What exactly do I mean when I say you should “adopt a personal photography project?” When I was first starting to really dive into becoming a better photographer after Clayton was born, I joined the forum “Clickin Moms.” I
One of the best things that I learned early on that you can do to improve your photography skills is to adopt a personal photography project that essentially forces you to (1) pick up your camera regularly and (2) shoot with intention.
Some examples of personal photography projects are:
- monthly projects (e.g. take a self portrait every month or take a photo every month using flash);
- daily projects normally called a 365,
- the subject of this post – weekly projects (hence the 52).
The way
I have chosen to personally modify the Clickin Mom’s P52 so that each week I will consider the prompt given and then work on taking a photograph that ties into the story of our daily
This isn’t something that is intended to cause me stress or add to my already sometimes crippling “mom guilt” – if I don’t get every week done, that’s okay. I just find it worthwhile to have a framework or a system in place that makes me think intentionally about what I want to shoot and document in our daily lives. It helps me to see more in the mundane and seek out the beauty that is often hidden in the details. I do not believe that this is a “special ability” – it is a skill that we all can learn.
We all start somewhere.
If you are just starting out with documenting your own life and are less confident with your camera, try not to compare your beginning with my middle. Just know that every month, I grow as a photographer and as our family historian and that is because I do the work. I pick up the camera almost every day and make notes on my phone about little details that I want to remember to write about. This is something that has become a habit in my life and it can for you as well. For me, it starts by adopting
I would love to hear about any personal photography projects or memory keeping projects you are tackling this year! Please leave a comment below and tell me about them. Or if you’re not sure about starting a personal photography project, what are your hesitations or
My 2019 Personal Photography Project 52
I plan to share my images, journaling and album spreads for my Project 52 weekly and will link back to those individual posts at the bottom of this page. If it’s not a clickable link, that just means that I haven’t completed the prompt yet (and remember I’m not going to let myself feel guilty about that).
Week 1: This is Me
Week 2: Intentions
Week 3: Guilty Pleasures
Week 5: Black + White Portrait
Week 6: Black + White Landscape
Week 7: Black + White Close Up / Macro
Week 9: Documentary / Less Than Ideal Light
Week 10: Documentary / Own the Frame
Week 11: Documentary / Shoot Through the Scene
Week 12: Documentary / The Decisive Moment
The products that I used for my Project 52 featured here are mostly from Ali Edwards and
Westcott Titanium Bonded Scissors With Soft Grip Handles, 5″ Pointed
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