I think as creatives, it is important to challenge yourself or flex some skills you may not use on a regular basis.
I know I can get very busy with all aspects of running my business. I have a number of subjects I photograph regularly. I look to improve each photography shoot with different angles, lighting set up and point of view. But there are times where I decide to give myself a self assignment to photograph a short story or subject matter I do not usually do on a regular basis. Some photographers create projects that can go for a few months, even a few years. My idea for a self assignment is a bit shorter.
I try to plan a self assignment once a month. Whether it is a magazine submission, portfolio refresher, a potential art show submission, or working out a concept or idea. What time frame that works for you is a starter in this process. Writing down ideas you want to explore, a concept or a cause you are passionate about. Creating an outline will help you before picking up your camera or cellphone. I sometimes journal, read books or watch movies to let my creative side of my brain to think about my ideas and concepts. Walks in nature, viewing gallery shows or exercising also works to point my concepts in a clearer vision. Now these things work for me. You may have an activity or relaxing method that works for you.
I do use my cellphone for some projects as a way to work out ideas I may have or to make note of colors, textures or locations I may want to use later. For editorial submissions, I create a concept board to outline my idea, inspiration and reference images for the creative team. For portfolio refresher, I may have one to two ideas I want to do at an session and really explore those specific ideas. If I want to submit to an art or gallery show, my process takes a little longer to do this. I find that art projects can take longer to explore, change and come together to create a cohesive collection of works. Art show photography needs to tell a story in 10-12 images, with a number of alternate images to have on hand in case a curator asks for more images to view.
For this beauty editorial, I had reference images to send to the creative team. We looked at all reference images before getting started with any hair or makeup. Once we were all on the same page, we dived in to create our beauty fantasy, with hair styles, makeup and lots of fun poses.
Until next time! ©LisaRamsay
