The Art of the Personal Project is a crucial element to let potential buyers see how you think creatively on your own. I am drawn to personal projects that have an interesting vision or that show something I have never seen before. In this thread, I’ll include a link to each personal project with the artist statement so you can see more of the project. Please note: This thread is not affiliated with any company; I’m just featuring projects that I find. Please DO NOT send me your work. I do not take submissions.
Today’s featured artist: Luke Copping
Chef Redbeard is a personal project that came out of the recent creative connection between me and Jeremy VanAntwerp (AKA Chef Red Beard), a chef with a background in both fine dining and deeply rooted comfort food. Jeremy runs a private dining experience where small groups of guests are served directly in his kitchen studio. It’s an intimate setting—no separation between the cooking and the people he’s feeding. The meals are multi-course, seasonal, and often tailored especially for his guests’ unique tastes and needs. It’s less about spectacle, more about connection.
What drew me to document Jeremy’s process wasn’t just the food—it was the atmosphere around it. The space is calm, focused, and quiet. There’s no rush, no chaos. Just the steady rhythm of someone who’s deeply at home in their work. This project captures that mindset. It’s about the collaboration between Jeremy and his customers, the repetition of the kitchen, and the intensity that builds as the event night approaches.
The series uses both still photography and motion to show the experience from different angles. I wasn’t interested in stylized food shots or polished plating. I wanted to photograph what happens: crisp edges as they come out of the pan, the way honey drips from a biscuit and ingredients being handled with purpose.
This project isn’t about trends or restaurants. It’s about one chef, his space, and how he has decided to step away from the traditional restaurant model and explore something more intentional and personal.
To see more of this project, click here
Suzanne Sease is a creative consultant and former ad-agency senior art buyer. She works with both emerging and established photographers and illustrators to create cohesive, persuasive presentations that clients can’t resist.
Suzanne offers something rare: an insider’s perspective on how client’s source creative talent. Her deep understanding of the industry is underscored by her impressive resume: 11 years as senior art buyer at The Martin Agency, seven years as an art producer for Capital One, and stints with the art-buying department at Kaplan-Thaler and the creative department at Best Buy, where she applied her expertise to reviewing bids to see which were most likely to come in on budget. Over the years, Suzanne has worked with a wildly diverse range of clients, including Seiko, Wrangler, Bank One, AFLAC, and Clairol Herbal Essence. Now, as a consultant, she is equipped to problem-solve for her clients from an unusually dynamic point of view.
As a longtime member of the photo community, Suzanne is also dedicated to giving back. Through her Art of the Personal Project column on the popular website aphotoeditor.com, she highlights notable personal projects by well-known and up-and-coming photographers. The column offers these artists excellent exposure while reflecting Suzanne’s passion for powerful imagery.
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