2012 is well underway and is shaping up to be as busy as ever. I had a hard time deciding on a project for 2012. I have an ongoing personal project, but it is not particularly intensive. I wanted my main project for 2012 to be challenging, yet doable, without the stress I incurred with my short deadlines last year. (I don’t know how people who have a full time job and family *ever* finish a 365 project!)
Announcing Be ’12! Be Creative~Be Intentional~
The Challenge: For each month in 2012, plan an intentional creative photo shoot. Pick a date. Pick a location. Plan what you want to accomplish on the shoot. Post your best photos.
Why participate? As non-full-time photographers, it’s easy to let your creativity languish. There always seems to be something more pressing to do. By accepting the challenge, you will make creativity, enhancing skill, and creating work an intentionally planned part of your calendar.
Q & A:
What if I don’t have a blog?
You can post to Facebook, Flickr, or some other social-type place. If you don’t have a blog and want to start one, Be ’12 is a great reason to! There are many great, free blog hosting sites. I have found WordPress (this site’s host) and Blogger to be nicely user-friendly.
How does having a project make me a better photographer?
It gets your eye behind the lens. One of the best ways to improve your photog skills is to simply shoot. You learn your gear. The more you use your gear, the more familiar you will become with it. You will learn what works best for the style and type of work you do.
Can I use a client shoot for the project?
You can if you wish but I would strongly encourage you to use this year’s project as a way to push yourself creatively. I plan to have client work this year, but I’m planning to do the creative work for me. My planned January shoot is going to be at the workshop. There should be a model, and I’ll be traveling to a part of Atlanta I haven’t been to before.
How did your project last year help you?
Most importantly, I learned to always have my camera with me. I can’t make the image if I don’t have the gear 🙂
I learned to “see” images. Everywhere I go, I see images I could make. Often I don’t get to actually stop and make the shot, but I’ve learned to look at things differently.
I know my gear better than ever. And that means I also know there is a huge amount I still don’t know. I’m going to attend a 101 workshop next week hosted by a friend of mine–just hitting on the basics again will help me reinforce the foundational knowledge.
I saw a marked improvement in my images by year’s end. Just getting out there and shooting cause my work to get better and better. I have some great work to show potential clients.
I also learned discipline–making the images, post processing, posting weekly. It was a commitment to my work and to myself.
If you decide to participate in Be ’12, leave a comment (or email me) so I can follow you. Let’s see who we can be in 2012!
"Sunset Clouds", copyright 2012 Shannon M Herren, All Rights Reserved
smh Photography 