs with less noise—in September and decided that for the month of October I would shoot at least one photo every day. I accomplished my goal and now it is such a habit that I haven’t stopped. Not only is it fun (and kinda addictive), but I can really see improvement in my work from shooting so much—and being challenged to shoot under all light conditions and through all degrees (including the lack thereof) of motivation.

Top Reasons for Pursuing Projects. So, before I get to project ideas, here are some compelling reasons to pursue them.

1. They Get You Shooting. I love learning photography and take at least 2 workshops every year (not only through my own school, by the way) to learn new techniques and have an excuse to shoot often. Still, this is never enough. The best way to get good is to shoot, shoot, shoot. Otherwise, like any craft, we get rusty.
2. Explore New Areas of Photography. Always having a project encourages you to explore different facets of photography. Most of us come to this craft with a specific genre in mind, yet once forced out of these preconceived boxes, it is amazing how our creativity flourishes. This almost always happens with Summer Intensive students; at the beginning of the summer I ask them what type of photography they want to pursue. After a stimulating summer, I ask again. Always, more than half have changed their minds.
3. Learning Different Light. During projects that require a certain number of photographs within a certain timeframe really forces us to learn about light—and not just the best light, but how to deal with conditions that are less than ideal. (See November Newsletter on Light Conditions, #13, which was shot on a bright summer day.)
4. Playing with Composition. During October, there were times when I only had a few minutes to stop and take a photo outside my office; it forced me to look at the things I see everyday with new eyes. And to get good images, I had to experiment with composition, which ultimately improved how I look at all potential scenes.
5. Increasing Technical Competence. In my current project, the daily photo, I am practicing my technical skills continuously. For many photographers this could include such things as exposure, depth of field, and/or various macro techniques.
6. Looking at Other Photographers and Other Artists’ Work. Since beginning my current project I have spent considerable time viewing other artists’ work.  Much of this is student work, but even here, because of my daily shooting, I have cultivated more appreciation and respect for how each individual sees the world and then translates this vision into their images. I am also spending more time online and in bookstores looking at work, and while I’ve always loved critiquing, shooting every day has cultivated my eye and observation skills—even with my own work!
7. Motivation to Display. Shooting a lot gives you the motivation and confidence to show your work. If you have never put together a show, I encourage you to find a little café or bank where you live and show them your best work. Regardless of whether or not you sell anything, it is very exciting to see your images mounted on a wall that isn’t your own; plus, it motivates you to finish that series you kind of started or choose a new one that has been lingering on your to-do list.
8. Wellbeing, Confidence, Connections. Working on projects makes us stronger. It builds skills and confidence. Shooting helps us see the world and our place in it. Shooting also encourages others to see—photos have long inspired personal healing, global consciousness and compassion for others.

Project Ideas. Now that you have ample reason to commit to one, here are some project ideas.

1. A Photo a Day for a Month. If possible, carry your camera with you as much as possible and shoot one photo a day. At the end of a month, put these images in a folder on your computer or in an album. This project nicely lends itself to journaling, too.
2. Reacquaint with a Familiar Spot. Find a place that, for whatever reason, has consistently intrigued you. Now take one image in the same exact location each season (4 photos) or on same day of every month (12 photos) for one year. Make sure that your camera is in the exact same position with the same lens and depth of field so that nothing varies but the date. Who knows, this might make a nice display for the home or office.
3. Braving the Backyard. Freeman Patterson, the Canadian photographer with whom I had the great fortune of spending a week in New Brunswick and two weeks in South Africa shooting, offered up this next project. He said to shoot one photo a day for four months in your own backyard. From this you could piece together an informal show or album. And as with any image, the more you look, the more you see—and at the end of four months you are apt have a whole new perspective on your little corner of this world.
4. Shooting Close Up. Find a small area (10 X 10 feet) and shoot macro (close up) images of this spot until you think that you have exhausted the possibilities. Then, take some more. Then, when you are really done, take a few more. If you really take the time to look, there can be hundreds of photos in one small area.
5. Experiment with New Subjects. If you always shoot landscapes, spend a day shooting people. If you always shoot animals, spend a day shooting trees. Find a type of photography that has always intrigued you and read about it. Look at examples of it. Then, set a date of completion and what you want the final outcome to look like and build your own project around this subject.
6. Place-based Motifs. Before your next trip, think about an image or object that is emblematic of the place you are visiting. It can be shells or cloud formations if you are going to the coast; it can be moss or cacti if you are wet or dry environments; it can be river rocks near mountain creeks or lampposts on city streets. The idea is to work on a place-based side project—in addition, that is, to any photographs that you would normally shoot. Whatever you choose, there should be a consistent thread throughout—and that thread should, inspire and intrigue you.