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REFLECTIONS ON MY SHOT-A-DAY PROJECT In 2003, I resolved to shoot at least one photo each day. No rules. Photos did not have to be good (could even be a shot of the inside of my lens cap), I just had to point the camera at something and shoot, then publish each day's photo online. I had done a photo-a-day in 2002, but didn't publish substandard photos, so 2003 represented a step up the commitment ladder --- laying myself and my work bare, warts and all. The objective of the shot-a-day project was to raise my photographic consciousness so that I would think about it throughout each day, observe light, predict dramatic sunrises and sunsets, and be less likely to miss a great photo opportunity. Not unlike the "throw some spaghetti on the wall to see what sticks" concept, I felt that forcing myself to take more photos and constantly thinking and seeing in photographic terms would increase the number of "keeper" shots I might take --- taking 1500 shots each month instead of 200 would increase the odds in my favor. The idea grew out of my creative writing background --- there was an exercise instilled in me by a college professor -- writing requires discipline, and it's best that no matter what, you write every day, even if it means scrawling addresses on a legal pad. There were different permutations -- stream of consciousness writing, for example --- but the common theme was to "just do it." And that is what I decided to do with my photography. Shoot every day, no matter what. Making the Time Shortly into the New Year, I lost my job, which freed up a lot of time for photography and eliminated many logistical problems (squeezing in time to shoot before work, including time required to travel to a shooting location, etc.). When I finally found a job in October, it was at the expense of an onerous commute that sucked up 2-3 hours of my time per day, and found me surrounded by an environment devoid of photographic opportunities. This forced me to challenge my eye to find photo opps in unlikely places. Sometimes this was successful; often it was not. The problem was exacerbated as the days grew shorter and my workload increased significantly. The worst month was December - I got engaged in November, and we made a decision to move (closer to my work), so December was a blur of packing and wedding planning that swallowed me whole. My output slowed to only a handful of shots each day. Admittedly, photo-taking during this period was uninspired and obligatory --- I didn't have the bandwidth to deal with it. Despite the difficulties, I found that the pressure to snag a photo each day pushed me to view my world through different eyes. Unremarkable settings might reveal a flower worth shooting, or an architectural detail on an otherwise nondescript building. I was able to see better. The less time I had available, the better I could see. The easiest way for me to increase the amount of time available for shooting was to rise early in the morning. For this night owl, that was a profound change in habits accumulated over the last 40+ years. When I'm on a roll, I have no problem staying up until 4am, but rising at that hour is nearly impossible. Nevertheless, I forced myself to obey the alarm's call, pulled on my long underwear and headed out before the first glimmer of dawn's light warmed the horizon. I didn't do this every morning, but when conditions were good, I did it most mornings, and found it both meditative and invigorating. Like fishing, there's a fair amount of waiting and praying involved. And, like fishing, you are sometimes rewarded, sometimes not (which is why, the joke goes, they call it "fishing" rather than "catching"). So, of necessity, I integrated the habit of early rising into my life, and my photography has reaped the benefits. Results I successfully completed the project, not missing a day - through illness, bad weather and creative blocks. At times, it was unspeakably difficult. Although I had imposed no rules regarding the quality of the photos, the overachiever within me insisted that I strive for something greater than mediocrity (on most days, at least). As I review my year's portfolio, I see many photos that I would not have taken had I not been involved in the shot-a-day project. The discipline forced me to spend just a couple of more minutes seeking a sublime shot, trying just one more angle before calling it a day. CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE GALLERY. The Future? I elected not to continue the project for 2004 for a number of reasons: 1) I needed to send in my camera for maintenance before its warranty expired in mid-Jan, enforcing a hiatus at the beginning of the year; 2) Real life was impinging upon my creative vision and I needed a break to recharge; 3) I was more inclined to impose another type of photographic challenge upon my work -- perhaps a monthly theme; 4) Time spent on the shot-a-day project impinged upon the time I had available to devote to alternative process photography, and I'd like to devote more time to that in coming months. I highly recommend adopting this challenge as a way to instill discipline in your photography. View it as a journey, not a destination. Don't beat yourself up, just take your camera with you wherever you go and shoot! Karen Nichols | February 2004 NEXT ESSAY: LUCKY SHOTS?  BACK
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