The ABC Project

November 2013

A few weeks ago, I went out trick-or-treating with my 3-year-old nephew. Such fun. At one point while we were walking in between houses, Jack started singing the alphabet song. I couldn’t believe how well he recited all of the letters, their, order, and their pronunciation. It was quite clear Jack had worked hard at school and at home practicing his ABCs.

So what does my nephew learning his ABCs have to do with photography? Well, it was 1 year ago that I attended my first photography workshop with Tim Cooper and the Rocky Mountain School of Photography. In many ways, that workshop was like the first day of school for me, and for this past year, I’ve been working hard learning and practicing the ABCs of photography.

Reading books. Watching countless numbers of online tutorials. Venturing out before sunrise and staying out after dark. Attending workshops and seminars. Finding an online community of photographers, friends, and family willing to offer words of encouragement and advice.

As I reflect on the past year, I can honestly say that the time spent exploring and practicing has paid off. If you put in the hours and the effort, you will get better. I also find it very apropos that I ended the first year of my photographic journey by participating in an ABC Project.

For 26 days in October, I shot and posted one new photograph per day—one for each letter of the alphabet. It was a fun and engaging project that forced me to think outside the box and plan on getting the shots. Here is the resulting collection of photos.

I still have a long way to go on this journey that I’ve started. There is a lot to learn, see, and do. But for now, however, I can say that I’ve learned my photography ABCs. I’ve even started to formulate some words. With these building blocks, the future is full of promise and possibilities!