Excited to finally have my 365 project done. Started it on January first last January thanks to some encouragement from JupiterLily. From the beginning of the project, I really wasn't concerned about not being able to finish it. I just wanted to challenge myself and prove that I could. Whether you're just getting into photography or have the drive of a professional, I've got a few tips that can help make the project easier to manage
1.) Organize
Organization is HUGE. Unfortunately, I wasn't very organized for the first half of my project, which resulted in a lot of time wasted on checking the day/time photos were taken in my giant month-encompassing folders. By July I finally figured out a folder/organization system that's perfect for the project: folders for not only each month, but each day. In other words, if I was looking to post my shot from Day 15, I'd just go 2011 > January 2011 > 15. This way, you can hold yourself more accountable for taking photos every day. Leave no folder empty!
2.) Take your camera everywhere
If you don't, you're bound to miss the coolest thing that happens all day. How many times have you been out running errands when you see something beautiful (i.e., the suset) and you've thought, "Dang, I wish I had my camera!!" Free yourself from that frustration and just take your camera everywhere. Literally everywhere. School, Walmart, your job. It's not that tough, especially if you have a point-and-shoot that can easily be slipped into your pocket. If you shoot with a DSLR though, most businesses don't have a problem with you toting your camera around your neck. Walmart used to not like cameras, but I think they've lessened up on their "security" now that everyone has a smart phone with an 8-megapixel camera. A nice way I've discovered to be a little more discrete is to carry it like you would a side-saddle bag. Instead of putting it solely around your neck, put the strap around your neck and under one of your arms. That way, you can tuck the camera back behind your arm while you walk
3.) Set your date/time
This one seems oddly specific, but believe me, having the right date and time on your camera comes in handy. When we take that camera out of the box, a lot of us don't bother to go in and change the date/time to what it actually is, and just leave it to the default. This screwed me over a couple times this year when I was checking the exif info of some night shots and was trying to figure out whether I took them for one day or the next. There will be times when you wait until midnight (more on that later), so it's crucial to know whether you got that shot in just in time or were a minute late
4.) Don't wait 'til midnight
It's just a bad idea. I was guilty of it a few times myself, and it sucked! By midnight, you tend to be drained and out of ideas, and you end up with crappy photos. This is where carrying your camera everywhere comes in handy. If you think you haven't seen anything cool all day and need motivation, just think about how much better it is to be outside right now taking photos in daylight instead of tonight in your dark, boring room.
5.) Shoot anything and everything
Don't be afraid to take photos of something just because you think it may be boring. Vary your subject matter! If I didn't do so, every single one of my 365 project photos would have ended up being a shot of the sky lol. I ended up shooting a lot of random macros for some of my near-midnight shots. I thought they were boring and sucked, but it's always interesting to find out when your watchers think otherwise. So don't worry about what you're shooting, just shoot it
6.) Watch the weather
Light affects photography tremendously (after all, that's really what photography is; collecting light). Check NOAA.gov www.noaa.gov/ to keep an eye on your local forecast. If you see that tomorrow is gonna be sunny and nice, plan a bike ride or photo walk! If it's gonna be crappy and rainy, start trying to find something interesting inside to shoot.
7.) Make yourself uncomfortable
This one is kind of vague, but it will really help you when it comes to varying your subject matter. If you've never photographed people before, make an effort to do so for at least a few of your project days. Don't just go outside when it's nice. Go out when it's searing hot, blistering cold, storming (unless it's hailing lol), or snowing. We live on a planet with an incredibly diverse amount of weather. All of these conditions provide their own unique types of photo ops and lighting. A boring scene one day may be an incredible one the next! Don't be afraid to try new things, shoot stuff you've never thought about shooting before.
That's all I've got for now! I'll add more later if I think of anything
I'll leave you with a few of my best and worst images from my 365 project
The good:
The bad:
The ugly:
