With spring in the air, it's hard not to feel the urge to get out there and shoot everything that moves. (Or doesn't.) Sometimes as photographers we get so wrapped up in the work side of things that we forget to PLAY and honour ourselves. So this week's dual purpose exercise is specially designed to get you out and about, AND get you geared up for the portraiture workshop.
You've probably heard the term 'lifestyle photography' tossed around a bit. But what IS lifestyle photography? Well, it's the new way of saying 'photojournalism' and a hipper way of offering a 'documentary' or the like. What it is, though, is essentially storytelling through pictures. Studio portraits offer a plethora of options in terms of controlling the setting, lighting, and space, but the story you tell against a backdrop is, by virtue, created as opposed to discovered.
When you venture out to take pictures on location, however, you ultimately have the leisure of watching people interact with their surroundings. Depending on the location, you have a non-static environment. Whether you are in a person's home, at a spot they find particularly beautiful, or a park you've suggested, there is intrinsically a very different dynamic. They often provide clues to the person's "lifestyle" hence why the term is so popular.
This week, I'm going to prohibit the use of people, and ask you to concentrate on making a picture story about YOU using the places and objects around you to show a bit of who you are. Are you a scrap booker? Are you married? Do you have children? Pets? Are you a gardener? Do you go for a daily walk? Read the paper every day? Do you have a favourite coffee shop? I want you to show 5 pictures that reveal a bit about yourself, your family, and your interests without actually showing a single human being.
Looking forward to seeing what you all come up with!!!!
