365 Portraits 2017

Photographer Bill Wadman in Brooklyn, New York is making 365 Portraits 2017...

Why did you decide to do this project? I'm making portraits every day because it forces me to produce work constantly and subsequently keeps depression at bay. Also, it's been ten years since my original 365 Portraits project which started my professional photography career. So at about 11:40PM on New Years Eve I thought I'd jump in with both feet to do it again and so registered the @wadman365 Instagram account. Mostly new subjects plus a handful of alumni from the first set ten years later. It's just fun to spend some time getting to know new people and see where each new connection takes me. Plus it keeps me from reading too much about current events I have no control over. I guess that's a multi-level justification.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? Ah well, since I've been through this before a number of times I knew what to expect. The biggest hurdle for me is the fact that I need a constant flow of new and dependable subjects because I must shoot and post every day. Logistics, scheduling, coming up with new and interesting ideas and compositions either beforehand or on the spot. All while juggling the next few day's people. It's a lot of balls in the air simultaneously. But I'm never upset that I have to shoot. It's more like getting my fix for the day. So I head to each one with a spring in my step.

The time commitment is certainly a big part of it and I feel that between the project and my paid editorial and commercial work, I don't have very many free minutes in each day. I should probably give the medal to my very understanding and supportive wife who has to deal with the daily ups/downs/sideways.

However the people I get to meet, the places we shoot, and collaborations I make are the best part. It's the experience of being with another person that's the prize. The portrait at the end of it is just the artifact of the experience. A couple week ago for example I ended up on the balcony on the 19th floor at the corner of the iconic Flatiron Building here in NYC. I was shooting a book editor whose offices are in the building and the big boss was out of town on business so we got to use his office. A place that few and certainly I would likely never have gotten to visit. It's a testament to the power of people and connections and the unpredictable collisions that can result.

See all of Bill's portraits HERE.

Want to see the benefits of your own daily practice? Get the new book Creative Sprint: Six 30-Day Challenges To Jumpstart Your Creativity.

At Home with the Super Neumanns

Danny Neumann in Phoenix, Arizona is in the midst of the yearlong photography project: At Home with the Super Neumanns...

Why did you decide to do this project?  I'm an adult who refuses to quit playing with toys. My action figure collecting hobby eventually spawned a sub-hobby: photographing my figures doing everyday things. Its a creative outlet I find very rewarding and I was looking for a way to keep more consistent.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? As I write this I am three months in. One one hand, this is an accomplishment in itself. On the other, it really only represents a good start! I have had to let go the concerns about how much the project is costing. It turns out miniature dollhouse type accessories are not cheap! Although the project is quite time consuming, it has been a fun experience for my whole family. We often talk and laugh about ideas for future shots. And I love hearing my six year old stepson crack up when I show him a new photo.

I often find when setting up my shots that I get close to recapturing the very unique-to-childhood creative mindspace. That elusive experience where you are transported out of reality and into the world being occupied by the toys themselves. I didn't think adults could re-achieve that imaginative world but I have been drifting in and out of it the more time I spend in the Super Neumann's environment.

See all of Danny's photos HERE.

Leap Year Photo Challenge

 

Vickie Willis, who is 1/2 of the 365 Buddha's project, has created The Leap Year Photo Challenge for 2016 with her friend Debbi and they want you to participate!

She's explains, "I've written prompts for the entire year, and they're a little weird. Lots of photo challenge prompts seem to read like scavenger hunts, so I tried to make this one a little more evocative by including quotes or Japanese words that people can Google. There are no "wrong" photos, of course. Each prompt is just meant as a jumping off point to take/make a photo."

The first 4 month's of prompts are already available so you can print them out and carry them with you!

Follow along on their blog or on Facebook. And if you take the challenge be sure to share the results! 

365 Bons Jours/365 Jolly Good Days

Anne Guiberteau who lives near Paris, France is creating daily in French at 365 Bons Jours and in English at 365 Jolly Good Days! She explains, "Each day, I leave a small poster in the street, in a public park, the subway...with these words either "Bonne journée" or "Have a good day". Which means exactly the same.

Why did you decide to do this project?  I decided to create my blogs after reading the magazine Flow.

It's a friendly message, a faithful smile for the passers-by and for the persons that visit my blogs.

Also, each day, I quote the first sentence of a book written by an author dead or alive, ranging from Hemingway to Indridason, Edgar Allen Poe to Colette....And I also post photos of people from here, there and everywhere. and good mood photos. Sharing also my love for books written in any place and in any language in the world. And my love for people met here or there.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? It looked so exciting, challenging...and it is! It has affected my life because it's a daily "job" that I enjoy, and because I made interest and concern all the people around me. I wish to share my blogs with people that I don't know. I have already started!

See all of Anne's Jours HERE and Days HERE. 

There's a darkness upon me that's flooded in light.

Meg Paulette is taking a photo day for a year in her There's a darkness upon me that's flooded in light project...

Why did you decide to do this project? Ever since I tried and failed to do a project like this a few years ago I have wanted to try again.  I kept waiting for a significant date or "the right time" and finally on a totally random day at entirely the wrong time I actually started again.  I want art to be a part of my daily life, even if it is in a relatively small way.  I want to improve as a photographer, and just like anything that requires practice.  And especially with photography you get the added bonus of documenting important things in your life and it is super cool to be able to look back and remember a little piece of each day.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I joke in my first post that the last time I did one of these projects my whole life basically imploded.  It's sort of true, though of course I can't give all the credit to my project, but when you literally "focus" on your life everyday amazing things seem to happen, and you can't continue on without being conscious of what's going on around you. Which speeds up the natural process of growth, as an artist and as a person.  I'm ready for that again right now, a jump start that will get me out of my comfortable rut and not let me put off my own creative work "til tomorrow".

See all of Meg's photos HERE. 

Fort Williams 365 Project

Stephanie Bowe of Cape Elizabeth, Maine took a photo a day in her Fort Williams 365 Project...

Why did you decide to do this project?  I have started this page as a way to journal my 365 Project for 2014. Living so close to Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, I have always appreciated its beauty. Even though I live in the same town, I never seem to go there as much as I should. I have decided to visit the park every day during 2014. It is famous for being the home of the historic Portland Headlight lighthouse, but I want to commit to exploring and getting to know all the nooks and crannies of the park. I hope to really observe how people use this wonderful gem in my town and grow ever more grateful that I get to live near it.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I am on the verge of completing my 365 project for the year 2014. What began as a daily challenge for myself has now become part of my daily habit. The park that I photographed every day this year has not only become very well-known to me but feels as though it is part of me now. The exercise of going to the park every day and photographing a moment from my time there has opened my eyes to a new way of experiencing the park and my time there. Although I was able to capture some spectacular images ( others not so much), the intention was to journal my project. Through this journaling, I became more observant, mindful and grateful and I truly believe it has made a positive difference in my life and how I view the world around me. I am eager to start another 365 project for 2015 and see where it will guide me.

 See all of Stephanie's photos HERE.

Little Pretties

Lauralyn Brickhouse in Virginia is doing daily photography in her Little Pretties project...

Why did you decide to do this project? Little Pretties started out as a venue with which to share my analog photos (I still shoot fairly regularly with a Holga 120, a Minolta XG-1, 2 Canon AE-1's, an old Polaroid Sun camera, and a new Polaroid 300 Instant camera - I'm definitely a low-techie when it comes to my photography, haha!), along with the far more abundant Instagram pics. that I've become so addicted to taking with the iPhones that I've had over the years…and although I do still publish longer-winded entries from time to time, lately I've been focussing more on posting the spoils of my first, and second forays into my own 365 project. (My first attempt earlier this year, was abruptly cut short after barely getting off the ground, when I completely tore the ligament that connects my collar bone to my shoulder blade, while rough-housing with my 14 y/o son…my left arm was rendered practically useless for a couple of weeks following the injury - so I produced very few photos, during that time).

Anyway, since launching my most recent 365 Project, I am delighted to report that I've remained dedicated to the daily pursuit of capturing at least one image to share on Little Pretties (I don't always post my 365 pics on the days that they were taken, but I do still snap pictures every single day, and one or a few of them eventually do make it to the blog as documentation of that).

For nearly 3 1/2 years, "Cheap Camera, 10 Second Timer Self-Portraiture" was my biggest photographic push, but after being charged with, and ultimately convicted of two trespassing misdemeanors (I staged my [oftentimes nude] selfpics on private property most of the time - and so getting caught by perturbed property owners was inevitable, I reckon), and then spending a weekend in jail, plus 6 anxiety-riddled months on probation - I decided to take an indefinite break from self-portraiture after my last official shoot, this past November. (I'm planning on coming out of early retirement this upcoming Monday, however - as I have an opportunity to shoot at a drool-worthy location, with one of my all-time favorite photographers, Richmond's own - Jamie Betts!!! - I am SO flippin' excited, it's borderline ridiculous!)

Needless to say, with self-portraiture no longer dominating most of my shooting time, I was able to focus more singularly on taking the non-self-portraiture pictures that I do so love to take, and before too long, I posed myself the challenge of carving out time every day to shoot (be it a panicked 15 minutes, or a decadent 4 hours), in order to seriously pursue a 365 Project…




How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? Although for years I've gone out with my cameras most every week, sometimes even several times a week - in search of interesting things, people, and places to shoot, there have been glaring lulls in my motivation, and productivity, from time to time (which always caused me to feel horribly disappointed in myself). Honestly though? It wasn't until I jumped into my 365 Project, that I actually made photography a real priority, a responsibility of sorts - to make a sincere effort to shoot on the reg., and to capture daily images not only for my own artistic fulfillment - but also for the enjoyment of those kind folks out there, who so graciously follow my "Little Pretties" blog.

I like that the 365 Project puts (a tolerable amount of) pressure on me, to not become complacent or lackadaisical about my photography. I also like that my eyes are open wider, and I've developed a more finely tuned radar, that allows me to hone in on subject matter to shoot, in places where I would've previously never even bothered to look (like say, in a grocery store parking lot, late in the evening, when I realize that I've forgotten to take that day's pics., and I still have yet to buy the groceries, pick my daughter up from dance, go home, make dinner, clean the kitchen, do laundry, etc…!!! Aw Crap!) I like that, even when all of the pictures that I've taken on a particular day - literally suck - I'm forced to put my inordinately large ego aside, and pick out something to post, anyway…even if I absolutely hate it (very humbling). I like getting to know intimately, nearby places that I've seen a million times before, but barely paid attention to - in my oftentimes desperate hunt for something local to shoot, in the short periods of time that my schedule (and my kids' schedules) allow(s). And I like it when people shoot me strange looks, mean looks even - when they see me taking pictures of stuff that I'm to presume they think is pretty stupid subject matter…like early morning sunlight illuminating a piece of trash hung up in the branches of a tree growing on the side of a busy highway…I actually LIKE it when they look at me as if I'm NUTS!

See all of Lauralyn's Little Pretties HERE.

Scout and Scholar

Jag Nagra, in Vancouver, Canada, who previously created 365 Illustrations, has now started a new daily project called Scout and Scholar in which she heads out each day to ask one person “What did you learn today?”...

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? It’s incredible what kinds of personal things complete strangers are opening up to me, and has really helped bring me out of my shyness.  When I first started, I was horribly embarrassed every time someone would say “no” to the project, whereas now, it’s become so much easier to approach people.  I began to accomplish two things: 1) push myself so far out of my comfort zone, and challenge my shyness.  2) Since I work from home, I needed an excuse to get out of the house each day and talk to people outside of my computer screen.

Check out all of the responses to Jag's question HERE.

And watch a short into to the project here...

By Nature

Susanna von Eyben in Gothenburg, Sweden is creating Avnaturen (Swedish for "By Nature") a daily photo project on Instagram...

Why did you decide to do this project? Thanks to the book A Daily Creativity Journal by Noah Scalin that inspired me. I think and work a lot with sustainability in my profession as interior architect and I want to be more conscious about what's made of mankind and what is really true natural things around us in daily life.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I just started with one picture taken on each day. I have already found out that during my day in the city it is hard to find, but when I come home in evening in the countryside we have it by nature all around us in everything. I look forward to a year of open mind.

See all of Susanna's photos HERE.

Nourish 365 Project

Jenna Powers in Boston, Massachusetts is celebrating what nourishes her life: photography, food, friends and family in Nourish 365 Project...

Why did you decide to do this project? Turning 35, preparing for a wedding, moving to a new city and moving in with my fiancé… oh, and 60+ hour workweeks that involve being away from home two or three weeks a month…

Photography is a passion, but it was becoming too easy to go long stretches without picking up the camera.  The Project was a way for me to connect with my creativity and my passion, even if it is just for one iPhone click a day (though I have found myself schlepping the Nikon around more often!)

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I knew I could do the photography part, but to my fiance and I's pleasant surprise, it turns out I can actually cook!  (Did I mention that prior to starting my food-based Project I didn’t cook at all?)  Don't get me wrong, I will never be a Top Chef, but after years of ordering takeout and watching any one of a dozen cooking competition shows, it looks like I actually learned some things.

It’s also been a great opportunity to connect with foodies, photography lovers, and culinary geniuses in my neighborhood and in cities around the country.  Having a blogger “like” my post, or a restaurant retweet me or post one of my photos on their Facebook page helps me feel connected to my surroundings, something that’s generally a challenge for me—I haven’t spent more than two consecutive weeks in the same city in more than two years!

I really look forward to what the next ten months has in store for me, my camera and my stomach!

See everything that nourishes Jenna HERE.

365 Days ~ An Image A Day, What It Means To Be...

Terin Christensen in Danville, California is creating 365 Days ~ An Image A Day, What It Means To Be... 

Why did you decide to do this project? Dedicated to my daughter and my mother.... Women who have challenged me and pushed me to grow. This project started with a book my daughter sent to me entitled  365: A Daily Creativity Journal.

I have committed to posting images for 365 days. Initially I thought I’d shoot a picture a day of different woman, but quickly realized that was not a realistic goal. Subsequently, I’ve broken the project down into shooting one person per week thus posting four daily images that capture their essence. The remaining days in the week will be peppered with photographs of my mother and miscellaneous images that reflect my voice.

Each person will be asked “What does it mean to be a woman?” or “What does it mean to be you?” Their responses will present insight into the mysteries that lie within them and define them.

I’m sure this road will take me down some crazy paths and the project will morph along the way. Life is a sweet short ride and thank you for traveling along with me.

Courage to follow one’s heart and to use one’s brain is essential!

See all of Terin's project HERE.

Jenny's 365 Day Project

Jenny Eggers in Ocala, Florida is doing a 365 day photography project...

Why did you decide to do this project? I decided to start this project as a challenge to myself as a photographer. I am hoping to grow my skills.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I'm only on Day 34, but I have found that I am able to make time in my day for this project. I thought that it would be more difficult to find the time, but when you do something that you love, you make a way for it to fit in. Also, my confidence is growing as part of this project. As a result, I am putting myself out there for constructive criticism on various photography sites…something that I only THOUGHT of doing before. I'm feeling very good about it and am excited to move forward each day!

See all of Jenny's photography HERE.

365 Birds Project

Eduardo Silva Franco in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil is doing a 365 BIRDS PROJECT.

He explains, "The 365 Birds Project, is a personal project that consists in recording and writing about 365 species of birds in one year. That is, I need to push myself to register somehow [observation with the naked eye; observation with binoculars, photographic, sound recording] 365 species and, every day, create a post describing how was the recording and writing a little about the animal . Obviously, I do not need to observe the bird species on the post, which would be virtually impossible. Example, if on 01/01/13 I made a birding and record 30 species, will have at least 30 posts guaranteed. Over time and with the records repeating itself, I have to force myself to seek new species, increasing the level of difficulty of the project."

"It may seem easy suddenly to be the same, but just to get an idea in Belo Horizonte / MG are 347 species of birds recorded [historical documents, published works and direct observations]. Even though I watch all kinds of town, which is surely impossible because some are not seen in years, I could not achieve the ultimate goal of the project. So, I need to make some trips, short or long, to enable the record of 365 birds."

Why did you decide to do this project? The Birds 365 Project grew out of a sum of inspirations that came from projects and conversations of friends.

About the desire to write about birdwatching or birding [birding] on a blog, appeared after his friend Daniel Esser, who writes absurdly well and treats the subject with a special affection, start telling "tales" of our wanderings in search of birds. His blog, PEGANDO PASSARINHO, is indeed a great place for beginners quickly fall in love for the activity.

About the choice of format design, I opted for the 365 days / species in a conversation with his friend Marcelo Goes, who also has a blog, BLOG DO INTERCÂMBIO. It's worth checking, has received some awards!

Also, some time ago that I needed to organize my record of birds. The paperwork [but extremely necessary] just reducing my time dedicated to studies and technical side of birding. I thought nothing would be better than a great challenge to have reasons to come back to enjoy birding!

I hope throughout this project inspire more and more people to engage the birdwatching!

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? The project is phenomenal and I am very happy with the returns with praise from all followers. My family is getting involved too. It was a challenging choice and I will get!

Follow all of Eduardo's birds HERE.

Adjusting Your Focus

Carol Blake Sessums in Terry, Mississippi is doing a daily photography project she calls Adjusting Your Focus...  

Why did you decide to do this project? I’ve been a photographer from the age of 12.  I love taking photos and hiding behind the camera.  I prefer candid shots of people, animals, nature and our travels.  However, I’ve never done anything with it until recently (started photography blog Dec 2011).  Honestly, I was working on another project and put that one down (out of fear), and picked this one up.  I was looking for another route to express myself; a different creative outlet. 

I also started the photo blog as a way to teach myself follow-through.  I have a bad habit of stopping half way through something or even close to the beginning.  So far, so good.  333 posts, and then some, so far, for 2012.  I’ve actually posted every day of the year, thus far.  I guess ya can teach an old dog new tricks, huh? 

Is it a fresh picture every day?  Well, no.  I do get out there and take pictures frequently, but many of my shots are from days, weeks, months, even years passed, which is fine with me, since the original idea was to post a photo every day, not necessarily take a photo every day.  Besides, some of the photos I take are while driving (and may I take this opp to say “sorry” to all you drivers near me at the time), and/or the photos I take are blurry at times (hence, the driving thing), and I’m not posting those, for sure.  One particular day, I was sick (which almost NEVER happens), I felt like poo, I was exhausted, my computer was NOT cooperating, so I posted via my phone, but hey, whatever works.  The point is, I got it done.  Right?

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? Most days, it has been a true joy for me to post daily on my blog.  I have met many cool people as a result, who have become good friends; some I even consider family.  There are soooo many kind, intelligent, talented, humorous, creative, fascinating, colorful people out there in the world, and seeing as I am somewhat of a shy person (although many of my friends would disagree), it’s one of the best ways to get to know people, as well as easier on myself ‘to be myself’ through a computer screen, rather than face-to-face.

Other days, honestly, it can be an outright chore to take or find a photo and post it, especially with many other projects going on, chasing after a 13 year old with many projects of her own, working a full time job, and the list goes on.  However, on those fast-paced days, I just suck it up, and do it anyway.  It is nice to feel that sense of satisfaction of actually getting it done, whether I wanted to, or not - a real sense of accomplishment.  If I can seriously do this every single day for an entire year, what else can I do?  Maybe I can be a success?!  Oh wait...  I guess I already am.

See all of Carol's photos HERE.

Colour of The Month

After completing two yearlong projects – Daily Oak ("one tree, two positions from which a photo is taken on every day that I am in town, pictures of ‘guest trees’ on days that I am not") and Daily Mail done collaboratively with Kathy Loomis ("an e-mail per day with a picture of 'something') – Uta Lenk in Southern Bavaria, Germany has a new project: Colour of the Month ("going through the color wheel of primary and secondary colors I take a picture of something of that color on that day")...

Why did you decide to do this project? I loved the regularity of Daily Art as I experienced it in my projects together with Kathy Loomis, and my Daily Oak Project. I would have liked to do another tree after the conclusion of Daily Oak but did not find a different species in the vicinity that fit my requirements (easily accessible so that getting there would not take too long, single tree). I wanted to concentrate on color to increase my awareness of color, color range, color gradation, and “Colour of the month” has certainly been a successful project in that respect.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? The Daily Oak project has taught me a lot about trees in general, old trees in particular, and oaks as such. I believed myself to be aware of issues in nature before, but realized that there is still a lot more to learn. My family was affected in that they learned to accept my daily going to the tree. Sometimes I would ask my husband to take the little detour so I could take the picture of the day. If the sun broke through unexpectedly on a particular day my husband had learned to read the bounce of my step on the stairs as indicating whether I was going to see the tree... The Daily Mail project has heightened my awareness about what we see when we care to look, and what we overlook when we just trod through life. And it was interesting to get to know a person mainly through e-mails and pictures. That was the best art project of my entire life!

See all of Uta's projects HERE.

Bicoastal

Kizz Robinson in NYC & Chris Deitner in LA are doing a collaborative 30 day food photo project called Bicoastal...

Why did you decide to do this project? I had done a 365 project and, while I enjoyed it and found it helped me learn a lot about my camera and my creative brain I didn't have it in me to do another one so long. My archiving skills aren't that good.

I decided that I wanted to learn more about my smartphone's photographic capabilities and I kept coming across projects where people on opposite coasts or in different countries were taking photos at the same time and putting them together. I love those projects! I started to think about people I knew who would think this kind of project was fun and I immediately thought of Chris.

We batted around some ideas about how long we should work, what our theme should be, and how we'd archive it and finally decided on 30 Days of Food on Flickr so here we are.

How has doing this daily project affected your life? I happened to start this project at the same time that I partnered with a different friend to try to lose a little weight (I'm far too cheap to buy new pants). Now much of my day is spent focusing, literally, on food. For a day or so I was afraid that having the photo project would make the healthy eating harder, make me more resentful of some of the harder choices. Happily that hasn't been the case. Taking photos and concentrating as much on how I want to look at the food as on what I want to eat has been really fun. A couple of days I've even said, "Wait, I have to eat something so I can take a picture!"

Also, I took a lot of pictures of my hands in relation to food for my 365 Days Project and would sometimes feel like I was getting in a rut. The project was pictures of my hands but wasn't limited in any other way. It's counterintuitively freeing to have a narrower focus. I'm getting a lot of joy out of that.

See all of Kizz & Chris's photos HERE.