You don’t have to have a client to have an assignment. One practical method that all photographers can undertake is the self-assignment. Start off with a particular subject or topic. This could be something you have a long-term interest in, something that is topical or seasonal to the place you live, or even something randomly chosen. The approach will be the same no matter how you choose the assignment subject.

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Once you have your idea in mind, do a little research. You may need to look at variables such as weather, time of day, travel, permits and access, and so forth. Decide how you’re going to shoot it. Will it be documentary, interpretive, abstract, emotional, creative, etc? Will you incorporate sound and video in order to make it a multimedia piece, or will you stick with stills?

Decide on what equipment you need. Do you already have all that the shoot requires or will you have to borrow, rent or buy extra gear? What about backups? A self-assignment could be a good opportunity to rent a new piece of equipment and try it out.

Arrange the necessary time to shoot it. Perhaps that means scheduling a day or two (or longer) specifically for it. Maybe you can shoot it on weekends or after work. Choose whichever approach or combination of approaches works best for you.

What about presentation? How will you share the work with the world? Will you try and pitch it to editors? Share it on a blog or Flickr? You may even consider keeping it as a private learning exercise, or just showing it to a few friends and colleagues. It’s up to you. For a self-assignment, you are the client, so it can be whatever you want it to be.

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