Tips and Warnings for a 365 Project

Despite the fact I’ve been a photographer for a long time, this year is the first time I’ve done a 365 project. I never wanted to tackle this project before because it seemed hugely daunting. For those of you who don’t know what a 365 project is, it’s simply committing to taking one photo a day for a year. And yes, it IS daunting. But the good news is that after almost eight months, I have some helpful insight. Below is a list of some tips and warnings for a 365 project I’ve compiled. Hopefully these will help you out if you’re considering a 365 project (which I highly recommend)!

365 Project Tips

• Bring your camera everywhere, and I mean everywhere. One of my favorite shots was taken in a bowling alley. I laid on my stomach in the middle of my lane, and yes, I felt ridiculous. But after 200 days of taking photos, you really don’t care anymore about what people think of you while you’re out shooting! Bonus!

 

• Use prompts. Sometimes I feel stumped as to what to shoot. Because of this, I think it would’ve been really helpful to have weekly (or monthly) prompts. I didn’t do this, but I wish I had. For example, you could shoot with just one lens for a week (your 35mm), or just one color (blue) or just one subject matter (food). It narrows it down for you, so you’re not all over the place, every day.

• Post the photos from your project somewhere. I post my photos daily on Instagram and this has done three worthwhile things:
  1) People have told me they like seeing what I see in my world, so it has helped me build a rapport with my followers.
  2) Since I didn’t shoot something award-winning every day, my Instagram feed became more relaxed to me. I didn’t care about perfection. I posted things I didn’t love as much, because I had to, so it took the pressure off. Simply put, this project has made Instagram more fun for me.
  3) Daily posting keeps me accountable. It pushes me to stick with the project! (That being said – many people find the pressure of posting daily to be too much. You decide! You do you! This is your project!)

• Edit often. I shoot every day and edit at least 2-3 times a week. It’s too much to shoot and edit every day, but if I wait too long and have 7-10 days of images backed up, it takes hours to sift through!
• Get Organized! Have a solid organization system. I have a folder titled “365 Project”. Inside that folder are thirteen folders. There is one for each month, and then one titled, “ALL FINAL JPGS”.Also, inside every monthly folder are two more folders for the RAW files and PSD files. Having a separate folder for all the final jpgs is great, because it allows me to have one spot to see all the final work. That way the final, chosen images for each day aren’t buried within all the other options each month.

• Get Inspired! Look for inspiration everywhere and think outside the box. You’ll run out of ideas fast, so not only do I spend a lot of time on Instagram, re-reading my favorite photography books or perusing photo websites, but I’ve found inspiration outside photography too. I’ve found ideas in movies, paintings, things my friends say, drawings my kids make, or just watching the way light behaves. This project makes me think about photography, my interests, and my artistic vision all the time, which has been huge in my development.

• Change things up! Vary the time of day you shoot, what you shoot, and the type of light you use! You probably have a favorite type of light, or a favorite subject matter, but this is the time to experiment! You can’t fill 365 days with golden hour portraits of your kids. That’s no fun! Try new things – Try something you never have – Food photography? Freelensing? Macro? Try it!

 

365 Project Warnings

• Don’t Give Up! Don’t throw your camera against the wall because trust me when I say you WILL want to do this at some point. It’s a big project to take on, but I strongly feel it’s worth it. But expect to hate it sometimes.
• Not every shot will be a “WOW shot. Don’t panic about making every photo amazing. You’re shooting every single day for a year, so making 365 amazing photos is impossible. I would say most of my photos are mediocre, but the good news is that a handful of photos from this project are some of my favorite photos I have ever taken, that I am certain I never would have taken if I wasn’t doing this project.

• Challenge Yourself. Don’t just fulfill the assignment. It’s not difficult to pick up a camera and shoot something every day. However, the point is to grow as an artist and photographer. To quote my high school English teacher ~ don’t just “fulfill the assignment”. Push yourself. Brainstorm. Work. Try. And shoot shoot shoot. You’ll only get out of this, what you put into it. (That being said, see the point above. Every photo won’t be amazing and that’s ok!)

In Conclusion…

This project has been incredibly valuable to me. It has made photography part of my every day, not just something I do on vacation or for a client. Most importantly, I’ve discovered who I really am as an artist. As a result, it has helped me see what I like to shoot, how I like my images to look and what I want to say with my work. I once heard someone say, “If you’re struggling to clarify your voice as a photographer, and you tackle a 365 project, you will know what it is by the time the year is done.”

A 365 project is an exercise in discipline and practice. The result is not only a body of work that you’ll be proud of, but you’ll very likely have a stronger confidence in who you are as an artist.

For more inspiration follow Jen and her 365 project Instagram!