Three Photo Solution
Photo challenges can often feel like a gimmick, forcing creativity and leaving the challenger mindlessly churning out work they're not happy with. This challenge however, was built with an understanding of these potential pitfalls, aiming to focus on skill acquisition and personal growth.
The Genesis of the Challenge
I’m all about goals and giving myself constraints with photography. Challenging situations can help break bad habits and cause out of the box thinking. With that said, I started this challenge at the beginning of March. I committed to capturing a minimum of three photos every day for two months. Whatever the weather, no matter the location I find myself in, I need to get at least three photos that I’m proud of.
The primary reason I did this was that I have found myself using the excuse “I don’t have enough time to take photos,” which has resulted in me missing photo opportunities. This challenge will have me really focused on maximising my in-between moments for creative photography. So, the camera must come with me everywhere, even on my daily runs.
I had also become complacent with my familiar home locations. I would use excuses like “It's boring here” and “I’m over shooting here,” which were just barriers preventing me from shooting regularly. The result was that I only shot photos when going on big trips away from the familiar, leading to fewer photos overall.
Why 3 Photos Per Day?
This expands on a technique I practice on all my shoots. It’s the bedrock of how I craft a story about a place I’m visiting. Arriving in a new location, my initial aim is to get a wide/establishing shot to set the scene. Then I grab a medium/subject shot, showing who or what is in this location. Finally, I take a detail shot to highlight something unique about set location.
I figured that just like when I’m traveling, I could apply this same documentary mindset to the familiar.
Even if it was more ‘even’ having 3 photos per day for 3 months. Ultimately I felt keeping it to 2 months was enough to avoid burn out and minimise hard drive & cloud storage overhead. Now that I’m finished with the 2-month period, I have some observations and experiences that I think you’ll find interesting.
Observation and Noticing Skills Have Blown Up
One of the most surprising outcomes of this challenge has been how much my observation and noticing skills have improved. It's like I've unlocked an extra dimension to the world around me. Before this challenge, I thought I had a pretty keen eye for detail, but now I realize I was only scratching the surface.
Every day, as I push myself to capture three unique and meaningful photos, I’ve become more attuned to the subtleties of my surroundings. The play of light and shadow, the fleeting expressions on people's faces, the intricate patterns in nature, everything seems to pop out at me in ways I hadn't noticed before. This heightened awareness has not only enhanced my photography but also my daily life. I find myself more present, more engaged, and more appreciative of everyday moments.
Camera Skill Improvement
Another significant benefit of this challenge has been the noticeable improvement in my camera skills. Specifically, I've been focusing on pre-focusing, a technique that I’ve struggled with in the past. Pre-focusing involves anticipating where the action or subject will be and setting the focus in advance. This is particularly useful in street photography and capturing candid moments.
I’ve become quicker and more accurate at predicting where the critical focus point should be, which has led to sharper, more dynamic photos. This skill has not only increased my confidence as a photographer but also my ability to capture those perfect, fleeting moments that might otherwise be missed.
Integrating Photography into My Life
As I mentioned at the beginning, there are a myriad of excuses I make to avoid going out to shoot. Another layer to this is bringing too much gear to ensure I’m ready for anything. This kind of thinking creates more friction in the creative process. A big mirrorless body with a big zoom lens tucked away in the bag causes lots of missed opportunities. This also manifests when you are thinking about going somewhere to shoot—you think to yourself, “What gear do I need to pack?” and eventually, “I couldn’t be bothered to pack.”
The key to integrating photography into my daily life was ditching the honking full-frame setup I’m used to. The Nikon Z7II needed to take a holiday. I had already started shooting with the Fujifilm XT5 and had two small prime lenses for the system. So I was off!
If I went on a walk to the city, I had a small sling bag with me, at most two primes with the camera body. Extending my walks to and from work commitments usually resulted in me just having one prime lens, which was even better. Since I was bringing my lightweight camera everywhere, this also meant bringing it on my morning runs. This was a mini problem I had to solve as having a camera swinging around while running is awkward. I found a small sling that would go over my shoulder that could be strapped down to reduce swinging.
The best thing about having my camera with me on my morning runs was always being ready for those epic sunrise conditions and the best light.
Commitments and Conditions
This all sounds fantastic, doesn’t it? Well, over the 2-month period, I experienced all kinds of weather conditions from epic fire skies, amazing golden light to moody storms. Not only the weather changed but also my life commitments—shit just comes up, from work to family, etc.
Even with having to miss a few days, the weather and time of day no longer became factors that prevented me from shooting. I found it extremely beneficial to push myself to find interesting compositions outside of blue or golden hour.
Conclusion
Overall, this "3 Photos Per Day for 2 Months" challenge has been a great experience. It has resulted in me actually carrying less outside of the challenge period and overall not worrying about if I have the right or wrong lens on me. Whatever the camera, whatever the lens, or weather, if I can’t enjoy the process of photography, then it no longer becomes something worth pursuing.
If you’re looking to take your photography to the next level, I highly recommend setting a similar challenge for yourself. It’s a fantastic way to build discipline, enhance your technical skills, and deepen your appreciation for the world around you.
