Project 52 by Chris

[MiniChris]

My first response was to have a daily keeper, even though I knew the possibility of that goal worked around my job, homelife, social life (ha-ha-ha), and the grim reality of time, weather and circumstance, probably wasn't going to happen...

So, I am more in a realistic goals mode, with my primary focus for week one to work on pinpoint focus combined with solid composition. To that end, weirdly enough, I found a number of "keepers" in revisiting older work with a different workflow in hand. The first recently won a Mini Comp called "Into My Own." It is already hanging on my wall (got the print back today).

Several of my presentation prints for this week were actually done in the two preceding weeks because this was my a goal I'd set for myself long before I read this thread on CiC and because it was during the Christmas break when I had more time to shoot and PP.

The first two are quite similar in end result, though equally different in subject matter and treatment. The first, "High Tension," was over 60 feet up in a sky that was changing color balance just about as fast as I could compose a shot. The second, "Web Designer," was very small, and very close in very confined quarters. In both, tight focus and concentration on developing the frame to its best presentation was the primary focus.





My second set is an attempt to shoot the "everyday" in a manner that would present it in its best light, regardless of the subject's commonality. In this set, the first is one of those things I mostly despise shooting, the "Statue," because other than hitting the light ok, there's not much creativity in shooting a non-organic "life-form." In this shot, I wanted to make the natural surrounding a part of the scene rather than an obstruction.



The second shot in this set is more about focus, though within a very tight confine, again, as above to make the surrounding area as much a part of the focal point as the chain and lock, itself.



My last image for this week ending Jan 7 was to do something "silly." In this shot, I used a streetlight at 5:30 am to illuminate a tree against the side of my house, and to include myself in the frame. (It was the end of a crappy fog shoot.)

[Mark von Kanel]

These are all very good Chris, think im going to withdraw i had a terrible time today!

[MiniChris]

For every good shot I have in my portfolio, I have a week's worth of crap that not only wasn't so good, it was terrible...but, I keep shooting, taking notes, processing my info, bookmarking it into a shooting guide which is essentially a microsoft word page. Picture at the top, EXIF data, ACR info (screen shots), Screen shot of the entire workflow and notes to myself as what to try the next time a similar scene presents itself.

I would love to tell you I remember all this the next time out (I don't), but I retain enough to significantly change the way I shoot each time out. Learning is a process which requires tons of time, committment and drive.

[Mark von Kanel]

Sorry Chris forgot to put the smily after my comment i was only joking about withdrawing, i have my share of wall hangers and the idea by taking this challenge is to learn new stuff and use all this gear i keep buying, but im finding out that buying it is the easy part!

[Goldcoastgolfer]

Great shots Chris - all very inspiring!

[Nat]

Nice challenge. My favorite of these is the first. I wish I could commit to a photo a week, but I find that would be unrealistic in a busy life. But I will try to follow as many posts as I can, and try to learn as much as I can, and actually try some of the advice!! What I really want to do is carry a notebook about with me (or my laptop) and take down as much info as I can. This I thank you for!!

For every good shot I have in my portfolio, I have a week's worth of crap that not only wasn't so good, it was terrible...but, I keep shooting, taking notes, processing my info, bookmarking it into a shooting guide which is essentially a microsoft word page. Picture at the top, EXIF data, ACR info (screen shots), Screen shot of the entire workflow and notes to myself as what to try the next time a similar scene presents itself.