About 206 days ago, I started a 365 Challenge, where I take a photo every day. It was an idea that I'd seen other photographers getting into, and I wondered if I could keep up with that sort of commitment - hell, who has the time to take a photo every day!
At the time, I was working for myself from home, so I set myself an added challenge of shooting images only within my 1-bedroom apartment.
It forced me to look at everyday items like homewares and appliances, clothes, furniture and all manner of "my stuff" in a different way. The challenge became how to make this stuff interesting, while also getting more familiar with my camera and the warm lighting in my apartment.
Surprisingly, I got into the photo-a-day habit fairly easily. Some days, I took shots early in the morning and played with sunrises out of my window, while other days, I took my photo of an evening, working with low light. I posted it all on Facebook and felt encouraged by the feedback from friends and my photography buddies. I found it interesting to see who commented on which photos; which photos generated conversations and interest, and which did not. It really served to remind me that photography is entirely subjective.
About Day 100, I started to feel somewhat limited and expanded the scope of the project outside the apartment. I don't have an iPhone, so was shooting everything pretty much on my Canon EOS 400D. This also coincided with me taking on a full time job and travelling a bit for work - on those days, I took the camera with me.
In the next hundred days I began to upgrade my camera gear, and started to get my head around new lens, filters and a flash. The project really got me using all of the gear and seeing what it - and I - were capable of.
I've learnt a lot about myself and my interests in photography from this project:
- I really do love photography and want it to be a big part of my life. It provides snapshops and memories of moments I might otherwise overlook.
- It fosters creativity by forcing me to look at everyday items from different perspectives.
- It provides a really detailed snapshot of my life. I'm photographing the things that are important to me at any given time.
- I think it's making me a better photographer (although you can be the judge!) by forcing me to get to know my camera and its settings.
They reckon it takes 21 days to form a habit. My 365 Challenge has definitely made photography a habit for me - well, more like an obsession. I now feel like I'm missing something if I don't take my photo every day.
So, I'm off to take today's pic!
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