Weekly Photo Project Week 4: Cold

Yes, I’m a bit late with this week’s challenge. As such, it’s going to be a short week and a somewhat shorter challenge.

Depending on where you are as you read this, this week’s challenge could be deceptively easy, or deceptively difficult. As I write this, a decent portion of the Northeast is buried under snow, slush, and ice. So here’s the challenging bit: without using the obvious trappings of winter, find a way to photograph and convey cold.

Postscript:
Having a bit of difficulty getting started? You’re not the only one. On the brighter side, it’s never too late to join the fun (and the discussion) at the First 10,000 Photo Community and/or give a like to The First 10,000’s Facebook page.

Weekly Photo Project Week 3: Shutter Speed

This week we move to the second leg of the exposure triangle. Namely, shutter speed. There’s an explanation of shutter speed in an earlier post called “Shooting in Shutter Priority,” which also covers… well, I’m only giving you one guess. As with the previous weeks, feel free to interpret, freestyle, experiment, and/or drop some science.

Postscript:
Unlike other 365 Day and 52-Week photo projects, we’re not going to guilt you if you’re getting a late start. It’s never too late to join the fun (and the discussion) at the First 10,000 Photo Community and/or give a like to The First 10,000’s Facebook page.

52-Week Photo Project Week 2: Aperture and Depth of Field

So now that we’re a week in and you’ve hopefully gotten back into the habit of shooting, let’s cover a few fundamentals. This week your assignment is to pay attention primarily to aperture, and with it, to depth of field. There’s an earlier article (Shooting in Aperture Priority) that can be a help if you’d like a quick introduction. Otherwise, feel free to experiment and share the results.

Postscript:
Unlike other 365 Day and 52-Week photo projects, we’re not going to guilt you if you’re getting a late start. It’s never too late to join the fun (and the discussion) at the First 10,000 Photo Community and/or give a like to The First 10,000’s Facebook page.

52-Week Photo Project Week 1: Get The Rust Out

Your assignment for the first week: Get the rust out. Maybe you’ve just gotten your first camera. Maybe you’ve been shooting for years — decades, even — but you haven’t been shooting as often as you’d like. In either case, the first thing you need to do to call yourself a photographer is to take photos. So this week, we’re going to keep things simple. Put your camera on full auto (yes, even those of you in the habit of shooting in manual), and just get out there and shoot. It doesn’t matter if you don’t go any farther than your neighborhood, your back yard, or even just your living room. It doesn’t matter if you spend a whole week taking photos of your dinner and your cats. Shoot often. Shoot the best you can, but — and this part is really important — suspend judgment. The goal is to get (back) in the habit of shooting.

Save your work from this week. We’ll be revisiting some of it later. And don’t forget to share on the project’s Facebook group, The First 10,000 Photography Community.

See you there!

2016 52-Week Photo Project

Some of you will recall that a while back I ran a 365 day photo project on this site. That’s still available — you can see it here — but this year we’re going to do things a little bit differently. Rather than a day-by-day project, I’ve decided to have 52 weeks’ worth of photo projects. Now you don’t have to shoot every day (though I’d certainly encourage you to try). You just have to post amazing work once a week. So, y’know, no pressure. 🙂

The Rules:
1. Use any camera you want.
2. Interpret the assignments as literally or as loosely as you’d like.
3. Use only your own photos, unless the assignment specifies otherwise
4. Shoot something, anything, every day. If that means flipping the script on an assignment, so be it.
5. If you’re stuck, wing it.
6. Don’t do anything stupid or illegal to get your photos. Common sense and safety first, OK?

If you’re coming here because you’re curious about a 365 day photo project or something else that’s designed to get you shooting again but it just seems like an awful lot of work, you can use my “Lazy One-Day Photo Project (TM)”.

SHOOT SOMETHING, DAMMIT!

Repeat as often as possible.

Now. Get your camera and start shooting! The next post will have the first week’s assignment.

Resolutions

Okay, we’re back. Yes, I know I’ve said that before, but this time should — hopefully — be different. Welcome to 2016, and welcome (or welcome back) to The First 10,000.

Every new year, I’m usually in the habit of making resolutions. I’m going to lose weight, quit smoking, write a book… name it, and at one time or another, I’ve probably resolved to do it. And failed. So this year, I’m making one resolution that I know I can — and will — keep.

Create something.

That’s all. No more, no less.

I’m not even quite sure what it’s going to be when it’s done, but by this time next year, I will hopefully have figured it out. Hopefully as that process unfolds and as I get back into the day-to-day of photography, you’ll be along for the ride. If you’re a past reader, thanks for coming back. And if you’re new here, welcome! Let’s see what comes next, shall we?