Hi,I'd love to hear from both new and experienced users about becoming obsessed with 365. The feelings I have are akin to falling in love, can't sleep, eat or think about anything else. My house is a tip and I couldn't care less. Please tell me this is normal and it'll settle down.
I dare not start thinking of 365 before I go to sleep. If I do, I spend hours getting excited about ideas for photographs. I guess it's normal. But what is 'normal' anyway.
Lol! I'm glad to hear it's just not me! I think in my first year I must have lost a few clients just from neglect! :o) I still carry my iPhone with me in my hand so I can check in every time I stop at a light or wait in line! I'm glad to hear your getting the most out of the 365 experience! :)
Totally normal, might not settle down!!! I spent my first few weeks looking at absolutely everything as a photo opportunity, and noticing tons of things I had never seen before on routes I had travelled hundreds of times. Soon you'll be leaving your loved ones in all sorts of places while you nip off to get your shot. There will also be the days when you feel like you should give your camera away as you clearly will never take a good photo again...don't worry, that one does pass. One benefit seems to be that you'll also come to see minor disasters as new photo opportunities!! Enjoy!
Phew. Glad I'm not alone! Finding myself stressing if I can't get the picture I want and frustrated with the day job getting in the way. Plus I keep wanting to stop the car in impossible places...
I hope I can stick at it though.
Totally normal, even though I'm on my 2nd year now & don't upload every day I still can't resist checking in as much as poss to see what's happening :)
@gailn - that sounds exactly like me :) @sjodell I'm already getting so much more out of this than I could have imagined, certainly not what I expected - but in a good way
yes, I got this too! The only reason I'm caring about my pigsty house is because the clutter is making noise in the background of my shots! And all my outfits need a pocket for the camera suddenly. I'm liking seeing the world differently, appreciating what I see more, I feel like I'm seeing the world more... I keep telling my partner I'm sure I'll settle down soon, I won't let him read this thread for fear he'll think it never will ;)
@jsw0109 Noooooo, it's too late now I've had my first hit- hooked @emsabh I love it so much but I found myself not wanting to cook for my family so I went for a takeaway and edited some photos whilst waiting, only driving home I started to realise this is taking over my life! I will have fun though, it's a wonderful community :)
@spankyjane Excellent! That's ringing so many bells with me, made me laugh and it's great to hear I'm not alone @soboy5 this seems to be the general consensus :)
I swear...the site needs a warning sign! I can't tell you how many times I've burnt dinner or been late to get the kids at school! My husband thinks I'm weird for laughing at the computer screen and talking about all my friends that live in there :)
@ingrid2101 so true! One of my resolutions is to find easy/quick recipes so I can spend more time more taking pictures and reading about photography and less time in the kitchen, even though I also do love to cook!
I spend all of my time looking for new things to photograph and new ways to shoot them. I think I've been on here for the last hour now, and I'll check again on my mobile later.
@shutterbugger - laughing as I'm pretending to listen to my husband as I write this- he's not getting to see it either @nadaa It cannot get more addictive :( @vase ha ha, I love cooking too and caught myself looking at ready meals in the supermarket thinking they don't look THAT bad @richardcreese I'm needing to charge my mobile 2 or 3 times a day now @farrah :) I'm a list cause then, oh well..
I think about photos all day every day. Even when I am working, reading, watching TV, what I'll shoot next is always in the back of my mind. My husband will catch me looking around the room and he always knows I'm just trying to find a photo op. My three year old daughter periodically tells me to put my camera away.
Glad I'm not alone on that obsession! My husband has been laughing at me with it and has been calling me a nerd (he is truly a nerd and I always jokingly tease him about it...so I think this is very pleasing to him lol)
Ha ha! I went shopping in the sales today for clothes...came home with an ND filter and camera cleaning equipment!!!! Haven't told hubby yet :-D
So glad to hear this is a normal "symptom" !!!!
You will never be the same again - I wake up in the middle of the night thinking of where I am going to get a good shot the next day! It's a fantastic project and I can't imagine life without it! Enjoy
@andrina Clothes shopping is boring anyway, just tell you've had it for ages :) @rosiekind I can't believe how much i've changed in 5 days and I used to think I was interested in photography.. I had no idea
totally normal! I'm three years in and have learnt to deal with little sleep; waking in the middle of the night with creative thoughts...broken back from lugging a DSLR round with me 24/7 LOL! for me its a good obsession - it stopped me from being a workaholic and I got my work life balance back...also made a bundle of good real life friends. Its a bumpy ride but you'll love every second!!
I can't stay away. This is the friendliest photo site I have come across.
I sit in he evenings, IPad in hand pretending to watch tv while I read the discussions, study the Pp and catch up with others shots
@ingrid2101 so right !!! @dolphin makes a nice change to spend so much time on the computer looking at this site instead of what I was doing when I was doing my degree!!
@ingrid2101
Hi Ingrid, I have just found your images. Yes, I have started the 365 day project and want to keep up with taking a photo on the day it is due. I don't know how I will get on when I go on holiday but hey ho, perhaps someone will give me an idea. It is quite obsessive, I wake in the night thinking of what I can do the next day, and when I do I am not particularly happy and find something else. As soon as I upload my days image, I seem to relax and then start taking better photo's that I can't use. However, we have a long way to go yet but I think it will get easier - I hope.
We took our holidays last year on the Outer Hebrides - Barra to Stornaway, over two weeks, and the light up there was just remarkable. Would love to do it again sometime.
Regards
Patricia Griffin
On my 3rd year (limited) the first two years I felt the same...my husband still pushes me to go out when he thinks I should be out capturing. (Yes, he is a sweetie) I am learning after 2 years that I need to pace myself, take photos that I want and do projects with me in mind...not the photo of a day. This is still a great place to see amazing photography and enjoy tremendous people from all over the world. Enjoy
@bobfoto just thinking of all the things I could buy too :) @dolphin@kelkel I know 5 days! @sparkle me too - like having a newborn baby all over again but all the nice bits :) @juliehill@cromwell@tbats22 ha ha :) @grizzlysghost right....no idea at all Aaron? :) @andrina it is too - it feels worthwhile - I never used to on this much :) @staffsknott Hi Patricia, I haven't been to the Western Isles yet - bizarre when I live so close but certainly a place I'd love to go soon, the light in summer certainly compensates for the long dark nights we have up here
I am a newbie and fairly obsessed, but my photos are quite pants.... Am hoping that in 340 days the obsession will remain but photos will be much better... Has anyone seen great progression in their own shots%
Really like your raspberry shot Gill, @gillg. If you spend time thinking about your photos, asking for help and looking at lots of other people's work your photos one day you will look back and realise how much you have improved.
@jsw0109 never taken it but have read enough about it to believe you are very right. You made me really lol.
All the people who have dusty houses and can't be bothered to cook yeah I know where you are coming from!
And I thought it was just my addictive nature...so relieved to find out how normal I am in regard to my 365 obsession. Can't believe I used to spend money on clothes and books when I could have been buying lenses! Can't believe how many shots I have missed before I joined 365. And can't believe how welcoming and warm folks are on this site. Joining last year was best thing I have done in a very long time!
@jsw0109 WOW is a pussy cat compared to 365! LOL
My son left WOW completely alone after 6 months solid. These days he just pops back there now and again.
A year in, I can't leave 365, not even for a day ;-)
Well, I think you need to get a life, but yes, I do pay attention to what I can show people each day, and to comment consistently on those folks I have committed to follow.
@sparkle - Juliette we are a lot a like in that this project saved me from the abyss of my work. Prior to 365 I worked 24/7. This project and photography gave me much needed balance. Made many wonderful friends along the way, stiring up the creative jiuces and opened my eyes to appreciate things. And yes many late nights commenting, editing, etc. So Ingrid welcome to the new normal for all of us 365 crazy people.
Oh, I'm so glad it's not just me. I didn't even want to admit my addition. I check the photos every chance I get and think what I can take a picture of all the time. It's good to be among so many friendly addicts.
@mylifeinpics39@frankhymus it's keeping up with it all - I agree with you Frank as it's nice to get feedback so I try to give it too @michaelelliott " the new normal" - I like that :)
@ingrid2101 - my one piece of advice is don;t kill yourself trying to comment back to everyone. It becomes overwhelming and impossible. Just do what you can and everyone understands.
My name is Aleksandra, and I'm a 365 addict... In year 2 now and just can't stop thinking about all things photography! I drive down the road and see photo ops in my mind, and constantly think 'ooh, the light is nice today', or 'what a pretty sky'. I carry the dslr with me everywhere, everyday, and I spend way too much time on this site rather than cooking, cleaning, or sleeping!
Wow, I just learned a couple of things, first I'm glad that it's not just me and second that it's acceptable not to comment on every photo, it was taking me ages....so thanks for the info :)
@aleksandra - that is what being an artist is all about. I am sure Rembrandt or Vermeer or Van Gogh did just that - they thought about painting all the time (it was more than a hobby). The way you view the world is no different. I'm with you on this.
Trouble sleeping. It is 5 AM. What is the solution? Turn on the laptop and check out 365. Addictive? Could be. If you want to put some limits on your 365 obsession, I suggest limiting the people you are following to those whose style resonates for you and/or whose personalities delight you. Yes, you will miss the work of other wonderful photographers, but your experience will be enhanced. Also, I agree with @michaelelliott that I really need to cut back on comments.
@aleksandra - no matter where I am, someone can be talking to me, and I'm checking out the lighting. If its really good, I'm thinking to myself like damn I need to be capturing that. Sometimes I may even blurt it out. Funny right.
First thing I do in the morning? Reach for my phone and check 365. Now my kids always imitate me, :saying things like:" mum, mum, can I watch tv" "oh no, wait, she's looking at 365. It's taking over our lives" . Ha ha, very funny I tell them.
When I started I wasn't convinced that I would see out the year, well here I am nearly 18 months later still taking a shot a day. And yes, every spare moment I have I'm checking in to see what's been happening!
I've struggled with balance and obsession, lady. Really trying to not care as much this time around. I need to be healthier about it for my family. Good luck!
I've been rubbish so far this year (year three) - time constraints finally catching up - but I still spend every car journey searching for photos (365 has probably been quoted in car accident reports) and even watching the TV I will suddenly exclaim because there's a really photogenic place. And then of course there's choice of holidays... And the whole family despairs... But I'm not obsessed ;0)
@ingrid2101 Hello my name is David and I'm an amateur photographer. It's not that I'm an addict, I just think about that particular shot, depth of field or missed opportunity almost constantly.
I see other people with a camera taking odd shots and wonder if they are 365'ers too!
It's now 11:47pm and I should be asleep, not looking at 365project...
:-)
I'm starting my third year and I can't imagine not taking a pic for the 365 everyday! It's just part of me now. I'm lucky to have an understanding family. Oh, and about the house. Mine stays a wreck! :0)
@michaelelliott funny but true! I do it all the time...and I've gotten really bad at just zoning out of conversations all together.... on the upside, my social calendar has opened up for more photo taking opportunities! (any normal person would not see that as an upside...right?) ;)
@aleksandra - hahaha me too! In evenings or when out I need to be alert to my office emails on I-phone and I get my 365 notifications on it too so I always have on hand. When I zone out of conversations with family and friends they say "what you're on 365" and I say "No work emails" (but really 365!)
Obsession? It's become part of my life,now.Have always loved photography,and 365 is a wonderful way of channelling my enthusiasm,even if the housework takes a back seat at times.
@michaelelliott@jsw0109@orangecrush@aleksandra@sparkle@grizzlysghost@judithg@northy@ingrid2101@vase@shutterbugger well there you go. I thought that's what everybody did! Planned holidays around photography. Kept iPhone, iPad and other devices handily located so that near bed, in car, at work, etc so that 365 is at hand. Ensure having access to multiple email accounts and spare chips to maintain contact internationally through wifi or cellular when on vacation. Have great moments of inspiration and get into the mode. My wife plays the seven games with the horses, my son is a gamer on multiple platforms (but not Warcraft), my daughter has a laptop and a boyfriend. They reckon I am playing the 365 game. Relative complain on hikes in the Alps that it is taking too long because you are photographing every flower that is blooming. Well it is Switzerland after all. You suddenly find that you have around 40 cameras and a fridge filling with film. Gourmet home cooking means developing film not baking a soufflé, and mind you, I make a very good one. But seriously, 365 might have saved my life in some very dark times over a year ago. The companionship, joy of exploring hidden creative expression and encouragement of self exploration at 365 are worth staying awake for. I know what it is like to work for 60-80 hours per week, without thanks or to detriment of family. If 365 is addictive, and a bit like therapy, it is also victimless and a positively rewarding. I look forward to communication and engagement with my friends here because it is a warm and engaging community of people who like to see, and do. Enjoy
@michaelelliott LOL - most of my very close friends whislt speaking to me on the phone say "you're 365'ing aren't you?" I'm like how do they know that....comes the vacant pause! But they see the fun adn often invite me out to this place and that because they are sure that there will e great photo opps!
@orangecrush I'm like that. On the way to a festival that was 45 mins away, I kept stopping to shoot barns, and my friends in the car started whining, saying things like "there will be plenty of photo ops at the festival" and "the festival doesn't run all day and night" and "haven't you taken pictures of enough barns by now?" LOL
yeah i have become obsessed with it but am forcing a break on myself for the moment whilst i get other jobs done - cant resist commenting tho and still browsing
@kwiksilver Thanks so much for all the comments, Gillian... really appreciate them! Feel like I am already learning a lot, and it's a great website. Went back to work yesterday after the Christmas break and have been very distracted with thoughts of photography!!
@grizzlysghost ha ha _ I actually burst out laughing - I should be working but thought I'd come on here a "quick" look. Fantastic photo! No escaping from it - nice cameras too and what a fantastic self portrait :)
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I hope I can stick at it though.
@primitiveprobe - will have a look at that thanks :)
@sjodell I'm already getting so much more out of this than I could have imagined, certainly not what I expected - but in a good way
@soboy5 this seems to be the general consensus :)
@nadaa It cannot get more addictive :(
@vase ha ha, I love cooking too and caught myself looking at ready meals in the supermarket thinking they don't look THAT bad
@richardcreese I'm needing to charge my mobile 2 or 3 times a day now
@farrah :) I'm a list cause then, oh well..
It's a problem. :)
So glad to hear this is a normal "symptom" !!!!
This is reassuring I think...
@rosiekind I can't believe how much i've changed in 5 days and I used to think I was interested in photography.. I had no idea
I sit in he evenings, IPad in hand pretending to watch tv while I read the discussions, study the Pp and catch up with others shots
Hi Ingrid, I have just found your images. Yes, I have started the 365 day project and want to keep up with taking a photo on the day it is due. I don't know how I will get on when I go on holiday but hey ho, perhaps someone will give me an idea. It is quite obsessive, I wake in the night thinking of what I can do the next day, and when I do I am not particularly happy and find something else. As soon as I upload my days image, I seem to relax and then start taking better photo's that I can't use. However, we have a long way to go yet but I think it will get easier - I hope.
We took our holidays last year on the Outer Hebrides - Barra to Stornaway, over two weeks, and the light up there was just remarkable. Would love to do it again sometime.
Regards
Patricia Griffin
@dolphin @kelkel I know 5 days!
@sparkle me too - like having a newborn baby all over again but all the nice bits :)
@juliehill @cromwell @tbats22 ha ha :)
@grizzlysghost right....no idea at all Aaron? :)
@andrina it is too - it feels worthwhile - I never used to on this much :)
@staffsknott Hi Patricia, I haven't been to the Western Isles yet - bizarre when I live so close but certainly a place I'd love to go soon, the light in summer certainly compensates for the long dark nights we have up here
All the people who have dusty houses and can't be bothered to cook yeah I know where you are coming from!
My son left WOW completely alone after 6 months solid. These days he just pops back there now and again.
A year in, I can't leave 365, not even for a day ;-)
@michaelelliott " the new normal" - I like that :)
@spankyjane I'm with you there - I simply don't wear anything without pockets!
@gillg great shots, Gill - nothing pants about them!
I see other people with a camera taking odd shots and wonder if they are 365'ers too!
It's now 11:47pm and I should be asleep, not looking at 365project...
:-)