End-of-summer blues got you down? Right there with ya. In fact, we’re in denial that summer is winding down, and so is our August creative challenge, Camp Create. For those of you just tuning in, all month long we’ve been buddying up with friends to try new creative projects together and win prizes in the process. If it’s alright with you, we’re taking this week to save and share summer memories and have rounded up a few creative ideas about how to put those photos to good use. From photography to editing to sharing, these photographers and designers have some super unique ideas that make us want to pick up a camera. Read on, and don’t forget to share your own creative experiences for a chance to win our Camp Create challenge!
Photo: Helene Sula
1. Join an Instagram challenge. Blogging coach Helene Sula suggests joining an Instagram challenge as a way to stretch your creativity and overcome “Insta block.” (Hint: It’s not too late to jump into Camp Create!) Check out her 14 photo ideas for Instagram, with ideas like posting behind the scenes at work, writing out your favorite quote and changing your camera angle. Want more? Her brand-spankin’-new Phone Photography class covers how to create winning photographs and hone your own style with just your phone!
Photo: Amy Tangerine
2. Mix mediums. Scrapbooking is a great way to get photos from your phone library or SD card and into people’s hands, especially when you have too many #throwbackthursdays than you know what to do with. Modern scrapbooker Amy Tangerine has a take on journaling that’s part travel log, part scrapbook: She combines printed photos, hand lettering, doodles, notes and souvenirs from each day and assembles them into what she calls a “traveler’s notebook.” Check out her blog for free printables to kick-start your own traveler’s notebook! Whatever you do, check out her Modern Scrapbooking class for tips on how to document a fun day and start your own scrapbooking process.
3. Set up a photo shoot. As much as we love candid photos, sometimes it’s nice to set up a time and place to photograph your friends and loved ones with intention. Sarah Deragon, a professional photographer based in San Francisco, is all about capturing people in their element and does it *so* well in her photo project, Work from Home: a photo series featuring some of the Bay area’s most creative female entrepreneurs. Take her Portrait Photography Online Class to see how it’s done! She shares best camera settings for indoor and outdoor shoots, tips for getting your subjects to open up, plus a posing guide with ideas for props, postures, etc. to answer the question, “But what do I do with my haaandsss!?” For instance: Want to create visual interest with your lighting and also put your client at ease? Put them in a corner. You’ll gain the confidence to photograph your loved ones, because whether or not they admit it, everyone loves an opportunity for a fresh profile picture.
4. Jazz it up with handmade graphics. Graphic designer Teela Cunningham uses Photoshop to push all of her photos, lettering and designs to the next level. It’s a lot like scrapbooking, just digital! We love her idea of making a postcard out of a photo, and although her tutorial is holiday-themed, it could easily be adapted for any occasion. In her Intro to Photoshop Online Course, she covers all of the basics to give you the confidence to begin editing and enhancing photos on your own, and if you’d like to incorporate some design elements, we go over that too. Turn a regular ol’ photo into a Polaroid, and then jazz them up with hand lettering, watercolor textures and washi tape — the possibilities are endless.
To join Camp Create, simply share photos of your creative pursuits on Instagram using the hashtags #bcweekender and #iamcreative!
