I’m a Swiss/French photographer based in Zurich, specializing in portrait, editorial, and commercial photography. I also own PhotoPulse LLC.

Three years ago, I embarked on a photography side project called PlanetVisible with two fellow photographers. This marked the start of an exciting journey into visual storytelling, self-exploration, and creativity, as well as a chance to raise awareness on themes often overlooked in my daily work.

Throughout this project, I’ve gained invaluable insights that can enhance any personal endeavor.

The value of personal projects

Engaging in personal projects not only helps you refine your skills but also opens doors to new opportunities. They allow you to acquire knowledge and learn at your own pace. Over the past three years, I’ve gained valuable insights and skills, including:

• Create a website on WordPress

• Setup MailChimp

• Increase my social media skills

• Gain confidence in drone flying

• Shoot and post-produce film and video media in Adobe Premiere Pro

• Feel more comfortable in writing stories

Personal projects are less constrained by limitations or boundaries – you set the rules.

Personal projects help keep your work and portfolio fresh, making you more appealing to clients.

Project name

If your project is linked to a website and/or social media channels, or may evolve into a company in the future, it’s essential to choose a suitable name that reflects what your project is all about from the very beginning. Tools like Wordoid or wordhippo can help you find an appropriate name.

It’s also important to check if your project name is already in use as a company name. Use tools like namecheckr to verify the availability of your project name, as well as whether the domain name and social media handles are already taken.

Time management

Find out which times work best for you. If, like me, you finish your weekly work on Friday to stay up to date before the weekend, Monday mornings might be a good time to focus on your personal project.

Set a realistic timeline to avoid frustration.

Manage your time wisely; otherwise, you risk burning out and may struggle to complete the project.

Use your downtime – whether you’re traveling by train, driving, or even in the shower – to think about your project.

Acting on all your ideas at once is neither practical nor healthy for creativity.

Avoid constantly switching between your daily work and your side project; it hinders productivity.

Try to allocate at least two hours per week to maintain momentum and inspiration.

Lastly, remember not to neglect the other meaningful aspects of your life.

Be organized

Create a timeline and stick to it. Use cloud-based notes or, when working in a team, consider using Evernote.

The best ideas often come unexpectedly, so write them down right away to avoid forgetting them.

Break your project into smaller tasks and prioritize them in the order they should be completed. Distinguish between essential tasks and enhancements.

Assign priority to certain tasks. Start with an easier task to help you get into the flow more easily.

If you’re working within a team, define who is responsible for what and set realistic deadlines.

When working in a team, meet in person regularly to brainstorm and discuss next steps. Set aside 15 to 30 minutes to also talk about organization and standardization.

KULLORSUAQ, GREENLAND

The benefit of working in a team

I find it refreshing to be part of a team, rather than navigating the solitary world of freelancing while working on corporate assignments. At the same time, I’ve had to learn to consider things from others’ perspectives and understand different points of view.

Collaborating on a project makes the experience more enjoyable.

Build on the strengths of each team member.

Having someone rely on me motivates me to complete the work I need to do.

Teamwork fosters strong relationships, and depending on one another builds trust.

Meet from time to time in different environments than the office to discuss the project. We sometimes paddle out on our SUPs, have dinner at home, or go out for lunch at a restaurant.

An odd number of team members makes it easier to reach final decisions when opinions differ. With three team members at PlanetVisible, we humorously call it the 33.3% rule, although most of the time we find a compromise and don’t need to use this rule.

Be aware that each team member may be in a different work/life situation, and some may not be able to contribute the same amount of work as others. Discuss expectations early on..

Sharing is rewarding

Ask for feedback from people with various perspectives and opinions that you value and trust. These individuals can help identify ways to improve, expand, and extend the reach of your project.

Feedback is food for thought, but the final decisions are yours.

Use your LinkedIn network to find people who can provide advice on topics you’re not familiar with. Utilize the LinkedIn search filter function with keywords to find suitable connections.

Post about your progress on your website and social media channels to create a sense of accountability.

By showcasing your project, you may attract that dream client reaching out to you.

How to stay self-motivated?

Combine passion with work and have fun. A project should allow you to enjoy the journey.

Set clear goals and work toward them, giving yourself the time to achieve them.

Create a to-do list with easy tasks in between; this is a great way to kick off a work session.

Move forward at your own pace, even if that means spending only small amounts of time on your personal project here and there.

When your motivation wanes, just start working to build some energy and find your rhythm.

Add value to the society we live in. At PlanetVisible, we are passionate about caring for people and the environment, and creating a positive impact on our planet. By harnessing the power of photography, we help companies and organizations create impactful and visually compelling imagery that highlights projects focused on CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility).

Share what you’ve learned and experienced with others.

When you encounter difficulties you haven’t faced before, some solid brainpower will be required to find solutions. Give yourself time to process these challenges; the best answers often come when you’re not actively working on the project.

CAPE VERDE

PlanetVisible is a small, like-minded and flexible photography collective positioned to collaborate in the creative process of shaping visual stories. We are passionate about caring for people, the environment and for creating a positive impact on our planet. Our lives started in different parts of the world but it is the shared exchange and passion for storytelling and visual imagery that bonded us as friends. This friendship has grown into a purposeful partnership that is today PlanetVisible. By working closely within a team we create a collection of versatile and striking images around corporate social responsibility (CSR) to fit individual projects. We listen carefully to our clients requirements and deliver professionally crafted work that appeals to editors and publications. By collaborating with magazines, newspapers and online media, PlanetVisible has the reach to bring exposure and attention to local stories and share them with the world. Working on projects is heightening our motivation and creativity enabling us to cover in-depth stories in short periods of time. It’s this “togetherness” which is enriching our photography.