My 365 project is over and I want to jot down my own personal lessons learned from this project.

If you are just tuning in here is a brief recap: Every year I decide on a personal photo project.  Shooting for myself helps me keep my creative spirit alive and open.  For 2011, I chose a 365 project: to shoot a photo every day for a year.  I tried to keep it simple and easy – did not matter what kind of camera or what the subject was just to shoot one photo every day no matter what.

I did not plan it this way but it seems appropriate that I ended up with 12 thoughts, confessions, personal lessons learned, and tidbits of advice for anyone else attempting a 365 photo project.

1. This was way harder than I anticipated. When I started this project I honestly thought “how hard could this be”?  After about two months I realized it was going to be a long year.   I knew I would get bored and that some of the day’s images would be complete crap, but I did not expect my perfectionist ways to bolster my already resistant tendencies.  Some days it would be 9:00pm before I realized I had not shot that day and would scramble to find something, anything that was interesting.  Often it was not.
2. It’s OK to take a break.  In the middle of the summer I stopped.  Not really sure why but I did.  There is a three week gap in my photos in July somewhere.  I needed that break.  When I picked the camera back up I was able to approach it differently and without as much angst and anxiety over this project.  Sometime you fall down and its not necessarily a failure you just needed a break or to change course.
3. Some days I cheated.  I’m not proud of this fact.  But I also recognize that this is reality of my busy life.  I always had a plan to shoot and sometimes even an idea to shoot, but somehow between two kids, a husband, my business, boot camp, the house, the laundry, my husband’s businesses, the dog, our social life, the kid’s social life, the hockey games, volunteering at the school, cooking dinner, etc…the day would just escape me.  That’s my life; it’s busy and messy and often “the plan” falls off the track.
4. Figure out a way to count down the days.  Which clearly I did not do.  And clearly I can’t count, add, or subtract.  Of course it did not help that midway through I changed the way I recoded each day on my blog and internally on my computer (DOH!). However, I did discover (way too late) that Google calender has a function that shows you the day in relation to the 365 days of the year aptly called “Day of the Year”. I recommend using it or something to help you know where, in the year, you are.  And also figure out a way to store and record your image files by date on the computer…especially if you are math “challenged” like me
5. My kids HATE my camera.  Maybe it is their ages, maybe they are sick of having it shoved in their face, or maybe they would rather just have me be present in their lives without trying to record every waking moment. I hope that now the year is over and I’m not trying to “shoot for my project” and we take a break they will get over it.
6. I cant create awesomeness every day.  There were some days that I was hit by creative lightening, and others where my creative streak was no where to be found.  And its normal.
7. I know my camera like the back of my hand.  I knew this would be the added extra bonus of this project and I was right.  My camera was relatively new when I started this project.   I learned how my camera functions in all sorts of conditions, what its limitations are and how to make it sing.
8. Having a journal of ideas would have helped.  I thought I would be clever and creative enough to always find something.  But now looking back if I had jotted down ideas for the days when I was too exhausted to think it might have helped me when I felt totally and completely uninspired.  I suggest anyone attempting this kind of project to spend some time coming up with projects, ideas, or exercises when one does not present itself naturally.  That way you have something to fall back on.
9. I need to shoot more film.  Film is like the creative outlet I did not know I missed until I started shooting it again.  Shooting film is not the hard part, affording it is. So I am making a conscious effort to shoot more film, finding a way to afford it and to integrate it into everything I do.  It is so rewarding and so beautiful and so different.
10. My iPhone opened an unexpected door.  I love my iPhone camera. The latest version of the iPhone has as many mega-pixels as my very first DSLR I bought 7 years ago – which kind of blows my mind.  I have heard the argument that there is no art in iPhone photography but I disagree.  I view it as yet another tool in my bag to help me hone my vision.  Sometime when you strip away all the gear and the fancy gadgets it forces you to really look and really think.  I defiantly used it as a crutch when I had nothing else.  But I also know that it helped me see things I would not have seen if I had been using my big fancy expensive camera.
11. I need to lean into my discomfort more often.  I think this is the hardest lesson I am still working on and in every part of my my life not just my photography.  I notice when I lean into the uncomfortable spaces and the uncertainly – that is where the really good stuff is hiding.  Someone once said greatness is often on the edge of destruction.  I need to remember that when I feel discouraged and broken. Getting uncomfortable forces you to take risks and push past the familiar, the easy, and your comfort zones and often produces a great result and/or a great lesson.
12. Sometimes the journey IS the destination.  When I started this project I assumed that I would end it with some great work for my portfolio that was definitive of my style.  And maybe even hone my style more than I already have.  Looking back through my images, I can’t say the work I produced was stellar by any means.  There is some good stuff and a lot of work that is just “MEH”.  As the months were winding down, I’ll admit I started to panic.  Was this whole year a waste of my time and effort?  And then it hit me.  It was never about the work itself, it was always about the journey.   I needed the lesson of slogging through the trenches of mediocrity so I can come out the other side, hopefully better.  I do this because it feeds my soul unlike anything else. And this journey I am on is fantastic. I love it.  Already it has given me so much and I cant wait to see what else it will bring.  I feel so blessed that I get to do what I love.

It has been an interesting year, both personally and professionally.  As I get older (and hopefully wiser) I have noticed how more in tune with my gut and my senses I have become.  I am noticing that when I listen to my gut it rarely leads me in the wrong direction.  So I’m tuning in and listening to what I think are my next steps and the next photo project. Lots of new clients and new projects are on the horizon and I am really excited for the year ahead.  Cant wait to see what it will bring me.

If you are still reading…thanks for sticking it out and wading through it with me. I would love to hear your thoughts about what you liked, didn’t like, or anything else!!

I think the story of how we became dog owners again speaks volumes about how we operate as a family.

Eli needed a dog.  Being the second kid he rarely gets anything he wants.  Sad to say but sometimes that is the reality of a second kid.  So we decided after 6 years of being without a dog we would start the process of looking for just the right dog to fit our family, for Eli.

It began at Spring Break 2009.  The kids were off and we had no plans.  What better way to keep two kids occupied over Spring Break than look for a family dog.  We knew we did not want a puppy and that we wanted to rescue a dog.   So being the ultimate researcher, I set off to find every rescue group,  shelter, and dog adoption event I could find happening the week around break.

The very first event was at the PETCO in Cleveland Park.  As we parked the car and walked down the street to the the store,  we specifically told the kids “we are just looking,  we don’t want to rush it, we want to make sure we find the best dog for us.  Chances are we wont see a dog that we like right away.”

Yeah right.

Matty Matt walks in, sees Brie, makes a makes a beeline for her and announces “this is my dog.”  The kids and I were doing our part to live up to our end of the bargain.  We blew him off, we walked around and talked to rescue group, asked about their process, and tried to get a feel for the other dogs.  Matt stood by Brie and would barley even look at another dog.

Turns out he was right.  She was the dog for us.

This dog is quirky and nutty, but I think we all like her that way.

I have been on a little mission to document all the things that make her, well her.  Here is a quick little slideshow of out nutty, quirky, family dog we call “Brie”

6E9U3848_0493 6E9U3993_0639 6E9U4045_0888 IMG_2418_0027 IMG_2421_0030 IMG_2729_0379 IMG_2815_0431 IMG_4355_0151 brie2 brie1 IMG_2442_0081 IMG_4367_0163 IMG_3314 IMG_5119_0753 IMG_5101_0735 IMG_5110_0744

FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS:

If you are a photographer, this slideshow is one of the awesome new things you can create with a ProPhoto3 Blog theme by NetRivet.  They just released the new version today.  I was lucky, once again, to be chosen to beta test this theme.  And, once again, the NetRivet team has created an amazing theme that is really geared just for photographers.   I am still discovering all the things it can do but my favorite so far is a built-in way to display multiple images and the sliding sidebars on the left.  This theme is incredibly dynamic and allows you customize your blog in a million different ways. But check out all that is new in ProPhoto3 here.

I love my ProPhoto Blog mainly because I feel I was able to create a exactly the blog I envisioned without needing to know a lot about code, style-sheets, or plug-ins.  And I was able to do it in no time at all.

And if you want a little discount…use my code EWEISS232 for $10 off the purchase price.

As always I am happy to answer questions and help out other photographers in any way that I can, so shoot me an email or leave a comment.  Love to hear what you think!

For all you photographers out there who are visiting my site via the ProPhoto2 Blog page…

First, I want to say that the Jared’s new theme ROCKS!!  I started with ProPhoto 1 and was a beta tester for ProPhoto2…and he really has out done himself.   ProPhoto2 is so user friendly, easy, and you really don’t need to know a thing about code, CSS stylesheets, plugins, or widgets.  It is all built right in.

Second, I did not realize that as a beta tester for his theme,  I would get a discount code to pass along AND that I would receive a little “kick back” from those that used my discount code.  So that was a nice Holiday surprise.  And seeing as it is the season of giving, and Giving is Awesome...I want to give a little “kick back” to my local community.   I like to keep my donations in my community,  just like the work I have done for Girls on the Run, it makes me feel like a better community citizen and a better human being.

If you use discount code EWEISS232 to purchase ProPhoto2, I will donate any monies I get in return to my favorite local charity Bright Beginnings Child Development Center.  Bright Beginnings provides free, safe, and developmentally appropriate child care to children in homeless families in Washington, DC.  Bright Beginnings serves about 186 children annually whose families are living in crisis shelters or transitional housing. Bright Beginnings takes a holistic approach to meeting the special needs of homeless families with young children and has developed a comprehensive program to include educational, therapeutic and family support services.

So make you life easier…get ProPhoto2, help homeless children get quality childcare, and use my code!

And if you have any questions…feel free to email me or leave me some blog love!

My goal in all my sessions is for each client to walk away with a ready to hang custom piece featuring the photographs from our session.  The photographs of your children and your family should speak for themselves.   I want what you hang in your home to as unique and interesting as the the subjects…your kids!

Here is another great new product I am adding to my product line… a Float Mount Print. Your photograph is printed on metallic paper then mounted on wood  that is finished with a thin black beveled edge.  A 1/2 inch small box is adhered to the back which makes you print appear to float off the wall.   It arrives with ready to hang hardware, no additional framing is necessary.  Float mounts are a great way to display your photographs without the cost and hassle of custom framing.

As always I bring samples with me to every session so you can see up close what everything looks like. But here are a few images so you can get an idea of what they are like:

I am beta testing a new theme for my blog.  So it might be a bit wiggy for a couple of weeks as we find all the bugs and issues.

Hope to have smooth sailing soon.  Let me know if you see anything weird!

This summer I spent time researching new products that are modern and cost effective for clients.   I now offer high resolution digital file JPEGs for all my sessions.  But I want my clients to walk home with a unique custom art piece featuring the photographs from our session.

Now, every new product that I offer is ready to hang or ready to display art piece.  No additional framing is necessary, which saves you money and time.

First new item: Storyboards.

My storyboards are now a modern and cost-effective way to present your images as a finished piece and display them without the additional time and cost of traditional framing and matting.   All my storyboards are a 10×20 print that contain 2 to 5 photographs from our session that tell a “story”.  They are a ready to hang flush mount print.  The print is sealed with a durable transparent laminate, then heat-fused to a densely engineered substrate board.  The edges are flush to the wall and finished with a 3/4 inch bevel.   A keyhole opening is provided on the back, making it easy to hang and self-leveling.   These are really a conversation piece…and are a great way to display multiple images from a session.

As always, I brings samples of all my products with me to every shoot so you can see what one looks like up close.  These are included in every CD collection I offer.

First here is the original set of photographs laid out as a story…my nephew Hank at the Beach this summer with his bucket…he is some kind of cute!

And here is the finished product.  Forgive my bad “product photography” here.  This was shot in my office against a folding chair.

And here are the side and back views.

My kids are into sleep over these days. Something magical about having a friend come and spend the night, stay up late giggling and playing. It is quite wonderful to watch. As a child I do not remember having sleep overs with my friends that often, so it it fascinating to watch it through adult eyes. Recently my son had a friend come for a sleep over, and with him came another special friend; a 90lb golden-doodle the size of a small pony otherwise known as Milo.

I have mentioned before that I stalk a bunch of other photographer’s blogs for inspiration. One of my new favorites is Anna Kuperberg out of San Francisco. She has this great site called Slobberspace, where she posts about her dog portraits. If you are into dogs you have to check this site out, it is fantastic. She captures the essence and spirit of dogs in her images like I have never seen. She also is a kick ass wedding and lifestyle photographer too, and she would be on my top 5 list of who I would call to shoot my family.

So when Milo came for a sleep over, all I could think about is how I could capture Milo, ala Anna Kuperberg. Not that I could ever compare to her, but after poring over her work I really got inspired to try something new and shoot something different, and just shake it up. She does some amazing stuff with a 24 mm lens. I shot almost all of these with my 24-70 and tried to stay at 24mm. Really made me look at stuff in a whole new way.

Meet Milo

Milo

So If you are a regular to my little world and if you have been paying attention… you might notice that I have a new blog. I had spent many a late night trying to manipulate my previous blog theme, and could not create the look I wanted. So I broke down and bought this one. Within a manner of 30 minutes, I was able to customize it. Still working on a few things…but so far I have to say it was money well spent. Only wish I had done it sooner. And I can display some nice big honking images too.

So I cant end a blog post without some images. Here are some personal images I have been working on.I have been trying to “embrace the grain” recently. In my old film days I loved grain. With digital, there is a tendency to smooth out a image by reducing the noise. But recently I am liking the noise, especially in my black and whites. Adds to the over all feel of an image.

I had this idea of creating a unique Valentine for the boys to pass out at school and skip the Spiderman/Power Ranger/Superhero mass marketed tacky valentines. Now don’t get me wrong…we are very good American consumers and buy our fair share of mass marketed character “stuff”. Evey year I draw the line somewhere. This year I drew it at Valentine’s cards.

In an effort to do something creative…I turned to the internet. I mean I have boys, they are not going to hold up hearts or signs that say “Love You” for more than three seconds without destroying them. So I cruise other photographer web sites I for inspiration and ideas. Here is the idea I completely stole from another photographer.

And here is a picture of the finished product. If anyone wants to know how I “technically” did this…leave me comment and I promise to answer!

This past weekend I had the honor of hostessing a photography workshop led by Skye Hardwick and hanging out with 25 other talented photographers who are just as passionate and excited about photography as I am. How fun is it when you find 25 other people who want to talk shop and never get that glazed look in their eyes?

I learned a lot about finding my style, and got some good tips on how to mange and run my business. I asked some friends to lend their kids out as models for all of us photograph. They all were the perfect models…cooperative, easy going, and up for anything. Even Cal and Eli got into it.

I did not get as much shooting time since I was trying to manage the paparazzi but I did mange to get off a few images.

Skye with Cal and Eli…I am so excited to have images of them, since they NEVER pose for me anymore
And “miss happy”. Never saw a child so happy to be photographed…I know it freaked her mom out quite a bit.