Hope everyone had a safe and happy new year. I know I did. As far as New Years resolutions go I am not very big on creating them nor good at keeping them. However, this year I have decided to try something new (to benefit my art and my sanity). New Years eve I came upon an article on one of my favorite photography blogs I follow http://www.thephoblographer.com and they had posted a list of photo challenges to enlighten and inspire for the upcoming year. Most of the time when I read things like this I am like that's nice for the amatuer/ stay at home mom photographer who needs something to do but I have actual photo assignments and work to be done. But then I thought "man Jeanine, kick the ego back a notch" maybe that is exactly what I need after all is some form of focus other than this book and commercial work.Point being I decided New Year's day that I am going to put my ego aside and step up to a 52 week challenge( which is a photo a week) suggested by thephoblographer. The challenge I chose is to photograph a cup of coffee once a week for a full year. And not just my coffee mug on the desk or a coffee cup on the counter but to really push my creative boundaries to another level. Some of you may say well that's easy enough especially since I drink coffee ritually everyday. But as simple as it may seem when my busier months arrive or the weeks tic by and I start to get a little bored, then the real challenge begins.Yesterday was my first coffee cup photo, and it wasn't bad for a first start. Actually right after I took the photo with my iphone I noticed the lighting in my kitchen window was gorgeous. So it prompted me to pick up my 35mm Nikon FE film camera and to shoot a handful of photos of the cup at different angles plus a few other images of the ice and snow on the trees outside. In all honesty, I think this project is going to be good for me and my photography. It's hard when you do what you love for a living to sometimes step back take a moment and just have fun with it. The day to day business side of this lifestyle can be come overwhelming and kill your imaginative vibe if you're not careful. I vow this year 2014 to not let my profession overtake my creativity and to find a happy medium between work and play. Here is a link to the challenge article I talked about. http://www.thephoblographer.com/2013/12/31/5-photographychallenges-new-year/What are some of your challenges for 2014 write them in the comments below.
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