The Importance of Personal Projects

When I became serious about photography, I would shoot everything.  Like many, I was excited about photography, and wanted to document everything.  At that time, I wanted to get better, so I decided to do two things.  The first was to take a photography class, and the second was to begin a 365 project.   The 365-project involved taking a picture every day for a year.  When I began it, I didn’t have a real plan on what I would photograph each day, and this quickly became more of a chore than an enjoyable task.  So, I completed a search on 365 projects, and found lots of different lists.  I selected one of the lists, and used it as a guide for my daily images.  As I progressed with my project, and became more confident in my abilities, I would veer off the list for my daily.  I completed two 365 projects, and they were the foundation that I used to become more creative.  I started thinking about portrait themes.  I wanted to begin photographing people more than inanimate objects.  I joined a local photography group, and would attend events that allowed me to photograph models.  However, these were ideas/themes developed by other people.  I began to think about what I wanted in my portfolio.  I pushed myself to think about different ideas.   What helped me in this process was a Salvation Army challenge.   We were in teams made up of a model and photographer.  Each group was limited to spending $20 for a complete outfit, and we only had 15 minutes to put it together.  Everyone went back to a studio for hair and makeup, and to shoot their images.   I wasn’t able to use any of the lighting set-ups because there were some people hogging the stations.  So, I made use of other areas in the studio, and I was pleased with the results.  I was also hooked on portraits.

My first personal project was inspired by a wedding dress that I purchased from a thrift store.  The theme was “Runaway Bride”.  I found the model in my Time for Print group, and I hired one of the make-up artists from the same group.  The shoot was in December, and it was so cold and windy for that time of year in Phoenix.  I was very pleased with the images, and proud that I pushed myself to complete the project.   The project was the jumping off point for personal projects.  

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to share more of projects.  I’ll share my thought processes, lighting, and how I developed the theme.  Below are some images of my “Runaway Bride” session.  They were a great first attempt, and they remind me of my growth as a photographer.