POTW: Year 2 In Review

104 weeks of Photo of the Week are officially under my belt.  Wow!  There have been other projects I’ve started (and let fall by the wayside) but this is one I’ve managed to stick to.  After this second year (and by year, I count the number of weeks rather than following a date on the calendar, so 52 weeks=1 year) I’m especially glad I’ve stuck with this project so long.  Actually, for me, POTW has morphed into my regular practice time with photography.  I liken it to the way a musician devotes regular and frequent time to practice their instrument.  If you’ve ever put your camera down for a period of time you may have noticed you felt a bit rusty once you picked it up again.  Using my camera on a regular basis not only keeps the “dust” off the skills I’ve learned, but it gives me the opportunity to add skills and stretch my creative muscles.

What I’ve Learned

This past year I played around with a few different techniques, but one in particular (adding and blending textures to my photos) became my favorite.  As you look at the photos I’ve done over the past year, you’ll notice early on I began adding these textures to my photos.  As the year progressed I rarely did a Photo of the Week without texture.  I have learned so much over the months within this technique and how to apply it with a more polished look.  I started out loving the look of a technique and deciding I’d learn how to do it, which in turn taught me new skills in digital editing.  In addition, the subjects and how I chose to shoot them expanded my skills in working with still life photography in a natural light studio setting.

I’ve put together a visual review of all the photos I’ve done for Year 2.  The number represents the week it showed up in the feature here on my blog.  (Each group of photos can be viewed larger by clicking on it.)

 

I cannot wait to see what the next year of “practice” will bring me and my photography.  Though the main purpose of this project has been about keeping the creative momentum going rather than focusing on producing only top-notch images, I have found that my regular practice has led me to consistently create images I proudly add to my working portfolios.  In fact, the show I had last month included over 50 new images I could say were a direct result of working with Photo of the Week.  Boy, if that’s what two full years of this project has done for my photography, bring on year 3!

So, does this make you want to join in Photo of the Week?  Everyone is welcome to join in – you don’t have to be a professional to benefit from this project.  You just have to want to see what keeping your creative momentum going can do for you.  If you’re ready to take on that challenge, I’d love to have you along.  Simply read the guidelines to find out how to submit your photo for next time.

Until next time, have fun shooting!