For the last few months I’ve been working on a personal project. Hopefully you’ve seen the photos. If not check them out here. I post all my current work or personal projects on my photoblog which you can always get to with the link at the top of the page.
This is a type of project that I learned about from a group of great photographers I follow on Twitter. There is a flickr group for these project 50 shots, some fantastic work there.
The basic idea is to take 50 days and use nothing but my 50mm lens. The 50mm lens is sometimes called a standard lens. It’s field of vision is much like the human eye sees. I decided to work on only one subject, faces. My favorite subject has always been faces. I would rather shot a portrait then any other subject.
What did I learn during those 50 days you ask??
- The first is that you really can not be too good at using your post processing software. There is always something to learn. I learned the art of photography back in the dark ages with actual film and chemicals. What can be done with software now is amazing, but really no different from what you can do with chemicals. It doesn’t smell as bad, and you don’t have to do it in the dark, but really the final effect is not much different. It can be done quicker and I think better, and there is so much that can be done. I could spend the rest of my life learning and practicing.
- Most “strangers” do not mind having their picture taken if you ask nicely, and build up just a bit of raport with them. Be nice, respect them, explain why you want to take their picture and be honest, they will respect it.
- Protesters or people who are striking something want to be seen by everyone, but do not like to have their picture taken. That one is weird to me.
- People who work with you or for you need to be prodded more then strangers.
- It takes at least 3 weeks for your family to get used to you having the camera with you all the time.
- My kids hate to have their picture taken, but they are pretty quick to use those pictures as avatars for Facebook or to share with friends.
- My wife will never like to have her picture taken, no matter how beautiful she is.
- I really, really like black and white portraits.
- Doing a project like this for yourself can actually bring more people to see what you do. This one could work in any field. Is there something that you enjoy doing? Get creative with it, do a project that you’ve always wanted to do, make a plan and follow though. People will get curious and watch.
Most importantly, this project helped remind me of how much I love photography, and more how much I love making pictures of people. It’s a lot of work to keep up a picture everyday, but well worth it. Try it, see what you come up with. Use your cell phone, your point and shot, your expensive new DSLR, anything. Equipment doesn’t matter, just look for something beautiful, and make a picture.