What is in your Photography Bucket List?

So, I guess it is safe to assume we are all mortal beings? And being mere mortals, most people will have some personal goals they wish to fulfill before they are met by the great equalizer in life (more specifically death I suppose). That is the essentially what a bucket list is. It is your to-do list before you “kick the bucket” (also known as dying).  Many people have bucket lists for life in general, but photographers will have a Photography Bucket List for specific things related to photography they wish to accomplish within their lifetime. Sounds cool? Sound silly?

Now, there is one reason above all else to have a photography bucket list, and that would be for self INSPIRATION. Regardless of whether or not you will ever actually complete your photography bucket list, by seriously contemplating it and writing it down for yourself means distinguishing true goals to achieve. Without getting all philosophical, basically when it gets too easy to forget about how hard it can be, you can always refer to your bucket list to remind yourself of what your original goals were. Being able to checking off items from your bucket list is a fulfilling inspiration in itself, and the more items you begin to check off the more motivating it will be to look towards checking off the next.

This article will list some common generic Photography Bucket List entries and also recommend some tips for even novices to help them achieve their goals easier. Please feel free to comment on your own Photography Bucket List entries or to add any tips you have.

• The sweetest newborn baby photos to tug on even the tightest heart strings
  • Start with your own child (hopefully that is a blessing bestowed on you within your lifetime). Firstly, no kid will ever be cuter than your own, but remember that they only stay in that newborn baby stage for a brief time so time really is of the essence to check this one off. Secondly, you also have full access to your own child so you can capture those cute moments and take your time to set up the sweetest poses.
• Sexy boudoir photography or work with beautiful professional models
  • If you are well known for amazing photography they will come to you. If not (yet) and you do not have the budget to hire top models, you can advertise (ie. newspapers, craigslist, kijiji, etc) requesting for models who are willing to “work for prints” meaning they work for free as long as they get to keep the rights to the prints from the photo session.
• Breath taking exotic location images
  • On your next vacation abroad, research for such sites and kill two birds with one stone (pardon the expression). If vacationing is not in your future, research what is available near you locally and take a nice weekend road trip.
• Capture celebrity photos
  • Have your camera readily handy if you are in the airport or at a concert. Depending on where you live, if the is celebrity activities or celebrity hot spots (ie. restaurants, clubs, popular hotels, etc) then be on the lookout as well.
• Win a photo contest or have your photo featured on an magazine
  • Start submitting. Contests are usually free to submit to and the prizes can be very attractive. Magazines won’t overlook great photos that can help sell their products. Who knows, Priceless-Photos.com may one day host a photo contest for our readers or partner up with a popular magazine. Keep checking back… 😉
• Magical wedding photography. For some reason, wedding photography is one of the most alluring types of photography for enthusiasts to break in to. Maybe because spectacular wedding captures are so widely marketed on the internet or maybe due to the modest thought of profitability based on infinite demand.
  • Volunteer to be a secondary / assistant photographer for a professional wedding photographer. You never know, you might end up being hired for additional jobs or better yet you might learn the ways and go pro yourself as the primary photographer on your own business.
• Fascinating architectural photography
  • Start looking around for interesting buildings in your own town. Downtown centers, shopping malls, museums, city halls, expensive hotels,
• Sensational solar / lunar eclipse landscapes
  • Here is the next solar and lunar eclipse schedule. Wait and then set up with a sturdy tripod. [I recommended the Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT  tripod]
• Amazing “selfy” photos. You probably seen many great poses that you wish you could be the subject of. 
  • The custom timer on your camera can be set with just a few button presses. 🙂

Think about what you would put in your own Photography Bucket List, write one and then start checking them off. It is a great way to inspire and motivate yourself to learn new photography techniques and also to produce some amazing images.

Please feel free to comment on your own experiences. Good luck and have loads of fun!!