I am having mixed emotions as I sit down to type this post. The Photography Styling Challenge is on its last leg and I am amazed how far we’ve come. First and foremost, I’ve grown fond of this eclectic collection of participating bloggers; some of whom are amazing professional photographers, whereas some (like me) are amateur at best. I believe I have grown hugely as a passable photographer over the last year. Let me show you how. (If you’d rather just see this month’s challenge entry, feel free to simply scroll all the way down!)
Here are a couple of pictures from May 2013, which at that time seemed awesome to me.
Not bad. But very boring composition wise. Yawn!
Here are some pictures from May 2014.
They are not perfect, but a huge improvement for sure. This is what the challenge has helped me accomplish and I am grateful for that. I still have a looong way to go. So I will be stalking you guys and others, trying to discern the tips and tricks to get that perfect shot of almost anything!
Lastly, just for comparison sake, let’s take a look at my June 2013 PSC challenge entry (food). Honestly, what was I thinking?
Here’s last month’s entry (living room).
I am more mindful of the colors, composition, backdrop and cropping of images than I was just a year ago. What do you think? I’d love to get your feedback on where I need to improve.
Onto this month’s theme now. It is kinda ‘Personal‘! I took a “selfie” a couple of months ago, which I think fits perfectly here. When I was younger, I hated taking photographs and being in them. Not anymore. I think photographs are the windows to another dimension. (Insert creepy sci-fi themed music.)
This picture is totally me. Imperfect at best, somewhat shy, striving for that one good shot, and totally happy doing it!
I am not sure if we will continue the PSC journey in any way. Whatever we decide to do (or not), it’s been a lovely ride! Thank you.
Before you go, be sure to check out the other posts at these participating blogs.
To see all my previous challenge posts, please visit my Photography Styling Challenge page.
If you like what you see, please follow my blog via Email (button on the right), Facebook, Pinterest or Bloglovin’, or maybe even all four!!!
Such a lovely post Anjana – loved reading it.
Loved how you put up the pictures of previous challenges and kinda graded yourself. I would say…… all your pictures are wonderful.
i loved your selfie too.
Thank you, Samta. Appreciate it!
A delightful post Anjana! It has been your comments which have always made me feel warm and fuzzy (cue cheesy music) but it’s true 🙂
I loved that you included some of your first images and then more recent ones, so you, and your readers can see just how far you have come. Your photographs looks so professional now! The colours, the composition, the overall feel of them is spot one! I will continue to follow your blogging adventures! xxx
That’s so kind of you, Roxy! You are a darling!!
I adore your pics always, they have an ethereal quality.
I didn’t get around to staging much for this theme, so I thought it would be fun to look back at this past year. I have been so inspired by you guys!
Hey Anjana. Am so glad we met each other through this challenge. You have evolved beautifully and your persistence is admirable. I appreciate your constant feedback on most of my posts, I always get encouraged and learn something new. 🙂 Keep visiting!!!!
Thank you, Namrata. I will definitely keep visiting, I always look forward to your posts and photos. Both of us started blogging around the same time and have come a long way!
Woohoo what a journey!! I love the whole looking back thing you did 🙂 Great stuff, Anjana. You really have come a long way, something I hope to achieve too!
I didn’t do much in the way of staging for the last challenge. Glad you liked the look-back post. It was an amazing year!
Hi Anjana, I just wanted to say thank you for being my first willing participant in this challenge! You’ve been so steady all through it, not missing a beat, and I think that really encouraged me to keep fighting to post each month when I was at my worst earlier this year. It has been enjoyable to see how you’ve evolved in your staging skills – I definitely see the improvement! As others have commented, I too loved the focaccia image – looks just like the big time foodie blogs. 🙂
Thank you for coming up with such a lovely and unique challenge. I remember the first couple of months when it was just the 3 of us!
Thanks for all your feedback and support. Appreciate that!
I didn’t do much in the way of staging for this theme, I sort of treated this as a look-back post… haha. Glad you enjoyed 🙂
The pictures for the veg foccacia look awesome! You must be over the moon when you look at how much you’ve learnt. It’s fun isn’t it? I cringe when i see the photos i took years ago.
Thank you, Vasun. I thought it might be fun to do a look back. You’re right, photos more than a year ago make me cringe!
Even though the photos from a year ago are beautiful, your photo styling has come a long way in the last year, Anjana. I remember when you first posted the foccacia one, and I was in awe of the clarity it possessed…almost as if I could grab a square! This was a lovely post to close out the series…I love the selfie!
Thank you, Nancy! You are so sweet 🙂
Hi Anjana! If you don’t like your year old pictures then I don’t know where do I stand… because I love them all! You may measure your journey in terms of a photographer but for someone like me (who is scared to shoot on manual mode!) all your photographs look great in terms of styling and staging! It was great while it lasted… will keep dropping by.
I look back at those photos as my learning curve. I am glad to have grown and am thankful to PSC for the opportunity it provided.
Do keep dropping by. Love to have you over!
Loved it Anjana. A huge improvement for sure. I look upto your compositions and clicks. I am still figuring out what to do for personal :(.
Thanks dear, but I myself am learning along the way. I am sure you’ll come up with something awesome for this theme!
This is wonderful Anjana, getting involved in all these different challenges is the only way to perfecting anything I’d say. I’m new to the whole blogging world myself, and oddly enough, I too was spent a full afternoon looking at all the different sites on photographing food. Your pictures are just wonderful, simplistic in nature, but shouts out “look at me”. The props are great, the colors vibrant and jazzy, not sure anything needs improvement. I’d like to scroll through some of your previous work and tips
and improve myself. Thanks for sharing. My next post will be on gardening and I’ve tried to do exactly what you’ve said, I think the crop feature is great, I’ve gone crop-happy this weekend. 🙂 Have a good week. p.s. Love your selfie :))
Thank you, Loretta. Blogging is definitely a learning experience. Thanks for the kind words.
Challenges bring good things to our life and I am happy (for you) that this challenge helped you to be better. 😉 For me, your photos are awesome! I love the selfie photo, btw. 😀
I couldn’t agree more, Jhuls! Thanks for the feedback.
You have grown so much Anjana…I love seeing your pics a year ago and then in the present time. You should be very encouraged! Your photos are great!
Why is the styling challenge on its last leg?
Lovely, lovely photos Anjana!
Thank you, Lori! I really appreciate that, though I still have a long way to go 😉
The PSC was started in June 2013 with 12 themes, one for each month, and this is the last one.
Oh okay! I am sure it feels bittersweet for it to be coming to an end. Your pictures really are wonderful!
Thanks again, Lori!