34 favorite photos from 15 days of shooting challenge, impressions and lessons learned

After a few days of deserved rest it's time to give the final impressions about my recent photography project "15 rolls in 15 days" where I went out shooting for 15 days with a limited amount of shots each day. The idea was to simulate using a film camera by slowing down, working carefully on each composition and avoiding instant review of images in the LCD screen. There were a lot of challenges along the way, but you guys who followed the project and gave me great and valuable comments made the experience easier and more enjoyable.

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As I made the promise of posting at least 10 photos each day, good or bad, the first challenge was finding somewhat innovative places and scenes. Pressure to deliver made me wander off and explore some parts of the city I've never been before and when I would return to the usual spots I was constantly looking for new perspectives, angles, backgrounds, things to use as frames or foregrounds etc. As a result my eye developed and I started seeing much more opportunities around me. Instead of snapping photos from the obvious spots, whether it be people or landscapes, I was putting extra effort to find a better position for myself. This is the most valuable thing I'll take away from this challenge. The quote from Dostoyevsky might be a fit here:

But I always liked side-paths, little dark back-alleys behind the main road- there one finds adventures and surprises, and precious metal in the dirt.

Normally I would shoot street photography with a narrow aperture like f/8 and have the entire scene in focus. It also helps to make sure your main subject is in focus and not blurred out due to shallow depth of field. However, during this challenge I have experimented a lot with a wide open lens at f/2 or f/2.8. While I sometimes fail to nail the focus on subject, when I do pull it off photos look great and the shallow depth of field gives them this appealing 3D look.

One day I forgot to charge the batteries and I had to shoot with my phone to keep the challenge going. To my surprise, I took some of the best photos that day. It was obvious at that moment, that it's not about the camera, but the photographer's approach and skill level. Really wide phone angle made it obligatory to come really close to the subjects. Turned to black and white, the photos looked really decent and occasional slight blur gave them a nice vintage look. Anyone interested in street photography, but doesn't have the camera - try doing it with your smartphone. I believe it's better than doing it with a big, obtrusive DSLR.

Another thing I wanted to work on during this challenge is being comfortable with getting really close to subjects and "working the scene" when possible instead of just snapping a quick photo and walking away. I avoided shooting from the hip to make sure I had the composition right, even if it means subjects noticing me with the camera. It's exciting shooting this way - up close and with full control over the composition. I also had a lot of great interactions with people on the streets and not one bad experience.

Something I realized when the challenge was over and after printing some of my favorite shots is that printing your photos is such a rewarding and beautiful experience. Almost like a second part of photography. You see things on paper you wouldn't otherwise notice on your 4K monitor. Digital era brought a lot of benefits but seeing your print come to life is so satisfying, almost like waiting for the film to develop.

Of course there were disappointments during the challenge, like coming home and realizing I missed focus on some promising shots. I did my best to try and learn from those mistakes.

Lastly, I was reaffirmed that best photos are those you work really hard for - rarely it is a lucky shot. On day 9, we had the strong wind and rain and while everyone was running the streets for shelter, I was soaking wet outside taking some of my best photos so far and having the time of my life. :)

I hope you enjoyed the project and I plan on doing a sequel during summer. I would love to hear what were your favorite photos from this series. I couldn't narrow it down from these 34. :)

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