Running dry on ideas to push yourself and your photography portfolio? Here’s 5 ideas worth stealing. Perhaps one might catch your attention, or inspire to you do something similar. Or very very different.
1. Photograph one of your grandparents extensively. Might sound boring, but I assure you it will be profound. If you’re lucky enough that your grandparents are still with you, spend an entire day–or better, a week perhaps–photographing your grandma or grandpa. 1,000 images at least. Portraits, close ups of her eye, her hands. Fill the frame with her face. Photograph her in her home or wherever she lives, those places tend to be visually wonderful and strange at the same time. Amazing still life’s everywhere… You’ll connect with your grandma in a very deep way and you’ll have made some amazing photographs. And when he or she passes on, you’ll have the world’s best images to remember them by. Cost: $0.
2. Flood a space with an inch of water. Have a dancer perform, or some sports stuff, shoot from overhead. Capture an ethereal moment of where it looks like someone is performing on water. Shoot any, some, all of this from a tall ladder. Or flood a tennis court and shoot some crazy cool shots. Logistically this isn’t as tough as it sounds. You’ll need the right space, some visqueen and sandbags, and a good bit of water, but this could be a portfolio opener. Some really cool post production will take this shot to the moon. Think of the reflections and the depth. Estimated costs: under $500.
3. Get 5 friends to drive their cars onto the freeway at bumper-to-bumper rush hour traffic… Have your friends jockey their cars into position side by side. You’re waiting at the next freeway overpass with your camera. As your friends approach, the all stop for about 10 seconds in a line. The traffic in front of them continues to pull forward under your overpass. Start shooting. If you’re friends are as crazy as mine, have them hop out of their cars and pose for a couple of seconds while you grab the shot. Imagine the final images, 5 cars in a row with 1,000 cars lined up in the background. Estimated costs: $0. Unless of course —
…you realize that you’re breaking the law and get caught, that you’re putting people at safety risk (moderate) and inconveniencing 1,000 people (although just for 10 seconds). Disclaimer: I’m not recommending this. If you do this one, you didn’t hear it from me. It’s illegal and dangerous. But I might get this image before you do 
4. Roadtrip with a twist. Take a trip with 4 of your best friends out to the coast camping in the summertime, or the desert in the autumn. Tell them to bring interesting clothes and props. Whatever they can dig up. Seek the strange. Stop off at a thrift store and buy some strange stuff that will act as muses for you. Shoot at least 500 images…all the ‘off’ moments, not single posed image. And here’s the kicker. Do it with film. The oldest film you can find, expired Portra 400 color print film. And an old camera. A holga perhaps, or an old hasselblad (cheap rental). Or (gasp) a 35mm point and shoot. Get the negs scanned at the local lab when you get home. Price: Gas plus food plus $400 in film expenses. $40 in junk from the thrift store. You’ll get priceless moments of those people closest to you. And you’ll be experimenting all the while…
5. Find a huge trampoline on a perfectly blue-sky day. Get a couple models–friends, pros, whatever. Dress them up really interestingly…fashion, sports, whatever. Wait till just before sunset then hose them down–I mean soak them– and have them bounce on the trampoline, over and over, high into the deep blue sky. Photograph them from your position on the ground so they’re floating in a sea of blue. With some interesting post production and the rich light of sunset, it’ll seem like they’re underwater, but not. It’ll read very surreal.
So, obviously, whether or not these ideas are worth stealing is completely up to you. The real point is that I came up with these ideas in 5 minutes and you can too. You can do better in fact, because you know what you like to shoot. But perhaps even more important than what each of us does with any particular idea, is the underscoring f the notion that ideas aren’t meant to be hoarded, they’re meant to be shared. Create yourself as an idea machine. Appropriate ideas an put YOUR twist on them. After all, there are no original ideas, just variants on existing ones. Borrow ideas and give ideas away. Treat them like the fleeting and changing things that they are, and they will come back to you in hordes.
And btw, I stole this idea from these guys. Have a great weekend.
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Ha! Loving the freeway car stop idea.
All interesting, except #3. Why does art have to be so inconsiderate of others? That takes you down a notch, in my eyes.
Nice freeway idea… By the way, I really think you're going to shoot this one before everyone: you got the money (I mean your agency) to do this
i want to plaster someone's face with fortunes from cookies and take a photograph of the fortunate mummy. any volunteers?
My mind was just inundated with endless possibility and images. – For the moment, at least. What a great kick-start to my week of vacation!
Always pushing up for some new works… Tks again for the ideas!
ha! i love these all! i think the last one was my favorite. i may have to give them all a try.
Great ideas Chase, tks!
#3 (Roadtrip) is a little played out, but the #2 (Tennis courts) idea is solid.
Hope to see Stealourideas again. Fun reads.
I don't think any of these would cost too much money if you played your cards right.
Dig it! Now who owns a trampoline in Hong Kong…?
Soooo want to photograph an old wrinkley man in B&W; with dramatic lighting – you know the fisherman type picture. But alas both grandfathers died early on.
Anybody lend me their grandfather ?
Ree Freeway one…
"Yes Officer, I know it's wrong"
"No officer – it's not my fault."
"Chase MADE me do it! It's all his fault"
;P
Thanks for some thought provokers… first thing on agenda, find some friends
Chase, you've done it again… stirred up some thoughts in my noggin. Thanks for sharing these.
Several sound just great!
These are great ideas. I'm driving across the country with my mother in a week and I plan on photographing her the whole time. It should be an interesting trip.
yessss! i did shoot my gdad with bw film and it was pretty kickass. best shot of mine till date.
haha! Great ideas! Although I still have nightmares of my kids flying into the pine trees as they jumped the trampoline as crazy teens. : )
Chinese fire drill on the highway!! Been there… done that… on the GWB too! LOL in a row of Toyota Supras coming back from the Englishtown NJ meet. So wish I thought to shoot it.
haha! Great ideas! Although I still have nightmares of my kids flying into the pine trees as they jumped the trampoline as crazy teens. : )
Some great ideas here Chase; thanks for sharing.
)
The Freeway (Motorway) one wouldn't be a problem at any time of day here in the UK if using the M25. Rumour has it they've removed all the speed cameras and replaced them with artists to draw the cars as traffic is that bad
Cheers,
Glyn
Love the Water Ideas!
This is Now Officially a Good Day!
Thanks!
I've always wanted to take a friend, strap a seamless backdrop stand to their back along with a speedlight and small softbox or umbrella, and then follow them all over downtown getting people to get their picture taken in the portable studio. Would be a total blast, and probably end up being good marketing in the end too. You never know who's picture you'll end up taking.
Feel free to steal this idea
A friend and I talked about something similar to #5 a few weeks ago. Add tubing on Big Reed Island Ck when the water warms up.
I'm already scheduled for #1 on Sunday. She's turning 90. It's gonna be epic.
Love the Grandparent thing. Tested it out on my Grandma last year:
http://noahfallis.com/grandmas-place/
It had a profound effect on my family. Now I'm trying to shoot one a week. HIghly recommend doing this one…
number 3 is a cool idea.
Steal some ideas, sure – but don't do exactly the same thing as someone else and end up on this site:
http://youthoughtwewouldntnotice.com
I think I'm going to see if my grandma would be up for jumping on a trampoline in thrift store clothes soaking wet next to the freeway at evening rush rour after a rain storm while I photograph her from a 20 foot ladder with an old view camera. She just might go for it.
#3 was done by GA State students a while back to demonstrate that the speed limit on I-285 needs to be increased. http://bit.ly/aLH0N3
Shooting from underneath a trampoline (making sure your head won't get stomped of course) makes for some interesting shots too.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaeltuuk/4052575374/in/set-72157622561785477/
Not my original idea…stole it from someone else.
Great idea, so the community should build on it. This year I decided, not unlike another CJ project, to try and shoot as many interesting people doing interesting things in the city I live in. Whether it is the B-Boy Crew who busks under the bridge after the fire works or the members of the 100+ year old rugby club does not matter as long as I find them interesting.
Anyone else have some ideas? And Cory, if you get that shot, I will buy it!
Oh the places your can go with photography… Thanks for the inspiration Chase!
I effin love these ideas! The wheels they are a spinin!
No'3 my fave…
Great advice Chase – it's easy to get lazy when normal stuff is taking precedent on your day to day carry on and passion. Thanks for that – you have inspired a good kick of motivation and put the camera back into my hands – peace ! Dave from Ireland http://www.loadednikon.com
btw Im very happy with my Google status also. Type loaded nikon and you will find me on the front page number 4 from the top – chuffed !!
I **love** doing trampoline shots!
http://www.doggettstudios.com/#num=content-448&id;=album-13
Freeway stop. Really? I'm with previous poster, "why does art have to be rude?" Imagine you're stuck behind this train wreck of an idea and late for a job, interview, etc. Imagine there's an ambulance with a sick or dying patient stuck behind this freak show. Not cool.
Does anyone know where you can rent old Hasselblads?
These ideas got my creative neurons fired up.
The freeway one causes much more than 10 seconds of inconvenience due to 'traffic jam physics'. Regardless, 10 seconds x 1000 people is almost 3 hours you've stolen for your gain.
Other ideas are great and appreciated though
Wonderful ideas and so interesting.
Thanks for sharing.
http://www.newbrightapples.com
usually i like most of your posts. this one is lame. i hope there are no readers here who really need this sort of "inspiration".
but most of all i think the freeway-shoot is one of your weakest moments. maybe in seattle you get a cheer from the bleachers for that – here in central europe you play with the lifes of other people. there is enough danger on the roads already.
so you're risking other peoples lifes, their time (and money), pissing most of them of … are you really that kind of person, that doesn't give a damn about the people around you? where i'm from most teenagers are more grown up (in a good way) than that.
if your risking your life, health, time or good mood and that of willing participants – knock yourself out. but think your 5min-ideas a little bit more through.
i dig the trampoline idea! thanks!
@anon: you can rent old hassies at almost any pro camera shop… for cheap.
As a coroner investigator I hate the traffic idea, but as a photographer, oh man, I am loving it! Totally easy to pull off in massively congested 101 in Marin County! Clinton held up an airport for a haircut and a radio DJ did the same on the Golden Gate Bridge – but then again, that DJ was tossed out of California after that. Hmmm.
Good ones, but why not 6 and 7: Seamless white paper against a (shadowed) wall downtown (like Clay Enos did a while back), or the school\local sports team? Those guys\girls always want some decent mugshots, and you can have a fair amount of guinea-… MODELS to use.
Sorry to be a bother, but I cannot seem to find a shop that has old Hasselblad cameras cheap. Do you mind finding a shop for me?
The highway shoot is foolish. What if there is an accident because of this and someone is hurt, seriously hurt or killed? And seconds count when someone is trying to get to the hospital, whether in an ambulance or a car. Not cool.
I love the grandparents one. I did that a few years ago with my Grandfather. It didn't seem like muc at the time but when he past away, spend that time with him and having those shots meant a great deal to myself and my family.
The rest of the ideas are fantastic too!! great ideas!!
I'm going to be a Grandma this summer and would love to be a model for my Grandchild someday. I took pics of 37 nursing home residents for Help-Portrait, one was 100. Some of them were really into it. And they got to keep their pics.
I must confess that in college, many moons ago, on a hot, humid TX night, we flooded the dorm hallway from a plugged water fountain and went slip and sliding. Not sure if anyone took photos but it was a blast.
And no one got suspended that time!
loved it!
very interesting ideas.
tried taking photos of my grandma but got scolded instead. LOL
the highway idea is fantastic but it's dangerous if you have some idiots racing a long and didn't realize the traffic has stopped.
who is going to a job interview @ 5pm? im so shooting the freeway idea.
Thanks for cool ideas! Some of them seems really worth stealing (all of them, but some are easier to organize). The link at the end is also cool. Thanks for sharing it!
Chase,
Love the Ideas. I always struggle with trying to decide to bring my camera gear and photograph during the fun outdoor things that my friends and I do. Like snowboarding… I know I can't snowboard as hard if I've got 10lbs, or better put 10Grand, in my hand and backpack…. huge dilemma I always face.
The pic above is amazing, but I would love to see the focus spot on the sunglass shade and hair right around the sunglasses.
Love your work, and love following the blog.
Thanks for continuing to inspire my photography
Adam
http://www.coppolaphotography.com
love all the ideas!
always in for something new!
Photographing the Grandparents, something we all need to do! its a must!
BTW, love the pic of the beauty in the car….. yet again how can i not!!! she's my lovely Daughter!
great ideas!!! would love to try the water one w my boys on skateboards this Summer!
BTW, LOVE the pic of the young beauty in the car…… how can i not, she's my lovely daughter!!!!!
#3 is stealing a whole lot of time from a lot of people. Say it works out to be a minute stolen from 10,000 people, which could easily happen.* That is seven *days* of other people's lives that you have just destroyed.
*Nobody can get out of their car, let you take a photo, get back in, and start driving, in ten seconds. Also, traffic jams accumulate in a ripple going backward, so a ten second delay at the start could become much larger down the road.
Great tips! Thanks
That was a great post, thanks. Awesome ideas.
Awesome Ideas Chase!
a few years back a group of kids pulled a similar highway concept here in Atlanta and made a video of it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B-Ox0ZmVIU
(3:45) is where you really see the effect, but before that they show you some of the dumb shit people will do in traffic.
friends. totally vibe you on not wasting others' time on the car one….
but that's not intended to be the REAL focus of this post. this post is about bringing ideas forward and realizing them and making them and giving them away.
i'm glad you shared your opinion about my ideas. no come back at me with some others!
100% agree with grandparents. Or any family member, really. My aunt nearly died in a very bizarre, out of the blue way – but she pulled through – and you can bet the next time I saw her we had one hell of a photo shoot.
wow.. these are interesting.. especially no 1.. love it!!
I loved the car idea and would love to see if anyone has actually done it.
Another idea to add is smoke. It's easy to get a hold of smoke machine and you can make photos in any environment look so much cooler with smoke – thick or thin.
Chase, you're idea #1 just inspired me to do exactly the same thing to my parents. I see them rarely coz I work overseas, but I'll be doing exactly that next time I visit this christmas. Thank you so much for the inspiration!
I actually recall someone doing the car idea but not for a photo shoot. It was to demonstrate the the speed limit was unnecessarily low. A group of cars drove side by side at the speed limit and caused all the cars behind them to follow the speed limits. Eventually other cars would break the law just to get ahead of them.
Loving the freeway car stop idea. I may bring a model or two to hop on the cars though.
http://www.StephenEastwood.com/blog
I went out and shot my granfather.
He is my role model!!
http://www.barrosinc.com/viewer/Mi%20Abuelo
I recomend you all go and do this! it is great!
I stole from @chasejarvis. http://bit.ly/bpJt59