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12 Creative Photography Project Ideas to Get You Motivated

03 Aug

The post 12 Creative Photography Project Ideas to Get You Motivated appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.

12 creative project ideas to get you motivated

Looking for some fun, creative photography project ideas to get you inspired and excited about taking photos?

It’s always good to be involved in a photography project, and in this article, I’m going to share 12 of my favorite project ideas, including 52-week projects, 365-day projects, and more.

So if you’re ready to find the right project for your needs, then let’s get started!

zoom blur technique — Learning a new technique, such as the zoom burst, makes for a great creative photography project.

Before you start your creative photography project

As with anything in life, once you have a project idea, it’s important to think it over and make a clear plan of action. This is a big step toward being successful. So if you have a project in mind, before you actually start snapping photos, consider the following points:

Give yourself time. Keep in mind the amount of free time you have. Is it realistic for you to complete the project? There are some projects that take a real time commitment; make sure you have a good plan in place if this is the type of project you decide to tackle. And ask yourself: Are there any important events over the next few weeks, months, or year, such as a wedding or a house move, that might make it difficult to finish?
Plan out all the details. If your project is long term, perhaps lasting a whole year, then make a plan for how you’ll achieve it. A 365 project is especially demanding, as you need to take a photograph every day. If you can, plan out every day of the project – and make your plan prior to getting started.
Allow for the unexpected. There will be times when you get sick, come home late, or your drive or motivation isn’t quite there. The plan you make for your project should include some easy days. Think of it as cooking ahead and having some frozen food in the fridge ready to reheat. In photography, there are always a number of photos that are very easy to take but still look striking. Keep some easier photos held back for times that you need a break.

12 creative photography projects to energize your work

As a year is 12 months long, I’ve included 12 project ideas (though some of them will take all year, whereas others might only take a weekend). Pick your favorite, or – if you’re ambitious! – choose more than one!

1. The 52-week project

This is a year-long project where you take one photograph per week. Tackling such a lengthy project is demanding, but if you can plan out some (or all) of your shots before the project starts, you’ll be a lot more successful.

Note that you can always customize the project to keep things more interesting and/or cohesive:

You can have a monthly theme. This might be a month of portraits, a month of landscapes, a month of spring, and so on.
You can have a weekly theme. The first week can be shadows, followed by camera rotation, with digital blending after that, etc.

If you want to do regular photography but you’re not quite ready for a daily project, the 52-week project is a great one to pick.

digital blending creative idea — This photo used a technique called *digital blending*. Doing a 52-week project where you learn one technique a week can do wonders for your skills as a photographer.

2. The 365-day project

This is an intimidating project to take on, which is why many people go for the 52-week version listed above. However, like a relationship that requires a major time commitment, the reward for this project is often worth it.

Now, the original 365 project required daily self-portraits, which made it even tougher to complete. But a lot of people simply look to take one good photograph per day, be it a landscape, portrait, or macro shot. If you’re not sure how to get started, here are a few ideas:

The self-portrait 365 project. Take a selfie every day for a year.
What’s on your plate? Photograph your meal every day.
Life at sea. Show the different aspects of sea life. This is a diverse project that can include seascapes, macro photos, fishermen, and underwater photography (if you have the gear).

food photography idea — You eat every day. Why not turn your food into a 365-day project?

3. Follow one consistent theme

Want to really focus your mind (and hone a specific set of photography skills)? Choose a theme, and only take photos aligned with that theme.

This creative photography project can easily work as a 365-day or 52-week project. Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

Concentrate on a single technique. Take photos with a crystal ball, using an infrared camera, etc.
Have a topic for inspiration. Look at everyday objects and occurrences, then pick a topic that interests you. You might photograph only Chinese food, for example. Or you could do a clothes-related project – you could photograph only denim, or if you’re in Korea, you could photograph hanbok.
Photograph at the same time every day. Pick a time of the day and photograph only at this time. For instance, you might shoot every day at 6 PM, which will offer plenty of interesting light (plus, it will change throughout the year).

women dancing in the street — Photographing with a theme, such as a country’s traditional clothes, can be a great project. In this photo, all the women are wearing Korean hanbok.

4. Limit yourself to 24 photos

Photographers who photograph film know all about restraint – they will attest to the importance of really considering every photograph. So why not put yourself in their shoes and limit yourself to a certain number of shots per outing, day, or week?

The specific limit is a personal choice, but make sure the number isn’t too large (you want the project to involve some actual work, after all!). Personally, I like the idea of 24 shots – this hearkens back to the days of film – though you can also do 36, 20, or even 10.

To really emulate the feeling of shooting film, try only capturing 24 photographs for one week (no deleting)! With this project, every time you hit the shutter, you need to know you’re photographing from the best possible angle and with the best composition. Learning to successfully shoot with restraint will improve your work in leaps and bounds.

5. Use the title of a song or album

Delving into other mediums can be a great way to come up with a cool creative photography project. A lot of people take a photo, then make a title to go with it – but a better approach for creativity is to know the title of your photograph before you hit the shutter button.

In other words: You determine your photography concept in advance based on your shot title. Then you problem-solve to get the result you need.

You can get your titles anywhere, but I recommend looking to your favorite music album or song. Here are a few additional ideas:

The project could use an artist’s album titles
You could choose song titles, then turn them into photo titles
You can use the lyrics in a song to inspire photos

man sitting on the subway with a phone — “The Passenger” is a famous song by Iggy Pop. Song titles can be great inspiration for photographs!

6. Use only one (prime) lens

Most photographers own quite a few lenses, not to mention zooms with huge focal length ranges. And while this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, you may find yourself becoming lazy over time – using your zoom lenses, staying in the exact same place, not making a significant effort to really work a scene.

That’s where this photography project idea comes in handy. Simply shoot with a single lens for a day, a week, or a month, and you’ll quickly appreciate the value of careful composition, zooming with your feet, and more.

A really good lens to get started with is the nifty 50 (i.e., a 50mm f/1.8 or f/1.4). The fixed focal length will force you to consider composition more carefully, and you’ll get a perspective similar to the human eye.

Of course, you have plenty of options, and any lens you could choose will have its merits. If you want to get really creative, try using a fisheye, tilt-shift, or macro lens.

three Canon lenses — You get to choose one lens. Which will it be?

7. Only use a smartphone

Who says your creative photography project should be high-tech? There’s a lot to be said for stripping your photography gear down to the basics, and your smartphone is perfect for this.

There are plenty of camera apps that can give your smartphone DSLR-like functionality (and you can buy clip-on lenses if you’re looking for added flexibility).

That said, the purest smartphone project will only use your phone’s basic camera app. So don’t be afraid to pack away your fancy cameras and use your smartphone’s native camera app for a week. Focus on what you can do with composition, light, and a perfectly timed moment of capture.

creative photography project ideas photographing with a smartphone — The best camera is the one you have with you, especially when the sky does this! An iPhone 4 was used to take this photo.

8. Find a story

No matter where you live, you can find a story to tell, though it will likely differ depending on whether you’re in a city, the country, a hot climate, or a cold one. Is your local area famous for any type of food? Are there any famous landmarks such as castles or temples nearby? How about an annual festival?

Once you’ve settled on your story, approach it in the way you’d photograph on assignment for a magazine. Try to tell the entire story. Use a variety of techniques and shoot a variety of subjects.

At the end of the project, you should spend some time picking a final set of photos – not necessarily the best individual shots, but the images that best tell a story. If you get a good result, you might even consider pitching it to a magazine!

magazine spread with woman on a rock in a stream — It’s good to practice photographing for a magazine. That way, when National Geographic comes knocking, you’ll be ready!

9. Learn a totally new technique

Once you know how to use your camera, it’s easy to get complacent – to shoot with the exact same techniques, the same settings, the same rhythm. So why not try focusing your project on a new technique?

Learning a new technique can be both exciting and intimidating. It may also require a significant time commitment. There are not many creative photography projects more energizing than learning something brand new, though. Here are some fun techniques to consider:

Digital blending. This technique will improve both your landscape photography and your Photoshop skills. There are aspects of blending that are tough to master, but it will absolutely be worth it.
Crystal balls. Using a glass ball as a type of external lens is a lot of fun, and it’s a great way to create some unusual photos.
Light painting. This is a hot topic in photography. Will you learn to take zoom bursts? How about making light orbs? Will you use a Pixelstick?
Drone photography. This is another photographic genre that’s becoming increasingly popular. Invest in a drone, shoot with it regularly, and you’ll be on the cutting edge of photography.
Hyperlapse. Take a series of photos and turn them into a video. Some of the most creative photography projects out there use this technique!
Off-camera flash. Many photographers struggle to master flash; take the time to learn it, and you’ll go a long way.

photography flash strobe — Learning to use off-camera flash will give your creativity a huge boost.

10. Have a potluck photography party

Everyone’s been to a potluck party – they’re the ones where everyone brings along their own food. And the collaborative nature of potluck parties makes them perfect for getting together with other photographers as part of a creative photography project.

How do you organize a potluck photography party? Each person should bring along the following:

A camera body and one camera lens
One prop or piece of camera equipment

While everyone will use their own camera to take photos, the idea is that the prop or piece of equipment can be shared – so you might end up with one tripod, or one umbrella, for the entire group. And at every event, the available equipment will be different, offering different image opportunities.

You can come up with a theme for the potluck that everyone must follow, or you can have a theme for your own shots. This one’s a very open-ended project idea, so have fun with it!

photographer on the beach with light all around — Photography collaborations are a great way to improve your photos. They give you a chance to bounce ideas off others, which is always helpful.

11. Follow an A-Z photography list

This type of project can be extremely fun. All you do is photograph the alphabet!

You might start by writing out a list of topics you want to photograph (one for each letter). Or you can take a more spontaneous approach and photograph each letter as you encounter it.

This is a fun game that can be used for group photowalks, or you can play it on your own – when traveling, or simply when out with your camera.

people swimming in rooftop pool — “K” is for “Kuala Lumpur.” Are you a frequent traveler? Consider making your project about photographing places with an A-Z list!

12. A day in the life

A day in the life is a good, short project to work on – because it only lasts one day! Simply find someone whose life you want to photograph and ask them if you can tag along for a day.

Of course, you don’t have to stop there. You can always do a series covering different people. And the project doesn’t have to be about people; life is everywhere, so you could follow your pet or even photograph a natural area.

That said, the best projects do tend to be about people and their lives (a day in the life that looks at different people’s professions is a great choice).

maid putting sheets on a bed — Following a person for a day and photographing their life can be a rewarding experience.

Apsara dancer creative photography project idea — This woman was a chambermaid by day and an Apsara dancer by night.

Get started with your creative photography project!

Well, there you have it:

12 photography project ideas to get you motivated! Hopefully, you found at least one or two of these ideas compelling – so pick your favorite, make a plan, and then dive in!

Now over to you:

Have you tried a photography project before? Do you have any favorite projects you’d like to share? Also, which project from this list do you plan to do? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post 12 Creative Photography Project Ideas to Get You Motivated appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.

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Gallery: 100 best lockdown portraits revealed from Duchess of Cambridge’s Hold Still project

18 Sep

100 best lockdown portraits revealed from Duchess of Cambridge’s Hold Still project

Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, and the UK’s National Portrait Gallery have put together a digital exhibition of the 100 best portraits taken during the lockdown and submitted to the Hold Still photographic contest. The images, centered around the themes of Helpers and Heroes, Your New Normal and Acts of Kindness, will become a print exhibition later in the year and will tour the UK.

Set up to document aspects of life in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland during the global coronavirus pandemic, the Hold Still project was launched by the Duchess, a keen photographer herself, in May and was open for entries for six weeks.

Organizers say they received 31,598 entries which were judged by the Duchess alongside the Director of the National Portrait Gallery, a poet, a photographer and the Chief Nursing Officer for England. The judges said they selected the winning images based on the ‘emotions and experiences they convey rather than on their photographic quality or technical expertise’.

We’ve rounded up ten of the 100 images in the following gallery, but for more information and to see all 100 portraits visit the National Portrait Gallery website.

THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE AND NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY LAUNCH HOLD STILL DIGITAL EXHIBITION

Final 100 images unveiled in landmark community project to create a photographic portrait of the nation

The Duchess of Cambridge and the National Portrait Gallery have today unveiled the Hold Still digital exhibition, featuring one hundred portraits selected from 31,598 submissions during the project’s six-week entry period. Focussed on three core themes – Helpers and Heroes, Your New Normal and Acts of Kindness – the images present a unique record of our shared and individual experiences during this extraordinary period of history, conveying humour and grief, creativity and kindness, tragedy and hope.

Launched by The Duchess of Cambridge and the Gallery in May, Hold Still invited people of all ages, from across the UK to submit a photographic portrait which they had taken during lockdown. The project aimed to capture and document the spirit, the mood, the hopes, the fears and the feelings of the nation as we continued to deal with the coronavirus outbreak.

The Hold Still judging panel included: The Duchess of Cambridge; Nicholas Cullinan, Director of the National Portrait Gallery; Lemn Sissay MBE, writer and poet; Ruth May, Chief Nursing Officer for England and Maryam Wahid, photographer

The panel assessed the images on the emotions and experiences they convey rather than on their photographic quality or technical expertise. The final 100 present a unique and highly personal record of this extraordinary period in our history. From virtual birthday parties, handmade rainbows and community clapping to brave NHS staff, resilient keyworkers and people dealing with illness, isolation and loss. The images convey humour and grief, creativity and kindness, tragedy and hope – expressing and exploring both our shared and individual experiences.

A selection of the photographs featured in the digital exhibition will also be shown in towns and cities across the UK later in the year.

International law firm Taylor Wessing are supporting the Hold Still project in partnership with the National Portrait Gallery. They are long-term supporters of the Gallery and have sponsored the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize for the past 12 years.

{/pressrelease}

Making bread

Photographer: James Webb
Location: Colne, Cambridgeshire

This is me and my son Jake making bread together. Baking was something that I enjoyed but didn’t get to do very often. Lockdown gave me the opportunity to bake and enjoy this passion with my children. During this time we started off making flatbreads, cupcakes, muffins and the like, and then moved on to bread. Baking became a daily pleasure we were all able to enjoy together. We’ve continued to bake as a family and my children have enjoyed learning how to knead dough and the process of proving before baking. Making bread has become the new normal in our house and is a hobby now enjoyed by the whole family.

Glass kisses

Photographer: Steph James
Location: Cowfold, West Sussex

My 1-year-old little boy and his 88-year-old great grandma, who miss each other so much at the moment. I captured this beautiful moment between them whilst dropping off groceries. Kisses through glass.

This is what broken looks like

Photographer: Ceri Hayles
Location: Bridgend

This is what broken looks like. This is operating for 3 hours in full PPE. This is dehydration. This is masks that make your ears bleed because the straps have slipped and you daren’t touch them. This is fighting an invisible enemy that becomes more visible each day. This is a face I never thought I’d show the world, but one which I wear more and more. I took this photo to have as a reminder of how far I’d been capable of pushing myself when I needed to. I sent it to my family to tell them what a hard day it had been and they were all so shocked by it. The person they know as being so well put together, always wearing a smile, was not the person they saw that day. Looking back on it now, I feel immensely proud of the commitment shown by myself and my colleagues to provide safe care for patients, even in the depths of a pandemic. We still wear full PPE for all of our cases, and you never get used to it, but I know we’ll keep doing it for as long as it is needed.

Last precious moments

Photographer: Kris Tanyag and Sue Hicks
Location: Chicester, West Sussex

This portrait was taken by Kris, the clinical lead in the care home where Phil lived. Kris took the photograph for Phil’s daughter, Sue who submitted the work. Sue said: ‘As I approached the window my father’s smile lit up the world. Probably belying the fact that he couldn’t really comprehend why, after normally frequent visits and companionship in his twilight years, his daughter hadn’t been allowed to visit for the last three weeks. Easter Saturday 2020 and these precious, intensely emotional moments, will stay with me forever. One week later our wonderful dad, grandad and great grandad passed away peacefully. I can never fully express my gratitude to the carers who, sensing the situation and having looked after my father with love, care and compassion for seven years (as well as my mother for 3 of those years), made those moments possible.’

Kris explains: ‘We devised a plan for Phil to see his daughter Sue via a glass wall and communicate using mobile phones. Hearing our plan gave Phil a burst of energy to go in his wheelchair, hold a muffled conversation, reaching over to put his hand on the glass wall, convinced that he was touching Sue. Struggling to speak but hearing Sue made him so very happy. Their expression of emotion through tearful, smiling eyes and touching hands; the entire conversation was just one amazing moment!’

Funeral heartbreak

Photographer: Bonnie Sapsford and Fiona Grant-MacDonald
Location: Cockermouth, Cumbria

My brother, Barry, lives in the Lake District and could not travel to be with his family when our beloved Gran died of Covid-19 on 3 May 2020. Her cremation took place on 13 May in Edinburgh with only 8 people in attendance – and Barry had to watch it live online – but we were so proud he suitably dressed for the occasion. His wonderful partner, Bonnie took this powerful picture and sent it on to us. The family all missed him greatly and our hearts were shattered at the realisation that our grandmother’s first grandchild could not be with her on her final resting day.

At the end of a shift

Photographer: Neil Palmer
Location: Reading, Berkshire

This is a studio portrait of Tendai, a recovery and anaesthetics nurse, who was born in Zimbabwe, and now lives in my local town – Reading, Berkshire. I wanted to portray her caring side as well as a look of concern and uncertainty that many of us have experienced during this pandemic. It’s why I chose a lower than normal angle and asked her to look off camera, placing her half way down in the frame.

Justin, from the outside in

Photographer: Sara Lincoln
Location: London

Justin didn’t know about my project when I turned up at his window with a camera. I just so happened to be across the road, capturing his daughter Safi and her family, who had volunteered to be a part of my ‘Outside In’ project, which documents my community living life in lockdown, through the window. Safi asked if I wouldn’t mind popping over to capture a frame or two of her father and I am very grateful that I did. It was wonderful meeting this brilliant man albeit through the window. We spoke about this project, his art collection and how he manages to keep his plants so well. We talked about how surreal everything is right now, how the weeks have been for him isolating alone and his plans to jet off to France as soon as this madness is over. He finished up by telling me he had a spot of hay fever… A session that wasn’t meant to happen, happens to be one of my favourites.

We’re really lucky to have a garden

Photographer: Robert Coyle
Location: Sale, Manchester

The weekend is here, lockdown continues and Bernadette and Francis enjoy the garden. One Friday, as I finished emailing at the kitchen table, my wife had taken a chair and a drink outside to enjoy the evening sun. We were doing our best, like the rest of the country, with work, childcare and news of daily death tolls. Our son, had taken to relieving himself on the plants, much to our initial amusement and then slight frustration.

Everyday hero

Photographer: Arnhel de Serra
Location: London

When I drove past Richard I had to do a double-take, as I couldn’t believe he was out on his postman’s round in fancy dress. I asked if I could photograph him, and over a few days we got to know each other. Given the doomsday scenario that the media were portraying in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, I felt very strongly that here was a man who had something deeply personal and positive to offer his community. Is it an earth shattering news story? Probably not. As a human interest story however, I feel that his generosity of spirit should be celebrated, and I am delighted that he will be part of this very important project.

Never without her grandma

Photographer: Melanie Lowis
Location: Teddington, London

Millie (5 years old) made a cut out of her much loved grandma (73 years old). Millie sees Grandma almost daily and lockdown prevented the pair from seeing each other. As a retired teacher, Grandma would have made the perfect partner to help Millie with home schooling. The bond between this grandma and granddaughter is truly a special one and when lockdown ends, and the real grandma can return, it will be a very happy and emotional reunion.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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DPReview TV: Create beautiful abstract photos with polarized crystals (DIY project)

24 Apr

Tiny crystals on a glass slide may look unimpressive to the naked eye, but with a macro lens and some polarizing filters they become magical. We show you how to make your own.

Know the answer to Don’s polarization trivia at the end of the episode? Tell us in the comments!

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.

Introduction
Making crystals
Now we wait…
Crystal depth
The fancy setup
Making art
The basic setup
See you next time
Wait… just one more thing!

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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PBS showcases MIT’s ‘The Polaroid Project’ on the history of instant photography

25 Jan

PBS affiliate WGBH recently took viewers into The Polaroid Project, a new exhibition at the MIT Museum. Described as ‘being at the intersection of art and technology,’ Polaroid revolutionized photography with the launch of its first instant camera in 1947.

The exhibit showcases notable Polaroid photography from past decades, as well as a number of Polaroid instant cameras and instant film packs. Curator Willian Ewing in talking about the technology told WGBH correspondent Jared Bowen:

It was a very small thing you could hold in the hand, but you had to participate in the making of the picture. The thing whirred and clicked. The picture came out and developed slowly. And that was described as magic.

The Polaroid Project Part I will be live until February 23 followed by Part II from March 9 to June 21.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Blog Project: Your Best Photos From 2019

18 Dec

It is time to kick off the 13th annual best photos of the year blog project! I’m proud to say over the years that hundreds of photographers have taken part (see Best Photos of 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 and 2007). It’s great to see the community of photographers that have developed around this blog project. As always I hope the exercise of picking your best photos helps improve your photography (10 Ways to Top Your Best 20xx Photographs).

So without any further delay here is how you take part to submit your best photos of 2019.

How to Participate (Read Carefully)

Review & select your best photos from 2019.
Note: Photo edit carefully narrowing down your results to your best 10 or 5 photos. Reference Pro Tips: Photo Editing with Gary Crabbe for pointers.
Create a blog post on your website or a Flickr set containing your best photos from 2019.
Complete the form below by Sunday JANUARY 5th at 11:59PM PST to take part. The following Tuesday, or thereabout, I’ll post a link to all submitted sites and photos on my blog. Throughout the week I’ll also share the results across all my social media accounts.

Spread the Word!
Feel free to spread the word of this project on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, photo forums you frequent and/or your blogs. All who are interested in taking part are invited.

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JMG-Galleries – Landscape, Nature & Travel Photography

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MIT project uses camera and AI to ‘record’ hidden objects using the shadows they cast

10 Dec

Researchers with MIT’s Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have published a study detailing the use of cameras and artificial intelligence to recreate hidden actions based only on the shadows they cast. The method produces fairly low-quality results at this time but may be refined for future computational photography purposes that include helping self-driving cars ‘see’ hidden objects in their environment.

Shadows can reveal the presence of things a person may not be able to directly see; in the most obvious example, someone could, for example, perceive that a person is standing around a nearby corner because of the shadow they cast on the sidewalk. Though humans can perceive the movement of objects using their shadows, we cannot determine their colors and may not be able to determine their shape.

The newly detailed MIT AI can, however, recreate videos that include hints about an object’s color and shape based on the shadows it produces. As demonstrated in the video above, the AI was surprisingly capable of recreating the movement and general shape of hands and forearms in motion out of view of the camera. As well, the algorithm generated a video of hands moving large blocks and a small ball, recreating part of each object’s color.

This is the latest example of researchers combining cameras and artificial intelligence to produce seemingly magical results. This past summer, for example, experts with Facebook Research and the University of Washington unveiled an algorithm that can generate ‘living’ animations from individual still images.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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NVIDIA’s latest AI project is ‘face swap’ for animals. Kind of…

30 Oct

NVIDIA researchers are back with another project that uses artificial intelligence to generate entirely new images from existing source images. Unlike past work that involved portraits of humans, however, this latest work — called GANimal — transforms an image of an animal into different animals, including other species.

Using an AI technique called generative adversarial networks (GANs), among other things, the researchers developed GANimal, an app that takes the expression of an animal from an image and recreates it on an image of a different animal. Examples include taking an expression from one breed of dog and replicating it on other dog breeds.

Though this is a fun example of the underlying technology, NVIDIA researchers say it could one day be put to use in more serious work. One given example of GANimal’s potential use is engaging filmmakers to shoot images of a tame animal doing stunts, such as a dog, and then using the AI to apply those movements onto a less tame animal, such as a tiger.

NVIDIA’s past artificial intelligence research includes an AI that can accurately scrub noise from images, generate portraits from source images, and transform simple sketches into photorealistic photos.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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How to Photograph a Local Project When Traveling is Not an Option

29 Oct

The post How to Photograph a Local Project When Traveling is Not an Option appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy Flint.

If traveling is not an option, a great way to enjoy your photography is to go out and shoot a project in your local environment. Your local patch provides a wonderful opportunity for photography and is a location often overlooked and taken for granted. To photograph a local project is a hugely satisfying undertaking, especially because you don’t have to go far to achieve it.

Staying near to home also provides ample time to visit a particular place, and means you can reach a location with ease. As travel is minimal, you will incur lower transport costs and you can go back to a particular location as often as you like. Shooting locally is also a great way to practice and improve your photography whilst getting you out with your camera. Have you ever thought about what local projects to photograph and how to go about it? Well, here are some of the best ways to achieve this goal.

Choose a subject that interests you

Blenheim Palace, Oxford

This may seem obvious, but the first thing I recommend doing is to consider and choose a subject that interests you for the project. This way, you will be more motivated to go out and shoot it.

Focus on one aspect such as a local landscape, a river, a local park, a zoo, a piece of coastline, a particular time of day, birds and wildlife in a wetland area, a particular season or even a famous building or local landmark.

Whilst finding and shooting a project close to where you live, photo opportunities can present themselves when least expected.

With a bit of luck, your timing can be greatly rewarding.

For instance, I recently shot some images of a local landmark ‘Blenheim Palace’ in Oxfordshire. It is a gorgeous historic building surrounded by wonderful parkland, manicured landscapes, and woodlands.

I planned to photograph the autumn colors during my visit and was fortunate to encounter a unique and unexpected exhibition of artworks by Maurizio Cattelan. The exhibition included these carpets of union jacks (pictured) which provided a unique point of interest in the images.

Once at your local destination consider the following:

Select a lens

Starling murmurations, England

The fun starts once you have found a subject for your local project and you are at your location.

Think about what it is you are photographing, and the best way to capture it. This will give you insight into the type of lens you should use. If, for example, you live in a city and have decided to do cityscapes at blue hour, you may opt for a wide-angle lens. That way, you can fit more of the city into one scene. It would also allow you to fit in large architectural buildings, or capture bustling street scenes.

Another scenario may be that you want to capture local markets where you live. In this scenario, you may opt for a wide-angle lens to capture the overall nature of the market, and a portrait lens, such as a 50mm or 85mm, to get some more intimate people shots or detail shots of things sold at the market.

You may also decide to challenge yourself by using just one fixed prime lens, such as a 50mm. You could capture a range of subjects that give insight into the area where you live.

Alternatively, you may choose a telephoto lens to zoom in closer to subjects such as distant wildlife or birds. A telephoto lens is a great way to compress perspective, bringing foreground subjects closer to the background like these starlings.

Experiment photographing your subject

Starling murmurations, England

One thing I recommend doing when you photograph a local project is to just experiment photographing your subject.

Try using different camera settings and techniques and see what works and what doesn’t. For example, if you want to achieve a faster shutter speed as I did to capture these birds in flight, you could raise the ISO.

You may also want to experiment with your aperture. Shooting in Aperture Mode (Aperture Priority) is a great way to do this (if you are not yet on Manual Mode) as the ISO and shutter speed automatically adapt when you change the aperture setting. I achieved a wider, more detailed field of view by reducing the aperture and increasing the f-number to around f/8.

You may prefer to make certain parts of your image sharp (rather than the whole scene) and throw the rest out of focus. You can achieve this by opting for a larger aperture (smaller f-number) such as f/4. This can give you some nice bokeh backgrounds too, especially if moving to an even smaller f-number like f/2.

Change your angle

Starling murmurations, England

Once you have taken some shots, try changing your perspective to get a different angle on your subject. You may find a different vantage point results in a better composition and image. Another way to change your angle besides repositioning yourself is to move your lens in closer and change your framing.

If you are working with a tripod, vary the height of its legs to give a fresh angle.

Reshoot

The great thing when you photograph a local project is that you can go back and re-shoot anytime. This would be much more expensive and time-consuming if you had to travel to capture your pictures.

Sometimes you won’t get the photo you desire the first time around, so a good option is to return and re-shoot. Unforeseen circumstances and factors out of your control that may warrant a reshoot include adverse changes in weather, building works in operation, too many people and wildlife that may not be present.

Blenheim Palace, Oxford

Going back to reshoot is a good exercise and a great chance to practice your skills too. It can help you improve your photography by learning from your mistakes and offers an opportunity to capture your project in various lighting conditions. Why not time your reshoot with a different time of day to capture some different images for your project. Alternatively, capture the same images just under different lighting conditions.

Each return visit can provide something new to photograph too. That’s because you are likely to see something different on your return in terms of your subject or pattern of light.

You may also decide to change lenses for the reshoot, or decide to focus on close up details on one visit and wide shots on another.

Summary

So go grab your gear and get out there to photograph a local project. It is a great way to capture a subject of interest that is on your doorstep and is a brilliant way to hone your skills.

Be sure to experiment with aperture, shutter speed and ISO, vary your angle of view and reshoot to improve your pictures.

What local project are you thinking of photographing? Share your thoughts and images with us below.

The post How to Photograph a Local Project When Traveling is Not an Option appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy Flint.

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RED founder Jim Jannard announces retirement, shuts down Hydrogen phone project

26 Oct

RED founder Jim Jannard, who just celebrated his 70th birthday, has announced that he is retiring, citing health issues simply saying that “it is now time.” He also announced that with his departure from the company the Hydrogen phone project will be shut down:

I have spent the past 45 years building “inventions wrapped in art”.

Just now turning 70 and having a few health issues, it is now time for me to retire.

I will be shutting down the HYDROGEN project, ending a career that has included Oakley, RED Digital Cinema and HYDROGEN. I am very proud to have worked with many great people over the years who have signed on to the vision.

RED Digital Cinema will continue stronger than ever with Jarred, Tommy and Jamin at the controls. Komodo is about to be launched… and the HYDROGEN One will continue to be supported in the future.

I want to thank everyone for the support I have felt over the years…

Jim Jannard, RED Founder

So the Hydrogen One remains the first and only model ever launched in RED’s Hydrogen smartphone line. When it arrived last year, after several delays, it came with innovative technologies including a ‘4V’ holographic display, but received lukewarm reviews and ultimate could not convince customers to pay a $ 1,295 premium price.

Film makers and photographers had also been looking forward to the launch of an attachable camera module for the device but, like several other planned modules, it never got to see the light of day.

The good news is that existing Hydrogen One users will continue to receive support, at least for the time being, and RED Digital Cinema is still operating with Jarred Land as its president and will hopefully soon release the Komodo camera system which was teased earlier this year.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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These are the three winners (and their photos) of the inaugural Leica Women Foto Project Award

25 Oct

Winning photographs of the inaugural Leica Women Foto Project Award

Editor’s note: Do note that some images in this slideshow will be considered not safe for work (NSFW), as a few images depict nudity. Proceed at your own discretion if in a sensitive work environment.

Earlier this year, Leica Camera launched the Leica Women Foto Project to facilitate diversity and inclusion in photography. This past week, they announced the three winners of the inaugural Leica Women Foto Project Award. Selected from a pool of 600 submissions across the U.S., photographers Debi Cornwall, Yana Paskova, and Eva Woolridge were chosen by a panel of five industry-leading judges. Each winner received $ 10,000 and a Leica Q2 camera to pursue a personal project that tells a story through the female viewpoint.

‘The Leica Women Foto Project is a keystone program for Leica Camera USA as we expand opportunities to amplify visual stories told through the lenses of underrepresented perspectives. The overwhelming response of hundreds of USA-based submissions in just our first year alone is indicative of the ongoing need for platforms that invite conversations that provoke new ways of seeing,’ says Kiran Karnani, Director of Marketing for Leica Camera North America. ‘We welcome Debi, Yana, and Eva to the Leica family of storytellers and we look forward to the continued evolution of their impactful stories.’

Debi Cornwall

Debi Cornwall was chosen for her series Necessary Fictions which explores the role of American military intervention in a mysterious country called ‘Atropia.’ Cornwall travelled to ten military training centers across the U.S., constructed to resemble Iraqi and Afghan villages, to stage the photos in her series. By documenting these mock villages, battle scenarios, and ‘cultural role-players,’ used to train military personnel, Cornwall’s aim was to invite critical inquiry among viewers about a society in which war has become the rule rather than the exception.

Yana Paskova

Bulgarian-born, Brooklyn-bred photojournalist and writer Yana Paskova created her winning series, Where Women Rule, based on her experience as a political asylum immigrant. Her aim with this project was to bridge humans’ understanding of each other. She describes the series as ‘a visual and sociological look at what happens when cultural norms of gender are amended or removed — via the all-female societies across the world, where women gather for shelter or in matriarchy — leaving us with new notions of femininity and masculinity, human bonds, family, and the fluid boundaries of identity.’

Eva Woolridge

Eva Woolridge, a self-proclaimed African-American and Chinese-American queer woman, brought her personal struggles with fertility to life in her project The Size of a Grapefruit. The series is an artistic representation of the traumatic experiences that ensued following her diagnosis of a dermoid cyst, which was the size of a grapefruit, and the resulting removal of her right ovary. Woolridge feels the removal could have been prevented had medical professionals been more proactive during early consultations. She hopes to shed more light on racial bias against black women seeking medical treatment, worldwide, by continuing the series with her prize money.

All three women will showcase photographs from their respective winning series in a joint exhibit at Leica Gallery Boston starting March 5th through April 26th, 2020. Visitors will be able to view the journey of their personal projects.

Fawzia and Nabil H.

Winner: Fawzia and Nabil H., by Debi Cornwall, from the Necessary Fictions series

About this photo/series: These are Iraqi role players photographed at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, California. Describing the series, Cornwall states ‘In Necessary Fictions, I photograph the mysterious country of ‘Atropia.’ Though fictional, Atropia actually exists: mock Afghan and Iraqi villages have been constructed on military bases across the United States to host immersive, realistic military training exercises for troops preparing to deploy. On ten such sites around the country, I document mock villages, battle scenarios, and ‘cultural role-players,’ civilian Afghans and Iraqis, many who have fled war only to recreate it, in costume, in the service of the U.S. military.’

Insurgent

Winner: Insurgent, by Debi Cornwall, from the Necessary Fictions series

About this photo/series: In Cornwall’s own words: ‘In a mobile studio I set up on site, I also make portraits with soldiers. They pose in front of a camouflage backdrop, appearing mortally wounded.’

For this body of work, Cornwall explored ‘how fiction and reality blur within the post-9/11 fantasy-industrial complex.’ Reflecting on her experience after visiting mock war sets on 10 different U.S. military bases, she says that ‘despite the constant military conflicts since September 11, war has receded in the American consciousness. War has become white noise, the almost-invisible backdrop of our roiling sociopolitical moment, even as our civic life has become increasingly militarized at home. Meanwhile, entire industries have emerged to support the forever wars, both real and imagined.’

Dara Lam Village

Winner: Dara Lam Village, by Debi Cornwall, from the Necessary Fictions series

About this photo/series: ‘My goal is to examine how fictions are deployed and embraced, and to invite critical inquiry among military and civilian viewers alike about a society in which war has become the rule rather than the exception.’ This image was captured in Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) in Ft. Polk, Louisiana.

Smoke Bomb

Winner: Smoke Bomb, by Debi Cornwall, from the Necessary Fictions series

About this photo/series: A smoke bomb is detonated in a mock exercise meant to train military recruits by replicating real-life combat scenarios on one of the 10 U.S. bases that Cornwall documented.

Widows of Varanasi

Winner: Widows of Varanasi #4, by Yana Paskova, from the Where Women Rule series

About this photo/series: In Paskova’s own words: ‘Where do women rule and where are they a commodity? How do women develop in a near absence of men or patriarchy? My project aims to be a visual and sociological look at what happens when cultural norms of gender are amended or removed — via the all-female societies across the world, where women gather for shelter or in matriarchy — leading us to new notions of femininity and masculinity, human bonds, family and the fluid boundaries of identity.’

Widows of Varanasi

Winner: Widows of Varanasi #10, by Yana Paskova, from the Where Women Rule series

About this photo/series: ‘Not in recent history have communities where women seek shelter, independence or support, been more relevant to our cultural climate and growth.’

Widows of Varanasi

Winner: Widows of Varanasi #7, by Yana Paskova, from the Where Women Rule series

About this photo/series: ‘I aim to discover the intersect of these women’s stories as individuals and as a collective amidst arresting visual landscapes, with special attention to perseverance in the face of rejection and confidence in shedding convention.’

Widows of Varanasi

Winner: Widows of Varanasi #9, by Yana Paskova, from the Where Women Rule series

About this photo/series: ‘My intent for this project’s findings is that they serve as an immersive experience not just for consumers of visual culture, but also as a research and educational tool — hopefully starting with the youngest minds, where developing the concept of equality matters most.’

Widows of Varanasi

Winner: Widows of Varanasi #9, by Yana Paskova, from the Where Women Rule series

About this photo/series: ‘Ultimately, I’d like to build connections between humans that overcome the limiting societal constructs of gender and geography.’

Inspection

Winner: Inspection, by Eva Woolridge, from The Size of a Grapefruit series

About this photo: In Woolridge’s own words, ‘this image represents my need to take initiative and research ovarian cysts following the surgery. My male surgeon didn’t give me information on how one ovary would affect my hormones, whether or not I could have kids, or why it even developed. I was left to process and research on my own.’

Denial

Winner: Denial, by Eva Woolridge, from The Size of a Grapefruit series

About this photo: In her own words, ‘this represents my denial in experiencing pain in my lower abdominal by putting it off as bad cramps, food positioning, and bloating, without listening to my body’s red flags. Black women are often dismissed by medical professionals when they address a reproductive concern. I had experienced signs of an ovarian cyst about two weeks before my emergency surgery, however was unfamiliar of them prior, and stayed quiet to not make a fuss.’

Empowered

Winner: Empowered, by Eva Woolridge, from The Size of a Grapefruit series

About this photo: ‘This image represents the growth, confidence and power I gained after this cycle of healing was complete. Exactly a year later, I had used photography to spotlight a quiet issue plaguing other people with ovaries. The golden metallic grapefruit slice represents the one sliver of an ovary I have left, that shines bright with beauty and strength.’

Empty

Winner: Empty, by Eva Woolridge, from The Size of a Grapefruit series

About this photo: ‘This represents the weight this surgical trauma had left me. Once my ovary was removed, I went through severe depression, isolation, and confusion from the betrayal of my body. My personality dimmed, I was forced to process and learn of this condition alone.’

Reflection

Winner: Reflection, by Eva Woolridge, from The Size of a Grapefruit series

About this photo: ‘As an advocate for reproductive health, during my two months of healing, I had to ask myself who I was now with one ovary. Was I less of a woman? Could I be a mother in the future? How many other women experienced this trauma? Were they given preventative resources and information to avoid, or were they caught off guard too? And my biggest question is how can I heal from this while spreading awareness to others?’

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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