Project 365

What is Project 365? Project 365 is taking a photo every day (ideally!) for a year. However, this is YOUR project so find a schedule that works for you. Maybe you grab your camera on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and another weekday. Or you use your phone since you always have it!

Why would you want to commit to taking a picture every day? Lots of reasons! You might want to learn how to use that new DSLR you just got. I started so I could improve my photography skills with a new lens I got for Christmas. That lens was the Canon 50mm f1.4 and it's still my favourite. I became very conscious of light and how it affects your photos, I discovered the types of photos I most enjoy capturing, but also learned some very cool techniques to get photos I had admired. It's interesting to see how your life changes over a year, especially if you are working on home improvement projects or you have new pets or young children. And you will have no shortage of material to make a photobook, yearbook or calendar!

One of the first photos for Project 365

Grab those weather photos

Remember the cute crafts

Special bouquet

Chubby, mosquito-bitten feet

More little feet, this time in tiny boots

Pets too

Maybe you were upset upon discovery, but it's funny now

How exactly do you do this project? You need a camera but it can be anything from a DSLR, to a point & shoot, to a phone with a camera. The first two years I did Project 365 I used a Canon Rebel. This year I am using both my iPhone and the Rebel. I didn't have a decent camera phone when I first did this and my youngest was a baby so I was home much more than I am now. The most important factor to consider when choosing your camera is what will you pack around. Now snap away! But remember to download!

I used a free program from Google called Picasa to create online photo albums. You may wish to use other options such as iPhoto, Flickr and Instagram. Online albums are great for sharing and having web-based backup of your treasured photos but consider how much you want to share with the world when you use these services. 

Probably around March, you will get bogged down and lack for inspiration. In the great white north, spring is still a long time away and you are getting tired of snow pictures. Now is the time to follow some of the many photo suggestion lists on Pinterest. Or better yet, create your own photo inspiration board on Pinterest of photos you want to recreate!

Now that you have taken all these great photos and shared them online with Grandma in Edmonton, you should get them in a hard copy. Scrapbooking is an option, as is Project Life. Photo books are an easy and accessible option, even Costco makes them. When I did Project 365 in 2010, I made a monthly photo collage with Picasa. I put these collages in a photo book, along with a few special occasion collages and that was our yearbook.

Looking back on the Projects I have done brings back so many memories. The little things really are the big things. Good luck and have fun with this adventure!

Other links & apps you may find helpful:

Simpleprints app and Project 365 Tips 
Top 5 iPhone/iPad Apps for Project Life  (I use Photo365)
How to do Project 365 from your phone (I have Red Stamp but haven't used it for this yet)
Simple Kelly Designs: Photobook Layout