Our alarm clock went off at 3:30AM. We silently packed our gear into the car, and drove through the dark to the nearest town. We parked at the wharf and stepped out onto the dock. Dressed head-to-toe in rain gear, bags of camera equipment on our backs, and coffee in our hands, we were ready. As we boarded the boat, we took a deep breath of the salty air, looked at the sun starting to peek over the horizon, and smiled. This was our dream photo shoot, finally come to life.
What is your dream photo shoot? Have you given much thought to it lately? It might be a specific place, a person, or a subject that you’d like to document. Or maybe it’s more of a general concept. Either way, it’s something worth taking the time to ponder.
See, it took us 8 years from the time we first imagined our dream shoot, to the day when it became a reality. That’s a long wait! But, as we always say, photography is for life, and the experience was worth the journey it took to get there.
And here’s the big surprise: we made that dream happen on our own. We didn’t wait for someone to offer us the opportunity – we went ahead and created it for ourselves.
So today, I want you to take the first step towards making your own dream photo shoot happen. And that is, quite simply, to describe it. Start to give it a shape, and when you do, it is that much closer to becoming a reality for you.
Take a few minutes, and think about what your dream photo shoot would be – the kind of photographic experience that fills you with excitement and energy. Where would it happen? Who would be there? How long would you shoot? What kinds of images would you walk away with? What would you do with them?
Share Your Dream Shoot!
Now take the important step of sharing that dream in the comments below. When we make our goals public, we make a little personal commitment to them, and have a better chance of achieving them. Don’t worry, no one will judge you. We’re all here to work towards being better photographers and we all have dreams!
And then stay tuned, because we’re going to be sharing a whole lot more about our dream photo shoot, how we made it happen, and more tips on how you can make yours a reality!
Maggie says
My dream is to shoot a professional soccer game.
Lauren Lim says
That’s a great one, Maggie! I can just imagine how exhilarating that would be! Thanks for sharing :)
Aubrie LeGault says
I’ve known what my dream photo shoot is for quite some time now. I want to photograph polar bears… not in the zoo… but in their wild habitat! (Brrr!) I absolutely love the animals and it’s number one on my bucket list of not only things to photograph but things to see/do. Everyone that knows me knows of this goal and hopefully some day it will come true. :)
Lauren Lim says
Wow, awesome goal Aubrie! Those would be some incredible photographs. I hope your goal comes true too!
Jane says
It’s so funny that you shared this today. I was just back to my hometown on the weekend and I started dreaming of a project that documents all the houses I lived in. I’m so excited about it – now just trying to figure out the details!
Lauren Lim says
That is SUCH a neat idea Jane! And I love how great the timing was. :) Can’t wait to hear/see more of your project!
Ted Dudziak says
My first rush with photography was photographing my brother 40 years ago playing high school football. So my dream shoot is to do an NFL game and get run over by a running back or wide receiver in the end zone. Not really about the getting run over part :-). I just want to be as close to the action as possible.
Lauren Lim says
Great dream shoot, Ted! I really like how you have an emotional connection to it, and how it relates to your first interest in photography. :D
Loan Thach says
So far the keywords to my dream photo shoot are: beautiful, epic, romantic, sublime… that’s how I want the photos to feel. Fill people with wonder and happiness.
Lauren Lim says
I love it, Loan! Great job thinking about the idea of the shoot, and how it would make your viewers feel.
Massiv3 says
My dream shoot would be a photo tour of Chernobyl. I’ve always been fascinated by abandoned cities and structures, and Chernobyl is the ultimate representation of modern urban decay. Another fascinating place that would be cool to shoot is abandoned missile silos. I had a chance to explore some in the late 80s but was not allowed to take any photos.
Lauren Lim says
Wow, that would be such a fascinating place to shoot! Missile silos too. I really hope you get to photograph that, it would be an experience of a lifetime for sure!
Kelli says
my dream travel shoot is to capture the northern lights! there is something so magical about them that it would be a once in a lifetime experience getting the opportunity to photograph them!
my dream everyday shoot is to start and complete the 100 strangers project. this would definitely stretch me outside of my comfort zone along with further advancing my photography, editing and blogging skills! i think the first stranger will be the hardest!
Bethany Bee says
Hmmm…you know, I haven’t really thought about it, because there is tons of stuff that I want to capture.
Jay says
Patagonia at sunrise seems like an incredible opportunity to capture nature at its most beautiful. One day.