Having tried 365 on Flickr before and failed miserably I've been persuaded to try it again here by a friend who has been doing it for a few months. Despite initial misgivings I'm really loving it, I do find myself often wondering though, is it possible to create an arty shot everyday?
I could, in reality, shoot anything I wanted and submit it, after all I'm only doing it for myself, however I find that I just can't do that. I feel compelled to make every effort, every day to create something as "eye catching" and "unique" as possible. I'm just not satisfied with submitting any old thing, it has, in my mind, to be as special as I can make it.
Now often of course you can shoot anything and through the magic of image manipulation make it look a bit special, however if the initial shot isn't right no amount of tinkering is ever going to make it really stand out. That's what I liked about shooting on film, unless you knew what you were doing "in-camera" you were never going to produce a good image...
Anyway, I digress, is it actually possible in this hectic life of work etcetera, to find the time and opportunity to produce an "arty" image everyday, or sometimes should we just be content with keeping the 365 rolling?
well personally my life style does not allow for a big creatively interesting shot everyday but i do try , im trying to get easier on myself because i gave my self such a hard time if a shot wasnt what i wanted so now im just doing what i fancy doing each day and not stressing it :)
@flamez I know what you mean, I give myself such a hard time and frequently think about giving up (already!) If I can't submit something that I'm totally happy with.
I don't know about arty, that's not really my goal, but I do try and make an effort every day. When my photos suck I try and make something out of it by editing.
I have an amazingly busy life with a job and two children under 3 and the photography thing is one of the few things I do for me. So I want to make time for it every day. I am almost at my 100th photo and haven't missed a day yet (nor used a filler).
Perhaps it isn't that you have 'average' or 'dull' things around... perhaps you just need to change your perception and perspective. The most ordinary of objects can be extraordinary with just a tilt of the head.
"Artsy" is all around... all we have to do is open our eyes to it.
@nicksdarkroom Don't give up! Like Amy said, good pictures can be from a lot of simple things that surround us but often go unnoticed. However, coming up with a conceptual, creative shot everyday is nearly impossible, we all have bad days or days in which we don't have the energy, inspiration or time to take good pictures and I think it's normal.
all i can say is i really really give it a shot, but some days i just don't feel it. i think is comes out in my photos, but i am determined to stick with at least a photo a day so i go with it, and push onward:)
Different people seem to have different aesthetic viewpoints. It's hard to define "arty" given the different cultural background of 365ers. I just hope i can develop my own style along the way. Meanwhile, it's a great way to improve our skills by viewing others' works and comments. Just follow yr heart and shoot what pleases yr eyes.
I don't think you need to be "artsy" every day, but you do need to be YOU. Your personality in your shot is what counts. I have plenty of shots that are silly (not artsy at all) because I love a sense of humor. I don't think a lot of people "get" those shots, but who cares? They're for me. And that's the big point. Take a shot; if YOU like it, then it's good!
Interesting question. I guess if your goal is to be "arty" every day then you will have off days. It's natural like the tides ebbing and flowing. If you want to document your day then maybe "arty" isn't what you really want. If you allow yourself to go with the flow of the day then I think you will find what works best for each day. Some days will be more artistic than others. There is nothing wrong with that. So, don't put up obstacles that don't exist. Just take it day by day.
So far I post at least a photo taken on that day everyday (usually 3, try to have different themes). Sometimes I can say they are a bit artistic sometimes just trash :-)
i do know what you mean however i had to bust through that cause i have found often when i am focused on being arty it gets mixed in with my perfectionism and i then get in my own way too often and actually feel less creative... so what i do instead is to focus on the creative process and allow that to be what motivates me ...then i find that more themes arise and i become much more playful which for me is at the heart of my artistry.
I think the answer is 'No' but it's still disappointing when I don't like my shot particularly. I'm having a sticky patch at the moment - frustrating as the weather's fantastic but I can't quite get myself pleased with anything. On the other hand shots that I really like don't always get much feedback and vice versa - sometimes it's nice just to post a personal memory and be happy with it for yourself - and if you always do 'arty' why not challenge yourself to do landscape or natural or fun or street shot....
I would say it depends on your definition of arty. To me any type of photo is art, just depends on the classification you put it in, portrait, landscape , urban, transport. Some one will see a photo of a truck as "art" and put it on their wall, the same as someone else will see a shot of a baby or hill and hang it as art.. So in that respect to me you can be arty everyday..
I am of the opinion that we can very well try to be as arty as we like with each post. In the end, however, it the the viewers who decide whether or not we've succeeded.
I do not even know what being arty means. Graphically pleasant? Creative in the inventive aspect of it? Very deep and meaningful? Imitating great photographers? Thought provoking? Cute picture? All of it or something else?
I take many pictures every day. I just have my camera with me where ever I go. I still do not quite know what I am aiming at and what for. I have a vague idea what interest me and what I would like a photo to be ( still very far from achieving it ) and I am not good at planning photos. I collect impressions and try to save them on the camera card. If I have some pictures from the day I usually can pick one or more for my project or process and try to rescue one. If arty means being satisfied with what you post – for me the answer is not only that I am not arty every day, but hardly ever.
After I wrote it I realized you meant being unique and special – Well this is something that is not important to me. I guess one can be special if he produces good work, not necessarily unique.
Don't know if it's the best idea to set out be amazing each and everyday. I think that's the fastest to set up a creative block.
Like what others say, just have your camera on you all the time and take shots of things that pleases you. A lot of great things come that way.
Maybe when you have free time, maybe once or twice a week, maybe try to something "arty" and see how that goes, learn a new technique or experiment with your camera and editing programs to see what happens.
I just started 365 less than a month ago thinking that chronicling my life through photos would improve my photography. After seeing the masterful photography of others I was inspired to do more than chronicle. Unfortunately, if I'm not careful I get intimidated by others' work and never see my photos as good enough. I keep needing to refocus on improving... and on some days just sticking with it.
i don't always manage "arty", what i do manage is a picture that says something about my day and will "speak to me" about my memories when i look back at them, that to me is more important.
i do tend to try a bit harder at capturing that meaningful shot though since starting 365
@herussell Hi Hope, I can really identify with this comment, I also get so easily intimidated by the work of others. Where I should be inspired I'm actually put off as I see everyone else producing amazing work whilst mine seems so poor. Sorry, but I'm glad its not just me!
Art is life so capture it in whatever form it arrives as. Sometimes life doesn't allow for our perfectly composed creative attempts but instead art is a candid snap as only the viewer can see.
@meggageg You're thinking along the right lines! A crawler where I'm from is someone who compliments people too much when they clearly don't deserve it! Hehehehe!
As @yoelao said, I'm not sure what you mean by arty as its all in the eye of the viewer. If you mean unique and special then surely that should apply to all your photos as they are unique and special to you. This 365 project is "a photo a day" not "an artistic masterpiece a day". I get intimidated every single day by the amazing work I see on here and there have been many occasions that I feel I should be learning more about photography or getting myself a better camera or learning how to edit and manipulate my shots but then I rope myself in and remind myself that it is my project, done only for me so that in years to come I hope to be able to look back on my project and smile at the memories and you don't need arty for that.
@kjarn Thankyou Kathy, you, as several other have, have made some astute observations particularly with regard to art being in the eye of the beholder and this project being for me to enjoy.
Thankyou again.
Artistic merit is a bit subjective, so one person's arty image can be another's badly focused or poorly-exposed attempt.
I can be cynical sometimes and see very professional looking images as clichéd, and I tend to appreciate something as 'arty' if it holds my interest in some way - if I look at it and think how would I have captured that, how I wish I could have seen that myself, or how observant someone is to have captured a detail that most would pass by.
On an average day I see loads of things that would be good subjects but I'm often not in a position to take the photo. I expect most people are in the same position, unless they have the luxury of wandering about in 'arty' mode for most of the day :)
So I can't really do it, but I can produce some images that I like. I know other people here seem to do it most of the time so maybe it is possible. Maybe it's something you can work on to improve your skill.
@nicksdarkroom Great thread Nick. I know I can't produce even 'goog'shots every day; let alone árty'ones. Sometimes what I produce is so influences by how rough or smooth a day I'm having and there are bits of my working life that I have no control over. When I've had a difficult or tiring day I have to flog myself to take any photo at all.
But then...this project is a bit of a reflection of my year, and the truth is that my year is just like everyone else's...there are highlights and lowlights; good days and not so good ones; and the photos I post probably reflect that more than a journal could.
@nicksdarkroom I totally agree with what you are saying. I'm constantly disappointed with my shots. I want to capture something that reflects my day but often that photo has had to rushed and as a result is not a good photo. The subject matter is really important to me but at times I don't have enough time to compose the shot and then no amount of post processing will make it any better!
Having said that, you manage to produce an excellent arty shot every day! I can only aspire to take photos like that!
@swilde Thanks Sue, I totally agree with you that the shots submitted are often a reflection of the day you've had. Someday's I just can't be bothered because the day has drained all my enthusiasm, others I can't stop shooting.
I agree. I was doing pretty good keeping up until my dad passed. I was always trying to out do yesterdays photo. Now I am just trying to get back on track.
I know it's not possible for me. I only started my project a couple of weeks ago and I am already finding it difficult! I hardly ever find free time to take a neat picture. My mood also has an effect on the pictures and that's an obvious thing there. I don't like many of my few pictures and those are usually the ones that were taken on bad days for me.
Anyway it is also frustrating that when you like your own picture a lot you don't get as much feedback as you got in others you didn't like that much. Feedback also affects me, but although I know that most of the days I won't have the opportunity to take a good picture at least I must take one and post it, don't matter if it's a bad one.
My real aim here is not to give up, because I always give up whatever I start.
@nicksdarkroom I have been thinking exactly the same thing as you, nick. And for me, the answer is no. I can not be creative enough to make art every day. I would like to be able to do that, but some days are just not conducive to the creative processes needed to make art. However, for me there is a huge difference between simply "taking a picture" and the more involved process of "making a photograph". I have little interest in the former and really only want to do the latter. After being on the project (which I am enjoying a lot so far) for a fairly short time, I have seen the works of some very talented photographers, and that has inspired me to do my best every day. So the bar is set high and I will continue to try to make meaningful photographs daily. Some days are met with success, some are not. But the creative process continues nonetheless.
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I have an amazingly busy life with a job and two children under 3 and the photography thing is one of the few things I do for me. So I want to make time for it every day. I am almost at my 100th photo and haven't missed a day yet (nor used a filler).
"Artsy" is all around... all we have to do is open our eyes to it.
I take many pictures every day. I just have my camera with me where ever I go. I still do not quite know what I am aiming at and what for. I have a vague idea what interest me and what I would like a photo to be ( still very far from achieving it ) and I am not good at planning photos. I collect impressions and try to save them on the camera card. If I have some pictures from the day I usually can pick one or more for my project or process and try to rescue one. If arty means being satisfied with what you post – for me the answer is not only that I am not arty every day, but hardly ever.
After I wrote it I realized you meant being unique and special – Well this is something that is not important to me. I guess one can be special if he produces good work, not necessarily unique.
Like what others say, just have your camera on you all the time and take shots of things that pleases you. A lot of great things come that way.
Maybe when you have free time, maybe once or twice a week, maybe try to something "arty" and see how that goes, learn a new technique or experiment with your camera and editing programs to see what happens.
i do tend to try a bit harder at capturing that meaningful shot though since starting 365
Thankyou again.
I can be cynical sometimes and see very professional looking images as clichéd, and I tend to appreciate something as 'arty' if it holds my interest in some way - if I look at it and think how would I have captured that, how I wish I could have seen that myself, or how observant someone is to have captured a detail that most would pass by.
On an average day I see loads of things that would be good subjects but I'm often not in a position to take the photo. I expect most people are in the same position, unless they have the luxury of wandering about in 'arty' mode for most of the day :)
So I can't really do it, but I can produce some images that I like. I know other people here seem to do it most of the time so maybe it is possible. Maybe it's something you can work on to improve your skill.
But then...this project is a bit of a reflection of my year, and the truth is that my year is just like everyone else's...there are highlights and lowlights; good days and not so good ones; and the photos I post probably reflect that more than a journal could.
Having said that, you manage to produce an excellent arty shot every day! I can only aspire to take photos like that!
Anyway it is also frustrating that when you like your own picture a lot you don't get as much feedback as you got in others you didn't like that much. Feedback also affects me, but although I know that most of the days I won't have the opportunity to take a good picture at least I must take one and post it, don't matter if it's a bad one.
My real aim here is not to give up, because I always give up whatever I start.