Leaning into Your Strengths

PHOTO CHALLENGE | Create an inspiration board or shot list to plan for our styled shoot. Be ready!

Artist’s have specific strengths, but also unique qualities that define their art and their style. Passion. Creativity. Imagination. Perspective. We often have those things in common, but it’s marching to your own beat that sets you apart. Let’s embrace that for this month’s project and see what we can create.

I don’t want you to think about anything other than what your strengths are, what you enjoy most about photography, about art, and what you can create when fully leaning into expressing yourself with a camera in hand.

What if… you have no subject, no model, no goal or objective. What would you create? What COULD you create? Take note of what you seek out. What is it that you raise your camera to?

“The most complicated skill is to be simple.” - Dejan Stojanovic

The notion of leaning into your strengths is not to create the most incredible photograph ever, it is to assist you developing a plan of action that is sustainable to you as an artist. Lean into your existing skills and interests to support and exercise your strengths.

• Think of something intimate that is indispensable to you.

  • For example: An object, a place, person, a memory, idea, a mood, a feeling, a room or corner of your house. How does it move you? How does it make you feel?

• Go to a place you enjoy.

  • What is it about that place that moves you? What is the mood, tone, or feelings you notice?

• Use inspiration you’ve saved and try to create something like it.

  • How did you feel about that process? Did you learn something new? Did you enjoy it?

  • Notice what you did differently from your inspiration. Do you like it still? Is it something you’d like to do more or change to fit you better somehow?

• Spend time with art.

  • No matter what type of art, spend some time learning about or surrounding yourself with art. Go to the museum, find videos online, or even look through your old photos.

• Practice a different type of art.

  • Think about how our video project impacted your eye for photography. Whether you realize it or not, things change as you develop and learn a new skill. So now is the time to pick up a paintbrush, get crafty, make a collage, sketch something, take a pottery class. What did you like about it? How might that new art renew your relationship with photography?

• Critique.

  • It’s probably been awhile since you’ve dug into your photo archives. Now is the time: Pick photos from year’s past and give yourself a good critique. Look at how far you’ve come. What would you tell your early self about the photographer you are today?