So today was the end of Picture Winter, and like I seem to say every time I finish a month-long project like this, it was just the right length. I enjoyed my 31 days of prompt-following, but now I am ready to be done. I’ve signed up to take Picture Spring as a self-paced class in April, but between now and then I am blissfully on my own.
Day 29 – Your name in lights
Day 30 – Glimmer of hope
Day 21 – One little word
I’m sure you know me enough to realize that I can’t just put my camera away for the next two months. How about I let you in on some of the other projects I’ve been working on? Maybe you’d like to join me! They’re all free, and they’re plenty flexible – in other words, nobody is going to hunt you down if you skip a week, nor will you feel guilty for wasting any money if you give up on them halfway through.
Project 365
I started my 3rd year-long photo project in January and am going with an “up close and personal” theme, exploring the details of my everyday life and close-up/macro photography at the same time. The image above is a collage of what I captured during January.
I love this project for the snapshots of my life that it produces. And not only that, I find that my photography skill improve when I take my camera out every day and shoot something, even if it’s just a 2-minute quick snap. Practice really does make perfect (or, at least, better).
If you’re considering a 365 project, know that you don’t need to start on January 1st (my second project spanned October 2009 – October 2010). You can jump in whenever you feel inspired to do so. Additionally, you don’t need a theme. I find it more enjoyable to have a direction, but many people are happy to just take a photo a day, no matter what the subject. It’s totally flexible.
If you are looking for community, there are several Flickr groups devoted to 365 projects. My first year, I participated in the One Object 365 Days group. Last year, I joined A Year of Mornings. These days, I’m posting to Shutter Sisters 365.
Weekly Challenges
Less commitment than a daily project, and more forgiving if you forget, are uninspired, or are just plain too busy to participate, are weekly challenges. There are plenty, out there, but here are a few that I have been enjoying this year:
- 52 weeks of Bam! – a self portrait community for women. The eye above is my most recent submission to the group.
- Slice of Life Tuesday – Post photos from your life, within a theme (i.e. “color therapy,” “beauty,” “whimsy”).
- Mortal Muses – A new theme every week, currently “evidence of love.”
I am planning to do all 52 weeks of Bam! but the others I will do as the themes speak to me, or as time allows. I also plan to participate in the Shutter Sisters One Word Project, which is run on a monthly basis, whenever the word is of interest.
Jump in and join me on some of these!
(Do you enjoy any other free photo projects besides these? Share them in the comments!)
