So you have enlisted in project365 - how hard can it be? All you have to do is pick up your camera once a day. How long does it take to make a picture? 1/125 of a second on average? That's only 1/10800000th of your day. This should be easy.
I hate the gym but I do love to run. I've been running with the same group for more than ten years now. We meet at the same place in the gym at work 2 to 5 times a week (depending upon your level of commitment), and we go for a leisurely 5 to 8 miles. We've noticed how the changing rooms become over-populated at the beginning of January, bursting at the seams with paunchy executives and sedentary engineers full of New Years resolutions. A few of them who ran track two or more decades ago at High School, ask to tag along with us and we always welcome them, however, I don't bother learning their names until they make it through to April. By this time the gym changing room occupancy is back to normal levels and our running group will be back to the same old faithful until bikini season begins to loom all too large.
It is much the same dynamic in the 365 Flickr groups; around the 20th of December my typical Project 365 shot was getting about 12 views and a couple of comments from old friends. When January 1st rolls around and a slew of people got their new cameras for Christmas flood the project groups. My first picture of the New Year and the new 365 project got nearly 100 views in a day and 12 comments and it wasn't nearly as interesting as my shot from the 20th of December. Some of the comments are from people I've never heard of but they're full of enthusiasm for their new endeavor. If they're still around at the beginning of March I'll start to learn their names.
I'm guessing 75% of people who start project365 never finish. Me? I'm too stubborn to quit. I'm also afraid that if I stop forcing myself to take a picture a day then I'll stop taking pictures altogether. As long as I'm picking up a camera at least once a day I can call myself a photographer; an amateur one but a photographer nonetheless. There's no secret to completing project365, you just have to want to do it enough. You have to want to be a photographer enough. You have to love photography enough to make time for it everyday. Like running, if it's a chore you will find a reason or an excuse to quit. It can't be a chore but we know, in reality, it isn't a pleasure to have to do something everyday, therefore, to complete this project you will have to find the middle ground and make photography a habit.
I'm not an expert but I've done this for a couple of years so here's a couple of other things that I've learned:
Carry a camera with you everywhere even if it's just your cell phone. When inspiration strikes or you stumble across a photogenic subject your camera must be at hand. If you have to walk back to the house or your car to get it you will miss the opportunity. If you see something that might make a good subject but your not sure don't censor yourself; take out your camera and take the shot. It might not be 100% successful but it is easier going through the day knowing that you have at least one shot in the can even if it is not your best shot ever. It frees you up to be more adventurous and open to other opportunities that the day might present
It's a distance race not a sprint so pace yourself - don't spend all your enthusiasm, creative energy or ideas in the first month or two.
Some days it's easy, some days it's much harder. Embrace the easy days but don't be discouraged by the tough days.
Keep a list of ideas, techniques you want to try and subjects you want to photograph. On the days when ideas flow add to the list. On those days you find yourself stuck for inspiration use something from the list.
We've all had days where it's 11 o'clock and we realise that we haven't taken a shot all day. To alleviate the panic keep a separate eleventh hour list; a list of things you can shoot around your home in an emergency. I keep a cheap light box and a couple of strobes around for just such occurrences. I grab my macro lens and shoot some action figure, camera or guitar I have lying around. Perhaps you collect something you could shoot. Maybe you like to cook; shoot the raw ingredients in your kitchen or the dinner you just prepared. You might have a pet or a child or spouse that is a captive subject. Perhaps you're proud of your home decorating skills - you get the idea; there are a million subjects in your home - you just have to find them.
Know that there will be days you don't want to shoot, days when everything you take seems like crap, days you just don't have the time or energy to produce your best quality work. It is impossible to produce great art every day - the point is to keep trying. Don't be too precious about your flickr stream - it's not a portfolio, it's a work book. Post even if you're not totally happy with the image - you learn as much from your failures as you do from your successes (probably more).
Lean on your friends, contacts and groups rather than suffer in silence - you are not the only one who finds it hard to make time to do this every day.
If you need a break, keep shooting but stop processing and posting and commenting on flickr everyday - when you feel up to it edit and post your pictures in a batch. Don't leave it more than 5-7 days though or the task will get to be too big and it will be easier to stop completely than to keep going.
Keep it fun, or at the very least, keep a sense of humor.
Your mileage my vary but these are the things that have helped me through the last couple of years of this project. If you're as pig-headed as me and you make it through to Spring I will do my best to learn your name. Be stubborn; don't stop shooting.
Comments
Martin, thanks so much for posting this! I've already had my freak out over what to shoot...and it's only day 4!
I'm off to make some lists of things worth documenting!
Whether it was his relationships, his career, or his fashion sense, recording a photo a day for a whole year left him with a rich visual history of his life. And it made him a better photographer to boot!
Now that he’s in the middle of doing it for a second time, we asked Taylor to write about it for us.
also sexual health its very important thats why i would like to talk aboutGeneric viagra powerful medication