365 Photo Challenge

[emorydunn]

Hi everyone,

With the end of the year coming up quickly I figured that I would (finally) decide to try my hand at the whole photo-a-day-for-a-year thing for a New Year's resolution I would actually stick with past a month.

This got me thinking: taking a photo a day is good, but what could make it better? And I then thought: what if there was a theme for each day? My immediate reaction was then to wonder if there was a website that could give me a theme each day.

Well, I didn't find anything in my five minutes of Google searching, so I thought I would ask if anyone knew of a website. I'm guessing that one doesn't really exists because the whole idea is a very individual project not something that is formal.

I think that a website that had a theme, idea, or concept each day would be rather good as it would, hopefully, promote challenging yourself with each photo instead of just looking out the window and taking a picture of a tree and calling it good for the day.
To that end I think I might start a blog where people can submit ideas for each day's theme and then I (or maybe a couple of other people as well) would choose one for each day. It would kind of work like a fast paced fortnightly challenge.


If you feel like reading it, here is what I'm thinking the blog would entail:

• A place for people to submit ideas.
• The blog: one theme posted each day, either the day of or the day before.
• A place for people to link to their photos for the world to see.

I'm thinking that Google+ might be a good place to run this. Or maybe Tumblr.

If you actually read all of that and it made any sense I would love to hear what you think. And, possibly even more importantly, if you would like to help because I feel like this is something that could get out of control for one person very quickly.

 

[soco]

I've done something like this before, and I came up with using dictionary.com's word of the day as the theme of the day. Even if it's a word you'd think you couldn't picture, you'd be surprised how it gets your creativity going.

I once had the word "correlate" for the day. Good stuff

Today, for example, is "panegyrize" which means to eulogize or praise. That would make for a nice picture of a church or cemetary. Maybe even a scene of someone receiving an award, etc.

 

[Doylem]

I confess I don't really understand the pic-a-day idea. It's making something enjoyable into just another job of work (unless photography is a job, of course). Can we really improve our photographic skills by putting so much pressure on ourselves... to perform? An informal challenge of mine is to return to the same location - again and again, at different times of the day and different times of the year - to see how it looks. If it looks good, I'll press the shutter; if not, not. No pressure...

 

[Keleko]

I finished a 365 in August (went the year between birthdays). My reasoning to start it was to get me interested in photography. Before I started it, I was not a photographer at all. I had my iPhone 4 and a Samsung NV11 p&s as my cameras. Fast forward a year later and add a Canon 60D with kit lens, 50mm f/1.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8L to the mix. I can definitely say that my goal for the 365 succeeded beyond what I expected when I started.

I managed to make it through my entire 365 with taking at least one picture and posting it that day. I'm glad I did it, but I also don't ever plan to do it again. Some days it was easy, and I had a lot to choose from due to some convenient event I attended and photographed. Other days I struggled to get something taken that day.

As far as themes, I've seen a few themes when I did my 365. I had no theme on my project, so I left myself free to take whatever picture I saw or was inspired to take that day. I saw others who did themes, though. One guy did his whole year with a little reindeer toy (and various toy "friends") as the focus of a whole 365. I've seen another focus on doing fairly exotic/artistic portrait type work with elaborate costumes and sets often involved (some of him, some of other people). He's in high school, so he had more time to spend on his shots. You could also do daily themes like I saw on Flickr, such as Macro Monday, Slider Sunday (highly "Photoshopped" images), Wall Wednesday, Fence Friday, and so on.

I hope that helps.

 

[mousemd]

I was/am in the midst of a 365 project. It isn't/didn't go as well as I would've liked due to the same reasons the previous poster wrote (it's really hard!). However, I did come up with some nice shots over the course of the year that if I had not tried to do a 365 project, I wouldn't have even come close to using my camera as much as I did. I love shooting more and more now (check out my flickr photo stream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/59024329@N05/ (shameless plus I know).

BUT, I will try to do it again but this time with a subject theme (maybe batman)

 

[fireman32]

I finished a 365 in August (went the year between birthdays). My reasoning to start it was to get me interested in photography. Before I started it, I was not a photographer at all. I had my iPhone 4 and a Samsung NV11 p&s as my cameras. Fast forward a year later and add a Canon 60D with kit lens, 50mm f/1.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8L to the mix. I can definitely say that my goal for the 365 succeeded beyond what I expected when I started.

I managed to make it through my entire 365 with taking at least one picture and posting it that day. I'm glad I did it, but I also don't ever plan to do it again. Some days it was easy, and I had a lot to choose from due to some convenient event I attended and photographed. Other days I struggled to get something taken that day.

As far as themes, I've seen a few themes when I did my 365. I had no theme on my project, so I left myself free to take whatever picture I saw or was inspired to take that day. I saw others who did themes, though. One guy did his whole year with a little reindeer toy (and various toy "friends") as the focus of a whole 365. I've seen another focus on doing fairly exotic/artistic portrait type work with elaborate costumes and sets often involved (some of him, some of other people). He's in high school, so he had more time to spend on his shots. You could also do daily themes like I saw on Flickr, such as Macro Monday, Slider Sunday (highly "Photoshopped" images), Wall Wednesday, Fence Friday, and so on.

I hope that helps.

I followed a lot of your project as you posted your pictures here and I really liked what i saw. I think you take fantastic pictures and inspired me to start my own 365 as well. I plan on starting it on the 1st of the year and I do not plan to do themes just find something to shoot everyday even if its around my apt. I think if you approach it as fun it won't feel like a job. I know personally that I love to go out and shoot and have a lot of fun doing it. I say go for it emorydunn and I look forward to seeing what you post everyday.

 

[emorydunn]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Mr. Pink, that is something I hadn't thought of. It would make it both easier and harder. If I created some sort of blog would be in hopes to create a community around the themes (because social is always better, right).

Doylem, my understanding of the original idea is that by photographing every day you will get better. I'm a photo student so for me the idea is to be able to take a break from the assigned projects and do something a little bit more fun. Obviously you wouldn't be limited to the theme, if you wanted to take break from the theme and do something else then that works too.

Keleko, Congratulations. I've seen those, with each day of the week designated for a certain thing, and this would be kind of similar but would more directly tie into the 365 project.

I guess my only real follow up question, that to a certain extent seems to have been answered, is: would people want to have a theme dictated to them or is the whole thing just crazy?

 

[Rowbear]

I confess I don't really understand the pic-a-day idea. It's making something enjoyable into just another job of work (unless photography is a job, of course). Can we really improve our photographic skills by putting so much pressure on ourselves... to perform?

I am soooo with you on this one I'm not good at photography when I'm under pressure, so its probably best that I don't do this professionally

 

[Keleko]

If anyone is interested, my entire 365 project is now viewable here: http://gerg1967.smugmug.com/Photography/365

I have it on flickr, too, but I haven't renewed my pro account, so not all of the pictures are available anymore. I prefer the presentation on smugmug over flickr.

 

[mac mac mac]

I think a project like 365, picture a day is a great idea. It's like writing a dairy, but with pictures. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words, right? I'm going to start my first project 365 in 2012. I don't have any theme. I'm just going to take whatever I think it's interesting or eye appealing. Hopefully when it's said and done, it'll make me appreciate photography even more, and to give me new perspectives.

And having the iPhone 4S with me all the time will increase my chances to taking something interesting.