CREATIVE 52
WEEKLY PROJECTS TO INVIGORATE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY PORTFOLIO
LINDSAY ADLER
CREATIVE 52: WEEKLY PROJECTS TO INVIGORATE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY PORTFOLIO
Lindsay Adler
PEACHPIT PRESS
www.peachpit.com
To report errors, please send a note to
Peachpit Press is a division of Pearson Education.
Copyright 2014 Lindsay Adler Photography
Project Editor: Valerie Witte
Production Editor: Katerina Malone
Copy Editor: Scout Festa
Proofreader: Erin H. Heath
Composition: WolfsonDesign
Indexer: James Minkin
Cover Photo: Lindsay Adler
Cover and Interior Design: Mimi Heft
Notice of Rights
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For information on getting permission for reprints and excerpts, contact .
Notice of Liability
The information in this book is distributed on an As Is basis, without warranty. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of the book, neither the author nor Peachpit shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the instructions contained in this book or by the computer software and hardware products described in it.
Trademarks
Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book, and Peachpit was aware of a trademark claim, the designations appear as requested by the owner of the trademark. All other product names and services identified throughout this book are used in editorial fashion only and for the benefit of such companies with no intention of infringement of the trademark. No such use, or the use of any trade name, is intended to convey endorsement or other affiliation with this book.
ISBN-13: 978-0-321-93491-8
ISBN-10: 0-321-93491-1
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed and bound in the United States of America
Dedication
To everyone that knows the only way to live is for your passion. And for all our friends and family who support us in our pursuits.
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, thank you to the lovely women who made this book possible: Valerie Witte and Scout Festa. I know that at times my words were jumbled and I was sometimes lax with deadlines, but I truly feel that the book was worth it and that we produced something beautiful together!
I never get to thank you two enough, Mom and Dad. You have always been my safety net in case I should ever fail in my pursuits and grand schemes. And even now, you help me secure my success and grow in it. You help me grow, even though Im already grown. Thank you for being the most stable and supportive forces in my life.
The very idea for this book would not have existed without Lila Purdy. Thank you for inspiring me to work on this project, and for being a great person to bounce ideas off of. You deserve all the health and wealth in the world. Youve inspired me to inspire others.
Jeff Rojas, youve been a great partner over the last year. Thanks for having my back no matter what crazy adventures I go on or outrageous pursuits I have. It eases my mind to know Ive got a reliable partner who wants to see me grow, and grow with me.
Thank you to my creative team. My work has grown exponentially since Ive been able to team up with such incredibly talented individuals. Much of the work in this book would not exist if you had not inspired me, guided me, or aided me in making images that arent just photosthey are art. In particular, Griselle and LSC, you women are incredible role modelstalented and driven and able to conquer any barriers that come your way. Thanks for being a great team!
Table of Contents
Introduction
My Story: Getting Started
I was lucky enough to find my passion in life at an early age. I discovered photography around age 12, and Ive been hooked ever since. Photography is not just a hobby or job to me. Photography has always been an integral part of who I am.
When I was young, my mother instilled in me a very important lesson she had learned. She explained that you never want to spend every day of your life working simply to earn money to afford to do what you love. Instead, do what you love in life every day. If you are passionate about something and lucky enough to find that passion, make it your life and job. If you are passionate enough and work hard enough, you can make a life out of that passion. My mother had not found this passion early in life, and her greatest wish for me was that I have the fulfillment of doing something I love.
With my parents support, I devoured education in my teens by attending conferences and seminars and taking workshops. I started my portrait and wedding business when I was 15, and it grew into a real studio. Very quickly, however, I fell into a routine. I knew what my clients wanted and expected, so many shoots were formulaic. Everybody got the same poses and the same light, and I began to get too comfortable. I was only shooting paid work, and my portfolio remained stagnant. I found what was safe and stuck with it.
In college I discovered a more creative realm of photography: fashion. I fell in love with the elegance and creative freedom I saw in the works of masters like Irving Penn, Albert Watson, Herb Ritts, Helmut Newton, and dozens of others. It was the first time I had ever really exposed myself to the work of other photographers, let alone photographers considered masters of their craft. Their work inspired me endlesslytheir poses, their light, their styling, the emotion they conveyed, and the timeless beauty they shared in their images. I began spending hours in the studio each week just experimenting and trying to re-create their light or emulate their style. These trials and errors were the greatest lessons I could have offered myself.
Why I Wrote This Book
After college I moved to London to pursue a career in fashion photography. While working at a studio, I built a portfolio of beautiful women wearing beautiful clothing in beautiful locations. The shots were technically strong, well composed, and well executed by most standards. I remembered all that I had learned in photography classes, books, PPA meetings, and established professionals.
Id been living there less than a year when I got a meeting with an editor of a magazine Id admired for some time. I excitedly gathered my print portfolio and traveled across London that winter day, eager for an opportunity to work with this publication. To me, this had to mean my big break, the real start of my career and success.
I remember sitting in his office as he quietly flipped through the pages of the portfolio I had poured my heart and soul into. When he finished, he quietly shut the book, turned it over, and pushed it across the table toward me.
I would start again, he said with a blank look on his face. I stared at him, searching for meaning in his words. He wanted to look at the portfolio again? He wanted to start the meeting again? Then it hit me: I should start my portfolio again. Start from scratch. My love and passion in life wasnt good enough.