Personal Projects I A Photo a Day

On Labor Day last fall, I took a photo.  It was a plain ole, nothing great, photo.  And then the next day I took another photo.  And then another.  And then another.

About 2 weeks later, I had taken a photo every day and I decided I was on my way to another project 365 - a project where you take a photo every day for one year.  I hate to commit to this project on day one.  I have done that.....too many times to count.....and then fail soon afterwards and always find it so disappointing.  So I refused to even acknowledge I was doing the project, until I actually had a good start on the project.  I guess I am being a bit superstitious.  

The first time I successfully  accomplished this project was a few years back - only missing a couple days here and there.  I found it to be such a rewarding project because since it forces you to shoot every single day.  Really, the only way to improve on a skill is to practice, practice, practice, a project that forces practice no matter what is going on with your life is so beneficial.  Plus it is an AWESOME way to document your life!  

In my own defense, I do take a lot of photos even when I am not actively participating in a project.  But, I find that when I am busy with clients and busy with life, I slack off.  I may go weeks with only shooting clients, and not taking any photos just for me.  And then photography starts to feel like "work", and only work, and no longer fun.   

I love shooting just for me.  I can shoot whatever I want.  I can play with lighting, composition, processing.  I have no pressure.  I don't have to worry that someone may hate what I am doing, because I am not doing it for anyone else but me!

I am about 125 days into my project and still going strong.  I post every single image I shoot on Instagram every day.  Someday (many days!) the images are "eh".  But I don't care because still I love every one.  And since I am a good 1/3 of the way into my project, I thought it was time to share some of my favs.   And if you want to follow all my daily photos, feel free to follow my Instagram feed!  

10 on 10 - the April Edition! | What Should I Wear???

So I missed last month…..:(((  But I am jumping back in for the 10 on 10 project I am working on with a group of wonderfully talented photographers.  Each month, we write a blog post that includes 10 images.  The images and the topic can be pretty much anything we want so it is really a fun way to blog something a little different every once in a while.  This month I am doing a "What Should I Wear???" post…..something I have thought about doing for a while now.

As this weather starts to improve, it is time to start thinking about a new portrait session!  Whether that is a mini session to get a few new portraits of your growing family.  Or whether you haven't had a family portrait in YEARS and would love to get everyone together for a big extended family photo.  Or maybe it is time for senior portraits? 

Whatever the reason, one of the first questions I get after we decide on a day/time and location is "What should I wear??".  

I always give my clients a detailed "What to Wear" guide which is helpful in explaining what outfits/accessories work best and why.  But it is also nice to to see some examples illustrating why, taking a little time to choose the best outfits can really turn a basic photo into something beautiful and something you will want to display on your wall for years to come.

The first thing I tell my clients is to consider your session location.  If you are going to be doing the session in a field, or along a creek, then a fancy dress and 3" spike heels may not work the best.  In that case, maybe cute jeans, a jacket/scarf and boots and may look great.  But if your session is going to be downtown and down a cool alleyway, then by all means, rock out that dress and heels!

I also recommend that clients consider the colors of their locations and the colors of the season.  Spring is often filled with pinks and whites and soft greens and yellows.  While fall is filled with warm yellows and reds and browns.  Choose clothing that coordinates with the backdrop so you don't look like a mess of color mistakes.  

Lastly, I also advise clients to choose clothing that makes them feel amazing and beautiful.  Because that will show in your images.  When you feel amazing, you stand straighter, smile more naturally and just ooze confidence.  And that can make all the difference in the world.

Oh - and one other thing I want to mention - when it comes to family photos, there is really no need to match.  I much prefer coordinating styles and colors.  You don't walk around town in identical clothing (usually) so let your portraits show your individuality as well.  

Now onto my 10 images from past clients showing how beautiful the right clothing and colors can look!  

And please visit the lovely and talented Janet Miller, Aurora newborn and family photographer, next to see what she has up this month!  

10 on 10 - the February edition!

If there is one thing that I have to say is my #1 most favorite thing about shooting weddings…it is definitely the moments.  There is pretty much no other type of session that is filled with so much emotion, so much uncertainty and, subsequently, so many moments.  And when I can capture one of those moments it absolutely makes my day. I am participating in a monthly project with a group of AMAZING photographers.  Every month, on the 10th, we write a blog post that includes 10 images.  At the end of the post, you will find a link to another photographer who is participating in the project.  You can then read their post and follow their link at the end of their post!

This month I decided to post 10 of my favorite wedding moments.  And while I thought this would be an easy blog post because it is one I have been wanting to do for a long time, it was actually VERY hard!!!!!!  There are SO many great moments at so many weddings!  And then there is just the logistics of finding images from all my weddings.  After the thousands and thousands of photos I have taken, which are stored in about 5 different external hard drives…the hunt for some of these moments ended up being harder than I had hoped.   And it doesn't help that I started working on this project about 2 hours before it was due…but that is par for the course in my world.

So these are SOME of my favorite moments from the weddings I could easily access!

First, more than anything, weddings are filled with emotional moments:

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And there are the sweet, happy - I love you so much! -  moments:

And there are the "I can't believe my little girl is all grown up" moments:

Of course there are always great "it is cake cutting time" moments!

We also sometimes get the "I don't want to put on my shoes" moments:

And I get a HUGE kick out of the "it is time to P-A-R-T-Y" moments!

I definitely have way more than 10 moments that I would love to share.  So maybe I will make this a 2 (or 3!) part series!!

Now please continue through our circle of photographers by stopping by to visit Kentucky Landscape Photographer, Carri Peterson!