A 365 Project is a photography project, you take 1 photo each day for a year on a subject of your choosing and share it with the world.
So.. What's all the fuss?
Recently there has been a big hype about 365 Projects, everyone seems to be doing one, each with their own individual take on the subject. Some people take photos of themselves, others take photos of just one object, some take photos of their daily meals and others, like me, just take photos of every day life.
Why do it?
Taking a photo each day can be a big undertaking, however the payoffs and the sense of achievement at the end are great,
- Taking photos every day will improve your photography skills, there's no doubt about it, using your camera so much will teach you about lighting, composition and creativity. Forcing yourself to come up with new ideas and making you look at life a little bit differently.
- Documenting you life will help you see clearer, it's a great way to document what you spend your time on, your bad haircuts and your creativity.
- The number one reason for me is that it's a visual diary, Imagine being able to look back on everything you've done, all those new places, new people and awesome nights out!
Motivation
Sometimes you'll feel like there is nothing to take a photo of, that nothing exciting is happening, when days like this come around, and believe me, they come! Pick yourself up and force yourself out of the house and start taking pictures.
Telling your friends about the project will keep you interested, people will start asking if they can be in your picture or what your going to take today, people find it really interesting to talk about too, this all adds up to encourage and remind you to take better photos!
Getting Started
Here are my all time top 4 rules to remember on your journey into the 365.
- Take your camera everywhere! No camera, no picture!
- Don't wait to post your images, get them uploaded within a day or two so you don't end up with a huge backlog!
- Pick a theme to start with, it will keep you focused and make it easier to remember to take your photo.
- Don't stop, remember the goal and how good it will be at the end.
I'd love to hear why you started your 365 Project in the comments.
If you haven't already... Get signed up and get shooting!
I started the project when I saw my daughter's pictures come to her facebook page every day. I got curious and asked her about it. I joined and that was that. I'm hooked!
Argh,...
than i was googling the possibility's and found this site, sign up and now posting here.
The theme u said to pick, is my life, my daily things. gonna try uploading everyday one photo.
Mainly I will learn a lot about photography!
Anyway, good luck to those just starting xxx
I started the 365 Project last year on my birthday (January 16, 2013) for a variety of reasons. First and foremost was the desire to learn how to use my new camera, an Olympus E-PL1 4/3 micro system mirror-less digital, which I got for Christmas 2012. The other motivators for doing the project were: (in no particular order) to increase the my quality of work, concentrate on good compositions, learn some fun and interesting Photoshop techniques and to chronicle a year in my life with pictures.
The project at times was very hard to do. Some days I just didn't "feel" the love of photography or have the artistic eye for getting a great shot. Still, I pushed through and made myself take a photo every single day. I only had one day where I took exactly one photo, thank goodness, I managed to take it or the project would have been a bust! LOL Some days it was really fun to get out and do a shoot, only to discover that I had more than one great picture to choose from.
I feel that my photos have increased in quality, and that there are more "great" shots in my final months than there were at the start of the project. I have learned a great deal about the camera! I know when to use certain settings (f-stops etc...), how to make sure my lighting is okay, when to use a tripod and how to frame a subject and how to post-edit with PSE. I think I still have a lot of mediocre shots too, but I feel better about what I am producing and have confidence that I won't come home with complete duds when I am out taking pictures.
I had a lot of fun doing the project, but at times I hated it too. I am thrilled that I finished it properly, one photo for everyday of the year, and I am also a little bit glad that it is over. It was a lot of work and a big time commitment, so now I feel a little bit like a kid going on summer vacation!
I especially enjoyed the creative side of it and am happy with the works of art I created and got to share with all of you.