How I became a pro photographer in 30 days

Are you kidding? That's not really a thing, but this is what really happened.

This June, I challenged myself to try and take better photos, and the results are in, but did I get better? The answer might surprise you as much as it did me.

Make sure to stick to the end because I have an idea that you may be into.

Locks of Love - Cambria, CA

Each month, I am investigating new ways to explore creativity and seeing how they improve my work and life. My challenge for July will be urban sketching; spending as many days as I can sketching the environment around my city. I’ve always wanted to be a better sketcher, but can I make it happen in a single month? Subscribe if you want to see what happens.

Did You Know?

Each Tuesday, I drop a note into the Creative Generalist chat on Substack where you can share something you’ve made/written/shared and you’d like some love from the group to help boost it. A rising tide lifts all boats and I would love for others to support and feel supported. Make sure to check the chat every Tuesday.

I learned things, but not what you might expect

The chances of me being able to dramatically improve my photography skills in only 30 days (and let’s be honest, only a handful of actual shooting days) are close to zero, but I did manage to gain some knowledge.

• I learned that real photographers looking to take legitimate photos plan their opportunities better. They pick their locations better, check for the right time of day to go out, and they definitely make sure their gear is operational

• I learned that it’s best to update my knowledge on picking the right camera settings, and become well acquainted with the operational aspects of the device before I’m in the field.

• Most importantly, I learned that I wasn’t trying to become the next Ansel Adams or Saul Leiter. My job is to be competent enough take photos worthy of using in my work so that I can become the best version of Dave Conrey, the artist.

This past week, I was on vacation with my family in Central California. Considering my original intent for this challenge was taking pictures of urban environments, I definitely put myself in a sticky predicament. There’s really not a lot of urban in Cambria, California, and anything worthy of the grit I look for is usually painted over. I did find this defunct utility box, though. Technically, it’s still painted over, I suppose.

Did I manage a few good photos this month? Absolutely, and I definitely took enough photos to know that it takes dozens (or hundreds) of shots to find even one worthy of being called great, but I don’t really want to be a great photographer.

What I got out of this monthly jaunt is to open my eyes more, see the world, absorb what I find important, cast out what isn’t, and use the things I capture as elements within my work going forward. I’m not taking photos to hang on my wall. I’m taking moments of my life to use for my future work.

Art & Travel - Dave Conrey

Going forward, any of these monthly challenges will be looked at through that lense of discovery—how does what I’m doing add to what I want for my creative work. With that in mind, I’m already looking at July as a new opportunity without any expectations.

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Wild idea I probably won’t pursue, but maybe you should

I keep getting served ads from this account on Instagram called Petrol Post, and the concept is that they sends out snail mail monthly to their paid subscribers, featuring a particular luxury, performance, or exotic vehicle. Every month, a subscriber gets a mini poster a vehicle schematic, stickers, Polaroids (more on that in a moment), and information about the vehicle’s origin and history.

I love this idea, and I think that it could be applied to many different niches (with a huge caveat).

I believe print is beginning to reach a nostalgic tipping point. Perhaps it’s just my feed, but I am seeing more people sharing magazines they’re making, scenes, art, prints, and projects like this one. I’m taking this to me that people are tired of Only living through our digital existence, and they are looking for something more real, tangible; something they can hold in their hand.

A monthly subscription of any of these things would need a certain level of fanaticism behind it. I came up in the automotive magazine world, and so I understand why cars are a big thing for some people. Will subscribers buy into this model forever? Probably not, but they will probably enjoy it for a short period at least, and maybe an extended period, sharing what they have with their other enthusiast friends.

Here are just a few ideas that it came Up with off the top of my head.

• Monthly Lego designs using bricks somebody already has.

• Needlepoint, knitting, macramé, or sewing patterns

• Fantasy sports players of the month mixed with strategies and commentary

• Whiskey/wine/ coffee drinkers blend of the month

• Famous golf courses combined with virtual caddy strategies

• Retro/vintage HiFi stereos, computer tech, or video games

• Anything kids: dinosaurs, heavy, equipment, trucks, vintage dolls, miniature scale, model cars. This one would require you to be careful of intellectual property, but there are workarounds

• Cosplay, LARPing, manga, or anime

• Role-play board or card games like DND, magic, the gathering, etc.

• Any music genre with a fanatical fan base. The hot tip here would be to go indie or underground with the occasional touch on hot artists.

If you are an enthusiast in a category that comes with a certain level of fanaticism where others like you might appreciate a project like this, it’s something to consider. There’s a ton of work involved, And the real money is made in the volume (more subscribers), But even as a labor of love, this could give you and your closest compatriots a little bit of joy.

That leads me to the question, if you were going to tackle a project like this, what niche or genre would you pick?

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if you made it this far, I want to apologize in advance for any typos or weird things that might’ve occurred that don’t read right. I had a critical computer failure, and I had to finish this entire post on my phone, using voice dictate because my fat thumbs are too much to bear in scenarios like that.

Thanks for your patience, and I’ll see you next week.

Dave