Hi, I'm just a fortnight in to doing Project 365, but I realise that a lot of people will soon be completing their year and others are likely to start at the beginning of January.

I wondered if some of the old-timers could share some of your experiences with us newbies. I have some questions, but really I'd be interested in any reflections you have about it.

What is the best thing about doing Project 365?
What didn't you like?
What have you learned?
What would you do differently?
What difficulties did you face and how did you overcome them?
What advice would you give to a 365 virgin?

Cheers

Jarvo

I know that answers haven't exactly been coming thick and fast, but I have a related question. What will you do when you've completed Project 365?
a) Carry on taking photos every day.
b) Keep up photography but take it as an easier pace.
c) I've had enough, I'll never pick up a camera again as long as I live.

Well in the absence of anyone else joining in the discussion (monologue) I thought I'd best finish it for myself. Having now completed my first Project 365 and looking forward to a second in January after a short break, I've made two posts about my experiences. The first covers reasons for doing Project 365. The second tips on completing it.

hey sorry to interupt but... my names john from hawaii had my nikon d40 for almost 2months and i havent really put it to good use i dont know why .. but i was wondering if its to late for me to start the 365project... this is a cool project where you get to share what happend in your life in your new year just by taking a photo a day till its the 365th Day.. For Example New Changes New Experinces ... Learn New Things.. Lookng Foward to it ... btw anyhelpful sites,books, photographers to read about ? . thnx

Hi, Jarvo! I started a 365 project this year, and I love it. My main goals were to increase my time behind a camera, learn the camera's controls & settings, and in general learn to shoot more creative images.

The month of January is winding down, but I look forward to find more creative ways of observing and creating the images I want.

Hi Jarvo
I found photoblog last October, looking for a place where I could have a look at different photoblogs, learn from others and MAYBE post a photo or two from time to time LOL...well...I do not know HOW that happend, but I have been posting photos every day since then...
It has become almost a ritual for me, a great way to focus on something positive when life gets hard (I have two teenagers at home, do I need to say more LOL) and a way to learn something new...from others and also about myself. I love to browse through PB and have a look at my friends blogs, too..I am very curious
For me: A photo a day chases the shrink away...hey, that sounds like a great theme, don´t you think LOL

Hi there, I thought I'd post my reply to this forum topic since it caught my eye.

To say the least, I started doing Project: 365 on January 1st, 2010. My friend gave me the link about it because she believed it would interest me, and by gosh it DID.
To say the least, I created my blog to upload photos and to keep a track of my work. Even more so to see if I'd get feedback. And to put it simple, I get more feedback on my photoblog then the art site that I use to upload photos.

Project: 365 has aloud me to research in photography books, and let me use settings on my camera that I thought I'd NEVER been using. My parents are more then happy that I'm doing it because it gives me something to do AND my mom's feedback is what keeps me going with Project: 365. Almost two months into the event and I'm STILL working at it. I don't plan on stopping. And if I complete 365 days, it'll be the first time I've done something like this and actually completed it.

I don't know that I am a old pro yet, but I started the 365 in October. At that point, I had stumbled across someone else's 365 blog when I was looking for inspiration for a very technical shoot I was doing. I realized that I use to be growing in my photography at a rapid pace, but somewhere over the years, I had become way to comfortable. I learned the art of photography on a Minolta 35mm but since switching to digital, I admit I didn't know every function of my camera (which is embarrassing). I saw this as an opportunity to make myself learn more. I expect a lot out of myself, so I knew I wouldn't want to take boring pictures for a whole year. So far, I've gotten so much more out of this than I ever expected. I see beauty and photos potential almost everywhere I look. Even if it's a day where you don't want to take a picture (I've had several), you still have to think..."how do I make window cleaner look interesting". I also set a rule for myself that I would only shoot in manual mode without a flash. I think I became too dependent on my presets. I also shoot with a 50mm because it wasn't my favorite lens when I got it. I've come to appreciate it much more. I've learned a great deal about myself through blogging as well as learning about others. I admit there are times when I'm annoyed by other's 365 blogs, but I remind myself that not everyone is doing it from a photographic point of view. Some people just want to document their lives with family and friends and that's a great goal as well. After I'm done, I hope to continue. If I had to change anything, I would have carried my camera everywhere from the beginning. I had a lot of "camera phone days" when I first started because I saw something and I didn't have my real camera with me. Now those days are reserved for times when I'm too sick to get out of bed I also have gotten over the fear of breaking out my big camera anywhere I'm at. I was at a craft type store the other day and I took a picture of something they had for sale. I've realized that if you don't act like it's a big deal, no one else will. Finally, the 365 has gotten me out of the "oh there is a great picture....I'll come back and take it" mode. Most of the time, I would put off taking a picture because I didn't have time or a camera on me, but I wouldn't remember to go back or by the time I did, the subject had changed. Now I've learned to seize the moment more! Hope that answered some of your questions.

for me... joining the 365 project is enriching myself. i have never tried joining any interactive sites like photoblog. and yes, i am definitely enjoying the fact that there are a lot of learnings all along.

joining this makes me fulfill something. at the end of the day... there's something i can call "my work" shared to the world. this inspires me to never give up shooting. =)