Personal Project

If you spend a lot of time around photographers, or any artist for that matter, you will hear how important it is to do personal work. What does that mean really? For professionals, it might mean work directed solely by themselves. Some examples from around the net are: Chase Jarvis' Ninjas in a warehouse shoot, Mark J Rebilas' portrait shoots (here is a link to the third in the set, as it is the tamest -- and the most informative), and Bert Stephani's Running in 2020 shoot. For amateurs, it maybe more subtle. It is work they want to do even if its not what other people expect from them or will even like. Sometimes all of us get caught up in only making images we think others will like, even if they don't really excite us. This is a good way to quickly get fed up with photography, and we should avoid it.

I have done a number of personal projects. But they were all centered around a single image, I have never had a long term personal project. I will change that this year. Part of that change, is this site/blog whatever you wish to call it.


I like listening to music. Many times when I hear a song mention light, pictures, or photographs I think about making a picture that in some way reminds me of the song, or my response to the song.

This will be my long term personal project. The "rules", if a personal project can have rules, are simple. The song must mention light, or pictures, or photographs. After I choose a song, I will make an image in response to it. Simple, eh?

Some songs immediately jump to mind: Kodachrome, Good Riddance (Time of your life), You Should have seen it in Color, Picture to Burn.

The tricky part isn't finding the songs, though, its imagining the pictures and then executing them.

If you know any songs that mention light, pictures, or photographs that I should consider, please post!

Wish me luck!

(Also, if anyone has a box for Kodachrome-- may I borrow it?)