Projects I’m Working On, Have Finished, or Have Abandoned
THE 9 EMOTIONS PROJECT
Inspired, by all things, a page in a book from The Daily Show, I decided to photograph a group of 9 friends, displaying 9 different emotions. Then compositing them into a final image.
The 9 Emotions are:
- Joy
- Sadness
- Anger
- Amusement
- Fear
- Jealousy
- Surprise
- Sympathy
- Boredom
After the original 9 friends, I added more friends and more family to the project. I haven’t added to this project in years, but I would not classify it as an abandoned project. At least not in my heart. I still believe I will continue it some day. Hopefully someday soon.
A slideshow of images from THE 9 EMOTIONS PROJECT
THE 9 EMOTIONS PROJECT GALLERY
THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT
THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT was a project where I visited and photographed the town signs in the 943 incorporated towns in Iowa and any unincorporated or ghost town signs that I stumbled on.
It started out as something I could do during the pandemic to get out of the house and stay safe. Something that could merge two of the great passions in my life. Photography and road tripping!
I already had a long time fascination with town signs that went all the way back to my boyhood years in west Boone. There was a town sign on the west end of town featuring a man fishing. The sign hasn’t existed for years and I’ve never even been able to find a picture of it.
Maybe it was a false memory. Maybe it was something I just dreamed about. All things are possible. But at the end of the day I’ve always been fascinated with town signs. I took to the road in the Camry or the RAV4 and crisscrossed across the Cyclone State with about every family member and friend that I have until finally I had visited every incorporated town in Iowa!
Someday I may turn this into a book. But even fools know that someday never comes.
A slideshow of images from THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT
THE BOONE ART CENTER PROJECT
THE BOONE ART CENTER PROJECT was born out of the lack of public art in Boone. About all the public art in Boone is a couple of murals and a sculpture of Teddy Roosevelt out at McHose Park.
But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t art in Boone. In fact there is lots of art in the parks of Boone. On the railroad cars that roll through Boone.
I decided to start photographing this “found art” when I stumbled across it and create my own virtual art museum dedicated to the art that does exist in Boone. But doesn’t exist in a formal way. Exists by the pure willpower of the artists that created it.
A slideshow of BOONE ART CENTER PROJECT images
THE SELFIE PROJECT
This is a project I think is cursed. I’m not a superstitious person, but I’m a little stitious. Maybe even a little more than that. It seems like a simple enough project. Just take a selfie every single day for a year. 365 days. 366 in a leap year. However, every time I start the project, something terrible happens and I end up dropping the project.
I first tried in 2012. I made it 119 days before quitting. Then I tried again in 2016. I made it 99 days before throwing in the towel.
Finally, in 2017 I broke through. I finally did it! 365 pictures. 365 selfies to be exact! Then another successful year in 2019.
Then in 2021 tragedy hit again. I skipped a few weeks, but came back and completed the project. Semi-completed it.
I made it through 2022 without anything disrupting my life enough to in turn disrupt the 2022 Selfie Project. But I put the project to bed for 2 years. In 2025 I decided to pick it back up. Dust it off. Knock the crud out of its eye and give it another shot. I sort of missed it. While I don’t necessarily love looking at pictures of my mug (despite being incredibly handsome), I do like looking at the mugs of my friends and family. Plus, it is a great way to document my life and makes it easier when I like to look back at the blessings in my life. Or when I’m completing my yearly Ledger So it is back for 2025! Hopefully. Stay away curse!
A slideshow of 2025 SELFIE PROJECT images
THE POSTCARD RECREATION PROJECT
THE POSTCARD RECREATION PROJECT has the distinction of being by far the least popular photo project I’ve ever done. I don’t think a single person found it interesting, besides me. However, it combined two of my great loves. History and photography. I also have a slow smoldering love of postcards.
The idea of the photo project was to find old postcards of Boone and try to recreate them. Both in where the postcard picture or drawing was done and in the style of the postcard.
It was fascinating (to me) to contrast what parts of Boone looked like sometimes over a century ago to what it looks like today. I’ve mostly abandoned this project, but every once in awhile I get the itch to start it back up. You never know… maybe this time it will find an audience.
A slideshow of images from THE POSTCARD RECREATION PROJECT
THE POSTCARD RECREATION PROJECT GALLERY
THE PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT
Sometimes it doesn’t hurt to get inspiration from prompts and books. I’ve purchased and perused a ton of photo prompt books, but the only one that I’ve ever decided to sit down and photograph all the prompts for was “Use This if You Want to Take Great Photographs: A Photo Journal” by Henry Carroll.
A sampling of some of my favorite prompts:
- Page 29 – Imagine you’re Elvis. What was your final photograph?
- Page 38 – Take a picture that only works in color.
- Page 86 – Use exposure as a metaphor.
- Page 73 – Turn form into rhythm.
- Page 70 – Take a picture of something you hate.
In total, there were 105 images taken to complete the image. My goal was to use as many friends and family members as possible without repeating anyone. I believe I accomplished that mission!
A SLIDESHOW OF THE PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT IMAGES
PERSONAL PHOTO PROJECT OF THE WEEK – 2009-2014
In 2009 I began to be concerned that I was working on other people’s photography projects too much and not enough on my own projects. To combat this, I vowed every week to complete a photo project that was entirely personal. I was doing it for myself and not for any other person or organization or company.
It didn’t have to be anything particularly ambitious. It could be as simple as go to this park and take pictures. Take a picture of this type of flower. Break a mirror and take a reflection picture in the shards.
It was therapeutic. My love for photography never waned and while I ultimately abandoned these little personal projects on a weekly basis, I never really stopped doing them.
A slideshow of PERSONAL PHOTO PROJECT images
THE PERSONAL PHOTO PROJECT GALLERY
I’ve had other photo projects over the years that I’m not including here. Projects like THE LABELS PROJECT or THE BEAVER MACHETE MASSACRE PROJECT or the FATMUMSLIM PROJECT OF 2022 or the failed 365 DAY PHOTO PROJECT of 2013. Those projects had their day and that day has passed.