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UPDATE: It looks like Don Giannatti is doing one more Project 52 Pros group, and it will be starting July 1—registration starts June 1. Here is the link: DZ½ÁÃÕÖµç×ӿƼ¼ÓÐÏÞ¹«Ë¾
Some of you know that I've spent the last year and couple months as part of Don Giannatti's Project 52 Pros workshop group. I had my final critique from Don yesterday…bittersweet!
Because of work commitments I wasn't able to do all 52 projects…I think it ended up being more like Project 42 for me. And if you were to line up all my finished projects and examine them all together, I think you would be able to tell that I ran out of time about halfway through the year and stopped being as careful and thoughtful as I was at the beginning. Anyway, I think being part of this group has been one of the best things I could have done to improve my photography—it was challenging to complete the assignments, and it was always enlightening to receive Don's critiques. I found myself creating images that were a real stretch for me and that I would never have done without having the assignment.
I'm not going to post all my projects here since there are some real stinkers among them, but I will post many of them (less stinky ones) in a sort of little retrospective, along with the title of the project and/or a brief description.
My Vision Statement
Vision statement by nbanjogal, on Flickr
Still Life with Flowers
Knitting still life by nbanjogal, on Flickr
Entrepreneurial Portrait for a Magazine
Ingredients for a Recipe
Rainbow Salad by nbanjogal, on Flickr
Power
Power by nbanjogal, on Flickr
Portrait of a Musician
20140414-musician-8376 by nbanjogal, on Flickr
CD Cover (Classical)
The assignment was to shoot a CD cover for a string quartet recording of George Crumb's Black Angels (not my favorite piece of music). We were to somehow convey the idea of the music as well as the idea of a quartet or strings. This was my take.
Black Angel by nbanjogal, on Flickr
Air
Big bubble by nbanjogal, on Flickr
Fragrance
20140505-fragrance-0689 by nbanjogal, on Flickr
Studio Portrait
Patient man by nbanjogal, on Flickr
Expressed by Hand
Weaver at the loom by nbanjogal, on Flickr
Recipe Ingredients for an In-Flight Magazine (white background required)
Rustic peach tart by nbanjogal, on Flickr
Let's Go on a Picnic
Let's Go on a Picnic by nbanjogal, on Flickr
What Is Wet?
Show Me Summer
Summer by nbanjogal, on Flickr
Tobacco: Smoke 'Em if You've Got 'Em
Project 52 Pros: Tobacco by nbanjogal, on Flickr
A Period Piece
Project 52 Pros: Period Piece by nbanjogal, on Flickr
A Salon Shoot
The lighting on the scissors for this shoot was some of the trickiest I've done.
Project 52 Pros: Salon Shoot by nbanjogal, on Flickr
Garden/Gardening Tools
In the garden by nbanjogal, on Flickr
Stealth Decryption
Ninja decryption! by nbanjogal, on Flickr
Shoot a Shiny Thing
Mortar and Pestle…and Lemon by nbanjogal, on Flickr
Catalog Shoot
One Red Balloon
One Red Balloon by nbanjogal, on Flickr
Final Project
The final project for Project 52 Pros was to submit a body of 5–10 images of a subject of our choosing. The photos were to be related to each other and to ourselves as a creative photographer. I chose to submit five images from a cookbook I had been hired to shoot.
It was somewhat bittersweet to reach the end of the project and have our final meeting yesterday. I feel like I've learned so much, and I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do next photographically. I have found a new photographic interest in time lapse photography, so I expect to be doing much more of that. It's going to be strange not thinking about photography in terms of fulfilling assignments. If Don offers another Project 52 Pros workshop (he may be done with it), I think I will try to get in again. It has been the single best thing I've ever done to improve my photography.
Some of you know that I've spent the last year and couple months as part of Don Giannatti's Project 52 Pros workshop group. I had my final critique from Don yesterday…bittersweet!
Because of work commitments I wasn't able to do all 52 projects…I think it ended up being more like Project 42 for me. And if you were to line up all my finished projects and examine them all together, I think you would be able to tell that I ran out of time about halfway through the year and stopped being as careful and thoughtful as I was at the beginning. Anyway, I think being part of this group has been one of the best things I could have done to improve my photography—it was challenging to complete the assignments, and it was always enlightening to receive Don's critiques. I found myself creating images that were a real stretch for me and that I would never have done without having the assignment.
I'm not going to post all my projects here since there are some real stinkers among them, but I will post many of them (less stinky ones) in a sort of little retrospective, along with the title of the project and/or a brief description.
My Vision Statement
Vision statement by nbanjogal, on FlickrStill Life with Flowers
Knitting still life by nbanjogal, on FlickrEntrepreneurial Portrait for a Magazine
Ingredients for a Recipe
Rainbow Salad by nbanjogal, on FlickrPower
This was a concept shoot, meaning that we had to use photography to convey an abstract idea. How do you show "power"?
Power by nbanjogal, on FlickrPortrait of a Musician
20140414-musician-8376 by nbanjogal, on FlickrCD Cover (Classical)
The assignment was to shoot a CD cover for a string quartet recording of George Crumb's Black Angels (not my favorite piece of music). We were to somehow convey the idea of the music as well as the idea of a quartet or strings. This was my take.
Black Angel by nbanjogal, on FlickrAir
Another concept shoot. How do you show "air"?
Big bubble by nbanjogal, on FlickrFragrance
20140505-fragrance-0689 by nbanjogal, on FlickrStudio Portrait
Patient man by nbanjogal, on FlickrExpressed by Hand
Weaver at the loom by nbanjogal, on FlickrRecipe Ingredients for an In-Flight Magazine (white background required)
Rustic peach tart by nbanjogal, on FlickrLet's Go on a Picnic
The idea here was to create an ad for an herbal supplement. We were to convey the idea that an older couple felt young again, and they were to somehow be on a picnic.
Let's Go on a Picnic by nbanjogal, on FlickrWhat Is Wet?
Show Me Summer
Summer by nbanjogal, on FlickrTobacco: Smoke 'Em if You've Got 'Em
Project 52 Pros: Tobacco by nbanjogal, on FlickrA Period Piece
Project 52 Pros: Period Piece by nbanjogal, on FlickrA Salon Shoot
The lighting on the scissors for this shoot was some of the trickiest I've done.
Project 52 Pros: Salon Shoot by nbanjogal, on FlickrGarden/Gardening Tools
In the garden by nbanjogal, on FlickrStealth Decryption
Ninja decryption! by nbanjogal, on FlickrShoot a Shiny Thing
Mortar and Pestle…and Lemon by nbanjogal, on FlickrCatalog Shoot
One Red Balloon
One Red Balloon by nbanjogal, on FlickrFinal Project
The final project for Project 52 Pros was to submit a body of 5–10 images of a subject of our choosing. The photos were to be related to each other and to ourselves as a creative photographer. I chose to submit five images from a cookbook I had been hired to shoot.
It was somewhat bittersweet to reach the end of the project and have our final meeting yesterday. I feel like I've learned so much, and I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do next photographically. I have found a new photographic interest in time lapse photography, so I expect to be doing much more of that. It's going to be strange not thinking about photography in terms of fulfilling assignments. If Don offers another Project 52 Pros workshop (he may be done with it), I think I will try to get in again. It has been the single best thing I've ever done to improve my photography.
Congratulations on reaching the end of the project. I recognize that strange feeling when you don't have that deadline hanging over you any more.
A good way forward is to revisit the assignments that didn't turn out like you wanted and do them again, perhaps reinvented if the concept didn't work...
Another good way of pushing yourself is to set a deadline for filling out the gaps in a portfolio for a specific type of photography.