{"id":63630,"date":"2026-01-13T14:32:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T14:32:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcfade.co.uk\/blog\/?p=63630"},"modified":"2026-01-11T15:02:49","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T15:02:49","slug":"why-photographers-are-odd-3-personal-projects-are-professional-rd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcfade.co.uk\/blog\/why-photographers-are-odd-3-personal-projects-are-professional-rd\/%20","title":{"rendered":"Why Photographers Are Odd: 3 Personal Projects Are Professional R&amp;D"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 data-start=\"53\" data-end=\"121\">Personal Projects Are Professional R&amp;D<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"123\" data-end=\"186\">Most industries have a thing called <em data-start=\"159\" data-end=\"185\">research and development<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"123\" data-end=\"186\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-63656\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mcfade.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0154-Anamorphic-Walk-in-Morley-2025_06_10-by-McFade_DxO-Edit-Edit.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"313\"><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"188\" data-end=\"248\">It\u2019s budgeted for. It\u2019s planned. It\u2019s justified in meetings.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"250\" data-end=\"366\">Photography has it too \u2014 it\u2019s just unpaid, informal, and usually done on a Sunday morning with a camera and a flask.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"368\" data-end=\"416\">Personal projects aren\u2019t a break from work<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"417\" data-end=\"464\">They <em data-start=\"422\" data-end=\"427\">are<\/em> the work. Just without the pressure.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"417\" data-end=\"464\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-63657\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mcfade.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0195-Bradford-Bulls-Eyes-2025_10_23-by-McFade.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"638\"><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"466\" data-end=\"641\">When I\u2019m out shooting street photography in Leeds, or landscapes in the Dales, or portraits of friends who are happy to experiment, I\u2019m not \u201cswitching off\u201d. I\u2019m testing ideas.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-start=\"643\" data-end=\"826\">Light.<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"643\" data-end=\"826\">Composition.<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"643\" data-end=\"826\">Timing.<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"643\" data-end=\"826\">Angles that work.<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"643\" data-end=\"826\">Angles that don\u2019t.<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"643\" data-end=\"826\">How people react when you point a camera at them.<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"643\" data-end=\"826\">How buildings behave when you move three feet left instead of right.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"828\" data-end=\"885\">None of that comes from a brief. It comes from curiosity.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"887\" data-end=\"927\">This is where mistakes are allowed<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"928\" data-end=\"1043\">On a client job, you don\u2019t want to be discovering things for the first time. You want the answers already baked in.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"928\" data-end=\"1043\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-63658\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mcfade.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0242-Bradford-West-Yorkshire-2025_12_02-by-McFade_DxO.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"313\"><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1045\" data-end=\"1077\">Personal projects are where you:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"1078\" data-end=\"1225\">\n<li data-start=\"1078\" data-end=\"1100\">\n<p data-start=\"1080\" data-end=\"1100\">try odd viewpoints<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1101\" data-end=\"1126\">\n<p data-start=\"1103\" data-end=\"1126\">push exposure too far<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1127\" data-end=\"1181\">\n<p data-start=\"1129\" data-end=\"1181\">shoot into terrible light just to see what happens<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1182\" data-end=\"1225\">\n<p data-start=\"1184\" data-end=\"1225\">experiment with framing that might fail<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"1227\" data-end=\"1357\">Most of it never gets shown to anyone. That\u2019s fine. The value isn\u2019t the finished photo \u2014 it\u2019s what sticks in your head afterwards.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"1359\" data-end=\"1403\">Skills don\u2019t stay in neat little boxes<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"1404\" data-end=\"1541\">People often assume that street photography stays in the street, landscape stays in the countryside, and architecture stays on buildings.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1404\" data-end=\"1541\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-63659\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mcfade.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0159-Nidderdale-Toft-Middlesmoor-2026_01_07-by-McFade.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"500\"><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1543\" data-end=\"1554\">It doesn\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1556\" data-end=\"1710\">Street photography sharpens timing and awareness.<br data-start=\"1605\" data-end=\"1608\">Landscape teaches patience and light.<br data-start=\"1645\" data-end=\"1648\">Architectural work teaches structure, <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mcfade.co.uk\/blog\/smartphone-photography-tips-for-beginners\/%20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Smartphone Photography Tips For Beginners\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"151255\" target=\"_blank\">balance<\/a>, and discipline.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1712\" data-end=\"1751\">Those skills leak into everything else.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1753\" data-end=\"1915\">That\u2019s how you end up using architectural techniques on railway engineering projects, or compositional ideas from street photography when shooting people at work.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1917\" data-end=\"1997\">None of that crossover happens if you only ever shoot what you\u2019re paid to shoot.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"1999\" data-end=\"2041\">Clients benefit without realising it<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"2042\" data-end=\"2117\">When a job runs smoothly, it doesn\u2019t feel impressive. It just feels <em data-start=\"2110\" data-end=\"2116\">easy<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2119\" data-end=\"2257\">That ease comes from having already solved the problems elsewhere, in your own time, when no one was watching and nothing was on the line.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2259\" data-end=\"2363\">Clients aren\u2019t paying for a photographer to \u201cfigure it out\u201d. They\u2019re paying for someone who already has.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2365\" data-end=\"2404\">Personal projects are how that happens.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"2406\" data-end=\"2460\">This is why photographers don\u2019t really clock off<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"2461\" data-end=\"2540\">If photography were just a job, personal projects would feel like extra effort.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2461\" data-end=\"2540\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-63660\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mcfade.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0210-Kingsdale-Yorkshire-Dales-Workshop-2025_10_18-by-McFade.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"500\"><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2542\" data-end=\"2579\">They don\u2019t. They feel like the point.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2581\" data-end=\"2697\">The strange bit is that what starts as enjoyment quietly becomes the most valuable part of the professional toolkit.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2699\" data-end=\"2732\">That\u2019s why photographers are odd.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2734\" data-end=\"2804\">And that\u2019s why personal projects aren\u2019t indulgent \u2014 they\u2019re essential.<\/p>\n<style>\r\n.lwrp.link-whisper-related-posts{\r\n            \r\n            margin-top: 40px;\nmargin-bottom: 30px;\r\n        }\r\n        .lwrp .lwrp-title{\r\n            \r\n            \r\n        }.lwrp .lwrp-description{\r\n            \r\n            \r\n\r\n        }\r\n        .lwrp .lwrp-list-container{\r\n        }\r\n        .lwrp .lwrp-list-multi-container{\r\n            display: flex;\r\n        }\r\n        .lwrp .lwrp-list-double{\r\n            width: 48%;\r\n        }\r\n        .lwrp .lwrp-list-triple{\r\n            width: 32%;\r\n        }\r\n        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It\u2019s budgeted for. It\u2019s planned. It\u2019s justified in meetings. Photography has it too \u2014 it\u2019s just unpaid, informal, and usually done on a Sunday morning with a camera and a flask. Personal projects aren\u2019t a break from work They are the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":63655,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"no","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,25,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-63630","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-fun","category-photography"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/www.mcfade.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115-Bradford-Bulls-Eyes-2025_10_23-by-McFade-Edit.jpg",2560,1708,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.mcfade.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115-Bradford-Bulls-Eyes-2025_10_23-by-McFade-Edit.jpg",150,100,false],"medium":["https:\/\/www.mcfade.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115-Bradford-Bulls-Eyes-2025_10_23-by-McFade-Edit.jpg",300,200,false],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.mcfade.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115-Bradford-Bulls-Eyes-2025_10_23-by-McFade-Edit.jpg",2560,1708,false],"large":["https:\/\/www.mcfade.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115-Bradford-Bulls-Eyes-2025_10_23-by-McFade-Edit.jpg",1024,683,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.mcfade.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115-Bradford-Bulls-Eyes-2025_10_23-by-McFade-Edit.jpg",1536,1025,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.mcfade.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115-Bradford-Bulls-Eyes-2025_10_23-by-McFade-Edit.jpg",2048,1366,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"McFade","author_link":"https:\/\/www.mcfade.co.uk\/blog\/author\/admin"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Personal Projects Are Professional R&amp;D Most industries have a thing called research and development. 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