I had been mulling it over in my head for a long time, but was never able to commit. So many of my photographer friends had started but not finished. With such busy days, I figured it was unrealistic for me to take on a 365 project – a photo a day, every day, for a year. But the universal sentiment of those photographers who’ve seen the project through and made it out on the other side always comment on how it was one of the best things for growing their photography, and they are always really thankful that they chose to do it.
Good reasons, but still, the nagging fear of failure still loomed ahead. What if I poop out and don’t finish?? (There is a VERY high likelihood I might poop out!) Should I even start something I really know I probably won’t finish? Well then I ran across this blog post on Click it Up a Notch, (sorry, I tried finding the link to the actual blog post but can’t seem to find it) which talked about all the benefits you get from starting a 365, even if you “fail” (don’t finish it). An improvement in photography, moments captured that otherwise would not have been if not for the “project” that was “making me” take a photo a day. More of our everyday recorded. Our ordinary everyday. Even the week days.
So with a reframed definition of “success”, on January 1st I jumped in. Giddy with excitement for the journey ahead, I posted my first photo on my Facebook page, with the caption “Oh yes I am!!!!! {1/365} Baby wonton maker”. If not for the project, I probably wouldn’t have chosen to take my dSLR to my sister’s house to record our New Year’s day wonton folding activity. Bennett sat on my mom’s lap for close to an hour, watching us, passing us a new wonton wrapper when we were ready to fold another one. I never want to forget it, and now I have the photos to go with my memories! So many of my photographer friends commented or liked the post, and I felt buoyed by the virtual high fives and thumbs up, as only a fellow photographer understands what a huge commitment and undertaking this project is. I’m so excited for several of my friends who started 365s of their own along side me! Only 16 days in, I’ve already learned a ton and captured a few of what I know will end up being personal favorites of 2015.
I mean, is {15/365} Yawn (lower right corner) not totally THE BEST?! I was sitting quietly, watching them play, then Eric opened his mouth and let out this huuuuuge yawn. Bam. Got it. 🙂 Already I’m feeling a creative boost from picking up my camera every.day. Honestly, I don’t know if there’s been any other time I’ve shot on so many consecutive days. I’ve learned to be patient and see where things lead me. Start with the obvious shots, but usually the image I end up selecting for the day comes 10 or 20 frames later.
Already I’m just so thrilled that I’ve captured so many “everyday” moments that would have otherwise gone unrecorded. I really hope to be able to complete the entire year, but however long it lasts, I’ll be grateful for this project. I’m planning to blog my favorite images about once a month or so, so stay tuned!
If you’ve ever thought about starting a 365 but have been scared to “fail”, I challenge you to reframe your definition of success and jump right in. You won’t be sorry! And there’s nothing magical about January 1st. Today is a great day to start documenting your everyday.
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