Today is day 31 for Project365. I have not taken my photo for today. (Update: Today’s photo is here.) But as I sit here writing this post I keep looking outside at the fresh 12-14 inches of snow and wonder what type of winter wonderland photo I’ll be taking today. That makes me happy!
If you’re participating in your own Project365 or are thinking of starting one yourself, here are a few things that I would like to share to help make things a little easier for you.
- My thoughts on the first 31 days
- How to start your own Project365
- How to stay motivated
- How to plan ahead
31 Day Summary
There have been many things I’ve wanted to take a picture of and yet never bothered to take the time. My first example is where my wife and I discovered this giant bunny totem pole over 3 years ago but never bothered to stop and take a picture of it. Thanks to Project365, it made it into my portfolio on day 5. I also got to take a photo safari with John at the Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, VA. I built two homemade light boxes but never really used them. In my first month I’ve taken 14 still life photos using my light boxes. I also finally took a bunch of photos of our precious dog named Molly who we adopted from BarkVA.
I’ve got to meet some really great people also participating in Project365.
- Gabe from 1PhotoPerDay.com
- John from ProPhotoSafari.com
- Billy from BillyFairchild.com
- Jenny Marie who posted 60 things to photograph
I’m still trying to find my niche. My photo from yesterday titled ACME Applesauce Company is probably where I’ll keep looking for my niche. Photos like my Starbucks coffee cup and my Timex Ironman photo where someone commented it belongs in a magazine keeps me motivated. Whether it’s because I work long hours and get home when it’s dark or because I think my niche lies somewhere within a light box, I seem to be gravitating towards still life photography. It’s fun and allows a lot of creativity.
How to Start Your Own Project365
The rules of Project365 are simple. Take a photo a day for an entire year and post the photos online for everyone to see. Most people start on January 1st but it’s not a requirement.You only need 3 things to get started.
- A camera
- Camera phones, point and shoot or a digital SLR is just fine.
- A place to post your pictures online
- Motivation
- This is the hard part. Well actually it’s motivation and time. You must decide each and everyday that you have to take a photo today!
How to Stay Motivated
What motivates you? For me it’s the desire to advance from a semi-pro photographer to a professional photographer that earns a living from photography. I want my photography to be art that is something people can appreciate and purchase. I want to learn to see art where other people see nothing at all.
- Twitter: I created a Twitter account called DigitalRedEye so that I can share my photos and find other people participating in Project365. I’m amazed at all of the talented people participating and it motivates me to see other people’s photos. Seeing other peoples work will give you ideas on what your next photo might be.
- Facebook: I also created a Facebook fan page to help get the word out about my project. I love it when people comment directly on my Facebook fan page or here on my photo blog. Knowing people are seeing my work and commenting really keeps me motivated.
- Social Networking: No matter what form of social networking you use, you must participate so that your photos will be found. Doing all this work and not having any visitors to leave comments about your photos will likely cause you to quit.
How to Plan Ahead
Carry around a journal, notepad or an ipod. Whenever you have an idea for a photo you need to write it down. As you browse other people’s photos think of how they did it and how you can create your own variation of the photo. Don’t be afraid to comment on someone else’s photo asking them how they did it. Most people love getting comments and sharing with you how they took a particular photo.
- Try to keep 10-14 items on your photo to-do list (here are 60)
- Try to take your photos first thing in the morning
- Use your lunch break at work to find something to photograph
- Tell your co-workers that you are taking a photo a day and ask them for ideas
- Come up with a theme for the week. Some ideas that come to mind are reflections, red doors, signs, people in cars.
Final words…
HAVE FUN! Grab your camera phone, point and shoot or digital SLR and get out and start photographing your world!
If you are participating in Project365, please leave a comment below with the URL to your photos.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Great post, Rick. It makes me consider starting the project as well (albeit 31 days late).
Glad the post inspired you. You don’t have to start project365 on January 1st. Feel free to start whenever you’re ready.
I really enjoyed this post. I am looking forward to seeing what winter wonderland photo you come up with for today.
Congrats to you as well for making it through the first month!
I’m so glad you stopped by The Gypsy’s Guide and left your link! You have some great tips here. I’ve added a link to this post on my own about starting a Project 365:
http://www.gypsysguide.com/2010/01/gypsys-project365_08.html
I’m excited to follow your work! Ciao!
I also thought what can I tap into from a winter wonderland theme. I went walking and instantly spied a cross from 2 pieces of wood laying in the ice. I love images found within ordinary things
Thanks for getting me into this project. This project has allow me to experiment with different things that I probably wouldn’t have. It’s challenging to make a new picture everyday, it’s very rewarding.
Great photos! Love the site.