Personal projects have always been a part of my photographic journey. From food series to shooting the same landscape in different seasons, I’ve experimented with different subjects for my photos to create a cohesive collection that tells a story. The idea of incorporating these into travel came to me while living in Seoul, South Korea for two years.
During that time I didn’t drive, instead, I spent quite a decent part of my days in the subway and I started photographing people with my phone while they did whatever came naturally for them during their commute.
Read more – Power of Personal Photography Projects
I am currently working on three separate personal projects during travel:
Zayda’s Wandering Feet: I find interesting floors and carpets and take a photo of my shoes or my feet on them.
Italy is for Lovers: PDA is quite popular in this country and it always makes me happy to see couples showing their love for each other, so I have been photographing them whenever I happen to catch them.
Beautiful Creatures: I love animals so I decided to start collecting photos of the beautiful ones I see along the way whether they’re strays or have a home. It’s my way of taking them home with me.
I would love to share with you the reasons why you might enjoy giving one of your own a shot!
-
No.01Breaking The Routine
Besides loving photography, a lot of us have also been lucky enough to be able to turn it into a business, and while most of us are incredibly passionate about what we do it is sometimes easy to fall into a shooting routine.
This routine can also happen while traveling and we find ourselves snapping mindlessly and without purpose, and while it is absolutely fine to want to capture all the sights, making a point of shooting something for your project will bring out your creativity and spark new ideas.
Read more: 30 day photo challenge (become an EVEN BETTER Photographer)
-
No.02Personalizing Your Experience
People seem to be traveling more and more these days and with all those trips come millions of photos and many of them are of the same place taken in the same angle. I am an advocate of what I like to call “The Iconic Shot” for landmarks and popular spots, but I also feel that having a personal project will make you look and capture a place in a new way that is meaningful to you and help you leave your mark and tell your own story about the trip.
-
No.03Social Media Engagement
For most photographers (professionals or hobbyists) sharing our photos is an important part of our process; it helps us build relationships with others with the same interests and document our adventures. Like the very famous “Follow Me To” project by Murad Osmann and his wife Nataly, personal projects can give the audience a fresh look of a place they might have visited before, or spike an interest to visit one they have not.
With proper use of available social tools like pinning locations or hashtags we can share our photos globally and not only with our friends and family.
-
No.04Mastering Your Tools
A camera does not a photographer make, and everyone can start a personal project whether it be with a DSLR, a film camera, a point and shoot or a mobile phone. Many of these projects rely on opportunity, something you happened to stumble upon and want to capture on the spot with whatever tool you have available at the time. Having a project will provide chances to explore your tools and equipment and to get to know them better, so you can always be ready for that special shot.
-
No.05Displaying The Memories
A personal project is a great way to create something special for your home. Shooting with the intention of building a gallery wall for your travel memories or putting together a beautiful coffee table book of all of your project photos will encourage you to keep up with said project and to continue to capture moments in your own way.
I hope this post inspires you to start a new project on your next adventure and to share with everyone your personal way of seeing the world!
No comments yet.