Project 365...are you up for the challenge?

How many of you have ever heard of "Project 365"...? Its basically the concept of taking a photo a day & seeing your life in a whole new way as you document the photos weekly into one simple 12" x 12" layout. Sounds like a fun challenge, right? ;)

Well...while most people start this project on January 1st and document a years worth of memories, I am the first to admit that I am way behind the 8-ball on that concept (as usual!)...LOL! I am, however, planning on starting TODAY, March 1st, and would like to challenge all my faithful friends & blog readers to do the same! Here's the skinny...

People often say that their whole lives flashed before their eyes after they experienced a traumatic event. By preserving a moment out of every day its a quick and easy way to remember all the little moments that often times become the little stepping stones toward the bigger events in our lives. Whether it's relationships, your career, or your fashion sense, recording a photo a day will leave you with a rich visual history of your life...and will help you become more outgoing in everyday life. :)

WHY DO IT?
Taking a photo a day is a big undertaking with big payoffs. Here are just a few reasons why you should consider doing it:

• Imagine being able to look back at any day of your life and recall what you did, who you met, what you learned… (Often we find it hard to remember what we did just yesterday or even last night, let alone a whole year ago!)

• Your photo album will be an amazing way to document your travels and accomplishments, your haircuts and relationships. Time moves surprisingly fast.

• Taking a photo a day will make you a better photographer. Using your camera every day will help you learn its limits. You will get better at composing your shots, you’ll start to care about lighting, and you’ll become more creative with your photography when you’re forced to come up with something new every single day.
  

TIPS ON HOW TO DO IT
Here are six tips on how to create your own Project 365:

• Bring Your Camera Everywhere - Yes, everywhere! Get in the habit. Grocery stores, restaurants, parties, work, school, etc. Going to a movie theater? Snap a pic of the flick with your phone–there are photo-ops everywhere.
  

• Make Posting Easy - I plan on setting up a folder on Facebook to store my photos in and also so that all my friends can see what I'm up to each day. Then, at the end of the week I will sit down, gather my photos & quick stories, and scrapbook all 7 memories into a very simple 12" x 12" layout (using CTMH products of course!). I will then, of course, share each weeks final project with all my blog readers here on my blog. :o)
  

• Vary Your Themes - Try to capture the day’s events in a single photo. Perform photographic experiments. Take a photo of someone new you meet, something you ate for the first time, or something you just learned how to do. Take a photo of something that made you smile. And don’t forget to take a photo of yourself at least once a month so you can remember how you’ve changed, too.
  

• Tell a Story - Use your blog entry, or your photo description, to explain what’s going on in each day’s photograph. How good did that dinner taste? What made you want to take a photo of that stranger? It’ll help you remember down the road, and it gives friends following along a better appreciation of why you took the photo you did. You don’t need to write a lot, just enough to add some color.
  

• Don’t Stop, No Matter What - This is perhaps the most important tip of all. You WILL get tired of taking a photo every single day. Some days, you will consider giving up. Don’t. The end result is worth the effort. Get out of the house and take a walk. Or stay inside and look around. Take a photo of something important to you. Take a photo of the inside of your house so you can see how your taste has changed over the years. Take a photo of anything, just don’t stop. Remind yourself why you wanted to do it in first place and don't forget to tell your friends so they can keep encouraging you to keep moving forward with the project.
  

• Post early, post often - Plan on going through and posting your photos at least once a week so you don’t get backlogged and feel overwhelmed. Ideally, post every day or two. Again, spend the time up front to make sure it’s quick and easy to post. It’ll make all the difference.

...So now, who's with me? Anyone up for the challenge? ;) Have a great day! :)

~*Stampily Yours*~
~Shannon! :)~