The PAW Project's photostream  

View our photos!

The PAW Project started because I was looking to be challenged as a photographer. I took a class with a Nikonians Instructor (Winston Hall) and he had mentioned that he and a friend would exchanged photos each night. Then I listened to a Podcast at Camera Dojo that featured Pro Photog - Thomas Hawk and Thomas’ lifetime goal is to publish a million (yes, One Million) photos before he dies (he’s publishing about 300/week right now). So I thought to myself – what can I do? A Photo a Week came to mind; and with the ambitious goals of the other two – I felt that if I could not publish at least one photo (that is a photo with a purpose – no snapshots) that I would need to hang up my camera gear! Out of this “The PAW Project” was conceived and now has been born!

I hope posting this on Flickr will inspire other photographers to get out and try the same thing – a Photo a Week!

- Chris Sgaraglino

Below is a summary of my original post on Nikonians Online.

I am looking for someone to commit to a “Photo a Week”.
Back when I was in elementary school, we used to do this “thing” called “writing” and we used to write to a Pen Pal somewhere in the word. Well I want to kind of take the same concept, but apply it to photography.

I would like to set a goal of shooting one “photograph with a purpose” a week; it can be of anything you choose, but must be shot during that week. With my (our) busy lives, I sometimes forget that I even have a camera. We would pick a day of the week (Like Thursday by Midnight) and that would be the deadline for exchanging photos via email. There is to be only positive reinforcement in the critique (only say what we like about it) unless otherwise solicited. Camera data and a description of why we took the photo is to accompany it in the email. That’s it!

I think this idea will:

    Get us to think about everything as a photograph.
    Challenge us to seek out new and exciting subjects.
    Give is the opportunity to meet new people.
    See new places, culture and lifestyles.
    Push us to develop better habits.
    See and attempt different shooting styles.
    and so much more!

Instantly we have a group commit to participating.

The photographers are:

    Chris Sgaraglino :: chris [at] outdoorstudios.net
    Ken Lagace:: KenLPhotos [at] Nikonians.org
    Humberto Paniagua :: humberto [at] pani.com.mx
    Cheryl Tadin :: ctadin [at] gmail.com
    Chris Coomes :: chiefmasterjedi [at] nc.rr.com
    Hylos Barrett :: hylosbarrett [at] @gmail.com
    Jen Phillipson :: jphillipson[at]comcast.net


Past photographers:
    Michael Tharp :: wrdpico [at] yahoo.com
    Thomas Bogan :: palmettovideo [at] ymail.com
    Brian Mackey :: brianmackey [at] fineartdigital.net
    Bruce Jeffcoat :: bjcoat [at] mac.com
    Keith Bellingham :: keith [at] thelawnsmith.com

About the Project:
We'll call this The PAW Project (Photo a Week)

    Photos are due Thursday Nights by Midnight MNT (Mountain Time)
            If you can't send a photo try to just send an email so we are informed.
            Make sure there is room in your inbox for the images (see below)

    Please put PAW Project in the subject line when you send your email.
            This way folks can know immediately when an email comes in.
            Those that want to filter on the subject will have a constant to do so.

    Photos may be full height & width, but let's keep the resolution to 72 ppi and file types of
    JPEGs (easier to email)
            I would like to see the best possible quality for preview on a monitor.
            Let's try to keep them under 10mb (this should be easy)
            7 people x 10mb =70mb needed for email

    Photos need to have a description (ie. What it is, why you took it, etc)

    Photos need to have full EXIF data, IPTC data is optional.
            In the photo, but in the body of the email would also be nice.
            If you used anything that was not picked up by EXIF data (ie, Filters, Teleconverters,
            etc) please note them.

    Subject matter is up to you, but please let's keep private parts private.
            Shoot what you want, where you want - just do it deliberately.

    Photos MUST be shot during the week that they are submitted.

    When you receive a photo
            respond with only positive feedback
            Tell what you like about the photo
            You don't have to write a book, but if you do, that ok.
            If the photographer asked for a critique, it is fine to respond in addition to your positive
            remark.

    When you send a photo
            If you would like additional critiques, ask in each specific photo
            If you are having a challenge (ie. Poor lighting) and would like advise; clearly specify
            your challenge and request the advice.
            It is not necessary for anyone to respond to critique or advice requests.

Lastly:
Please remember: This is not a contest - it is intended for folks to meet new people, see new places, and challenge ourselves to be better photographers!

Warm regards,
Chris Sgaraglino
Outdoor Studios Photography