A couple nights ago, Adam and I were talking about photography – specifically, how one finds inspiration as a photographer. It’s so easy to be inspired by travel and new people and experiences…but how do you motivate yourself to search out good photos in more mundane situations?
We remembered (with more than a pinch of nostalgia) that it was something we used to do often as university students in Toronto. We’d pound the pavements hunting for great captures, in a city that had already surrendered most of its secrets to us. So why was it so hard to do that now in Singapore? What had changed?
Suddenly it dawned on me: school assignments! It wasn’t that we were more self-motivated then, it’s that there were projects and deadlines and grades at stake when it came to photography. Our relentless photographic pursuits were spurred not by the proverbial fire in our hearts…but by the one under our butts.
To test my theory, I offered to set Adam a photography assignment. Because what better way is there to kick-start the new year than with a photo-a-day challenge?
In honor of our college photography classes, I’ve tasked Adam with shooting the entire challenge in black and white, and with an actual camera. If you’d like to join in, feel free to shoot in colour or with your phone – this is more about having a reason to take photos and less about how they’re taken. You don’t have to share your photos, but if you’re on instagram and would like to, go ahead and tag them #flpjanphotochallenge so our pics can all hang out.
I hope this helps motivate all you shutterbugs out there who have been meaning to get back into photography for a while. Good luck and happy shooting!
