It goes by many names (photo-a-day, PAD, Project 365, etc.), but attempting to ‘make’ a picture every day for a year is anything but an easy task. I’ve been intrigued by other photographers who have done this, so one of my new year’s resolutions for myself was to give it a shot. Nine-days in, I can tell you it is challenging, but fun.
Follow my progress here: mattappsphotography.com/2011-photo-a-day
A little about my process and rules:
- The photo MUST be taken on the exact day – While I may go out and shoot 10 solid pictures in a given day, I can only post ONE of those on the day I shot it. Tomorrow I must shoot another one… A bit of a loop-hole would be that if I shoot a band starting at 11PM, and shoot the band past midnight, I could technically have 2 pictures from the same event that I could submit. Note that my first day’s picture was from quite early in the morning…
- The photo SHOULD be posted on the day I take it – I’m giving myself a little leeway here, as it may not be possible to easily post the picture I shot that day, but I will make a strong attempt to do so. I will post the image to my new photography website with links from Twitter, Facebook, and a copy to my Flickr too!
I’m thinking one of my biggest challenges will be to attempt to stay creative throughout this process. I’ve found that in the dead of winter, the pictures can be tough to make, but I have my son, Ian (who is already in 3 of the 9 pictures I shot) as well as my goofy dog, Pepe that will help me get through the winter. Still, working full-time does limit the time allowed to shoot the pictures.
As for gear used to shoot the PAD, my preferred order of what I use:
- Canon 7D – I have numerous lenses, flashes, etc. so this is definitely my preferred method of shooting to keep the image quality high
- Canon s95 – I will literally keep this camera with me at all times. It gives me manual control, and takes pretty darn good pictures for a point-and-shoot.
- HTC Evo – My phone is a last resort, but with an 8MP camera, it takes pretty good pictures (for a phone). Retro Camera is a lifesaver–that android app rules!
Why do this?
- The main goals are to keep me shooting, and thinking. Being on the hook to make a picture every day, you can maybe have a few ideas ‘in reserve’, but you really need to observe your surroundings and quickly identify and capture an idea. I’m excited to see what I’ll do when ‘forced’ to take pictures.
- After doing this for a year, you have quite a body of work and a historical representation of 2011. That’s pretty cool to look back on, in that you can see EVERY day where and what you did.
If you’ve thought about it, I definitely encourage you to try it, if even for just a week or a month. I hope I can keep it going for the year!
If you’d like to follow my progress, simply check this main link where the photos will be posted: mattappsphotography.com/2011-photo-a-day
Good luck, and happy shooting!
Posted under how to, photos