#Project365: Tips for shooting and sharing one photo a day

[1/365] (Photo: Gio Palatucci)

[6/365] (Photo: Gio Palatucci)

[14/365] (Photo: Gio Palatucci)

I committed to a year-long photography project on a whim. How did it happen?

Last year I noticed friends on Facebook posting photos using the tag #project365. After some research, I discovered the tag was part of a daily photo project, where each snap is meant to capture something significant, memorable, or even mundane happening in your life. At the end of the year you can look back on this “album” and remember all things good and bad that occurred over the last 12 months. Cool, right?

Although I loved the idea of this project, I’d forgotten all about it until I saw my friend, travel blogger @MiddleSeatView, post her first #project365 photo on New Year’s day. When I spotted the hashtag, I had a flash of inspiration. Without really thinking (or devising a long term plan) I snapped a shot, tagged the photo, and uploaded it to Instagram. From that moment on, I was all in, and I haven’t missed a day since.

I've stayed committed because the whole process is making me a better iphoneographer-- I now think about things like lighting and composition, for example. I’m also happy that I’m documenting a big year-- I left a full-time job to start my own business. When I look back next January, I hope to have captured some pretty significant and wonderful moments in my life. 

Struggling with your own #project365 or want to get started? Here are a few tips I picked up after a month of shooting & sharing one photo a day:

1. Set a schedule. There’s no right or wrong way to participate in #project365. Some people shoot pics all week and then upload a selection of shots for a “week in review,” type gallery.  I wanted to tackle this project in real-time, meaning my goal is to shoot and upload one photo a day, in the moment, as it’s happening.
2. Gather the right tools to shoot and share. I’m keeping it simple with my iPhone 4. I chose to upload all photos to Instagram and share on my Tumblr feed because Instagram doesn’t have a Web component. Others use Flickr or one of the many #project365 apps and sites to organize and share their photos. No matter what you choose, the most important thing is to stick with it. Consistency is key.
3. Vary your themes. It’s easy to shoot what you’re eating for dinner each night, but that will get old, fast. Don’t get me wrong, on day 38 I’ve already used a few food photos and the obligatory D.C. metro shot, but challenging yourself to seek and shoot varying subjects will help you become a better photographer.
4. Plan ahead. Take a look at your day and see what interesting events or appointments you have on your calendar. Planning ahead will help prevent you from forgetting to take a photo or wasting a photo.
5. Take your plan and chuck it out the window. Some of your best photo moments will occur when you forget or mess up your plan. For example, I had planned on taking a mouthwatering food photo at the popular D.C. restaurant, Jaleo. However, towards the end of the meal, I realized I had let my stomach get the best of me. I hadn’t taken a single shot. But my goof made way for an awesome photo op, when firetrucks rolled up to the restaurant and about 15 firemen interrupted dinner service to inspect faulty wires in the kitchen. 
6. Track your progress. In addition to tagging all my photos with the #project365 hashtag, I also number all my shots (example, [1/365]) and organize them in a single photo album on my phone. 
7. Support others. Follow other #project365 participants and give them  a “like” or retweet a photo you enjoy. Mutual support will help you see this through to the end.

Follow my #project365 journey on my Tumblr: giopalatucci.tumblr.com

More #project365 resources:
Project 365, take a photo a day (Photojojo)
A beginner’s guide to project 365 (The Next Web)