Washington DC Photographer: Bret Littlehales: July 2011

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

POTD Ruminations

I reached the six month mark of the POTD's on July 17th with the picture of the Philadelphia streetcar or "Stop Stop" as I like to call it, so I thought I'd share some of my thoughts with those of you who follow this blog.

It's impossible for me to actually shoot a decent POTD every day. I've tried it and I can't do it. On days that I'm shooting a paid assignment (on those rare days) I can't really show an outtake from that, as those photos belong to the client and not to me. Some days I don't have time to shoot, some days I don't feel like it, and some days the thought of going to the same old locations (the Metro, for instance) fills me with dread. I don't think we'll be seeing much more of the Metro, but damn it, it is a rich subject.

Further, I don't think it's right to take an old pic and pass it off as a POTD. The photos have to be taken for the POTD project. Intent is a big deal for me. I think it's important to have some rules, or guidelines, and intent is one. These pics are intended to be POTD's. That's why I shoot them.

I shoot RAW files with my Canon G11 for the most part and develop them on Lightroom. I color correct and work on contrast, etc, but I don't retouch POTD's. They usually get shot and published with 72 hours at the most. At the end of the year there will be 365 of them. After I post them, I announce it on Facebook. I try to shoot in a very straightforward, symmetrical way, so there will be continuity among the images. The pictures also serve as a visual diary: every time I go somewhere, I take my little Canon, so if you see a picture from the National Gallery, then it means I went to the gallery within the last 72 hours.

Almost all of the people pictures are candid, the exceptions being pics where people have asked me to photograph them. So far no one has objected to having their picture taken and I'd like to keep it that way. When people object to having their picture taken it really hurts my feelings. In all the years I've been a professional photographer I've never been able to just shrug that off. I understand privacy, I know it's their right, etc, etc, but I still take it very personally.

On January 17th, 2012, I will have fulfilled the intent of the project. Until then, I have to keep shooting.

Thanks to everyone who has commented and follows these- once or twice someone I don't know has actually come up to me and told me how much they like the POTD's. Amazing! What can I say- the power of the internet!