Although the year officially begins on January 1, many of us have the feeling that it begins in September, with the school year. It is like this, we count the years by school courses, it is what happens to the students, to those who are dedicated to teaching, to parents with school-age children and some mischief like me who stayed with the mind in his student time . And all this for what I tell you? Well, very simple, because when the summer passes or, rather, the holidays give us to think about new projects, whether or not we stop smoking, to consider going to a gym and all this kind of things, they are like the purposes of new Year. But we are in a photography blog, right? Well, that's why I'm going to propose a series of ideas for those of you who are considering a new photographic project. A few weeks ago I published an article on how to carry out your first photographic project , another article was dedicated to tell you the mistakes I had made with mine, so that the same thing did not happen to you . Today I focus on ideas to finish it easy easy
1. ONE A DAY FOR A YEAR
This is a classic. And I think the most complicated because it can be made too long in time and maintain motivation is not always easy. If you are one of those who throw the towel to a minimum or get tired soon because they need news, it may not be your best project. Yes it is if you are constant and you like great challenges. Of course, although it requires perseverance, it is a brutal exercise, every day you have to exercise the creative «muscle». Do you have time? Then go ahead!2. ONE A WEEK FOR A YEAR
This is something softer and lighter than the previous one. It is also long in time and requires constancy but you have a whole week to take your photo. It is more relaxed but also exercises creativity and keeps you active. You can wear one day a week so as not to get carried away, even if you have room for it later.3. PHOTOGRAPH THE SAME LANDSCAPE THROUGHOUT THE DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE DAY
An excellent exercise to learn to understand the light, to check its differences, observe its different nuances and see how it influences a scenario. An interesting project and a great practical exercise. My advice is that you look for a beautiful scenario and that at some point the sun rises or sets at a point in the frame. Make a mark at the exact place where you put the tripod, look carefully (and mark) the height at which you put it and record the focal length. So the landscape will be exactly the same, only the light will change. You will be surprised at what that "only" can achieve .4. SAME LANDSCAPE IN DIFFERENT SEASONS
This is a project that can be beautiful. It will also help you to observe the light, because it not only changes throughout the day, but also between the different seasons. Including a tree in the frame or making it the protagonist can be a good idea, since they perfectly reflect the seasons, with their leaf falls, the fruits, and so on. You can see an example here or here . In the latter has not shot exactly from the same place, do you see the importance of marking the place from where you shoot?5. RECREATE PICTURES OF YOUR FAVORITE PAINTER
It can be something complex (depending on your favorite painter) that if you work well and put a lot of passion it will bring you great satisfaction. You can see as an example the work of Desiree Dolron that inspires her photographs in Flemish painters of the s. XVII She plays fundamentally with lighting and retouching. Another option is to make a remake of painting classics, as did, for example, Annie Leibovitz for Vogue . And who says paintings also says movies, songs or novels. What inspires you most besides photography? Well, that is what you can pursue, combine two of your passions6. REINTERPRET (DO NOT COPY) YOUR FAVORITE PHOTOGRAPHER
Surely you have some (or some) favorite photographer, someone you especially follow, who really inspires you. Well, the idea is to reinterpret your work, which is not the same as copying. I explain. Analyze your photographs, what you like about them, what attracts you most, the lines, the light, the message ... Whatever inspires you, when you are clear, try to make your own photos working that aspect How much it attracts you. They will be your photos, with your stamp but with the essence that you like from that author.7. PORTRAY ALL MEMBERS OF YOUR FAMILY
Although making a portrait may seem easy, it really isn't. Here the easy thing is that being your family you play with two advantages of departure, physical closeness (if you live far from them you will surely see them at some time and if you do not focus on those closest to you) and that you know them. A true portrait, one that immediately catches the attention of the public is one that captures beyond the face. Tell your audience what your family is like with images only.8. METEOROLOGY
Another project that may be interesting is to carry out a meteorological series, that is, to photograph the different meteorological phenomena: rain, wind, storm, fog, clouds, tornado, and so on. In this article you can see different photographs taken at different meteorological moments, so you can see the charm of each one of them. Of course, I recommend that you protect your equipment (not that you hide it ).9. PHOTOGRAPH THE MOON FOR SEVERAL MONTHS IN DIFFERENT SCENARIOS
For the lunatics, romantic or nocturnal (or all together) I bring this idea. It's about capturing the moon from different places. The moon, whether full or in a growing room, alone in an image does not have as much charm as if you frame it in an interesting place, in fact it can be very boring, as exercise is fine, but if you want something else, do not leave it alone; ). Search for different scenarios and let them hug you. Each month a different scenario, the months are decided by you, six, twelve, twenty four ... Here are 13 tips for photographing the moon , if you are attracted to this project, do not miss them!10. PHOTOGRAPH DIFFERENT SPORTS
If you are a sports lover, this may be your project. Select a series of sports, for example, risk, or ball, or gymnastics. Try to be similar so that the project has greater coherence and focus on one aspect of sport, which can be sacrifice, companionship, overcoming or what interests you most or attracts you from sport in general or those in particular.11. PORTRAY PETS AND THEIR OWNERS
Maybe yours is not the sport and yet the animals catch you. Well here you have another idea, ask all your family and friends to lend themselves to their pets. Maybe you can prove that every pet ends up looking like its owner, or was it the other way around?12. BEFORE AND AFTER
Do you like your city very much? Do you know how it has really changed in the last fifty or one hundred years? Find old photographs of your city and recreate the same angle to reflect the passage of time. You can play to include the old image within the frame and make a forced perspective or simply recreate the shooting angle as accurately as possible and show your image next to the old one.13. SELF-PORTRAIT ONCE A WEEK FOR A YEAR
Have you ever portrayed yourself beyond the shot-selfie-extending-the-hand-with-your-mobile? Well, if you really like photography you should try it. The self - portrait is a great exercise and you will always have on hand. If you have a tripod (or you can get it), you may want to try this challenge. So you can also see how you change for a year, how your mood can be reflected in your look or your expression. It will be a practical and probably emotional exercise You can always choose the same frame or you can find different ways and places to portray yourself. Depending on what you are looking for with your project and what you want to play or create. And if you don't have a tripod and want to play with the reflexes, it's also another possibility.