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365 Photography Project – How it Will Improve Your Photos

11 min read

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365 photography project.

The 365 photography project is the most popular program in the world to help you improve your photography skills. Sure, this photography project requires commitment in everyday life for an entire year. But think about what you’ll achieve when you take at least one photo every day for a full year.

Every photographer who uses their camera daily will learn new skills and improve their creativity. All you need to do is have a plan and stay motivated. Many photographers like to think that a new camera will help them improve. Or they lust after a new lens or a new camera bag thinking it will make them a better photographer. Taking at least one photograph every day for an entire year will set you apart from other photographers.

The 365 photography project is not a new or fresh idea. This photo project has been around for many years. So many photographers have made this practice part of their daily life. When they remain inspired and motivated, their photography skills improve throughout the year.

To do a 365 photo project that lasts a whole year may seem too much. But it isn’t so much when you stop to think about it. How many photos did you take in the past year? Probably a lot more than 365. Taking pictures for a 365 photography project takes some planning and dedication. Every week you need new ideas about what to photograph. This is beyond the comfort zone of many people. And being beyond your comfort zone is great for your creativity, especially when you are part of a 365 project community.

365 photography project apple image.

How To Start a 365 Project and Get the Most from it?

To work through an entire year taking daily photos and not be a part of a photography community will challenge your motivation and creativity. Engaging in our 365 Days of Photography Course, you will learn something new every day. Watching the short lessons teaches a new skill every day. Every day there are also challenges to go with the teaching that provides great inspiration for how to put these skills into practice. You’ll also be part of a photography community that enjoys posting daily pictures. You can even make new friends who also love photography.

Following a course of teaching is the best way to enjoy a 365 photography project. It is so much fun to be part of a photography community that’s taking a course together and sharing their pictures. Having regular teaching and easy-to-follow lessons that include lots of good tips will help you progress as a photographer. Week in and week out, as you work through a 365 photo project course, you’ll capture some of the best photographs you have ever taken.

This photo project course helps you remain creative, as inspiration can be hard to maintain when working on a 365 project on your own. Having regular lessons to work through, you can accomplish so much more. If you are only focused on taking a photo a day for the 365 project, you will still improve your skills. But not as much as when you complete a lesson every day and learn something new every day.

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Why Should You Participate in the 365 Photography Project?

Participating in the 365 photo project is the most certain way to learn to make better images with your camera. You will have fun doing it and find great support from others who are inspired to take part too. Taking part in the 365 photo project will become a regular part of your life and affect more than your photography. Photographers often say they learn more about life because they take a photo each day during a complete year.

You will learn more about your camera, light, composition, and every main aspect of photography. If you start the 365 photo project at the start of a new year or at any other time, you will find that it is a lot of fun to complete taking one photo every day.

You will gain a better understanding of how to use your camera. You’ll find that your camera becomes easier to use and therefore it’s more enjoyable to take pictures. The more you practice anything, the better you become. So often photographers rely on the automatic settings on the camera to capture images. This only gets you so far. 

As you practice taking photos during a 365 photo project, you’ll become so much more familiar with your camera. You’ll find you’ll be using it as a professional photographer in no time at all. So many photographers only use their cameras occasionally. So when they do pick up their camera to capture a photo, it is confusing, and they lose inspiration. 

Practice taking a photo every day and learning something new about photography, and you’ll love the images you are taking. You’ll also learn to love your camera the more you use it. 

chess pieces on a board.
© Kevin Landwer-Johan.

What it Means to Engage in a 365 Project?

A 365 project is based on the idea of taking at least one photograph every day of the year, so your photography will improve. Taking one picture per day of whatever you like will help you become more skillful. You can do this 365 project in many different ways. You can decide to carry your camera everywhere you go and take at least one photo per day. Or you can be more organized and develop a plan or work through a course designed for the 365 projects.

Online you can join communities and find lists of topics and things to take photos of. These are not always helpful because they can include things that you may not have access to. The best idea is to use this information as inspiration and develop your own ideas about what you want to make images of. Or you can take our course, which provides you with lots of inspiration and direction for your photography.

The most important aspect of a 365 project is regularly taking photos. If you only pick up your camera once a week or once a month, your progress will be slow. You’ll have to think more about what settings to use and have less concentration on what you are taking pictures of.

Thai woman dancer.

Why It’s Important to Remain Regular with a 365 Photography Project?

The key to completing a 365 project most successfully is to remain as regular as possible with your photography. The more frequently you take photos, like every day, the better you will become, especially when you pair everyday camera use and taking photos with learning a little each day.

The simple act of picking up your camera, turning it on, and taking photos every single day will help you improve in so many ways. Even if you remain within your comfort zone and don’t push yourself creatively, your photography skills will get better. But when you do learn more each day and focus on being creative, you’ll be amazed at how much changes your perception of photography and what you can do with it.

Learning to use a camera can be complicated. A camera is no longer the simple tool it was when I first started taking photos. My first camera was more complicated to use, even though it was so basic. I used it regularly and discovered that in no time at all, I managed to set my exposures well and get most of my photos in focus. I practiced a lot. 

With modern cameras, there’s not often the motivation to learn to manually control the camera. Camera companies include all kinds of technology to make taking pictures easier. But easy is often boring. To make the most of photography, you need to understand how to control your camera. When you engage in a 365 project, you’ll discover more about your camera than you can now imagine.

portrait of a woman with lens flare for 365 photography project.

How a Good Plan Will Help You Complete a 365 Project

When you embark on a 365 project with no plan, you are most likely to fail. Having a plan, even a rough outline, can help you. Take time, in the beginning, to map out your 365 project. This is one crucial step to take at the beginning of your project.

Once you have a solid plan in place, it will be easier to stick to it and make the project more fun. If you join a group of friends who are also interested in a 365 project, you can make your plan together. You’ll be able to share s and tips for how to make it more interesting and achievable when you work together in a community. 

A plan does not need to include what you will take photos of on each day of your 365 project. You can break it down into months and weeks to make it more manageable. Take your time, search online for photography ideas, and start a list. 

Starting a 365 project without a plan is not a great idea. Making a start with even a basic outline of your 365 project will mean you are more likely to complete your project. It will make the whole project much more user-friendly.

Within your 365 project plan, organize when you will take your photos. When you prioritize your photography, you will be more likely to succeed. Take time to think of what time of the day you can make a habit of taking at least one photo per day. For some people, this might be during a lunch break or in the evening. Other people will find it more convenient to take their photographs in the morning before breakfast.

small pink flowers.

Make Photography a Good Habit and Stick with it Daily

It takes dedication to form a new habit. But once you do, it becomes easy to maintain, especially when it’s fun. You need to be dedicated and try hard. If you don’t, you are not going to succeed. Once the habit of taking photographs every day is formed, you’ll find it is also quite difficult to stop.

Think of things you can do that will help you begin to build your new habit. Don’t make it too hard, or you might give up. Having a regular time and place to take the photos for your 365 project will help you form a stronger habit than if you don’t. However, this may not be so suitable for every person. Take your time and think about how you can best fit taking some photos every day into your current regular schedule.

If you don’t have regularity about your schedule, now is the time to start with your 365 project being front and center of it.

You can always plan a 365 project to replace a bad habit you want to break. If you’re a smoker, you can plan to take photos every time you’d usually stop to have a smoke.

woman on the porch of a modern house for 365 project.

Take Your Camera Everywhere You Go

The best way to manage a 365 photography project is to take your camera everywhere you go. I don’t mean to take your phone everywhere. Most of us do that already. To practically engage in a 365 project, you need to use your camera as often as possible. Don’t rely on your phone. This can be seen as cheating unless you are only interested in completing a 365 project using a phone.

Taking your camera with you everywhere needs to be a conscious choice. You need to make it part of the habit you build. You can’t take a photo unless you do have your camera with you, so why not make it a habit?

At first, you might find it does not fit your lifestyle to have your camera with you all of the time. But, as you become more used to taking it places, you’ll miss not having it when you sometimes forget.

smiling young woman.

Manage the Photos You Take for the 365 Photography Project

It is important to manage the photos you take for your 365 photography project. You will end up taking a lot more photos than 365. This is the nature of digital photography. You end up with far more photos than you know what to do with.

Become a master at deleting the images you know you will never look at again. The ones that are out of focus or poorly exposed. These should be ditched immediately. They will not only take up space on your cards and hard drive, but they will also distract you from editing your best photos. 

With a 365 project, the most efficient way to manage your images is to store them by the date you took them. This way, you know what you took when you took it. If you want to be more precise in your filing, you can add keywords or tags to your photos. You will then be able to search for these terms and find all the relevant images.

soft pink flowers.

Engaging in a Photography Group or Photography Community

Engaging in a photography group or photography community will help you achieve your goal of completing the 365 days of photography course. On our website we host such a community.

This is where you can share you photos and be supported in your efforts to improve your skills. Feedback is positive and encouraging and your questions are answered by others who are enjoying learning photography in this format.

Take time to post frequently and engage in discussions about photography and you are sure to enhance your photography learning experience more than if you complete the lessons and challenges on your own.

Conclusion

Engaging in a 365 photography project will certainly help you improve your photography skills. You will see a development in you your photos more than if you go out and buy a new camera or lens. 

Take time to plan. Think of what you want to learn and the types of things you want to photograph. Or simply enroll in our 365 Photography Course. This will teach you all about photography and help keep you on track to take one photo a day for a whole year.


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Kevin bought his first camera in the early 1980s and started working in the photography department of a daily newspaper a few years later. His whole career is focused on photography and he’s covered a multitude of subjects. He loves to photograph people the most. During the past decade, Kevin has begun to teach and write more, sharing his passion for photography with anyone who’s willing to learn.
Kevin bought his first camera in the early 1980s and started working in the photography department of a daily newspaper a few years later. His whole career is focused on photography and he’s covered a multitude of subjects. He loves to photograph people the most. During the past decade, Kevin has begun to teach and write more, sharing his passion for photography with anyone who’s willing to learn.
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  1. Great article! Very informative and inspiring, very helpful especially what you say about planning beforehand! Has given me lots to think about…

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