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Photo Project/Essay Ideas: Document Your Own Life, Passions, Hobbies, and Interests!

A fun idea: start a photography project based on your passions or side hobbies!

Gallo Boxing

eric kim center eye photography composition boxing
eric kim center eye photography composition boxing2

For example in 2014, I was living in East Lansing, Michigan (not that much to shoot on the streets) and I was feeling unmotivated in my photography.

I then got an idea:

What if I could photograph my side hobbies, passions, or something I was interested in?

At the time I was quite interested in boxing, so I just literally went to a boxing gym (Gallo boxing in Lansing, Michigan) and asked if I could just hang around and take photos. The manager and the guys there were totally cool with it, and I started to shoot!

Gallo-2
Gallo boxing. Lansing, 2014.
Gallo boxing. Lansing, Michigan 2014
Gallo-10
Gallo boxing. Lansing, Michigan 2014
Gallo boxing. Lansing, Michigan 2014
Gallo boxing. Lansing, Michigan 2014
Gallo boxing. Lansing, Michigan 2014
Gallo-4
Gallo-13

Team Tufunga

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E6D92257-F37B-4751-92AF-991CD31AC114
E1A828B9-A179-49AD-A3BC-ADC454F76C7B
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Another project was when I was really into powerlifting, while living in Berkeley. I went religiously to the local gym in Emeryville (Team Tufunga), and just brought along my RICOH GR II, shot in RAW and applied ERIC KIM MONOCHROME 1600 preset afterwards:

eric kim tufunga
eric kim team tufunga

The takeaway is this:

Identify what your pre-existing hobbies and passions are (besides photography). Then you can choose that to be the topic of your photography project or essay.

Also,

Start a photo project or essay on a subculture you’re interested or curious about! Enter the place with an open mind, and discover the subculture as you’re photographing it!

In other words,

Use the camera as a tool to document your own life, and use it as a tool to empower you to pursue what you’re curious or interested in!

BE BRAZEN,
ERIC

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