"12 significant photographs in any one year is a good crop."
- Ansel Adams
12 Significant Photos...
...is a community project established by landscape photographer Chris Sale to promote the benefits of taking on a long term project. Inspired by a quote by Ansel Adams, the project encourages photographers to spend a year working to produce 12 photographs based on a central theme.
"The whole is greater than the sum if its parts".
Take Part
There comes a point in every photographer's journey when it is time to think beyond capturing a single image. You can take part in this project by:
Following the guidelines laid out below
Sharing your progress on Instagram using the hashtag #12in12PhotoChallenge
Submitting the completed project to be featured on this website
The Guidelines
Following these basic guidelines will help you to get the most out of the project:
Identify 12 locations in your local area and commit to visiting one of these locations every week for a year
Photograph each location at least once during winter, spring, summer and autumn
At the end of the project, select the 12 photos that best show off your local area
Each month and each location should be represented in your final selection. The selected images would be perfect for a calendar showcasing the beauty of your local area that you could give to family and friends as a gift.
What You Will Learn
The main aim of the project is to help you to develop your skills as a landscape photographer. You will learn:
The importance of planning and location research
To fine-tune your compositions over time as your knowledge of an area grows
To photograph the conditions as much as the landscape
Most of all I hope that you learn how projects can add purpose to your photography and help you to produce a body of work of which you can be proud.
You Are Not Alone
Photographers from all over the world are taking part in the '12 Significant Photos' project. We meet virtually on the first Thursday of every month to share our experiences and to offer support whenever necessary.
Engaging with other photographers who are also working on '12 Significant Photos' will significantly increase your chances of completing the project. If you are interested in joining the community, please register by clicking the button below.
Taking on a project of this nature is a big commitment. Before committing, you might find it useful to:
Check out these completed projects for inspiration
Read this article about Chris' experiences of completing his 'Shap Rural' project
Join the community of other photographers taking part in the project
"In order to complete this project, it is likely that you will need to commit between 2 and 4 hours of your time per week. In my experience, setting aside time in this way is the single most important thing that you can to improve your photography."
- Chris Sale, December 2021
Support the Project
If you would like to support this or future projects, please consider buying a copy of my 'Shap Rural' zine.
Copies cost £5 and can be purchased from my Ko-fi shop.