µ

Created by Margaux Yiu

Photo Mojo
countdown to

A workshop on developing your photographic style.

 “Your first
10,000 pho-
tographs are
your worst.” — Henri Cartier-Bresson

Hello, Puttypeep! I’m so happy you’ve all agreed to help beta this course for me.

This course expands on the content of 8 Ways To Snappier Snaps, a PuttyTribe workshop I hosted in 2015
and is still in the archive, whose goal was to help the non-photographer or beginner photographer imme-
diately make better photographs without buying new gear.

In Photo Mojo, this content is fleshed out to include more discussions, live exercises, assignments, image
critiques, coaching (from me and the other students), all towards helping you reveal and develop your
photographic vision and style.

On the next page is a Countdown Worksheet that I strongly encourage you to print and fill out. Feel free
to use the Notes page to write anything else about your photography background or goals.

There’s also an exercise I invite you to try: pick 3 of your favourite images (either your own or someone
else’s), sketch a thumbnail, then explain why you love those images. You might wonder why I’m asking
you to sketch a thumbnail instead of showing the actual image; there’s a very good reason that I’ll explain
in the first class!

When you’ve completed the worksheet, please scan or take an image of it and send it to me before the
first class. See you online soon!

Cheers,
Margaux

µ
 Countdown To
WORKSHOP
PART 1: YOUR FAVOURITES
Without Googling them, recall 3 photographs that have made a big impact on you. From whatever you can remember,
sketch out the main features of the images in the frames below. Don’t worry about artistry, details, or precision.

Below each image, write what you love about it, why it made an impact on you, and why you haven’t forgotten it.

You can use images you’ve taken or images from other people.

What, if anything, do these images have in common?

PART 2: EXERCISE
10 nouns 10 adjectives 10 verbs
Imagine it’s 200 years from now and someone finds the last
7 photographs you took. What would those archaeologists
be able to understand about you based on those images?

Every day for exactly 7 days leading up to our first meet-

ing, take one — and only one — photograph as though
these were those last 7 images that tell the story of you.

If you need some prompts for what you might shoot, list
10 nouns, 10 adjectives, and 10 verbs to describe yourself.

These photos don’t have to include any self-portraits.

µ 2018. Margaux Yiu. Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International Creative Commons license.

This is not a Free Culture License.
3 of 4
 Countdown To
WORKSHOP
PART 3: ANALYSIS
Inventory what you shot over 7 days What do these things mean to you?
subjects, themes, colours, moods, techniques, lenses, etc.

INSIGHTS

WHAT’S WORKING WHAT’S NOT WORKING

TOP 3 QUESTIONS OR HOW-DO-I’s TO BE ANSWERED BY THE END OF THE COURSE

µ 2018. Margaux Yiu. Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International Creative Commons license.

This is not a Free Culture License.
4 of 4
 PHOTOGRAPHY
EXPERIENCE GAME
Allocations Levels
experience points done date accomplished For every block of 10 points you
achieve, fill in a block under the current
1 Complete Online Prep Questionnaire 10
level. Once you’ve filled in all the blocks
2 Complete Prep Worksheet 10 for that level, you can level up!
3 Show Prep Exercise: 7 Last Photos 20
4 Attend online class 10
5 Participate in online class discussion 10 7 Camera Owner
6 Answer class bonus questions 10
7 Complete Homework Exercise 10
6 Snapshotter
8 Complete Homework Practice 10
9 Bring Homework for next class review 20
10 Complete Extra Credit Assigment 20 5 Photaker
11 Complete Course Project 30
12

13 4 Image Maker
14

15

3 Light Lover

2 Visual Storyteller

1 Photo Mojo Dojo Star

NEXT STEPS FOR FURTHER GROWTH

µ 2018. Margaux Yiu. Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International Creative Commons license.

This is not a Free Culture License.
5 of 5