172 ☼ Releasing the Process Work Book, Volume Two!
30 assignments to inspire and help you get out of your head
Dear friends,
This week, I’m excited to share that Process Workbook, Volume Two is finally here! It’s packed with 30 new photography challenges and prompts to help you grow and try new things.
I’m also sharing the story of Taylor who turned Volume One into a 30-day zine-making challenge—it’s a great example of how these exercises can lead to something really fun and creative.
Housekeeping
Interview — If you’d like to listen to me do an entire interview in Dutch, I had a delightful conversation with Lara and Oifik, hosts of a wonderful program on NPO Radio 1. Listen here.
In-Person Workshops — I am thinking through some in-person and online workshops for 2025 and would love your thoughts on what you'd be interested in. Let me know in the poll below.
Process Workbook, Volume Two is Here!
I’m happy to share that the second Process Workbook is now available as a PDF eBook. It’s filled with 30 new photography challenges and prompts, plus 6 inspiring quotes from legendary photographers I’ve interviewed, like Yvonne Venegas, Jamel Shabazz, Danny Clinch, and more.
Here’s the cover, designed by Maxwell George as a nod to a classic, iconic photo book—just like we did with Volume One. Order it now by clicking the button below:
It’s free for Process Photo Club members, and €7.99 for everyone else for this week only (about 22 cents per prompt). After December 15th, the price is €8.99.
Below is one of the thirty assignments, to get an idea.
These assignments come from my 15 years of experience as a photographer who often got stuck overthinking, which kept me from creating work I felt good about. I hope they help you break through those same barriers.
From Prompt to Project: How Taylor Turned Workbook Assignments into 30 Zines
As I sit here with Volume Two, I have to mention I feel grateful for all of you who shared how much Volume One inspired you to stop overthinking and focus on creating. Some stories stood out—like my friend and former intern, Taylor, who took it to another level. Taylor used the workbook’s 30 assignments as a daily creative practice, turning each prompt into its own mini zine. (See below)
What began as a way to challenge himself to survey his archive and develop a daily habit of engaging with his work evolved into 30 handcrafted mini zines, each an 8-page, hand-cut, and folded (no glue involved!) creation inspired by a single assignment.
Taylor used images from his archives, took some new photos, and designed his layouts in Canva, producing each 8-page zine in a straightforward and fun style. It’s a simple process to create a joy-bringing physical object with your photography.
Taylor’s project captures what I hope the Process Workbook series can be for you: an open invitation to explore the prompts in ways that resonate with your creative style. This can mean creating a physical zine, or a digital zine, or simply sharing your work online on your website or social media. There’s no one right way, and that’s what’s so fun. The workbook is meant to be a companion, nudging you to see your archives or your daily surroundings in a fresh light.
How To Make Your Own
If Taylor’s project has inspired you, here’s a simple guide to creating your own mini zine:
Pick Your Assignment — Choose a prompt that speaks to you.
Gather Your Images — Dive into your archives or take new photos.
Make a Sequence — Play around with different orders for your eight images until you decide on the one flow most nicely.
Design with Canva — Keep it simple; Taylor’s layouts were minimal but effective. Download the template Taylor made here.
Print and Assemble — To create an 8-page mini zine, print your pages and fold them accordion-style. Bonus: Austin Kleon made a fantastic how-to video about making these exact little books and you can watch it here.
Early Bird Price
While this volume was created with members of the Process Photo Club in mind (who get it for free—yes, you read that right), it’s also available to everyone else for €7.99 for this week only (or about 22 cents per prompt). After December 15th, the price will go up to €8.99.
This book is packed with 36 bits of practical inspiration designed to encourage you to step outside your comfort zone and take action rather than overthink.
Here’s another example of a prompt from the new Process Workbook, Volume Two.
To buy the Process Work Book go here. Process Photo Club members received a 100% discount code in their email earlier today.
If you haven’t had a chance to download Process Workbook, Volume One yet, you can grab that below as well.
A huge thank you goes to Maxwell George for his design work and creative partnership on Volume Two. His thoughtful, elevated style adds new life to each assignment, making this workbook as inspiring to look at as it is to work through.
I hope Taylor’s approach sparks ideas for your projects, and if you’re diving into Volume Two (or revisiting Volume One), I’d love to hear about your experiences. May this workbook inspire you to explore, capture, and share the unique stories you see.
Bonus Download: If you’d like to download Taylor’s entire 30 day zine project, click here.
Next Week: I take you behind-the-scenes at a recent editorial shoot for a Dutch magazine, using my new freshly upgraded Canon kit.
Keep shooting and take good care of yourselves and others. <3
Wesley
Gear & Tools Used
Camera: Fujifilm XPro-2, Canon 5D Mark IV, Pentax LX, and the iPhone 14.
Film Stocks: Kodak Tri-X, Double X, Kodak Portra 400
Shout out to MPB.com, my go-to place to buy, sell, and trade used cameras and lenses. I love their service and am a paying customer. MPB caters to over 625,000 visual storytellers and provides a 6-month warranty. Thanks for the support, MPB! <3
Lab: All my analog work is developed and scanned by my friends at Carmencita Film Lab. They’re my favorite lab in the world. Use code “PROCESS” to get a free upgrade.
Great to see Taylor's approach an turning these prompts into zines. Very inspiring. Can't wait to get the second workbook. Thanks.
Wow, such a great idea to get people inspired ;) I'm new to Substack and looking around, but I already feel "this is it, that is the place".