15 tips for a daily photo project

I am in the 11th month of my Daily Discoveries project – a photo in a day in 2009.  I have received a number of emails from people who are inspired to do the same, which warms my heart!   If you have been keeping up with my monthly reviews, you know that I have grown so much as a photographer from this project.  I know that there are a number of people considering their own project for 2010, and I’d like to share a few of the tips that I’ve learned along the way.

1. Be prepared to slow down – This project will open your eyes.  You’ll see and notice little details of your life that you simply overlooked before.  You will find that you want to pull the car over and get out with your camera.  Be sure to make time for your new view of the world!
2. Bring your camera – Ok, this one seems obvious – but you will be amazed at how many times you will see something that you want to photograph (in the least likely place) and wish that you had your camera!  I actually bought a larger bag to stash my camera, wallet, and other personal things.
3. Go someplace new – Visit a the park on the other side of town, take a different route home from work, visit your local farmer’s market, take your niece and nephew to the zoo, go for a walk after dinner…. you get the idea.
4. Capture the seasons – Be sure to capture snow in the winter, budding trees in the spring, flowers in the summer, and leaves in the fall.  Trust me, when you look back on your images, you’ll love the change of seasons.
5. Shoot in the morning – I’m finally learning this one since the days are so much shorter.  This is also key for those days when you are really busy, or you simply can’t bring your camera along – your photo for the day is taken care of.
6. If all else fails, photograph your food – You eat every day, why not capture your meal?  Seasonal fruits are always a favorite of mine!
7. Find others who are doing the same - There are a number of groups on flickr dedicated to a 365 project.  And I can guarantee that there will be a number of photography blogs doing the same.  This will help you become accountable to someone other than yourself.
8. Don’t set yourself up to fail. This should have been #1.  Honestly, if you feel that this is going to be too much for you, or this upcoming year is going to be a year of change for you (moving, having a baby, etc), why not consider a photo a week project? It’s ok – there is no right or wrong, this is YOUR photography project.
9. Get a system in place for uploading your photos. You can use your flickr account, smugmug, or your blog (like I have done), but you’ll want a space to show your hard work off!
10. Keep going through the rough times.  Honestly, this project is UNFORGIVING.  Let me be the first to tell you that in the course of a year:  you WILL get sick, your kids will get sick, you’ll have good days, you’ll have bad days, etc.  Realize that life will happen and be prepared for it.
11. Adjust. Be willing to bend. When I first started this my daily discoveries project, I uploaded photos every day.  By April I realized that this was not going to work for me.  Instead of giving up, I decided that I would still continue to take a daily photo, but I would only upload on the weekends.  This took so much pressure off of my shoulders. In fact, it helped me feel rejuvenated and excited about my project.  Remember, before you throw in the towel, look for ways that you can adjust your workflow to continue.  It’s your project – you can make (or adjust) the rules.
12. Organization is key. You’ll want to have a system in place for uploading and categorizing your photos.  Remember, you will be taking photos every day.  Most photo editing programs take care of this for you – Lightroom works wonders for me.  It keeps my images organized by year, month, and day.
13. Make sure you have enough space. Let’s be honest – chances are you will take more than ONE photo a day (you’ll simply choose the best one to keep!).  Be prepared to fill up your hard drive with images (especially if you shoot in RAW).  This caught up with me in June – I had to purchase an external hard drive just to hold all of my photos!
14. Let your friends and family know. Yes, they will figure it out when your camera will seem attached to your body, but if they know that this is important to you, believe me, after a while they will be your cheerleaders, encourage you, and sometimes remind you to take a photo!
15. Reward yourself. This is key.  At the end of the week, or month – reward yourself in some kind of way for reaching a milestone.  I create a collage of my images at the end of each month.  For me, this simple act makes it so worth it.  I can look back and see the fruits of my labor.

I hope that these tips helped you if you are considering a daily photo project for 2010!  If you are currently taking photos daily, do you have any other suggestions?