52 Portraits
December 31, 2013 | ∞ 
As I mentioned previously, I am embarking on the ambitious goal of shooting, editing, and posting a collection of 52 portraits in 2014 – one every week for the entire year. While the parameters of the project may morph as the year progresses, I thought it would be good to describe what I’m hoping to achieve in more detail here:
- The most important criteria is this is a portrait project. That means people — not animals, not inanimate objects. I envision this project to focus mostly on images of individuals but the scope could expand to include couples or pairs.
- I am hoping to not include any duplicate subjects. That is, this won’t be a collection of 52 images of my children. My goal is to end the year with 52 portraits of 52 different people.
- This is not a collection of snapshots. I want this to be a project filled with carefully considered and well executed photographs not the images of happy coincidences.
- I want these images to tell something of their subjects. While technical quality is something I highly value, I want these portraits to convey the character of the person within. How this ineffable quality is captured will likely vary quite a bit — from the subtlety of expression and lighting to the obviousness of props and locations. This is not an easy goal to achieve so I hope to stretch and grow a lot as I strive to find the essence of the people I photograph.
As I wrote at the top, I am not overly tied to these parameters. If the project starts taking me down a different path, I am interested in following it. The most important aspect, in my opinion, is that I add weekly to a related collection of images that will work as a cohesive whole at the end of the year.
So that is my part. Now comes the part where you can help me out. Portraits necessarily need people for subjects and I need volunteers. If you live in the Sacramento/Placerville region of Northern California and are interested in having me take your picture, please get in touch. I’m hoping that the shooting only takes up to an hour of your time, most likely on the weekend. As I mentioned above, I’m interested in individuals but could expand to pairs or even small groups. Also, if you have a concept you are interested in, get in touch. I’ll be sharing full resolution files with those who help me out for whatever personal use might be desired. So perhaps you want a cool Facebook profile picture. Or a new shot for your resume. Or maybe just want to have a nice picture that reflects you. If you are interested, I’d really appreciate the help and I’m confident we can make something great together.
I’m very excited and a little nervous to embark on this project. I know that the time demands will sometimes be difficult to meet but I’m confident that the end result will be worth the investment. Wish me luck, volunteer to be the subject, and check back here to see the weekly update!
Reader Comments (1)
Looking forward to viewing your project as it morphs and grows this year! Happy New YEAR