{"id":55268,"date":"2018-12-24T06:00:16","date_gmt":"2018-12-24T11:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/?p=55268"},"modified":"2020-02-18T18:06:05","modified_gmt":"2020-02-18T23:06:05","slug":"52-weeks-to-becoming-a-stronger-photographer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/55268\/52-weeks-to-becoming-a-stronger-photographer\/","title":{"rendered":"52 Weeks to Becoming a Stronger Photographer"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_50976\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-50976\" style=\"width: 590px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/IMG_4454-Edit.jpg\" data-lasso-id=\"29525122\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-50976\" src=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/IMG_4454-Edit.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"590\" height=\"738\" srcset=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/IMG_4454-Edit.jpg 600w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/IMG_4454-Edit-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/IMG_4454-Edit-100x125.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 590px) 100vw, 590px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-50976\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">2018 is winding down and as the New Year approaches, consider making a resolution to take on a \u201cProject 52\u201d as a means of growing as a photographer in 2019. This shot was from my 2013 \u201cNew Years\u201d post. \u2013 Photo by Rick Ohnsman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4>The New Year is a time when resolutions are made.&nbsp; What if with a program of weekly \u201cphoto exercise\u201d you could grow your photo skills tremendously by this time next year?&nbsp; That\u2019s the objective of a \u201cProject 52\u201d and you can use such a discipline to get better and better as a photographer.<\/h4>\n<p><em>Seven days without a photo makes one weak!<\/em>&nbsp; Photography is like any other endeavor, it\u2019s <em>practice<\/em> that will improve your skills.&nbsp; <strong>The concept of a \u201cProject 52\u201d is taking on a weekly photo assignment for each of the 52 weeks of the year.<\/strong>&nbsp; I have done this twice now and in both cases, nothing improved my photography as much.<\/p>\n<p>I had heard of others doing such programs, some doing the 52-week exercise, others going for a daily 365 photo-a-day project.&nbsp; I opted against the latter, mainly because I wanted to put more thought into my work.&nbsp; I figured having to do a photo each day would soon have me taking snapshots of my lunch with a cellphone.&nbsp; I wanted quality, well-thought-out photographs, and assignments that would stretch me, forcing me to shoot subjects and try techniques I\u2019d never done before.<\/p>\n<h4>I first did this in 2013 and set some \u201cground rules\u201d before I got started:<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>All assignment&nbsp;photos would have to be shot in the week prior. There would be no raiding my archives for shots.<\/li>\n<li>I would have a week to shoot, edit and post the photo(s).<\/li>\n<li>Each week I would publish the image(s) to an online blog, both displaying the work and writing a commentary on the photos along with the technical details.<\/li>\n<li>I would share the blog with friends, family, and fellow photographers.&nbsp; A big reason for this was to create accountability.&nbsp; I wanted to create expectations by others that they would see my new images each week, without fail.<\/li>\n<li>Posts would be each week, preferably on Sunday evening. Only after the post was made would I choose a new subject with a week to complete it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>I would strongly suggest if you decide to do a Project 52 that you adopt similar rules.<\/h4>\n<p>As with exercise, diet, or other resolutions you might make for the New Year, you want this to be a <em>structured discipline<\/em>, something you will strive to conscientiously complete each week.&nbsp; I thought of it much like I\u2019d handled college courses where assignments needed to be completed and turned in each week, on time.<\/p>\n<p>My <a href=\"https:\/\/truelightphoto.weebly.com\/\" data-lasso-id=\"29525123\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2013 Project 52<\/a> was the first time I tried this.&nbsp; I set up a blog structure using the free version of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weebly.com\/\" data-lasso-id=\"29525124\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Weebly<\/a>, an online web-building and hosting site.&nbsp; I found the tools there well-suited to what I wanted to do and a great way to be able to share the weekly posting with others.&nbsp; I\u2019m sure other such sites would work as well, or perhaps even better, depending on what you want to do.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_50971\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-50971\" style=\"width: 320px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-2-Round-Valley-Schoolhouse-11x14.jpg\" data-lasso-id=\"29525125\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-50971 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-2-Round-Valley-Schoolhouse-11x14.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"320\" height=\"256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-2-Round-Valley-Schoolhouse-11x14.jpg 320w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-2-Round-Valley-Schoolhouse-11x14-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-2-Round-Valley-Schoolhouse-11x14-100x80.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-50971\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Winter &#8211; P52 &#8211; 2013 &#8211; Photo by Rick Ohnsman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_50972\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-50972\" style=\"width: 320px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-13-Spring-Springs.jpg\" data-lasso-id=\"29525126\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-50972 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-13-Spring-Springs.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"320\" height=\"217\" srcset=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-13-Spring-Springs.jpg 320w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-13-Spring-Springs-300x203.jpg 300w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-13-Spring-Springs-100x68.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-50972\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Spring &#8211; P52 &#8211; 2013 &#8211; Photo by Rick Ohnsman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_50985\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-50985\" style=\"width: 301px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/IMG_2748-Edit.jpg\" data-lasso-id=\"29525127\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-50985\" src=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/IMG_2748-Edit.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"301\" height=\"224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/IMG_2748-Edit.jpg 320w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/IMG_2748-Edit-300x223.jpg 300w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/IMG_2748-Edit-100x74.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 301px) 100vw, 301px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-50985\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Assignment &#8211; &#8220;Shoes&#8221; &#8211; Photo by Rick Ohnsman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_50979\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-50979\" style=\"width: 217px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-41-The-Color-Show-Continues.jpg\" data-lasso-id=\"29525128\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-50979\" src=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-41-The-Color-Show-Continues.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"217\" height=\"271\" srcset=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-41-The-Color-Show-Continues.jpg 600w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-41-The-Color-Show-Continues-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-41-The-Color-Show-Continues-100x125.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 217px) 100vw, 217px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-50979\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fall &#8211; P52 &#8211; 2013 &#8211; Photo by Rick Ohnsman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Though such a project could be started at any time of the year, I also liked the idea of starting at the beginning of the year, making it feel even more like a resolution.&nbsp; As for guiding my subject matter, for each assignment, that first year I simply shot whatever caught my eye during the week.&nbsp; As such, I found many of my weekly posts were seasonal in nature; Snow and ice in the winter, flowers and showers in the spring, outdoor activities in the summer, and autumn leaves in the fall.<\/p>\n<h4>As the weeks went on I also decided to try some techniques I\u2019d seen but never photographed.<\/h4>\n<p>For several weeks I explored macro photography in various forms; using extension tubes and reverse-lens macro techniques (<a href=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/50232\/use-old-film-camera-lens-reverse-lens-macro-photos\/\" data-lasso-id=\"29525129\">see my article on that<\/a>). Other opportunities presented themselves and I shot various still-life subjects, did wildlife shots, and tried some bokeh techniques.<\/p>\n<p>One of my favorite weeks came during a hot spell in June when I decided to give \u201cSplash Photography\u201d a try having seen the technique on Youtube.&nbsp;&nbsp; My <a href=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/49616\/a-beginners-guide-to-high-speed-photography\/\" data-lasso-id=\"29525130\">\u201cHigh-Speed Photography\u201d<\/a> article detailed that technique.&nbsp; I made other high-speed shutter captures and in a later week, high-speed flash photos.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_50978\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-50978\" style=\"width: 397px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-28-Electric-Cocktail.jpg\" data-lasso-id=\"29525131\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-50978\" src=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-28-Electric-Cocktail.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"397\" height=\"506\" srcset=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-28-Electric-Cocktail.jpg 600w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-28-Electric-Cocktail-236x300.jpg 236w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-28-Electric-Cocktail-100x127.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 397px) 100vw, 397px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-50978\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A longer exposure and a remote trigger gave me time to make this shot. The image is lit only by the light of the sparkler. &#8211; Photo by Rick Ohnsman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The week when July 4th came along of course I had to play with some fireworks photography.&nbsp; I continued that for a second week trying some longer exposures for some creative still-life shots.&nbsp; Youtube continued to inspire and I tried some water and oil abstracts, and some <a href=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/51409\/smoke-photography-guide\/\" data-lasso-id=\"29525132\">Smoke Photography<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_50984\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-50984\" style=\"width: 244px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-43-A-Halloween-Tale.jpg\" data-lasso-id=\"29525133\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-50984\" src=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-43-A-Halloween-Tale.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"244\" height=\"305\" srcset=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-43-A-Halloween-Tale.jpg 300w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-43-A-Halloween-Tale-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-43-A-Halloween-Tale-100x125.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 244px) 100vw, 244px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-50984\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A little fun with a Halloween theme &#8211; Photo by Rick Ohnsman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Of course, the holidays brought some inspiration too and I did a Halloween week and several weeks of Christmas shots, finally completing my year-long project with a New Years theme.&nbsp; Woo hoo!&nbsp; I\u2019d actually completed the entire 52-week exercise!<\/p>\n<h4>Over the course of the year, the forced discipline of a weekly assignment had much the same effect as a weekly exercise program might have; I felt my \u201cphoto muscles\u201d had grown and I was a stronger photographer as a result.<\/h4>\n<p>I'd tried things I\u2019d never done before, using composition, camera, and lighting techniques that were new to me.&nbsp; Another benefit was that I amassed a nice collection of images, many of which I later printed, shared, entered into contests, and even sold.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_50996\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-50996\" style=\"width: 320px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/20171206_105725-1.jpg\" data-lasso-id=\"29525134\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-50996 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/20171206_105725-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"320\" height=\"274\" srcset=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/20171206_105725-1.jpg 320w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/20171206_105725-1-300x257.jpg 300w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/20171206_105725-1-100x86.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-50996\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">I used the online service MixBook to produce this book from my photos and blog posts of my 2013 Project 52.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In 2014 I gave it a rest for a year, but then in 2015 I decided to take the 2013 Project 52 images as well as the blog narrative and produce a book.&nbsp; I used the online design and publication company <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mixbook.com\/\" data-lasso-id=\"29525135\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mixbook<\/a> who had a nice combination of layout and design tools and also produced a quality book at a nice price.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_50995\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-50995\" style=\"width: 320px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/20171206_110255.jpg\" data-lasso-id=\"29525136\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-50995 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/20171206_110255.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"320\" height=\"161\" srcset=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/20171206_110255.jpg 320w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/20171206_110255-300x151.jpg 300w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/20171206_110255-100x50.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-50995\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">An interior spread in my Project 52 book created with Mixbook.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Lightbox-Cards.jpg\" data-lasso-id=\"29525137\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-50988 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Lightbox-Cards.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"320\" height=\"190\" srcset=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Lightbox-Cards.jpg 320w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Lightbox-Cards-300x178.jpg 300w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Lightbox-Cards-100x59.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/a>As 2016 neared, I began to think about doing another Project 52, but this time with a special card set I\u2019d read about; the <a href=\"https:\/\/lightbox-photography-cards.myshopify.com\/\" data-lasso-id=\"29525138\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lightbox Photography Cards<\/a>.&nbsp; The basic set has 52-cards in the box, each with a subject.&nbsp; I figured they\u2019d be perfect and with 52 cards, exactly in tune with a Project 52.&nbsp; I bought a set, shuffled the deck, and added another rule for this second go around:&nbsp; I would not look at the cards, drawing one off the top of the deck each week with a week to complete the assignment.&nbsp; Only when the assignment was completed and posted would I draw another card.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_50974\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-50974\" style=\"width: 900px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/IMG_5259-Edit-2-Edit.jpg\" data-lasso-id=\"29525139\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-50974 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/IMG_5259-Edit-2-Edit.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"900\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/IMG_5259-Edit-2-Edit.jpg 900w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/IMG_5259-Edit-2-Edit-600x480.jpg 600w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/IMG_5259-Edit-2-Edit-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/IMG_5259-Edit-2-Edit-768x614.jpg 768w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/IMG_5259-Edit-2-Edit-100x80.jpg 100w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/IMG_5259-Edit-2-Edit-864x691.jpg 864w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-50974\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The &#8220;Rainbow Bridge&#8221; is an Idaho landmark and crosses the Payette River on SH55. This was my &#8220;Weather&#8221; assignment for my 2016 Project 52. Photo by Rick Ohnsman.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4>This new spin on doing the Project 52 was much harder.<\/h4>\n<p>For my <a href=\"https:\/\/ricks2016project52.weebly.com\/\" data-lasso-id=\"29525140\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2016 Project 52<\/a>, since I was not picking the subjects, I'd often have to get creative to figure out how to interpret the subject as well as when, where, and how to shoot it.&nbsp; Often, abstract assignments such as \u201cMotion,\u201d \u201cWeather,\u201d or \u201cThe Color Blue\u201d challenged me to decide what to shoot.&nbsp; I often had to scratch my head a bit when I drew cards with subjects like \u201cTrash,\u201d or \u201cCollections.\u201d&nbsp; I also got pushed out of my comfort zone when I had to do \u201cStreet Portraits,\u201d something I\u2019d never tried.&nbsp; I'd also never done a &#8220;Self-Portrait.&#8221;&nbsp; The resulting image from that assignment is the one I'm using as my mugshot in the About the Author section at the end of this article.<\/p>\n<p>Only once did I have to bury a card on the bottom of the deck. When the assignment was \u201cLightning,\u201d&nbsp; I just couldn\u2019t figure out how I was going to summon a storm in the week I had to complete the assignment!&nbsp; Otherwise, I\u2019m proud to say I completed all of the assignments and only a couple of times when other life circumstances intervened was I late making my weekly post.&nbsp; Here's a link to a <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/kiaJPd47PQM\" data-lasso-id=\"29525141\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Youtube slideshow<\/a> made from my 2016 Project 52 images.<\/p>\n<p>I see that since I did that <a href=\"https:\/\/ricks2016project52.weebly.com\/\" data-lasso-id=\"29525142\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2016 Project 52<\/a>, Lightbox has added several new card sets.&nbsp; In addition to the 52-card <a href=\"https:\/\/lightbox-photography-cards.myshopify.com\/products\/lightbox-photography-cards\" data-lasso-id=\"29525143\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Original Set<\/a> I used, there now is a <a href=\"https:\/\/lightbox-photography-cards.myshopify.com\/products\/lightbox-photography-cards-mobile-edition\" data-lasso-id=\"29525144\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mobile Edition<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lightbox-photography-cards.myshopify.com\/products\/lightbox-photography-cards-wedding-edition\" data-lasso-id=\"29525145\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wedding Edition<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/lightbox-photography-cards.myshopify.com\/products\/lightbox-photography-cards-macro-edition-pre-order\" data-lasso-id=\"29525146\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Macro Edition<\/a>. Each is $10.00 or there are two-set combo packs for $18.00.&nbsp; The price is cheap enough, it\u2019s the work and commitment that will come a bit harder!<\/p>\n<h4>So if you\u2019re looking for a way to become a better photographer in 2019 and are willing to make a serious one-year commitment, I heartily endorse taking on a Project 52.&nbsp; Set your own ground rules that fit your lifestyle and make that resolution!&nbsp; Let me know if you decide to do it.&nbsp; &nbsp;I\u2019d love to see links to your blog sites or to posted images of your work in the comments.&nbsp; Here\u2019s to a bright, prosperous, joyous, and photo-filled New Year!<a href=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-48-Holiday-Lights-Village-at-Meridian-2.jpg\" data-lasso-id=\"29525147\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-50993\" src=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-48-Holiday-Lights-Village-at-Meridian-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"900\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-48-Holiday-Lights-Village-at-Meridian-2.jpg 900w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-48-Holiday-Lights-Village-at-Meridian-2-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-48-Holiday-Lights-Village-at-Meridian-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-48-Holiday-Lights-Village-at-Meridian-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-48-Holiday-Lights-Village-at-Meridian-2-100x67.jpg 100w, https:\/\/improvephotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Week-48-Holiday-Lights-Village-at-Meridian-2-864x576.jpg 864w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/a><\/h4>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The New Year is a time when resolutions are made.&nbsp; What if with a program of weekly \u201cphoto exercise\u201d you [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2845,"featured_media":60463,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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