Take a Photo a Day for a Year

Taking a photo a day, every day for a year, can be a big undertaking.  It can also have big payoffs.

Taking a photo every day will make you a better photographer.  You’ll learn your camera’s limits, you’ll get better at composing your shots, you’ll think about the lighting, and you’ll become more creative with every photo.

Paul and I have joined a group called 365Project.  You simply take at least one photo every day and upload it to www.365project.org.  We have just started this so it will be quite interesting to see our improvement and changes over the next year.

Below are a few tips to help you with your own 365 Project:

1) Always have your camera ready and take it everywhere with you.  If you can’t take your big camera, your phone camera is a good substitute.

2) Think about a theme.  On the 365Project website, there is a different theme posted every week; ie.  yellow, sound, smiles, textures, etc.  Or just take a photo of someone new you met, something you ate for the first time, something that made you smile, something you found interesting, etc…you get the idea.

3) Tell a story with your photo.  Think about why you are taking the photo.  What will the photo mean to you?  And will your friends appreciate why you took the photo?

4) Keep going…don’t ever stop.  You’ll probably get tired of taking a photo every single day but keep doing it.  There will be times you don’t think there is anything interesting to shoot or you don’t think you have the time.  There’s always a great photo to be made.  Take a walk, go to the park, take a photo of anything but just don’t stop.

5) Post your photos.  You don’t have to post photos everyday but try to post them at least a twice a week.  Don’t let the photos stack up…get them posted as quickly as you can.

There are a multitude of websites where you can blog and/or post your photos.  We are using the website www.365Project.org.  Check it out as you have some free time and we hope you’ll choose to join us in this endeavor.

Below are my first two photos I have posted.

Happy shooting!

 

 

Advertisement

Parade, Stock Show and Fort Worth

Howdy,
Did you know the FW Stock Show Parade is the only remaining non motorized paraded in the United States — well it is. That does mean you see lots of horse, mules, people and wagons. There are bands and girl scout troops with some of the scouts dressed as cookies. I love this parade – ok I love any parade. I take my granddaughters every year and we are learning the better places to view, what to bring and when to arrive. We go to the stock show after and have fun. If you have not experienced this give it a try. Make some memories, maybe bring some back and get some fun photos.

What’s a Meet Up?

By Sharon Sturgis ~

Recently I attended a photography “Meet Up” group shoot held by the Dallas Meetup Group to photograph fire dancers. Fire dancers dance with flaming objects or lighted objects making for a flurry of motion and color. I was blown away by the action I saw in the shots from the previous fire dancer Meet Up and decided that this was for me. The challenge to correctly shoot the figures plus hold the detail in the fire and freeze the action was exciting. So, I made the trip to Addison for the shoot. We had been given a warehouse space for the performance and 17 photographers attended. The 2 fire dancers where delightful; Brannigan was cute, charming and a beautiful dancer; Greg was powerful and athletic. Together they were an artistic force -fearless and graceful.

We photographed for a while in the warehouse space and then went out back to the railroad tracks. There was a boxcar left on the tracks. Without hesitation, Brannigan & Greg climb on top and started dancing with fire swords. After the fire swords expired, they moved on to colored LED light toys for some really fun shots. Then, back to fire with Greg spinning flaming steel wool that sent off sparks in all directions.

The willingness to answer questions and help out made this a special group of photographers. When someone would yell out –“what exposure” many photographers would respond. Camera problems were resolved by everyone helping each other out. The sharing of knowledge made me proud to be a fellow photographer.

Once back in front of my monitor, I reviewed the photos and found many that I loved. And, since I also LOVE Photoshop, I had to have some fun with enhancements.   The creative process never ends!!!! 

I highly recommend that everyone consider a Meet Up shooting opportunity. Sign up for one in your area. The opportunities to affordability explore your own creativity, while working with a wonderful group of people, is special. I have my eye on 3 more Meet Up events that I intend to attend in the near future. Happy Shooting!!!!

Winter – looking ‘back’ and with a different ‘eye’

Hi all,
Scott, Matt and I went to the Fort Worth Nature Center Saturday then I went on to the Dallas Arboretum. I suggest this is a great time to look at your surroundings and some favorite places with a new ‘eye’. Stop looking for color and start looking for new things now that leaves are gone. Look for that interesting branch or vine configuration, look for those shapes in fallen leaves or twigs, look for patterns on fallen leaves while they are deterioration. Have you taken some time on a walk to stop and just look back===where you have been may be holding an great lighting opportunity or a creative abstract. This could be a time for you to sstttreeettccchh your imagination, creativity and photography skills. Winter lighting, color and textures are so different – time to embrace differences. Have you every just sat and slowly looked around you, looking for that unique item others have missed and YOU get to photograph. I like taking photos of dead things… plants you know. Have you noticed veins on leaves which are almost dust, knots and blight on trees and branches, the shape or curve of a vine twisting up a tree? Have you looked at a decaying tree trunk – you may even find some bugs? Know is a good time to be able to see birds more easily with out leaves. Ok, that’s my push for the day.