The Art of the Personal Project is a crucial element to let potential buyers see how you think creatively on your own. I am drawn to personal projects that have an interesting vision or that show something I have never seen before. In this thread, I’ll include a link to each personal project with the artist statement so you can see more of the project. Please note: This thread is not affiliated with any company; I’m just featuring projects that I find. Please DO NOT send me your work. I do not take submissions.
Today’s featured artist: Andy Goodwin
I love working on personal projects, especially when they’re part of a series that I can fully explore. It just gives me so much freedom and a chance to play around with unusual ideas and techniques without having a concern for what the commercial value might be. Oftentimes a series like this one starts off with an idea that I’ll daydream about for a week or so until I’m ready to talk a friend or family member into helping me out. I have a group of muses that I tap into for favors like this and the crazier the idea is the better they like it.
What makes this series somewhat different is that I’ve kept coming back to it over the past 8 years with new ideas and lighting approaches. I don’t want to give away too much in terms of technique (the idea has already been knocked off by others), but I will say that it’s a pretty elaborate set. One thing I’ll share is that since my “models” are under water it’s not always easy to communicate with them on what I’d like them to try, so sometimes after a little coaching I’ll give them the cable release and let them shoot the portraits when they feel they are at their photogenic best!
To see more of this project, click here
APE contributor Suzanne Sease currently works as a consultant for photographers and illustrators around the world. She has been involved in the photography and illustration industry since the mid 80s. After establishing the art-buying department at The Martin Agency, then working for Kaplan-Thaler, Capital One, Best Buy and numerous smaller agencies and companies, she decided to be a consultant in 1999. She has a new Twitter feed with helpful marketing information because she believes that marketing should be driven by brand and not by specialty. Follow her at @SuzanneSease. Instagram
Success is more than a matter of your talent. It’s also a matter of doing a better job presenting it. And that is what I do with decades of agency and in-house experience.
