365 Day Projects – Can You Do It?Posted by drfl on May 20th, 2010

Many have taken on the challenge of a 365-day project, or the task of capturing a new image every day of the year (I guess that would make it a 366-day project in leap years!). While I have never attempted the full 365 days, I do admit, the assignment has intrigued me. The positives these people cite for such an endeavor are to quickly expand their abilities and creative ventures. Given the task of forcing a photograph a day, one must become imaginative and the images should be varied or else the task become repetitive and boring and hard to maintain. Those that do it successfully create some unique and interesting work while steadily improving their skills.

From my shorter experiences with such an assignment and from what I’ve studied from others I have put together a few tips that I believe will help make your 365 project a success, that is if to are up to the challenge.

1. Always carry a camera. Seems logical enough. I suggest obtaining a good point-and-shot or getting clothes with really big pockets.
2. Try cycling between portraiture, nature, street, wildlife, etc. The more varied types of photography, the better. Who knows, you may find out you like noir photography!
3. Take a walk in the park, I find exercise often helps me to gain creativity and lose weight.
4. Search out abstractions and patterns, in this instance repetition and repetition may be welcomed.
5. Study other’s work, let their images soak into your subconscious.
6. Plan ahead, if there is a day that does not look promising for a photograph, take a self-portrait.
7. Not feeling well? Don’t force it, creativity improves with physical wellness.
8. If just beginning, try a photo a week, this will help show how you handle the project. If it doesn’t work out the first time, don’t feel bad, try again when you are ready.

So get out there and shoot! After today, you only have 364 more to go!

Technical Details:
Canon 5D Mark II, 70-200 f/4l @ 200mm, f/4, 1/125 sec.
Dame’s Rocket, Schramm State Recreation Area, Nebraska