Reddit reviews The Photographer's Playbook: 307 Assignments and Ideas

Honestly if you don't know what they need from asking them, a gift card to Amazon. I'd much rather have that and spend it on what I need or whatever G.A.S. tells me I need than to receive a piece of kit that I didn't choose. I don't mean to sound rude, it's just that I rather prefer researching and choosing my own gear.

If you absolutely must, though, I recommend a book.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1907708952/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0817439390/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0961454733/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/159711247X/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312420099/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Or a notebook for taking notes while out shooting, scouting, etc.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/8883701127/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The Photographer’s Playbook from Aperture should keep you busy. I use it with my students and it’s overwhelmingly amazing.

>I would say a professional is someone who lives off their photography and says nothing about their abilities.

The problem with your reply, well intended as it may be, is that it veers into whataboutism territory. The OP is framing their request as seeking resources for a path to excellence, and your reply asserts that some people are professional despite a lack of excellence. While true, it sidesteps the issue and doesn't contribute anything meaningful - as opposed to the post you're replying to, which is not only accurate, but also helpful.

I'm a pro. I can tell you while it's 100% correct that I see two of my defining qualities as exactly what /u/ShitWookie describes, I would add to it a third pillar which is understanding, being receptive to and directing the human component of a shoot. Working to deliver consistency under compromised circumstances, and having a vision are both fantastic… but being able to navigate the egos, the emotions that percolate on set, to quickly gain the trust of your subject and have them engage in a willingness to experiment and go out of their comfort zone, all of that is exceptional. And to repeat for emphasis, the major unifying factor at play with all three is just going out and doing the work a lot. Set goals, fail to hit them, refine and repeat. It's extremely helpful to define objectives clearly and put your work in a guided context.

To the OP's question about resources, I suggest:

For a set of actionable exercises and several new ways to think about your work, try The Photographer's Playbook:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/159711247X/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511023706

To expand your ability to read a photo and get meaning from it, and in turn, have a more rich vocabulary to impart to your own work, try The Ongoing Moment: https://www.amazon.com/Ongoing-Moment-Geoff-Dyer/dp/1400031680

To see what a 4 time Guggenheim fellow says about his method and the psychology behind how a photo works, check out Winogrand's full speech/workshop/Q&A at Rice University:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wP6lP3UaP24

To take the mystery out of the working style of a legend in fashion, watch June Newton's doc on her husband Helmut, titled "Helmut By June" - Google it. Often online in 8-10 parts. The whole thing is about an hour and amazing.

If you can't get on set and assist an established pro covering a subject that excites you in a style you admire (this is the single greatest accelerant for learning), the next best thing is creating a list of current working photographers you admire and Googling "their name" plus "bts video". Take notes on their lights, light placement, distances and try to recreate their setups and see what you discover in the process.

Check out The Red List: https://theredlist.com

I think after getting the basics down (exposure triangle) it’s about composition and making creative decisions.

There’s a book called The Photographer’s Playbook that might offer you some cool ideas.

I also like Ted Forbes’ Photo Assignments series on YouTube.

Highly recommend this read: https://www.amazon.com/Photographers-Playbook-307-Assignments-Ideas/dp/159711247X

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The "prompts" (jf you can call them that) are intellectually and creatively engaging--and they're from some of the best photographers alive right now

Here's a book full of ideas: https://www.amazon.com/Photographers-Playbook-307-Assignments-Ideas/dp/159711247X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536092081&sr=8-1&keywords=the+photographers+playbook

You could find a project to take up. This book is pretty cool for finding ideas. A 30 day photography challenge with different photo requirements each day can be fun too.

Not quite a daily assignment thing, but quite interesting.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Photographers-Playbook-Assignments-Ideas/dp/159711247X

The Photographer's Playbook: 307 Assignments and Ideas https://www.amazon.com/dp/159711247X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_gHH2CbS43S1K7

You can try this book. I bought it myself, but haven’t used it yet so I can’t tell you if it’s legit worth it. It seems like it has what you’re looking for tho (bunch of prompts to follow for practice).