Project Fail.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about failure. Perhaps it’s because I’ve failed in pretty much all of my photography projects I was going to accomplish this year.

The weird thing, though, is that I’ve been thinking about it not because I’m mad at myself for failure, but actually because I’m not. Sure, I’m a little bummed, but why not so upset? In 2008 I did a year of daily self-portraits. In 2009, I did a photowalk a week. During both of those years I was extremely motivated to finish those projects and if I had missed a single day or a single week, goodness, I’d be so upset! (I did actually miss a day in the SP project. I actually cried. And I know others who have said the same thing, so at least I’m not alone!)

So, why I am a bit calmer about it this year? I think these are the three reasons:

Photography isn’t about Projects

I was already a member of flickr when I first “became a photographer” (I define that time period as when it first became a passion for me), as I was already using it as a place to store photos (mostly of my cats because, yes, I’m one of those people). When I suddenly found this passion, I turned to flickr for inspiration and I realized that most of the people that inspired me were doing some sort of project. Most of them were in the middle of a 365 Self Portrait project. And so, it’s not hard to see why I quickly associated passionate photography with such projects.

It’s really only this year that I realized that whenever I told someone I was into photography, none of them asked “oh, what project are you working on?” It was always one of three questions: “What kind of camera do you have?”, “What type of photos do you take?”, or “Where can I see your work?”. Now, granted, I don’t think just having a camera makes you a photographer, and while I question whether you can call yourself a photographer if you’re not sharing your work with anyone, even that one is debatable. But you can’t really get around the fact that people want to know what your passion is – what you like taking photos of, not what projects you’ve accomplished. In fact, when I tell people about my past projects, I mostly get a “ok. Well, that’s kind of crazy.” look from them!

Photography is about passion. And if you’re passionate about doing a project – like I was in the past – then GREAT! But I’m just not feeling it this year.

Asparagus Risotto. f/4.0; 1/60 sec; 60mm; ISO 800

There’s More to Life than Photography

Who knew, right? During 2008 and 2009, I defined myself (outside of work, at least) almost exclusively as A Hobbyist Photographer. That was who I was. That was what I did. And I don’t regret that. But this year I’ve realized there’s really more to me. I like to play geeky board games with my friends. I like pick up my CSA share and then plan and cook entire meals around them. I like to read books on my Nook. Heck, I even like to watch TV.

Maybe none of that is directly helping my photography (though the cooking has given me plenty of new meals to photograph), but being a bit more well-rounded has not only helped me deal with not accomplishing my photography goals, but I think it’s also indirectly making me a better photographer because I’m finding motivation in other things.

FIRE! f/4.0; 1/250 sec; 105mm; ISO 800

I’m Shooting What I Want

I really like taking photos of fire. I don’t think they’re amazing pictures. I don’t think it’s something anyone else couldn’t do with their point & shoot or iPhone. I just like it. During the warmer months, John and I spent a lot of nights sitting out our deck with a fire in the fire pit and/or a fire in our old, rusty charcoal grill. And every time I have to grab my camera and take some shots.

This isn’t some sort of goal of mine, and it doesn’t fit into any predefined project. I just have fun doing it and looking at the results. I’ve also been taking photos of the progress of the veggies in my garden. I’m not sure if this is something anyone other than me cares about looking at, but I like it. it makes me happy not only to see something I planted turn into something I eat, but I like making it look good in photos.

There were a few times last year that I really had to force myself to go on one of those photowalks, and I was only doing it because I didn’t want to fail. I’m still pretty proud that I accomplished my goal, but I also question why I went out and did things that I didn’t even want to do? I’m sure it’s no surprise, either, that on most of the “I don’t feel like doing this” walks, I didn’t get many good pictures. If I’m not feeling it, I’m not getting good photos.

Conclusion

I think my overall point of this entry is that what we individually define as failure isn’t necessarily actually failure. Yes, it’s true, there’s no real way for me to accomplish the goals I set forth at the beginning of the year. But that doesn’t mean I’m a failure. It just means that my goals have changed.

I mentioned at the start of this entry that I’ve been thinking a lot lately about this so-called concept of failure, so expect this entry to be the first a series.

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This photo does NOT follow the Rule of Thirds. And ya know what? I like it.

First off, I wanted to apologize in the lack of posts around here lately, but hopefully things should be back up to normal now. Including a post in a day or two with my favorite photos from June in the iffles.com Monthly Themes group on flickr. June’s theme was Urban. July’s theme is bokeh, and I really look forward to seeing what you all submit! Also, at the beginning of the year, I asked people in the flickr group to vote on what the theme for August would be, and reflections was the clear winner, so keep it in mind for next month!

The real point of this post, though, is something that’s been weighing on my mind lately as I read posts on photography forums where people are putting down either their own photos or critiquing someone else’s and mentioning them not following a certain composition rule. It has bothered me because, to me, a photograph is more about beauty and a feeling you get from looking at it than it is about lines and positioning.

I’ve talked in the past about some composition rules (here and here, for instance). The classic composition rule I hear about the most is the Rule of Thirds – which basically states that you should put something of interest in your photos at the one of the intersections of a horizontal or vertical thirds line in your photo (the first “here” link above describes it in more detail). Often this means putting your horizon line on one of the horizontal lines. But sometimes I think it’s really important to forget about the rules.

Why You Should Forget The Rules

My biggest reason I think you should break the rules is because photography is an art! I try to keep the rules in mind when I’m taking photos, I’m not denying that, but sometimes I get so annoyed when I see people taking these rules so seriously that taking a photo seems more like a chore – a checklist of To Dos, if you will – than something creative.

It is my opinion that the rules are a great guideline, or a great starting point when you’re looking at something you want to photograph and you’re not sure how. But if you’re just going to concentrate on rules, where is the fun? Where is the art? Where is the creativity?

When and How You should Break the Rules

I feel like I shouldn’t even write this part of the post. Aren’t I tell you rules about how to break the rules? That just seems wrong.

But I’m writing it anyway. Here are the times that I especially think it’s important to break the rules.

• When you have a lot of time available to shoot the same thing. Play it safe and take some photos follow the rules, and then give yourself a chance to play around and do whatever you want. You may very well find out you like the ones where you followed the rules anyway, but you’ll never figure out what works and what doesn’t if you don’t play around.
• When you’re taking a photo in some type of tough and/or unpredictable situation. For instance, if you’re at a fast-paced sporting event or taking photos of a moving object like an animal or child. Sometimes it’s better just to get a photo that’s in focus and sharp than it is to spend so much time trying to line things up right that you don’t get any photo at all.
• When you’re trying some new technique. First time panning? Or light painting? I find when I’m trying to learn something new, it goes much better if I throw all the other rules out the window so I can just concentrate on that technique.
• When you just feel like doing something different. Everyone else has taken a photo of the sun setting over a body of water with the horizon on thirds line. Yes, it’s beautiful, but why not play around and turn your camera at an angle? Or purposely go out of focus create an all-bokeh sunset. Just be creative!

I hope that inspires you – and perhaps even takes some pressure off you – for the next time you’re out shooting!

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By the way, in case you ever wondered, this are just posted in the order they are in the group pool.

By Christopher F. Photography - I saw this one shortly after it was submitted to the pool and knew right away it would make this month's list. What a love-full, beautiful photo.

By bouncyczech - I always love the lighting caused by blinds, but I also like how the shadow was captured in this photo, too.

By rhmom42 - Love the eyelashes and freckles, but also how soft this is and the perfectly black background

By Bron..T.. (aka summerdaze) - I LOVE all the water in this photo, especially on the left hand side where you can see it splashing off to the side. And the colors - just beautiful!

By thedigitaliris - Ok, not only is this a beautiful photo with great focus, but the editing is just perfect, in my opinion. And it was done in Gimp - click through to see the details!

By Frozen in Time Photographers - love the angle, and how this looks like she didn't even know the camera was there and she was just lost in her daydreams.

By Atlantis_breeze - what a great background with a cute kiddo in front of it :)

By NinaCarmes - oh my goodness. What fantastic eyes. So powerful.

By Alicia Furness - another powerful photo, with an almost haunting expression, which is nice coupled with the soft lighting.

By cooperspectivephoto - I love the softness of the fountain, the burst of the streetlamp, and the romance behind a 15 second kiss on a 5 year anniversary :)

By jan.etc - This is the type of street photography I love - nothing too cluttered or crowded, great architecture, and a person where you wonder what their story is (I'm dying to know what's in those cases - is that just luggage?? Equipment for something??)

By WxMom - I just had to post this because it made me laugh out loud!

By shirley319 - ok, I almost died a little when I first saw this photo. Do I even have to describe why I like it so much? The light, the field of glowing dandelions (I'm assuming that's what they are?) and the perfectly timed catpure of the person walking off the bridge - gah!

By .:SindyHand:. - this photo just screams 'love'. Well, actually, I guess it more whispers it because it's so soft and pretty. While I love the light and the expresions on their faces, I think my favorite part is his hand on her hip. It's small gestures - like that - that really say
'I love you'

By bumblebeezack - just a great portrait of a beautiful woman, and I love the colors in the background.

By PhotoMaria83 - oh my, what a fantastic expression.

By team.breeze - I can remember doing this so much as a kid. I love the puffy air-filled cheeks and the blissful expression.

By melissac79 - great representation of 'temptation', indeed.

By kkaldrich - I love the city background... it makes me think this woman could tell a lot of stories about that city.

By a girl named kevyn - so many beautiful colors.

By rachel_pics - what great expressions!

Note: There is one photo that originally made the list that isn’t on flickr anymore, so I just wanted to mention to Priya Pickett – I loved your photo that, if I recall correctly, was of two small children sitting on a bench on a dock or pier of some sort? I think it was black and white, too. I know that might not be descriptive enough for you to remember what photo it was, but I’m not sure I’m remembering it correctly, either! Anyway, I just wanted to mention I liked your photo!

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A photo from when I went on last year's Worldwide Photo Walk

You may have already heard of Scott Kelby’s Worldwide Photo Walk, but if not, let me give you a really quick recap. For the third year in a row, photographers from all over the world are going to meet up in groups of no more than 50, to walk around various cities and take photos, all on the same day. Most walks include an optional post-walk get-together at a bar, restaurant or coffee shop where you can talk about the day and show off the photos you took.

I went on the second annual walk last near, and now I’m going to devote a whole entry to convincing you to go to the third annual walk.

Learn from Others

No matter how much you know about photography, and no matter how many photowalks you’ve been on, there’s still something that you’re probably going to learn from other people on the walk. Even if you have all the technical stuff about taking photos down (which, I applaud you if you do, there are still things I struggle with), you’ll see the shots that are other people are lining up, and start seeing things from a different perspective. It’s so easy to get stuck in a rut of the type of photos that you typically take, and know look good, that it’s nice to see things that other people are doing, get inspired, and try something different.

Last year, our leader (every walk has a leader) had a Canon (a nicer one than mine – which isn’t saying much – but I can’t remember which one it was), with a pretty L-series lens on it, so I was able to talk to a real person about lenses, and which one I should get next as a good walk-around lens. I’d done a lot of research online, but there’s something to be said to talking face-to-face with someone about these things.

Teach Others

Unless you just pick up your very first camera the day of the photo walk, there’s going to be something you already know about photography. In fact, I’m going to assume that if you’re reading this website, you not only already have a camera, but are interested enough in photography to be reading about it on the internet. I was surprised that the other people in my group (granted, I was walking with a very small group) didn’t seem to pay as much attention to the internet world of photography that I did. I have to admit, I was really nervous last year, so I didn’t talk much about anything directly related to taking photos, but I was able to share some of my favorite sites, and I’d like to think that someone went home and started looking those up online, and learned just one piece of information from those sites. If so, then I indirectly contributed to someone learning something about photography, and that makes me happy.

This year, I’m a bit more confident about the photowalk in general, and my photography experience, so I’m ready and willing to start answering questions and helping other walkers. And, from what a lot of you have said in comments, I’m confident that each of you have something to contribute as well.

Heck, if nothing else, you can tell people “I read this great photography website called iffles.com!” Hee!

Learn about your City

Whenever I go to shoot downtown Akron, I always seem to go to all of my favorite spots. Whenever I go up to Cleveland, I always feel like I don’t know where to shoot, so in both cities, I’ve felt I haven’t had a chance to explore all there is to offer photography-wise. A photowalk in either of these cities would provide new opportunities for me.

Last year, I actually went on the walk in Medina, Ohio – a small town outside of Akron that has a beautiful Town Square. I made this decision because I didn’t like the location of the Akron photowalk and wasn’t willing to drive up to Cleveland. I had been to Medina once or twice, but never with a camera, so it was a completely new experience, and that was exciting. It’s probably a city I never would have thought to go photograph otherwise.

(On a side note, I haven’t signed up for a walk for this year yet, because I was waiting to see what all will be offered nearby – if you’re in the Cleveland/Akron area, and sign up for a walk and would like me to be on the same walk, let me know. I’m willing to drive farther this year, especially if it means I get a chance to meet up with one of you)

See Parts of your City you Might Not See Otherwise

A photo from when I went on the Worldwide Photo Walk last year

A lot of the leaders of the walk arrange for you to get access to places that might not usually be open to the public and/or allow cameras. For instance, the Akron photowalk is going to a cemetery that, according to the walk page is “rarely open to the public”. If there is more than one walk in your area, you might want to keep an eye out for any that will give you this kind of access.

Meet Other Photographers

I have a ton of internet connections with photographers (some that are mutual, some that are more “oh hai, I drool over your photo awesomeness. kthnxbye), but I really don’t know anyone else that lives near me that is quite as passionate about photography that I am. I am starting to meet a few more people, but I tend to meet people that are around my age, and most people in their thirties are planning or already have kids, which really eats into their photography time (not that I blame them!), so spending time out shooting together is pretty limited. I go on almost all of my photowalks alone, and sometimes it’s really nice to just enjoy being around someone else that you can “talk shop” with.

Win Prizes!

It’s a really tough competition, so I’m not saying you definitely will win a prize, but goodness, the prizes are nice (I wouldn’t mind $1000 to spend at Adorama!). Last year, the prize list was much larger (though I don’t believe there was one giant sponsor like Adorama), and kept growing as the date got closer, so I can’t say one way or the other if anything will be added to this year’s list – but, once again, can you really complain about Adorama gift cards?

Tips for Picking Your Walk

I’ve already mentioned to look for walks near you that might provide you access to a place you might not normally be able to get to, but another thing to look at is time. I’m hemming and hawing about going to the Akron walk because it starts at 1:45PM. I would much prefer one that started later so we could take advantage of the evening light that’s much more diffuse than the harsh light of early afternoon.

Of course, if you live in/nearby a smaller city, you might only have one option, in which case, I suggest you select that one!

If there are no walks near you, it’s possible that you might be able to start your own walk, but you might want to check out the list of responsibilities and qualifications before you sign up to be a leader.

Unrelated news about iffles.com

The prognosis is looking good for recovering the data from the old laptop, I’ve just run into a little bit of an issue that I’m hoping we’ll be able to resolve (which I’ll mention down below for any Computer Geeks that want to chime in). I was hoping to have that fixed before going through all the May photos from the flickr group (since, as you may recall, I already picked out all the April photos and they’re sitting on that harddrive), but since it looks like that’s not going to happen, I plan on going through all the May photos tomorrow. So, if you have any lingering Color photos captured in May, but sure to upload them soon! And don’t forget that we’re well into June – Urban!

So, the computer problem that I feel I might as well mention here because I’ve been too preoccupied to google it, and I know I have a handful of Computer Geeks reading that might be able to offer some advice, is as follows (wow, that was quite a sentence. I’m sore I could have worded that better). I have the laptop drive in a new case and can connect it to the new laptop, and I can get to all the data except that which is in my User folder – which of course is where most of my data is. When I try opening said folder on my new (Windows 7) laptop it says I don’t have permission to view said folder (which was created in Vista), but it pops up the “do you want to continue anyway?” box, and I say yes, but then it hangs. Because I can get to all the other data, I’m assuming the hard drive is at least mostly fine, and it seems too much of a coincidence to have just MY data fail, so I’m guessing there’s something funky going on with the permissions set in Vista and trying to access it in Windows 7. Any ideas?

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A photo from my most recent trip. f/11; 1/320 sec; 28mm; ISO 200

Whenever I go on a vacation, I feel torn between taking a lot of photos and putting the camera away and enjoying where I am. Obviously, when I’m at a new place, I look around me and start thinking like a photographer and what would make great photos – and I’m itching to take them, especially when I’m somewhere that I may never have an opportunity to get back to. On the other hand, I go on vacation to get away and spend time with John, and I think he would appreciate actually being able to see my face without a camera in front of it when he’s with me. Plus, I tend to hold him (and anyone else I’m with) up. He wants to take a nice leisurely walk through the park and I’m stopping every 2 seconds to crouch down or look up and take 50 photos or so.

So, how do you find a good balance? I still haven’t completely figured it out. But here are a few things that I’ve tried to do on each trip to help with that struggle.

Do Your Research Before You Go

The goal here is to get a short list of Must Go To Places for photography. If you have a short list of places to go, you can decide to take your camera to only those places, get the photos you want, and then enjoy the rest of the time with your travel companions.

I’ve discovered a couple of different ways to go about this task, but my favorite – especially for more popular destinations – is flickr. Did you know they have a page called Places? It’s pretty cool. Just go to the search box in the upper right hand corner and type in your destination. For instance, I went to Washington DC recently, so I typed that in and it took me to the Washington DC page. Not only does it show you interesting photos from the area, but it also shows you flickr groups that are about Washington DC, too. Looking through the photos can give you an idea of places to shoot, but you can also post messages in the groups asking for ideas, too.

The other thing I’ve done is to mention my quest on my facebook and twitter accounts. People who happen to live near where I’m going are usually happy to point out their favorite spots in their hometown.

Plan a morning to wake up early

An early, foggy morning. f/9.0; 1/20 sec; 38mm; ISO 200

But there’s another good reason, too – chances are, no one else will want to. I know, I know, vacations are supposed to be about spending time with your friends or family, but don’t you feel guilty when you’d rather be taking photos? So give yourself a morning to yourself. You’ll probably find it quiet, peaceful and beautiful, and you’ll feel more content to put the camera down and just spend time with people for the rest of the day when you already know you’ve got some great shots on your memory card.

Plan some outings without the camera

If you’re like me, sometimes the only way to force yourself not to spend all your time looking for the best photo is to actually leave the camera back at the hotel. I find that when I do this, I actually do enjoy myself. I take in the sights in live in the moment. There’s no stressing about getting finding the best angle and waiting for people to get out of the shot, it’s just me and my company and enjoying being in a new place.

Bring a point-and-shoot

I took two cameras on my latest trip to DC (well, three, actually, if you count the camera on my Android phone). My Point-And-Shoot was in my purse at all times, and my DSLR I only brought out on certain outings. The beautiful thing about this was that, with just the P&S, I wasn’t concentrating on taking photos, but if something happened that I really wanted a digital memory of, I had it with me and could get a shot, like this photo:

Point... and then shoot. NO THINKING!

Sure, it’s not as pretty as it might have been on my DSLR (though, I also didn’t edit this photo at all), but I can still look at it and remember being there and how pretty it was in person.

Have any tips about vacationing as a photographer? I’ve got some more short trips planned throughout the year, so I’d be happy to hear ‘em!

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Don’t forget April’s theme is People, so if you want to play along, join the group! Just remember that your photo has to be taken during the month of April, 2010, but you can submit as many or as few photos that you want.

By ShotSlot - I love the lighting in this one, it feels kinda gritty and intense.

By Eva und Michael - I like the depth of field here, and that one ... what is that? a long blade of overgrown grass? Whatever it is, I like how it kinda mirrors the part that's in focus.

By shirley319 - I have no other words other than: just beautiful.

By MyTwoSeasons - took my breath away, really. The shape of the hill, the one tree with the sun setting behind it, and those amazing clouds - all wonderful. Looks so dramatic in black & white, too.

By hanamik - I love simple, beautiful photos like this. The tree is beautiful, and so is the lighting - I'm assuming the sun provided a natural gradient... but if not, and that's done in post, I still love it :)

By moveandfire - great repeating pattern, and I love the bright white of the window panes against the dark, textured building.

By TheFormerMrsC - these are the type of things that would have scared me as a kid (for some reason I was really terrified of fungi. I'm sure it had nothing to do with my sister pulling mushrooms out of the ground and chasing me around the yard), but I love the way they're all in row like that and they lead your eye through the photo.

By evelynspikes - I love me some old, abandoned buildings and this is perfect in black & white.

By PhotoMaria83 - I love the curliness of the armrest, and how you can see it repeated in the bokeh behind.

By hlcombs314 - oh my gosh, that little tear almost killed me. Love the angles/lines of this photo, too, especially in contrast with that sweet little face.

By Sarire - Love the intense, almost creepy feel of this photo.

By {2H Design} - I take a lot of mirror self portraits, and they never come out this nice - love the lighting and the the completely straight face. People say I don't smile enough in my SPs, but honestly, I love the intense look of a straight face.

By JessicaRVaughnPhotography - LOVE that hair. This really captures that free feeling of swinging when you're a kid.

By Stephanie.Grace - It feels like this goes on forever. Love it.

By Grumpy Cake King - love the simplicity, texture, and depth of field.

By dpksh - awwww!

By jinspain2002 - The little feet! The curled up hand behind them! The amazingly fluffy blanket the baby is on. Love it all!

By melissac79 - great shadow!

By thedigitaliris - love all the loopy things in the foreground.

By Christopher.F Photography - The birds almost look fake, don't they? I love how the lake seems to go on forever.

By bryan.dawson - lovely slow shutter speed effect. I especially like the smaller ripples after the big fall.

By rhmom42 - beautiful lighting!

By ShellyS - I can't really explain why I like this one, and oddly, I think it might be completely about the angle of the switch on top.

By jan.etc - I'm so in love with this photo. It's so timeless - this could have been taken 50 years ago. I love the people crossing the street, and their shadows.

By Governmentality - love the detail on the building.

By HoorayParaPulse. Just beautiful.

By kkaldrich - I hope your husband didn't mind too much about having to keep the tie on long enough for this shot - I think it was quite worth it. I love the perspective.

By ElSlunko - what a beautiful cat! I really want to reach through my screen and pet this guy (or girl?)

By Priya Pickett - oh my gosh. What a great moment captured. Really loving the water in the background, too. Fantastic.

By Hynek S. - reflections and ripples! Very cool.

By KyleAlbert - once again, just a simple shot that I love. I'm glad you didn't clone out the bird that's farther away, because I think I might have been tempted to, but I think it adds to the shot.

By bumblebeezack - love how you filled the frame, and the water drops.

By brybejomom - Love how you've taken such a hard environment and turned it soft and beautiful.

By Bron..T.. (aka summerdaze) - love the depth of field

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There is already some amazing Black and White photography in the group pool, so be sure to join on the Mono March fun!

by hexapetala - I love the bright red of the stop sign in contrast to the muted tones in the background. Related, I like the harsh lines of the stop sign in contrast to the smooth circle in back. Great shapes!

by Eva und Michael - love all the different shapes in this skyline, especially all the repeating windows on the building on the right.

by dpksh - First, I'm amazed at anyone that can knit. Second, I love the triangle formed by the knitting needles. Third, I love the pretty colors :)

by kristenmoss - fun corkscrew shape in the foreground and bokeh diamonds in the background! Love!

by shirley319 - so many shapes! So many colors. Is this a school art project? It looks like it, which makes it that much cooler. Think of how many kids are so proud of these creations!

by shannon.waller - so apparently I really like contrasting shapes, because I love the bricks surrounding a circle, which holds the ... what is that? wood? Whatever it is, it's more skinny rectangles. Neat!

by Lillume - gah! Love! The colors, the DOF, the repeating pattern, the CIRCLES!

by moveandfire - windows make great shapes, don't they? and I loved the wall behind the window. Btw, moveandfire, I love your flickr profile icon :)

by GenBug - is it too cheesy to say I love this? Fantastic reflection, too!

by PhoenixRyzing - from the description of this photo on flickr: "Everyone takes a photograph of the tops of crayons. I decided for the photo challenge of "shapes" I would take a picture of the circular bottoms." - what a great idea!

by Shotslot - Confession: I'm a sucker for photos of lights. But what really makes this shot for me is the self portrait :)

by Photos by Fritz - All I can say is awwww! My heart melted a bit when I saw this. (get it? melted? I'm sorry, my sense of humor sucks.)

by kkaldrich - It's the description of the photo on flickr that really got me: "The green onion plopped on the plate just like that. On Valentine's Day. And then it was yummy." I love that in the midst of preparing food, when something like this happens the first instinct is to run and grab the camera!

by mtbcat - hello repeating circles, nice to meet you!

by rachel_pics - a family of hands! With pretty pink squares as a background. This is such a great family portrait!

by MarthaH214 - shapes inside of shapes! So many pretty colors, too!

by Atlantis_breeze - I love the contrast between the bricks on the left and the bricks on the right - and the star pattern on that one brick on the right.

by Tryphyna2010 - of course! There are so many great shapes IN our camera! What a great idea for a shot.

by melissac79 - beatuiful colors!

by BrianPColt - the shapes and oclors are BOTH awesome in this photo. Plus, that looks like Skeeball and I LOVE me some Skeeball.

by .:SindyHand:. - such beautiful colors. And great composition. It's a lot harder to take this photo than it looks!

by BirdingRVer - once again, I'm loving the contrast between squares and circles.

by thedigitaliris - I love it when people find great photo ops in everyday things like this. And that bright pink is fantastic!

by jinspain2002 - I'm sure at this point you all know why I like this one. A square inside a circle inside a rectangle. yay!

by laura oliver1 - ok, I have to admit, I'm not even sure what this is! It looks kinda like the butt-end of a lens (I'm sure there's a much more proper term for that), but almost like it's TOO simple to be that. Is it? Well, whatever it is, I love the circles, and I love the colors and lines of whatever it's sitting on.

by evelynspikes - love the texture in this one.

If I didn’t pick yours, I’m sorry… but trust me, it was a tough decision!

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f/3.5, 1/125 sec, 10mm, ISO 200

You guys are all aware that I’m attempting three photography-related projects this year. Well, less than two full months into the project, I’m already cheating on one of them (my 52 photowalks). I started to feel guilty about this for about 2 second before I fully rationalized my decisions and decided, ya know what? It’s ok to cheat on our photography projects sometimes. I know the arbitrary rules of “a photo a day” or “a photowalk a week” are reasons why some people don’t do these projects at all (and if you’re dedicated and motivated enough to go out and use your camera creatively without a project – I salute you… I’m not one of those self-motivated people), but for those of you that are doing a project like mine, and have perhaps missed a 365 photo, or couldn’t make it on one of your 52 photowalks, I present you with my reason as to why it’s ok to cheat on your personal photography projects.

Meeting the Goals of Your Projects

When I did my 366 project (it was a leap year), I used to jump out of bed at 11:45 PM (scaring John who was sleeping next to me, of course), and start muttering something about not taking a photo, and end up with a lousy camera-on-auto, badly-lit, arms-length self portrait. Yes, I met the goal of taking my photo during that 24 hour period – but was that really the goal of my project? I started that project for three reasons:

• To document a year of my life
• To learn how to use my camera
• To take more creative photos

One day during my 366 project, I realized I hadn't taken a photo of myself that day, but was relieved to find this photo of John's and my feet on my memory card for that day. Very out of focus, but it still counted!

The same thing applies for whatever rule you broke, of course. Perhaps you’re doing a self-portrait 365 and forgot to take a photo of yourself on some day, but did take a really great photo without you in it. So? If your goals were similar to the ones I listed above, doesn’t that fantastic photo still apply?

Avoiding Risk to Yourself or Your Camera

This is a big one for me during this time of year when it’s snowing a lot. I’m actually terrified of snow when it comes to my camera. I’ve read all the articles online about how to protect your camera and lenses, but I still think the best way to protect your camera from snow is to not go outside when it’s snowing. Since I have to go outside for my photowalks, and I work during most of the daylight hours of the week, that really narrows down the amount of time I can find outside when it’s not snowing. I’d rather skip a week in my photowalk project than damage my camera or lens.

I’m also not going to risk my own health (do you like how I wrote about the dangers of risking my camera before risking myself? Does that say something about me?). I’ve been fortunate enough that this has never really been an issue for me, but there was one year (before I got into photography) that I was hospitalized for almost a week, and then essentially bed-ridden for the following week. I wouldn’t have had many options then if I were in the middle of some projects. I don’t think anyone would look down on me for putting my camera down for a week or two then.

Related, of course, is the health of your family. Once again, I think this is an obvious one, but if you have a loved one that is suffering, I’m not sure it’s really appropriate to say “hold on, honey, I see you’re in pain and all, but I really gotta go take some photos – be back in an hour or two!”

Level of Cheating

This is something that’s a personal choice for you, and is all going to depend on what the project means to you. For instance, last year was my first year doing 52 photowalks, and I would have been pretty devastated if I had missed a week completely (and I never did, actually). But as the only rules I ever gave myself were “leave the house once a week and take photos”, I suppose I was a bit flexible in my definition of a photowalk on some weeks. For instance:

• The photo at the top of this entry? That was on one of my “photowalks” that was actually a bike ride I went on and stopped to take some photos at one point. This was probably the least “cheatingish” thing I did, but I still felt a little bit of guilt about it.
• I spent Easter at my sister’s house, and took a lot of photos around her house (and of her kids). It was not a walk at all, and something I would have done project or not, but… I did leave my house, so I figured it counted.

Does an Easter Egg Hunt count as a photowalk? It's up to you!

Another example – When I did my 366 self-portrait project, I insisted that I actually take every photo with my finger hitting the button, whereas I know other people are perfectly ok with allowing someone else to take the photo, as long as they themselves set up the entire shot. Like I said, it’s a matter of personal preference.

You have to draw the line somewhere, of course

Just because I’m justifying doing some cheating here and there on your project, don’t let it become a habit! If I had cheated on my 366 project and took 7 photos every Saturday instead of one every day, that’s no longer really documenting my daily life, is it? And I’m sure they wouldn’t be as creative, because I’d be rushing to get each of the 7 photos done in a day.

Besides, another main reason I do these projects is to be able to look back and think “look what I did, I really accomplished something”. If you cheat too much, you’ll lose that sense of pride.

Why I Cheated

In case you’re curious, since I mentioned above that I already cheated in my 52 photowalks, I thought I’d tell you what I’ve done. I consider my “weeks” to be Thursday-Wednesday. Today is Wednesday, and for various reasons (mostly travel and snow-related) I haven’t had a chance to go out and do a photowalk. Why am I not sweating it?

• My goal was to continue to enjoy my photowalks that I had already been going on, learn more about my camera, and take less nature (and more urban) photos. If I go on two walks this upcoming week, is that hurting any of my goals? No.
• The main reason I wasn’t able to go out this week is because I wasn’t home often when there was light out AND no snow. I don’t like taking my camera out when it’s snowing, and I’m not going to risk that just to get a photo before the end of the week
• As far as my level of cheating? Last year, I’m not sure I would have let this slide. But because I’ve already finished one year of 52 photowalks, I’m a bit more relaxed about my “rules” this year. I’ll make up somehow, and if I don’t? Meh. then I’ll have done 51 photowalks in a year, and that ain’t bad, either.

So, if you’ve cheated on any of your projects and still kept going, I give you a pat on the back. Virtually, at least.

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f/4.0 (gah! shoulda been at least f/8), 1/160sec, 14mm, ISO 200

I’m about to get a bunch of my photos printed and framed from my 52 Photowalk project last year (including the one you see above), and I thought this would be a good time to discuss why I think this is such an important thing to do.

To Motivate You

Motivation is a huge factor when it comes to printing up my photos – especially if I know this is my ultimate goal. When I started my 52 Photowalk challenge last year, I was already thinking about what I would do when I was done. I was hoping to get at least a few photos to print and frame, and I was also planning on making a book that included at least one photo from every walk. Going into the project knowing that was a goal motivated me not only to get out there every week, but really pay attention to what I was photographing and thinking about how it would look on a wall or in a book. There’s a big difference for me between the type of photo that I take specifically to post online and the type of photo that I take thinking I might one day print it up. I might take a funny self-portrait for a group on flickr, but I’m much more likely to take photos of landscapes to print in my house.

Printing photos also motivates me after-the-fact. There’s something so exciting about getting that package in the mail that has my photos in it, opening it up and feeling my photos in my hand. It’s really hard to feel like I’m in a photography rut when I’m physically holding a photo of mine. It really just fires me up to get out there and take more photos!

To Make You Feel Like It’s All Worth It

The first time I saw one of my photos in print (which, btw, was the photo you see to the right), I was so happy with it. This particular photo wasn’t even one of my favorites, but I was amazed at how good I felt about it when I saw it in print. We’ve all put photos online. Anyone can put a photo online – and while anyone can print up a photo, too, most people don’t these days. You really feel like you’ve “made it” when you’ve got one of your photos hanging on your wall. Especially if someone sees it and says it’s beautiful!

Besides, most of us have put a lot of money towards our cameras and accessories, and it makes you feel like it was just a bit worth it to see some results on our wall.

What You Should Print

Most of my photos that I’ve gotten printed up are 5×7s or 8×10s. These are relatively cheap to print and very easy to find frames for. Plus, by getting all my photos in standard sizes, I can easily switch them out when I get a new batch of photos printed.

That being said, last year I splurged on a set of 3 16×24 canvas gallery wraps – where your photo is printed on canvas and stretched around a frame, as you can see here. While it was definitely pricey, as soon as I got them in the mail, I knew it was worth it. I can’t afford to do this with all my photos (nor would I want to), but I think it’s important to splurge every once and a while and do something really special like this with your photos. (If you’re curious about how big those canvas wraps are, I took a photo of me standing next to them for reference a while ago, and you can see that here).

Where You Should Print

I can’t give too much input into this one. I have only ever used mpix.com for all my photo printing. I used them once and was happy enough with the results that, to be honest, I was afraid to try anywhere else in case they weren’t as good! No matter where you choose to go with, though, I suggest you try a small order first to make sure you like the quality before you order a large batch. I also suggest you check out to see if they have a calibration kit. Mpix offers one here – the idea is that they send you a photo they’ve printed, along with a matching photo on a disc so that you can make sure the photo looks the same on your monitor as it will when it prints. While you could just get one of your own photos printed to compare, the mpix photo contains a grayscale and spectrum, as well as 4 different types of photos on them to really test every aspect of your monitor calibration.

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Another 52 photowalks

f/8.0, 1/80 sec, 22mm, ISO 200

I debated this a lot. In 2008 I did a 366 project (leap year and all), so I attempted a second one in 2009 and I felt really dragged down by the project, and wasn’t getting anything out of it anymore, so I dropped it. I was afraid I’d get the same “burnt out” feeling from doing another 52 photowalks. I decided to stick with it anyway because I’m not tired of it yet – and I think there’s still a lot more for me to learn. Besides, I really enjoy it. I’m going to try to get out of the Metro/State/National parks some this year, though, and walk around the city some more.

The idea, once again, is to leave my house once a week and take photos, that’s my only rule. My weeks are defined as Thursday-Wednesday.

52 Self Portraits

f/5.6, 1/80 sec, 44mm, ISO 800

I mentioned that I did a 366 project in 2008. It was actually a Self Portrait project, and it was very rewarding. Part of me has missed both the challenge and the creativity involved in self portraits, so I’m giving it another go, with a less restrictive time-frame. Just one a week for me!

Monthly Themes

When I was still trying to settle on what my project(s) for 2010 was going to be, I decided to tweet about it and ask for suggestions. I got so many great ideas that I knew I couldn’t do them all. However, @jeffehh suggested “Set a theme every Monday and shoot a photo in that theme on Sunday (Sunday so you have a whole week to think about it) :)”. I wasn’t ready to add another weekly project to my list, so I adapted the idea into a montly project. I’m not restricting myself in any way with these – I don’t have to have a set number of photos for each month, or post one every day or every week. They’re just jumping off points for me to think more creatively. Some topics are ones that I think are good challenges for me (Urban and Lights, for instance) and some are things I just LOVE (Bokeh and Sunsets, for example). Here’s my list of themes for each month:

January Textures. When I think “textures” I think of two different things – textures that you can use in other photos (as discussed here), and stand-alone photos with their own texture (like rough brick buildings). I hope to get some of both in January.

February Shapes. This is one of the topics attempting to get me out of my comfort zone. I photograph a lot of nature – not a lot of perfect squares, circles and triangles in nature. I’m hoping to be insipired by architecture and patterns around me.

March Mono. Suggested by @duckunix, I’d like to do another month of mono. I did an all B&W month for my 365 last year and learned a lot. I think it’s time I pick it up again.

April People. This is definitely another out-of-my-comfort-zone themes. It was also suggested by both @kbphotos and @catdubh – who actually suggested doing a 20 10 project – 20 people in 10 photographs (the idea is getting 10 photographs of couples).

May Colors. Suggested by @Megin – and should be a great contrast to March :)

June Urban. I think I’ve mentioned one or two times I want to concentrate more on urban photography than nature this year, so I want all my photowalks in June to be in cities. I picked June mostly because I like John to come with me when I’m walking around in the cities, and I’m probably more likely to convince him to come with me every weekend if it’s nice out :)

July Bokeh. Just because I loooove good bokeh shots!

September Shoes. Last year, I went to a wedding rehearsal dinner that was a cookout in someone’s back yard. I found myself fascinated with all the shoes around, and took photos of a bunch of people’s feet, and shoes that had been tossed aside to run barefoot in the grass. It was a fun mini-project that I’d like to expand upon this year.

October Lights. Perhaps by October I will have bought an external flash for my camera, in which case, I can play with lighting from that. Even if I haven’t, I’ve always seem fascinated by photos of lights – I really have a lot of them in my flickr stream, so I hope to add a lot more in October!

November Trees. I picked November for trees because it’s a great time of year for them – at the beginning of the month, they should still have some color left in them, but at the end, they should be pretty bare, and I really like both states.

December ???. I haven’t thought of anything for December yet – Do you have a suggestion?

I thought about starting a flickr group for these themes in case anyone else was interested in them, too. If you are, let me know and I’ll start a group, because I think it will help motivate all of us!

One Last Thing…

In addition to everything above, I plan on doing another 50mm day. On the 50th day of the year (Feb. 19), I’m going to take 50 photos with my 50mm lens. I might come up with other mini-projects like this through-out the year, too, if something strikes my fancy.

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