The 52 Week Photography and Business Challenge

challenge

Remember when I wrote “Dear New Photographer…” a few months ago? One of the big points I emphasized was valuing your photography and business skills.

Every year, on New Year’s Day, the Internet is swarming with shiny new 52 Week Projects or 365 Week Projects directed specifically to photographers. And don’t get me wrong — I love these projects! The idea behind them is to get people shooting more, and shooting more outside their own comfort zone.

We all know the more you shoot and the more experimental you are with your shots, the more you learn and therefore the more you improve. Hell, the first time I tried a 365 project I saw noticeable improvement in just one week.

Seriously, folks. One week. Not even kidding.

So whether you’re a hobbyist looking for a cute little side project or a pro looking to broaden your shooting your horizons, these projects are a great way to expand your skills in the New Year. However, if you’re a newbie hoping to go pro, there’s also just one little teensy-weensy thing you really, really need to be paying attention to…

Your business skills.

A successful photography business is only partly based on the amazing photos you take. So many truly fantastic photographers fail in business because they don’t have the business skills to go along with their breathtaking images. Knowing how to properly brand yourself, reach out to clients, form relationships with fellow vendors, and price yourself are all business related skills that can make or break you. And those are just the tip of the iceberg…

So this year, don’t settle for improving just your photography, work to improve your business skills too. And since a 52 Week Project is such a practical (and proven) way to improve your photography expertise, why not do the same with the business side of things?

I present to you… The 52 Week Photography AND Business Challenge! (Click the image below for a larger version)

52weekproject

So it’s up to you. If you aren’t looking to use photography as your main source of income, just play with the photo challenges on the left, but if you’re a newbie hoping to go pro this year, have a gander at the the business challenges on the right as well!

If you’d like more details on any of the challenges (yes, they’re vague and open ended on the list), feel free to ask in the comments below or on my personal Facebook page and I’ll gladly offer some clarification and/or pointers.

Let’s make 2015 your best photography year yet!


About the author: Jenna is a fine art and underwater photographer based out of Billings, Montana. After acquiring her Master’s in Psychiatric Rehabilitation, she made a drastic career change into the field of photography where she has been producing surreal images for the past 2 years.

You can find more of her work and words on her website and blog, or by following her on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Flickr.

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