7 Reasons Why You Need to Participate in a 365 Photography Project
These are my top nine pictures of 2020. Many of these would never have been created if I hadn’t committed myself to the daily practice of a 365 project.
The beginning of a New Year is always my time to reflect on personal growth. 2020 was an especially challenging year for all of us and even more so for us here in Southern California with the riots and wildfires that took place earlier this year. Beyond that, the number of Coronavirus cases are sky-rocketing and another stay-at-home order will keep us from socializing well into 2021. However, while living a socially distanced life, photography has helped me tremendously in dealing with stress. Today I want to talk about the benefits of a 365 photography project and invite you to join my online community over at Gather Academy.
First off: what is the 365 project and how can you join it?
The main idea behind a 365 photography project is to take one picture every day over the course of 365 days. From documenting your daily life to creating stunning artwork with your camera, the sky is the limit in your interpretation of this idea. You can use any kind of camera or as many different cameras and lenses as you own. Some people follow a theme or challenge for a week or month, others like to commit to one lens per month and try it out. It’s totally up to you to set boundaries or to go with your creative flow. You can do it all by yourself, with a group of friends, or you can join our existing community. Organize your pictures in editing programs like Lightroom or print them and hang them on your wall. You can even do it all on your iPhone and transfer pictures directly from the camera to albums. No matter how you want to define your project, all that matters is that it gives you joy, motivates you to use your favorite camera and allows you to have more pictures of your favorite moments at the end of the year.
While committing to a 365 project can be daunting because of the time commitment, it has so many benefits that make it absolutely worth a try.
Here are my 7 reasons why you should try it:
Improve your photography: taking a picture a day will keep you connected to your craft and make you a better photographer. No matter how bad or good your picture, you have given yourself an opportunity to learn from mistakes.
Stay motivated: Even on the days you don’t feel like picking up your camera you have a reason to do it anyways.
Meet new friends: No matter how you get involved in the project, you will have the opportunity to meet new people! You can either connect with photographers through apps like MeetUp or your local camera club, or join an online community where you can meet photographers from all around the world. I will be hosting an online community like that this year, a 365 project at Gather Academy together with my talented friend April Milani. We hope you will join us!! (You can start your project anytime, no need to wait for the next New Year’s Day.)
Stay inspired: Nothing is more inspiring than learning from other photographers and about how they create. When I first tried out a 365 project three years ago, I tried lots of new techniques which opened doors into worlds I didn’t even know exist. One of my favorite challenges was learning about high key photography. I hadn’t heard anything about it so I looked it up online. It made me leave my comfort zone and learn about different ways to use exposure. Looking back, it was another important stepping stone in my long journey as a creative photographer.
See in a new way: It can be tiring to see the same things day after day, to a point where you feel there’s nothing left to photograph. I was at that point when I started my first 365. My biggest surprise was how my way of looking at my surroundings changed while trying to find something interesting to photograph. Gradually I fell in love with the little things and discovered interesting areas no matter where I looked.
Become more confident: The more you try, the more you learn, the more confident you will become. It’s that simple!
Do something good for your soul: Photography is my mental yoga. Practicing on a daily basis helps me to make time for creativity. In doing so I make sure I plan a few minutes of me- time no matter how challenging my day was. Even a few minutes of focusing on something you enjoy can make a huge difference in your mental health.
I hope this article motivates you to pick up your camera and start your own creative journey. Just give it a try and let me know how it goes. I can’t wait to see your work!!
Last but not least I’d like to invite you to follow through our monthly blog circle. Next up is Michele’s entry about games to play at your photo session. She’s a photographer in Minneapolis and his great tips for your next photo shoot.