You Don't Always Need a Plan

Image taken with a Olympus Trip 35 and Cinestill 50d film.

As you may have seen, I am currently over halfway through my 365 day photo project. It may not seem like much of a feat, or even all that difficult, but I can assure you it takes a toll.

My original goal was simple. Take a photograph every single day, edit it, and post it. Life, however, has a way of getting in the way. There have been days where I've been traveling, working, or simply run out of time. On those days I've occasionally revisited older photographs, giving them a fresh edit so I could stay on track.

One of the questions I hear most often from people starting photography is, "What do I photograph? Where do I even begin?"

The truth is, most days I don't set out with a photograph already in mind.

Lately, my mornings have consisted of taking a walk with my children while bringing my camera along, or going for a short drive just to see what I can find. More often than not, something catches my attention. It might be interesting light, an old building, an insect, or something so ordinary that it makes me wonder if I can turn it into an interesting photograph.

I've found that this does more than help me create images. It changes the way I look at the world.

It forces me to notice things I probably would have walked right past a few years ago.

That flower sitting on the table every morning may not seem like much. But with soft directional light and the right perspective, it can become a beautiful fine art photograph. An old car in a field becomes more than an old car. A bee hovering beside a sunflower becomes something worth watching. Even an empty road can tell a story if you take the time to look.

Not every outing ends with a photograph I'm proud of, and that's okay.

Sometimes the goal isn't to come home with the perfect image. Sometimes it's simply to stay curious.

Ironically, the photographs I end up liking the most are usually the ones I never planned to take.