It’s been a minute since I’ve done a personal project. We’re talking maybe three years. That’s not great, but I have my reasons, which you’re welcome to ask me about any time.
This year I decided that it’s going to be my year to get out of my personal creative slump. When I’m focused on challenging myself creatively, I feel like I can better see the creative side of my client work and my images look more polished and powerful. This goal has lead me to begin a Project 365.
What is a Project 365?
A Project 365 is a daily photography shooting project where you are taking at least one image a day for an entire year, or 365 days. I tend to take more that just one photo, of course. It’s really hard not to! A lot of photographers that take part in these projects will take a myriad of photos of many different subjects. Travel, food, landscape, daily life, you name it. My goal is to use my daily shooting to create a rich catalogue of images of my family to document our year. Much like I do with my Year In The Life sessions.
How will I stay accountable to my goal?
Honestly, it can be hard for me to finish something I start. I’m not going to lie. It’s a struggle. Life with four kids and running my own business can get crazy busy. But, I’m fully committed to having accountability measures in place that will push me to keep going this year. I’ve joined a great group of women through Clickin’ Moms that are committed to making their Project 365’s a priority and are there for encouragement and support. If you are at all interested in photography, and desire to grow in your skills and learn more in that area, I highly recommend this community. I also have my family to hold me accountable. If my kids know I’m doing something, and they notice I’ve slacked off, they aren’t afraid to remind me. I’m also trying to be consistent in downloading, editing, and posting my images weekly as an additional accountability tool.
What’s the best equipment to use?
You honestly DO NOT need a fancy camera to start one of these projects. While I have my amazing Nikon Z6 mirrorless DSLR to work with, I’m also brushing up on how to properly use my iPhone camera for this project as well. My DSLR is always out on my kitchen counter ready to go if I find myself inspired, along with my tripod so I can jump in the frame too (another goal of mine for the year). But if I’m out and about and I don’t have my DSLR, I know how to adequately use my iPhone camera for images using the camera in the Lightroom app. I also have my presets saved in the Lightroom app so I can get consistent editing across the board no matter which camera I’m using. Consistency is super important to me, because when I put all these images together, I want them to look cohesive. Whatever tools you have are going to work great. I promise. Just make sure that you learn how to properly use them. It’ll make a world of difference! Again, if you’re not sure where to start, the Clickin’ Moms community is an amazing resource. Or even use Google to find what it is you’re looking for.
What will you do with your images?
Printing my images will be key for me! My kids absolutely LOVE looking through our photo albums. The easiest albums we make are our Monthly Minis from Chatbooks. For around $5 a month I get to choose 30 images taken that month to put in a sweet little 5×5 soft cover album shipped free to my mailbox. It’s super simple and easy to do. These are usually a combination of my Project 365 images, as well as other images I’ve taken on my phone. Then, at the end of the year, I’ll take my entire collection of images and create a beautiful hard cover family yearbook that we can enjoy for years to come. This yearbook will include my Project 365 images, as well as others I’ve taken over the course of the year. I will likely print this through my favorite consumer lab, Mpix.
I’m looking forward to sharing my work with you as the year progresses! The images you see here are just a few of the photos I’ve taken this month and speak honestly and candidly of our family life. If you’d like to see more, be sure to follow me on Instagram! And if you’d like help starting a Project 365 of your own, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’d be more than happy to encourage you in your goal!
