Holy moley, look at this simple way to create nice, fat, juicy portfolio!
You’ve probably heard of a 365 Project – taking a photo every single day for an entire year. Why on Earth would you want to commit to something so crazy? Because despite the grueling nature, the days when you wake up dreading having to do a photo, the lack of free time you’ll come to consider as “normal” … A 365 is hands-down one of the BEST ways to improve your photography in the shortest amount of time.
Here’s 5 ways a 365 will boost your skills!
1. Practice makes perfect!
As the old adage goes, the best way to improve at something is to just get in there and do it, over and over again. I learned more in my first 2 months of my 365 than I did in the 2 years prior to it. I know my camera so well it feels like an extension of my arm, I’m super comfortable working in Photoshop and I’m starting to hit my stride and feel like there’s a rhythm to my workflow. I don’t feel nearly as “lost” as I used to, all thanks to my 365 project.
Another benefit is you’ll be forced to get a little more creative and try new things to make each day’s photo different from the ones before it. In my 365, I played with a myriad of props and costumes, played around with hundreds of different lighting styles, tried all manner of different camera settings, did a bit of macro photography, shot some wide-angle portraits, used colored flash gels, explored different emotions and expressions, had fun with bubbles, smoke machines, baby powder, water, even covered myself in chocolate and ice-cream! I wouldn’t have done even 1/10th of that stuff if I wasn’t forced to get creative.
2. Efficiency? Yes please!
At the start of my 365 project I routinely took 8-12 hours to do each photo, and I wondered just how the heck I could possibly get through a year of spending that much time every single day on photography! The brilliant thing about having that time pressure is it forces you to find ways to become more efficient – you’ll find yourself learning all the Lightroom/Photoshop keyboard shortcuts, watching YouTube tutorials and getting your workflow a bit more organised. And if you’re like me and spend a fair bit of time in Photoshop, this could be the excuse you’ve been waiting for to upgrade your computer and turn it into an absolute beast (in the name of “speed and efficiency”, of course… Not for playing video games……..). All of these things will help your photography/Photoshopping in the long-run.
3. Nothing builds discipline like a daily habit
Taking a photo every single day is by no means an easy task; it’s brutal. There will be days you’re sick, days you’re busy, days you just can’t be bothered, days you’d give anything to just be able to shove this damn 365 project to the side and go out to the movies and stuff your face full of popcorn and watch Michael Bay explode things 100 times per minute. Some days you’ll feel absolutely chained to the 365 and you’ll have to say no to some of the other fun things you used to do. (Say goodbye to trashy TV and spending hours playing video games!)
And that is precisely why a 365 is brilliant; it forces you to take a photo even when it’s the last thing you’d ever want to do. Having a daily habit builds your inner discipline in ways you’d never have imagined, and that discipline has a carry-over effect into other areas of your life. Gradually you find yourself making less excuses and you stop procrastinating things and you feel like some sort of Zen monk or something, able to face tasks you’d normally have run from, with a steely resolve and a calm mind.
4. Friends, followers and opportunities
Putting out a daily photo means you’re putting yourself out in the world much more than you were before – which means people will notice you because you’re in their news feeds all the time.
Through my 365, I’ve made countless photography friends who’ve been a constant source of inspiration, motivation, laughs and smiles. I was offered a writing gig for the photography site F-Stop Lounge, which probably wouldn’t have happened if I wasn’t constantly putting my work out there. I’ve been interviewed as well as interviewed other photographers, and have met a lot of cool people in doing so. And I’ve noticed an increase in my followers on social media, which is always nice! Consistent work is one of the best ways to get your name out there, and nothing’s more consistent than every darn day!
And it makes a damn cool story when you meet people offline, it’s always a great talking point!
5. “Holy moley, look at this nice, fat, juicy portfolio I’ve built!”
When you’re in the middle of a 365 you tend to just focus on each day’s photo, taking it one day at a time. But when you get to the end and it’s all over, it’s staggering when you stop and think, “Oh wow… I now have three-hundred-and-sixty-five photos in my portfolio that weren’t there last year.” Granted, some of them will be bombs, but when you create 365 photos you’ll have a lot of stand-out gems in there too, and it almost feels like a happy by-product of doing the project.
Killer Kit Awards
In My Bag
- Nikon D7000
- Adobe Photoshop CC
- Nikon 50mm f1.8 lens
- Feisol CT-3442 tripod
- Nikon SB-910 speedlight
- Yongnuo YN568EX Speedlight speedlight
- Yongnuo YN467-II Speedlight
- Yongnuo RF-603N Triggerr
- Various softboxes, flash gels and other bits and bobs!
- And way too many props/costumes to list…
Philosophy:
“Do what YOU love to do, not what you think others will like” is something that has taken me a while to learn, but I’m convinced it’s a vital part of creating cool images.
Nothing brings me more joy than creating the kind of images I would want to see. It’s really obvious when something is a labour of love, rather than a copy-paste job. Besides, how can you have fun with your hobby if you’re not doing it for you?
Influences and Inspirations
- Aaron Nace >> http://phlearn.com/
I probably wouldn’t even be a photographer today if it wasn’t for Aaron Nace. Not only has his wacky, amazing photography heavily influenced my style, he’s also taught me most of what I know about Photoshop through his training site, Phlearn. And last year I was so close to giving up photography entirely until I watched a couple of his motivational videos and decided to throw myself into a 365 project. Thanks Aaron, I owe you one (or 2 or 3 or 4…) - Joel Robison >> https://www.flickr.com/photos/joel_r
Joel is not only insanely talented, insanely hard-working (he’s done FOUR 365 projects!) but he’s also one of the loveliest blokes around! His surreal, beautiful and uplifting photography has been a constant source of joy and inspiration. - Ruben Chase >> https://www.flickr.com/freeflyer09/
Ruben is INSANELY good at photoshop, very creative and a really cool guy to boot! He never ceases to blow my mind with the things he can do in Photoshop.