Try This Photo Challenge At Home…

When I asked professional photographer Rich Wagner what he liked most about being a photographer, he sent me the below photo challenge that could, quite literally, change your life.
Check it out…
A PHOTO CHALLENGE THAT COULD EASILY CHANGE YOUR LIFE
By professional photographer Rich Wagner, currently traveling in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Here’s an experiment that may change your life, or at least your view of the world…
Hang a camera around your neck, a small point-and-shoot will do fine, and go about your normal daily routine with the assignment of making a photo essay of your day.
You’ll want to include everything. Where you went, what you did, people you saw, including strangers you found interesting, a pretty scene, even just a lightbeam coming through an office window or a reflection in a puddle on the street.
You’ll find you’ve had a day of really experiencing and participating in the world that surrounds you.
Now imagine the alternative. Looking at your watch to see if you’re late. Being frustrated by traffic. Wondering what to have for lunch. Worrying that the lines will be long at some event, dinner, or bus stop.
Photographers get to experience the world in a different way when they have the camera. Always looking to capture the immediate experience and keeping an eye out for what is interesting or beautiful.
If you worry that you don’t have the technical skills to deal with all the menus and buttons on the modern digital camera, you’re in for a surprise. Cameras are much better at doing what they’re supposed to do – giving you a perfect exposure – so you can concentrate on taking photos of interesting subjects that are well composed and tell a story. And telling a story is what travel writers love to do. Photography adds a richness that can bring a tale to life.
Photographers are involved in every aspect of living. Some do documentary work in third world countries while others are documenting seniors at graduation. A favorite photographer friend of mine takes portraits of pets and is working on a project that raises money for disabled pets, using their portraits. Fine art photographs grace the spaces we live in. Stock photographs sell to companies and individuals to help sell everything, or to illustrate textbooks.
If you’ve ever developed your own film, you know the magic of seeing the image come alive in the chemical trays in the dark room. That magic is still there, only now it’s on the laptop. Your darkroom can be with you on the sofa while the rest of the family watches the latest edition of “American Idol”. No more locking the bathroom door and stuffing towels in all the cracks so light can’t get in.
The photographic community is one of the last refuges of truly small business. It’s still an occupation that one person can start and earn a living in. And for all of us, the vision of the photographer changes and enhances our everyday lives.
[Editor’s Note: Learn more about how you can turn your pictures into cash in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel.  Sign up here today and we’ll send you a new report, Selling Photos for Cash: A Quick-Start Guide, completely FREE.]