Welcome to a new feature here on Snap Maven, where we feature articles from our alumni.
First up we hear from Crystal Raynard, with her fabulous tips for sticking with a 365 project!
There has been a lot of talk about the 365 this year.
A lot of photographers are starting the challenge, or signing on for another year of it.
I just completed my first 365 in 2014, and of course signed on for another year of it.
With so much interest flying around about the 365 ,what better time then now
to share with you some of my tips I learned last year through my first 365 journey.
Yes, I could make this a top 25 list, but I narrowed it down to 5.
If you have not yet decided to try this journey out, I highly recommend that you do.
I know it looks and sounds scary, but it is worth it. I
t is amazing the level you can bring your photography too,
just by picking up your camera everyday.
A lot of photographers are starting the challenge, or signing on for another year of it.
I just completed my first 365 in 2014, and of course signed on for another year of it.
With so much interest flying around about the 365 ,what better time then now
to share with you some of my tips I learned last year through my first 365 journey.
Yes, I could make this a top 25 list, but I narrowed it down to 5.
If you have not yet decided to try this journey out, I highly recommend that you do.
I know it looks and sounds scary, but it is worth it. I
t is amazing the level you can bring your photography too,
just by picking up your camera everyday.
1. No rules.
Since last year was my first year, I choose to have no rules put on myself.
I did try to focus on capturing my kids, but some days you see a leaf that catches your eye,
and that ends up being your photo of the day.
Embrace it, just take a photo a day, of anything.
I did try to focus on capturing my kids, but some days you see a leaf that catches your eye,
and that ends up being your photo of the day.
Embrace it, just take a photo a day, of anything.
2. Do it for you.
This is one of the most important lessons I learned,
and once I got it through my head, my photography improved.
I had to take a step back about halfway through, to better understand my real goals for the 365.
I was getting to focused on topping the yesterday's photo.
I felt that every photo to everyone had to be the WOW factor.
But I was not on this journey to pump out amazing work everyday.
I did it to become more familiar with my camera, to capture those moments I might miss otherwise. They were all treasures to me, even if to you its just a photo of messy wet hair, to me it's the memory of how she always missed those stands while washing it.
and once I got it through my head, my photography improved.
I had to take a step back about halfway through, to better understand my real goals for the 365.
I was getting to focused on topping the yesterday's photo.
I felt that every photo to everyone had to be the WOW factor.
But I was not on this journey to pump out amazing work everyday.
I did it to become more familiar with my camera, to capture those moments I might miss otherwise. They were all treasures to me, even if to you its just a photo of messy wet hair, to me it's the memory of how she always missed those stands while washing it.
3. Take the same photo.
365 days is a long time,
and you only have so many rooms in your house and so many places to visit.
Don't be afraid to take the same photo. For example we did a lot of sleeping & bath photos,
but in the end it's worth it to see how your little ones have grown,
and how your photography has grown
from your first bath photo, till your last bath photo.
and you only have so many rooms in your house and so many places to visit.
Don't be afraid to take the same photo. For example we did a lot of sleeping & bath photos,
but in the end it's worth it to see how your little ones have grown,
and how your photography has grown
from your first bath photo, till your last bath photo.
4. Reuse old photos, a little cheat won't hurt.
I drove myself insane some days.
It would be late at night, only to realize we were so busy I forgot to grab a shot.
But yesterday we were around home and I got a nap photo, a bath photo, a playing photo.
Well let me tell you, using one from yesterday won't matter to anybody.
I think out of my whole 365 photos there might be 25 that I used from the day before.
Now that I am at the end, I could not even point everyone of those out,
I have even forgotten which ones.
It would be late at night, only to realize we were so busy I forgot to grab a shot.
But yesterday we were around home and I got a nap photo, a bath photo, a playing photo.
Well let me tell you, using one from yesterday won't matter to anybody.
I think out of my whole 365 photos there might be 25 that I used from the day before.
Now that I am at the end, I could not even point everyone of those out,
I have even forgotten which ones.
5. Share your images with friends & family.
Post it some where you know you will have a following,
like every day on Facebook album, or once a week in a blog post.
This helped me not to quit the journey. There were days I thought I would throw in the towel,
but knowing I have friends following me, waiting for today's photo,
keep me wanting to keep sharing them. If it were not for all my friends and family following along,
I might of gave up. Nothing beats a support team and a cheer squad!
like every day on Facebook album, or once a week in a blog post.
This helped me not to quit the journey. There were days I thought I would throw in the towel,
but knowing I have friends following me, waiting for today's photo,
keep me wanting to keep sharing them. If it were not for all my friends and family following along,
I might of gave up. Nothing beats a support team and a cheer squad!
Crystal lives in Southwestern Ontario, with her Husband and 3 kids.
She likes to keep her client list on the lower side , and focus on capturing her littles through her 365 project.
She also loves to help run various photography pages,
challenging photographers to take their work to the next level.
You can catch up with her here...
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