Five benefits of the 365day photo project

One of my 2013 New Year's resolutions was to take and post one photo a day for the entire year, and through doing so I have reaped many benefits. Though I abhor Instagram for what it has done to destroy the perception of the art of photography, I decided to use this as my platform for sharing. I am only posting to Instagram since its most egregious attributes are directly tied to its editing functions and filters. I am now on my fifth month and I have not missed a day of snapping a photo and posting it. This is a feat on its own due to the fast and furious dereliction of resolutions we are used to hearing about. I have some great images in my collection and I am quite excited about continuing my project.

Here’s my list of the five things my 365day Photo Project has accomplished for me, so far.

1. My photo project has pushed me to explore my city in different ways. I have gone to new and interesting places and events for a photo op. These are places I might not have ever gone to without this project. This project gives me reason to plan excursions and think about where I can go to capture the day’s photo. I have a list of possibilities in case the day doesn’t lend itself to inspiration because I have really tried to make sure this is more than a photo diary of my activities.

2. I wanted to restart my creative thinking. I wanted to start looking at things from a different perspective, to see the beauty in ordinary things. A soda can isn’t just a soda can, after all, it can be stunning in a certain light on a certain day.

3. To remember to capture great moments on camera. It is easy to get caught up in the moment, but then what do you have to show for it other than a memory. So often we are moving fast and only thinking of a checklist of to-do items. This project has helped me slow down and appreciate life.

4. I want to be able to share my experiences and finds with other people. I have been to some very interesting events and locations that not every one knows about. Additionally, through this project I am gaining a plethora of frame-worthy photos for an end of the year project. I am archiving them and I plan to create some sort of display when my 365 days are over.

5. This project is teaching me how to better use my iphone’s camera feature. I have taken and will continue to take all of the photos on my iphone. I have heard from many lay people who say their iphone is unsatisfactory. They say their pictures come out blurry and the coloration is off. I have not found this to be the case in most circumstances. So, I will continue to prove these photo novices wrong.