I received a text message this weekend:
Hey Steve, as you’re taking photos at the wedding would you be OK with coordinating your suit?
Wait a second, I thought, I don’t remember agreeing to be a wedding photographer.
Wedding photography is something well outside my experience. Obvious questions flashed through my mind: What kind of kit am I lacking? How do I be in all the right places without ever being in the way?
And then there are the questions I don’t even know to ask.
I wanted to do it — to see if I can stretch myself that way.
I wanted nothing to do with it — I’ve never had a desire to be a wedding photographer.
All that was combined, of course, with a big boat load of what the fuck? How am I suddenly in a position to fuck up my friend’s wedding?
It turns out that we’re all safe. They aren’t thinking of me as the wedding photographer, and aren’t depending on me to provide a visual record of what they’re probably viewing as the most important day of their lives. I’m just a friend with a camera who may or may not – but hopefully will – take a good photo or two during the event.
The whole thing got me thinking, though: what am I doing with this photography hobby of mine?
When I first started, I used to do things with my hobby. There were photo events, like the Shoot Experience, which led to creative shots like this:
Or weekends spent with friends shooting campy vampire movies, including a photoshoot, provoking photos like this:
For the past eighteen months, however, variety and creativity have disappeared from my photographs — they now consist almost entirely of the Maggie-a-Day project, and occasional photos from events I attend, where photography is of secondary concern. My photography has grown stagnant.
So it’s time that changed. And here, on the Big Bad Blog, I’m declaring it.
I have set myself two monthly photographic goals:
#1: Improve. Every month, I need to do something for which the aim is to improve my skills as a photographer. A class, a tutorial, a meet-up with other photographers from whom I can learn, reading a book … something.
#2: Create. Every month, I need to purposely create a photograph outside the Maggie-a-day project. This could be combined with my monthly improvement — for instance, most classes or tutorial involve taking photos. It could be a contest entry. It could be something from my own imagination that I try to execute. It could be taking photos at a friend’s wedding. But it must be planned, purposeful photography, rather than simply deciding to include my camera as I head out the front door.
There will be collateral. Looking for new ways to share my photos, and connect with others. More frequent blogs featuring my photography. I’m hoping that it will influence my creative process sufficiently to lead to a (partial?) re-imagining of what I do here at the Big Bad Blog.
Excitement.
Madness.
Good times.
