Every photographer worth her salt has a photography project. Or two. Or three. Projects are fun and they have a specific purpose: they are invaluable learning tools. They teach to observe mindfully, to see potential where nobody else sees it, they challenge one's technical skills, they teach patience. Projects can elevate a photographer to fame - think of Jaime Moore and her wonderful series "Not Just a Girl" or Jason Lee's creative photos of his two daughters.  But the main purpose of a personal photo project is not fame, it's learning.

I've done a Project 365 in 2013 where I shot a photo for ever single day of the year. I loved it and I hated it. Sometimes, just thinking of taking a picture is too much - when you are sick, when you are stressed, when you just shot 1000 images at a wedding. In 2014, I joined a group on Facebook that does a toned down version - a prompted weekly project by My Four Hens Photography. The level of professionalism and creativity in this group is extremely high and I'm forever in awe of the talent I see there.

My latest personal project is the Barbie Leg. It started out harmlessly -- I threatened my kids that they should clean up the Barbie leg that kept appearing in strange places. If not, I would photograph it and post the result on Facebook.  Which I did. My kids thought this was the funniest thing ever and took to hiding the Barbie leg in strange places for me to find. My friends thought the series was hilarious, so the Barbie Leg acquired a capital "L" and a Facebook page.  The Barbie Leg got lost, it strayed off the path to Tajikistan, but it always turned up again and is still being hidden and displayed in odd places. Is it art? I don't know. But it's fun.