Thinking of a 365

Stephen Ramsay

Stephen Ramsay

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Ive been doing Photography for nearly 2 years now and i thought, as i have the camera out every other day should i attempt a 365?

I know its hard and frustrating as well as fun and inquisitive.

But i really dont know if i want to attempt it lol

For those that have done/doing are you mad? lol but seriously do you:

- Take pics of events that happen in your life

- Try new things

- Wait to see what happens on the day.

HOW do you get your inspiration to shoot?

If i get enough confidence i will start mine on the 1st January 2010

Cheers Stevo :D
 
I have also decided to do a 365, starting on 1st Jan also!

I have 'seriously' been interested in photography for about a year now, and thought I want to do something to help me improve my photography, take a look at things in a new perspective and try and be more creative.

I have spent some time looking in the personal projects part of this forum (http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=54) and found some great inspiration on there, and also it seems like a great way of documenting your life and events.

I will be posting my images on Flickr, aswell as creating a thread in the projects forum to show my progress, so I can send you a link when I start, if you like.

I see on your website that you are from Portsmouth, I'm currently in my third year at Portsmouth uni!
 
Im glad to see someone else has the same idea.

What is Portsmouth Uni like?

Portsmouth has a lot of interest for some stunning pictures. Wish i was back there more!!

Id also be recording mine on here, but i have been thinking of doing a 52 this year and a 365 in 2010 to ease me in.
 
Portsmouth Uni is quite good, I'm doing civil engineering and chose Portsmouth because the lecturers seemed really good and the course offered some great opportunities. Plus, Gunwharf Quays is nice (and photogenic!) and it's by the coast!

I had considered starting off doing a 52, but thought I'd rather just go the whole hog and do a photo a day. I've recently started carrying my Panasonic LX1 compact camera around with me in my bag (it had just been sitting unused in a drawer since I got my 40D) so I can grab any interesting shots when I'm out and about.
 
I'm doing a 365 this year as well from Jan 1 :)

I've even gone with my own site for it www.three65.co.uk

let's hope we can all find the inspiration motivation and time to get it sorted

I wish us all well :)
 
Hey everyone, :wave:
I've been tormenting myself with whether or not to start one in January too! Id really like to do it but dont know whether i have the ability to get inspiration to get good shots everyday! I saw an idea on here to do shots that relate to the day before, for example blue crisp packet, blue colouring pencil, blue writing, words in a book, portrait of someone reading a book etc etc and i really like it but im sure id get to the point where i couldnt link it anymore? any other thoughts on this? Be really interested to see what people that have done it think..... :D
 
Stephen Ramsay said:
For those that have done/doing are you mad? lol but seriously do you:

- Take pics of events that happen in your life

- Try new things

- Wait to see what happens on the day.

HOW do you get your inspiration to shoot?
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- Yes

- Yes, if I can think of anything/steal an idea

- Yes

By knowing I have to shoot something each day. I'm thinking about doing months of themes next year. January macro, maybe, as I haven't broken out the macro lens for a while now.

It is a good way to keep your interest up and give you something to think about each day. I say: "Do it."
 
Cheers everyone...glad there is alot of interest in this and alot of people wanting to do it.

Im going away to Northern Ireland for 3 weeks in January aswell as i used to live there, so going back to see a few friends....will be a good opportunity to take different pics aswell as use JDholic from here as inspiration.

Im almost tempted to do it, but there is still a voice in my head saying im a fool lol

Mr_pants thats a great idea, but id maybe pick four themes for each month.
 
I've been thinking about this for a while, especially after all the flurry for this on another site or two I belong to last year....However, I am taking the middle ground. I will *attempt* a photo a day, but might just set a blog for a 'photo a week', just in case! I've seen people talk about 365, 52 and 12, so while I would love to do a 365, I have certain events coming up right at the beginning of the year where it may not be possible or professional to whip the P&S much less the DSLR out to take a quick photo. I don't want that to stop me from doing anything at all.

So, in planning stages, with goals in mind but WILL do something! :thumbs:
 
I think you'd be better taking one great picture once a week rather than one average/ordinary/crap picture every day just becaue of some silly challenge. All the 365's I've looked at have had a lot of very very ordinary pictures just for the sake of keeping up the one a day thing. Seems a very silly idea to me - sorry!
 
Good thinking Sam. I know towards the end of the year i will have 8 weeks where i probably will not have internet access but i still want to achieve something this year.

Id like to have a go at the 365 as i have a few ideas in mind, Its the internet access i dont want to lose all of your interest following my thread. But they will be up as soon as i get back on.
 
awp said:
I think you'd be better taking one great picture once a week rather than one average/ordinary/crap picture every day just becaue of some silly challenge. All the 365's I've looked at have had a lot of very very ordinary pictures just for the sake of keeping up the one a day thing. Seems a very silly idea to me - sorry!
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Why not use it as a way of trying to train your eye to find a good photo where there might not seem to be one?
 
In a way I'm with AWP - which is why I am just about to finish my 2009 52 and will be joining in again for 2010. Not claiming that any of my shots are great but if I hadn't been working to a theme given to me each week I know it would have become very samey VERY quickly.

Explanation of the 2010 TP 52 here if you fancy doing that instead of a 365:

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=189094
 
mr_pants said:
Why not use it as a way of trying to train your eye to find a good photo where there might not seem to be one?
Click to expand...

I understand what awp is saying as it does make sense, but your reply is very good equaliser as to why one should attempt the 365.


I would like one very good photo each week. And by doing a 365 i am more likey to get one...but im still undecided if i should do it or not.

If i dont i will do a 52 for sure!
 
"Id like to have a go at the 365 as i have a few ideas in mind, Its the internet access i dont want to lose all of your interest following my thread. But they will be up as soon as i get back on."

I'm not sure I'm interpreting your post correctly, so forgive me if I am off base!!

The 365 can not be about you wanting people to follow a thread of yours. It has to be about what you want to do. If you want people to look at pics and feel you 'have' to post in a day, you will resent the exercise in about, oh, three weeks!

I've also seen 365 blogs up-dated with an 'ooops, it's been a few days, but let's just carry on' etc. You just bump the thread/whatever and hope others look and respond as and when you are ready!

I was sort of thinking about a blog or Flickr set (possibly closed) as this is for me rather than others, if you see what I mean. I am not a professional (a learner!) and this is MY project.

To me, this is meant to be enjoyment, hopefully a learning curve, a visual diary (which seems so much easier than a written one in some respects) and a personal documentation of my journey through a year which, hopefully, lets me look back and see some progression in my skills.

I've seen many of these where I just don't understand how they find the time in the day to set up and take the photo' - I don't care...this is MY project, not a thread or blog or way to show off. Good thing really, as I suspect I will have many pics of the cat asleep on the bed!! :D:D
 
Oh no, no, that wasnt what i was trying to get across, sorry.

This 365 would be a personal challenge for me to better my photography.

However id like to keep an organised track of my progress and starting a thread would be the best way for me to do it, i just dont want to fall behind too much for it. which is why i am considering the 52.



I totally agree with how you said it was YOUR project. As said above i want to record it in some way and i may have to steal your idea of another flickr account also.

Or maybe even another redbubble account as it is a much better layout and easier for guests to understand :P
 
~Sam~ said:
I'm not sure I'm interpreting your post correctly, so forgive me if I am off base!!

The 365 can not be about you wanting people to follow a thread of yours. It has to be about what you want to do. If you want people to look at pics and feel you 'have' to post in a day, you will resent the exercise in about, oh, three weeks!
Click to expand...

I see your point but I think part of it is being able to share what you have achieved - and if people do respond with constructive criticism you are going to learn a whole lot more than you would otherwise.

It's also nice to have a bit of encouragment to keep you going in these things.
 
Could use www.blipfoto.com if anyone wants to use a blog for this sort of thing.
 
Why don't you SHOOT a 365, and post a 52 (ie best of those 7 shots from the week?)
I was considering the 365, but for some reason I think I'll go with the 52 :)
 
It can seem a good idea now but will it seem just a good in 63 days time (just over 2 months) when you still have just over 300 photos to take?

I'll be honest I think that joining in with the Photo52 (as linked by Daysleeper) is just as difficult as a 365, you get the same level of improvement and learning but with a much more manageable time investment (but then I could be a bit biased)

Whatever you decide have fun doing it and even if you start of doing a 365 remember that you can easily swap to a 52 :thumbs:
 
awp said:
just becaue of some silly challenge.
Click to expand...

Firstly that would seem very rude calling it silly, just because it isn't you cup of tea, but then tact does seem to be lacking from your posts of late, also it isn't a challenge as such (I wouldn't say).

When I did mine in 2008 it was a lot more a personal project than a challenge. A challenge to me would suggest more of an element of competition and overcoming something.
I wanted a way to record a year of my life and to expand my photography. It gave me a reason to get out and about with my camera ever day and to take photos of things I had either planned for a long time but have never bothered to do or try something completely new.

A 365 isn't easy. For the first few weeks it seems good fun, but your ideas soon start to run out. You will also have days when there just wasn't a chance to take a photo and you end up taking a shot of something naff just to keep going. That is just the way it is!

On the flip side it is very rewarding, you get a year of your life documented in photographs, you get to learn MANY new things, and I learnt many without realising it.

If you are going to do it I can't recommend enough getting the shot taken, processed and uploaded (if you are going to keep it online) on that day. DO NOT let them back up, if you do it just makes even more tedious and it can easily just slip away. Also keep a camera with you at all times, even if it is just your phone or whatever, nothing more annoying that knowing you need a photo that day and then seeing something and not having a camera with you!

Best of luck to anyone trying it :thumbs:

My 365 from 2008 is on flickr here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/tom_holmes/sets/72157603603659349/. Its also on these forums somewhere, but the search function is so ***** I can't find it again.
 
louise-knight said:
Why don't you SHOOT a 365, and post a 52 (ie best of those 7 shots from the week?)
I was considering the 365, but for some reason I think I'll go with the 52 :)
Click to expand...

That seems like a good idea :thumbs:
 
Daysleeper40 said:
I see your point but I think part of it is being able to share what you have achieved - and if people do respond with constructive criticism you are going to learn a whole lot more than you would otherwise.

It's also nice to have a bit of encouragment to keep you going in these things.
Click to expand...

Sorry, my main point was that this should not be the primary focus of starting a 365 or a 52, not that it should not be a part of it. One or two of the forums I belong to really give each other encouragement by posting links to their blogs/starting threads etc. and they are a real source of inspiration to me sometimes and I follow some quite regularly. I really meant that the blog or thread should be secondary to the desire to do it! :)

Also, I am a wimp. I might start a blog (which I would not monitor for traffic or solicit traffic to) or a Flickr page/set. I more than likely wouldn't do that on here other than a 52 at most. I'm not scared of the 'hobbyist' title, and that is what I am!
 
Stephen Ramsay said:
I totally agree with how you said it was YOUR project. As said above i want to record it in some way and i may have to steal your idea of another flickr account also.

Or maybe even another redbubble account as it is a much better layout and easier for guests to understand :P
Click to expand...

Maybe I need to go and have a look at redbubble! :thinking::)
 
MagicMynx said:
I've been doing one for a couple of weeks but think I'm going to restart it on Friday cause I've missed a few days. Just gonna keep it on the same thread though. ...n yes, I am mad ;)
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Not mad, just pimping your thread madly!!! :D:D

Off to have a look past the first couple, which I loved, so looking forward to seeing more! :)
 
MagicMynx said:
hehe thanks Sam - didn't realised I'd blabbered on enough to have my signature showing :lol: ah well, mad with a big mouth too ;) :lol:
Click to expand...

Yeah, yeah - you're bookmarked now, so you'd better carry on with the photo's AND the commentary! :p
 
Jimmy_Lemon said:
Firstly that would seem very rude calling it silly, just because it isn't you cup of tea, but then tact does seem to be lacking from your posts of late, also it isn't a challenge as such (I wouldn't say).
Click to expand...

Didn't realise you were such a fan of my posts.

What I meant - maybe rather than silly is pointless - I've seen a few of these - here and on other forums where the person - just clicks the camera for the sake of getting a picture that day - without any thought. Now taking a picture every day is easy - what is a challenge is taking a memorable worthwhile picture every day. I think this 365 thing just puts pressure on people where there shouldn't be any and can be detrimental to getting good results. In any case when attacking a subject (daily - weekly - whenever) there should be loads of pictures taken - you have to work most subjects from a variety of angles - different perspectives etc and I can't belive anyone can keep that up daily for a year and still produce worthwhile results. es etc and I can't belive anyone can keep that up daily for a year and still produce worthwhile results.
 
My advice to myself is not to do it again, but I'd say to anybody give it a bash.

If it seems silly to people then you don't have to look. Yes they are full of ordinary shots taken for the sake of it, but I expected that from the off.

If you want to start one to improve your photography I'd recommend against it really, you end up too rushed sometimes and a good photo takes time to prepare. Maybe a 52 or even a 12 would be better suited to that.
My 365 has however turned up a couple of good shots that wouldn't have happened otherwise, but is very padded with "filler shots".

I am seriously looking forward to a day off from the camera in the early part of the new year. I'm definitely NOT doing a daily or weekly project in 2010 :D
 
awp said:
I've seen a few of these - here and on other forums where the person - just clicks the camera for the sake of getting a picture that day - without any thought. Now taking a picture every day is easy - what is a challenge is taking a memorable worthwhile picture every day. I think this 365 thing just puts pressure on people where there shouldn't be any and can be detrimental to getting good results. In any case when attacking a subject (daily - weekly - whenever) there should be loads of pictures taken - you have to work most subjects from a variety of angles - different perspectives etc and I can't belive anyone can keep that up daily for a year and still produce worthwhile results. es etc and I can't belive anyone can keep that up daily for a year and still produce worthwhile results.
Click to expand...

I see your point, Andrew, and I have seen some good and bad examples of the 365 project.

To me, as I alluded to before, it is a way to visually document my every day life (some of which is pretty mundane and boring, to be honest) whilst trying to learn new 'things' with my camera (some days will allow that kind of building on skills more than others).

My perspective is that I will be able to get out with both my P&S (gasp, horror) and my DSLR and some days will be more of a technical challenge than others. Some days will be a venture into composition and some will be a basic snap. Some will be trying something I haven't attempted before and some will be back to (dare I say it, heathen that I am) auto :eek:

In 2011, my challenge will be to take worthwhile photo's rom a variety of angles - next year, I just want to improve and learn and 'snap' which is why I won't be feeling any pressure and won't be too bothered about how others perceive what I am doing. Heck, I just want to get 3 good ones in a row! That's just my take on it and, as far as I am concerned, I would rather get my camera out than my pen or keyboard! ;)
 
Good luck and I look forward to seeing your pictures! :)
 
Stephen Ramsay said:
Ive been doing Photography for nearly 2 years now and i thought, as i have the camera out every other day should i attempt a 365?

Yes, go for it

I know its hard and frustrating as well as fun and inquisitive.

But i really dont know if i want to attempt it lol

Of Course you do... :D

For those that have done/doing are you mad? lol but seriously do you:

- Take pics of events that happen in your life

- Try new things

- Wait to see what happens on the day.

Bit of everything in my case - 4 days left before mine's finished. It's got Diary shots in there, the successful ones from trying new stuff, grab shots of stuff that just happened, pictures from bike rides/walks and deliberate shooting expeditions - everything really.


HOW do you get your inspiration to shoot?

Carry a camera everytime you go outside, and just go for it. It's not easy some days, especially if the weather's down or your stuck in the house, but you just have to come up with a couple of projects and keep dipping back into them. I also entered loads of challenges and competitions on here, to let someone else give me a topic to shoot to :lol:


If i get enough confidence i will start mine on the 1st January 2010

Cheers Stevo :D
Click to expand...
 
my 2p worth, on the "sillyness" or otherwise of a 365 is ....


Yes - it's a silly idea. Yes, you do end up taking the odd shot just to get a shot. Looking back on mine, i've got a few of them. Though, surprisingly, I also find that some of those shots bring back memories of that day better than the technical or aesthetically pleasing ones. The whole "got to get a shot" mentality just gets into your blood - I know it's made me look for photo's where before i'd just have walked by oblivious. It's definitely improved my eye for a shot, and the sheer volume of shooing has improved my technique.

Will I be doing another one next year... Nope. I've enjoyed it, and it's been a worthwhile exercise for me, but I'll probably be going for the one good shot per week approach this year coming. But that doesn't mean that I'd say it was a bad idea to do one, and indeed for someone just getting into shooting I think it's a great idea.
 
Go for it. I started one on my facebook for my friends and family to see. I'd got my first DSLR camera and started about a week later. LOL I've just realised I failed today to take a photo, but thats ok with me, its my 365 and I'm a busy mum and 2 kids so if I don't then I don't! My friend does one and if we miss a day we say "Its my 365, my rules!" LOL
I take photos of events, I set myself little projects of things I've seen I want to recreate and sometimes they are of whatever I can find at 23:45 last thing at night!!!
It's helped me develop and its helped me get to know my camera and also I get lots of great comments from my facebook friends who wait for me to upload!
You have nothing to lose and everything to gain, go for it. Happy New Year!
 
Mrs G and TheBigYin your too comments together are ridiculously convincing. lol

Id like to thankyou both on the very enlightening comments, but id also like to moan that its making me want to do it.

I really am still not sure though...i only started looking into a 365 today and im going to need a bit more convincing then that haha
 
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