So many amazing photographers have joined the site, and it is so much fun to see all the wonderful photography as a result!
I am not pursuing a career in the photography field, but I do like to make my pictures look nice and crisp and photo-journalistic. I want them to tell a story... hence the reason I begun the 365 Project. I am taking the 'story of my life' approach rather than the 'practice makes perfect' approach like so many people on here.
I am beginning to feel quite inferior amid all the amazing talent that continues to crop up. I guess as a non-professional I need to feel a little of the love too :) Am I alone in feeling this way?
Aleshia
P.S. Add intimidated to the list as well ;) Hehe :D
Nah, I'm just here to capture moments of my life as well. While there are a lot of very talented photographers everyone is very friendly and this site still has a very laid back environment. I can feel a little intimidated too, but interacting with more people on here helps that feeling go away.
No, way - when I began my project, I wasn't even fixing the red-eye in my pictures. Then I started looking around, and I felt like crap. My camera is cheap, and I don't have the awesome software that the pros have. However, I love so much of their stuff and it does inspire me. I feel like I am getting quite an education in photography that will help me to capture the life of my family in a more beautiful way.
But, I too feel like an outcast sometimes. I'm glad someone else feels this way! Intimidating is the word! So many of these people are awesome. Its just pushing me to take better pictures with my litte $99 camera! :)
Photography is a very personal thing. What one sees as great, others just see. I was extremely intimidated when starting and I question every photo I upload. There are photos that I have taken that I was all like…why did I post that? But then I remember it was because of the moment and the memory that goes with the photo.
I started this project as a way to document one year in the life of my three boys. I only post pictures of them. I look at all the neat, fabulous, creative, beautiful and amazing photography on here and think to myself, "why did I limit myself to my theme" BUT, this is my project and I am doing it for me and of course, for my husband, who will have 365 photographs of our sons packaged up nice and neat. I make him a photo book every year and always find it hard to edit; this year it will be a no brainer.
I have learned so much being on here for only a month and a half. The people are so friendly and talented. I have viewed so many great photographs and with each great photograph I try to take a piece of it and learn how to incorporate its greatness into my work and projects.
365 Projext is truly a wonderful learning tool - and I bet it even helps the more seasoned and better photographers.
There are certainly days when I look at people's photos on here and say I will never be that good why try any more. Other days I think well why can't I be that good? I hit the books, look at photos better then mine, study them, figure out how it was done then try to replicate or store in the memory bank to try later.
One thing that helped me was I went on a photo shoot with a friend way better then me in photography, we were able to take the same photos do the same exact thing but neither of us came close with the same shot. At the end of the day I was jealous of his photos and he was jealous of mine. We each saw something different and in a different way. It was great to see how he looked at things and I think he felt the same about mine. His photos were still better then mine technically but he appreciated my vision, and effort.
I joined here a few weeks ago and I was more than a little intimidated when I first started, though I just kept posting and commenting on things I liked and quickly found out that I was like most amateurs on here... just taking photos for the pure enjoyment of it all!
The social part here is brilliant. No attitudes, just people who like taking photos and talking photos. Also, this is a great place to get inspiration for your projects - there are some awesome ideas floating around here.
I say, to get the most out of this site, if you are looking for the social aspect then browse images, follow people with images you like, make comment when something strikes you.
i'm just a truckdriver who happens to own my first digital camera, and to be honest i'm still learning how to use it! i do it for fun....too old to be intimidated anyway. i love browsing all the photos here, and some of them amaze me...have no idea how they do it. the ones that draw me the most tho have people in them..friends/family, pets, something personal. i guess what i'm trying to say is do it for yourself...have fun with it....i am!
hey alesha!
we joined this site at similar times & i've really enjoy following your photos :) i think everyone does this project for different reasons.
for me, it was the challenge and a way to watch myself grow as a photographer & continually be "seeing" photo opportunities. I also did it to document my life. I love to scrapbook & journal so it's great that way too :)
i think it's fun to meet new people on this site and form photo friendships :) i've definitely appreciated yours!!
don't feel inferior at all!!!!!!!!! everyone is different & does this for different reasons, we've just all joined together to share each other's journey :)
take care hunny!
Wow! You guys and gals are amazing! I do feel a lot better about it now :) I've locked up my pity party ;) I even played with Photoshop today! Exciting stuff :D
Thank you for all the kind and motivating words, you are all greatly appreciated by me!
Well, everyone already said it, but I just use a point and shoot camera or a glorified point and shoot camera that is 7 years old. I'm just a regular person that is just taking pictures of my life. Just trying to find something that I want to take a picture of every day is a challenge. Some days, the picture isn't very good. Some days there is a good picture, but I choose a different one because it is more connected to my life. Just keep taking pictures. That is the most important thing to improving. We are our own worst critics. I love going through each day's pictures here--it inspires and teaches me something every day.
Yeah folks take amazing photos here and they are awe inspiring and can make you feel inferior sometimes but then you realize they only got there with practice and by watching their works I get new ideas and inspirations for my own. Best part about 365 is that in 1yrs time or even in a few month's you'll see your talent improve. I think photography is definitely an art that only gets better with practice, trial/error and taking chances. This is the best place to do all that!
I remember one of my animation teachers saying "the first 100,000 frames are the hardest." Now to translate this into more of laymen terms, 100,000 frames at 24 frames a second you have.... just under 70 minutes and it takes a whole animation film crew of maybe 100 or more people to do a 70 minute film in a year or two. The point is practice, practice, practice. Photography is very similar, of course this is coming from a fellow amature photographer, but with each photo you take you learn a little something that you didn't quite know before, no matter how small the knowledge is. After time it builds up... everyone had to start somewhere.
It is a little daunting looking at the amazing talent we have here, but I think we all bring a different perspective, and we all can learn alike. Well, this is what keeps me going anyways :) I hope it's of some help...
I agree, I am blown away by the talent here and I already feel I have learnt so much. I now stop and think before simply snapping away at my daily photo. So to all of you who are super talented, "THANK YOU" so much for all the inspiration!
Ditto what everyone has said....this site is inspiring me in so many ways...even though I've only been here since the start of the year I can look at my photos and see an improvement....even if no-one else can lol!
That's all down to reading, learning, looking, gleaning everything I can from the amazing talent that is here....
Uh, you're kidding, right? I just perused your journal. I love your images. They are a true photojournal, and you capture what is either most important to you or what defined your day. I have probably said this a 100 times on this site...It is not the camera you have, it's what you capture from the heart, and you do that. I'm glad you posted this. Now I can follow you! Thanks!
I was feeling a little inferior a while ago, but then I realized that I am doing this for myself, and not to win anything. I'm an average photographer, but I lack the inspiration to take amazing pictures, which is the reason I started this in the first place. So that is what I'm focusing on, and this site gives me a reason to continue to take pictures and look for ideas around me.
I've also stopped browsing. There are so many people here now, and 25% of the pictures are really good and I couldn't stop comparing my pictures with them, which wasn't good. :D
This site has given me a new leash on my photography life. I was reading some thread about printing your 365 into books. That thread inspired me enough that now before I shoot, I look at the situation and take more time before it becomes just a snapshot.. Before I upload, I ask myself if this is book worthy for MYSELF. I also ask if it is a true representation of my day. Whether it's an older image that has been re-worked with today's new talents to the silly blurb I write on it to remind me what kind of day it was.
Finally, there are so many talented photographers on this site. From the novice to the professional ~ and honestly.. I learn from both sides of the spectrum
Ditto on the inferior feeling. Last year my son sold me (for a real good price) his Canon Rebel XT, when he purchased a newer one. Before that I only used my Kodak Z612, which is a higher end point and shoot. But I was initially overwhelmed with settings and trying to learn enough about my new camera to do more than use it in auto mode. I am learning, but when I have to combine that with choosing shots and light and composition I know why I feel inferior. My reason for starting this project was to force myself to pick up the camera every day and perhaps get better one day at a time. With a month and a half worth of photos under my belt I feel only a small incremental growth in my abilities. I just hope that I can get good enough so I can post a picture with a confidence that it is half way decent.
I am always telling people that when it comes to anything creative there is no right or wrong. Everything is so subjective, if you are happy that is what counts.
I am constantly in awe of and sometimes very intimidated by the work I see on this site. In the weeks after I first joined, people kept following me and I just couldn't figure out why. Then I realized that while this site is great for developing photography technique and learning about all sorts of things, at the heart it remains about people catching and sharing pieces of their lives. I don't see that changing, despite the overwhelming growth of the site, and I think that's what makes this place so awesome.
Ya, we all have our own reasons for being here, and it doesn't matter how good anyone is. I'm just enjoying the view :-)
I like macro artsy stuff for myself, but I find myself envious of all of you who can capture "people pictures" so well. My next 365 project will focus on people because that's what I need improvement on. I know I've learned a lot just since I've started and am having a wonderful time!
Aleshia,
This site is not about competition.
It is about many people sharing a common passion.
That said, look around, get ideas, get out and shoot......but most importantly, have fun!
Personally, my reason for starting with this site is much like that of Sara:
Knowing that I have to take a photo each day, my eyes are more open to all that is around me, looking for that next photo opportunity.
i find that if you want more interaction and comments then make a point of commenting on others photo's, as Daniel Fisher said, begin following other people and take inspiration from others perspectives, choice of shots. Some of the most commented and popular photo's come from amateurs with cheaper camara's but just keep on taking those every day photo's both as a way of remembering the year and as a way of getting better.
No way, the more I browse, the more inspired I get--I just wish I had more time to look at all the amazing photos here! This is a great source of inspiration for me! I like that it's not too big like Flikr, which is too overwhelming for me to browse around very often.
I have moments (maybe lots of moments) when I feel inferior. There are so many talented photographers on this site, professionals as well as people with P&S who just have a great eye. I am trying to cut myself a break though. I am still learning how to use my camera! I am so inspired by all the great photos on this site and learn something every day. And I've gotten to the point where it feels odd not to have my camera with me. Posting a photo every day has become a priority even if they aren't that good.
If it means anything, I posted a very similar thread on a flickr group I participate in. I am just a dad with a camera and love taking photos and learning. I just wonder how some of the people on here have so many people following them. Granted I am just in the double digits of days shooting and hope that my followers grow. I like to get feed back just like anyone else.
In short you are not alone, we are all in this together. Have fun.
several days I've forgotten what I'm supposed to be doing and had to get out of bed to take my photo for the day.
So many of mine are snapped really quickly in between everything else I'm supposed to be doing, but really I'm doing it for the discipline - if I can get to the end of the year only missing a couple of days I'll be happy.
I'm just interested to see if looking back at the end it says anything at all.
So I guess what I'm saying is that I assumed the project was for the person doing it, rather than a competition with anyone else (although yeah, some of the images are just amazing and quite intimidating!)
I felt the same way when I first started this project. There are so many talented photographer (professional or non-professional) out there and their photos are AMAZING, For a while, I felt the "pressure" of "deliverying a great photo" everyday, and no matte what photo I took, I didn't think it was good enough...then one day i sat back and realized that I was taking this in a wrong direction: This is a project about myself, about my life, this is not a competition, I am suppose to have fun and learn new things if I want, not being all worked out and just trying to take a "pretty picture". If the pretty picture doesn't reflect me, my daily life, what's the point of doing this. Of course everybody has their different approach towards this project, and those amazing photos are "intimidating" :) but I now have a much peaceful mind and I really enjoy doing this everyday now. some days i just don't have a good photo but It's ok with me :))
ditto to everything said above. i am a poor grad student without a DSLR. and though i know my photos would be worlds better if i had the equipment, studio & lighting to go along with it, i am just happy to be able to document my life and things i see that i find interesting. once you start talking with people on the site, you realize that many of us are here for that purpose, as well as to learn from the many TRULY FABULOUS photography talents that also post daily. you should rest assured that there are many low-budget, inexperienced, less-than-confident folk out here. we're all in this together!!
The responses you are each giving me are blowing me away - I had just seen so much communication between people with a keener eye, I had begun to wonder if anyone else was here to just tell a story. I have too received a lot of inspiration from the many wonderful photographers on here. And never once have I felt that is is a competition - no way!
Just reading your replies has challenged me to take my photos to another level - if only to make my 'story' a little more interesting to read for myself at a later date :) And since posting this I have gained a lot of followers, which was certainly not my intention, but it feels good :)
I am terrible at posting comments!! Something else I need to work on ;)
Boy, oh boy, Aleshia, I just want to say thank you for bringing up a subject that had been rattling around in my brain for the last few weeks. I began the project, like many of you have expressed here, with the intent of recording each day so that in one year's time I would end up with a snapshot of my life. However, after a very short time, and the posting of a number of quick, out-of-focus shots, I began to see what amazing photography was being posted by others and the old, inner voice began to nag at me. Why was everyone sooooo good, and mine were just....average...pedestrian? Ahhhhhhh! Intimidated? Yes!
Then I found myself browsing with more of an eye towards "inspiration", and less about "comparison". Shortly after that, an amazing thing began to happen. I found myself seeing the world differently. I started to notice things like long shadows across snow drifts, angular buildings alongside alien lampposts, star patterns created by the rays of the sun shining through a flag, and my photos began to reflect that new sense of discovery. I did worry, though, that perhaps I was betraying myself because I was no longer capturing out-of-focus pictures of stubbed toes or slices of cake. Was I trying to adapt to the styles of others in order to gain acceptance? Hmmmm. Seemed like a legitimate question since it felt less like the kind of photography I was used to creating and more...what? Thought-provoking? Artisitic? I don't know, but I DO know that my ways are changing and I have been greatly enjoying this journey of self-discovery and plan to keep learning from all of you and ALL the others involved in this wonderful project. Thanks again! :-)
"just a point and shoot camera"? pssh! I'm using nothing but my iPhone! It's the moment, idea, composition, color, emotion, light, tone, values, line, etc. that make the shot worthwhile, not the cost of the equipment. All that stuff they teach in high school art class is what makes a photograph not a snapshot.
it's all about capturing our own lives in our own way - sure it's nice to see really perfect pictures, but the best are the ones that tell us something about each other.
the project has been pushing me to take the best pictures I can, learn from others, but if it was all competition and no fun I wouldn't be here!
i just started my 365 project and was feeling the same as you when i was browsing through pictures..but everyones comments have helped me also..thanks for posting..can't wait to capture great things and share with you all :]
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But, I too feel like an outcast sometimes. I'm glad someone else feels this way! Intimidating is the word! So many of these people are awesome. Its just pushing me to take better pictures with my litte $99 camera! :)
I started this project as a way to document one year in the life of my three boys. I only post pictures of them. I look at all the neat, fabulous, creative, beautiful and amazing photography on here and think to myself, "why did I limit myself to my theme" BUT, this is my project and I am doing it for me and of course, for my husband, who will have 365 photographs of our sons packaged up nice and neat. I make him a photo book every year and always find it hard to edit; this year it will be a no brainer.
I have learned so much being on here for only a month and a half. The people are so friendly and talented. I have viewed so many great photographs and with each great photograph I try to take a piece of it and learn how to incorporate its greatness into my work and projects.
365 Projext is truly a wonderful learning tool - and I bet it even helps the more seasoned and better photographers.
One thing that helped me was I went on a photo shoot with a friend way better then me in photography, we were able to take the same photos do the same exact thing but neither of us came close with the same shot. At the end of the day I was jealous of his photos and he was jealous of mine. We each saw something different and in a different way. It was great to see how he looked at things and I think he felt the same about mine. His photos were still better then mine technically but he appreciated my vision, and effort.
The social part here is brilliant. No attitudes, just people who like taking photos and talking photos. Also, this is a great place to get inspiration for your projects - there are some awesome ideas floating around here.
I say, to get the most out of this site, if you are looking for the social aspect then browse images, follow people with images you like, make comment when something strikes you.
we joined this site at similar times & i've really enjoy following your photos :) i think everyone does this project for different reasons.
for me, it was the challenge and a way to watch myself grow as a photographer & continually be "seeing" photo opportunities. I also did it to document my life. I love to scrapbook & journal so it's great that way too :)
i think it's fun to meet new people on this site and form photo friendships :) i've definitely appreciated yours!!
don't feel inferior at all!!!!!!!!! everyone is different & does this for different reasons, we've just all joined together to share each other's journey :)
take care hunny!
Love looking at other people's photos anyway :D
Thank you for all the kind and motivating words, you are all greatly appreciated by me!
Aleshia
It is a little daunting looking at the amazing talent we have here, but I think we all bring a different perspective, and we all can learn alike. Well, this is what keeps me going anyways :) I hope it's of some help...
That's all down to reading, learning, looking, gleaning everything I can from the amazing talent that is here....
so thank you thank you thank you!
I've also stopped browsing. There are so many people here now, and 25% of the pictures are really good and I couldn't stop comparing my pictures with them, which wasn't good. :D
This site has given me a new leash on my photography life. I was reading some thread about printing your 365 into books. That thread inspired me enough that now before I shoot, I look at the situation and take more time before it becomes just a snapshot.. Before I upload, I ask myself if this is book worthy for MYSELF. I also ask if it is a true representation of my day. Whether it's an older image that has been re-worked with today's new talents to the silly blurb I write on it to remind me what kind of day it was.
Finally, there are so many talented photographers on this site. From the novice to the professional ~ and honestly.. I learn from both sides of the spectrum
And, I'm gonna follow you, too!
I like macro artsy stuff for myself, but I find myself envious of all of you who can capture "people pictures" so well. My next 365 project will focus on people because that's what I need improvement on. I know I've learned a lot just since I've started and am having a wonderful time!
This site is not about competition.
It is about many people sharing a common passion.
That said, look around, get ideas, get out and shoot......but most importantly, have fun!
Personally, my reason for starting with this site is much like that of Sara:
Knowing that I have to take a photo each day, my eyes are more open to all that is around me, looking for that next photo opportunity.
In short you are not alone, we are all in this together. Have fun.
So many of mine are snapped really quickly in between everything else I'm supposed to be doing, but really I'm doing it for the discipline - if I can get to the end of the year only missing a couple of days I'll be happy.
I'm just interested to see if looking back at the end it says anything at all.
So I guess what I'm saying is that I assumed the project was for the person doing it, rather than a competition with anyone else (although yeah, some of the images are just amazing and quite intimidating!)
Just reading your replies has challenged me to take my photos to another level - if only to make my 'story' a little more interesting to read for myself at a later date :) And since posting this I have gained a lot of followers, which was certainly not my intention, but it feels good :)
I am terrible at posting comments!! Something else I need to work on ;)
Thank you again!
Aleshia
Then I found myself browsing with more of an eye towards "inspiration", and less about "comparison". Shortly after that, an amazing thing began to happen. I found myself seeing the world differently. I started to notice things like long shadows across snow drifts, angular buildings alongside alien lampposts, star patterns created by the rays of the sun shining through a flag, and my photos began to reflect that new sense of discovery. I did worry, though, that perhaps I was betraying myself because I was no longer capturing out-of-focus pictures of stubbed toes or slices of cake. Was I trying to adapt to the styles of others in order to gain acceptance? Hmmmm. Seemed like a legitimate question since it felt less like the kind of photography I was used to creating and more...what? Thought-provoking? Artisitic? I don't know, but I DO know that my ways are changing and I have been greatly enjoying this journey of self-discovery and plan to keep learning from all of you and ALL the others involved in this wonderful project. Thanks again! :-)
the project has been pushing me to take the best pictures I can, learn from others, but if it was all competition and no fun I wouldn't be here!