That was once around the sun

It's over... done and dusted. It's been a year in the making and, to be honest, I'm glad it's finished. And I'm amazed that I actually succeeded. Or did I? The goalposts shifted very early on in the project from a photo per day to a "good" photo per day. Here, I define a "good" photo as one that I will want to look at again (and, hopefully, again and again). So did I take 366 "good" photos? I think it's too early to tell, but I think the answer is probably no. Give me another couple of months to look through the set and see which photos I linger over.

One thing that I was curious about was whether taking daily photos would improve my photography skills. I'm probably not the person to judge that, but I think I have become more particular about the kinds of photos I size up now. I take far fewer repeats than I used to (with the exception, perhaps, of glacier lilies...), as well as reducing the number of marginal shots (especially at full zoom).

Would I recommend such a project to someone? I found it hard work, especially at first, so I would say it depends on that person, and what photos they enjoy taking. How likely is it that you will be able to take those kinds of photos? Is it weather-dependent? How much spare time do you have to think about and set up shots? All these factors come into play.

I would say that anyone interested in taking a photo-a-day should be prepared to wake up every morning with the thought in your head: what am I going to get a photo of today? A list of candidates really helps relieve some of that pressure, but it only goes so far. Of course, if your photographic criteria are more relaxed than mine then it's easily possible to take a photo per day.

Another important factor is how much you like your camera. The days I felt worst about this project were the days I had the camera I didn't enjoy using. Having a camera (or two) I enjoyed using made all the difference - it makes you feel like you can take anything.

So after all that, would I do it again? No, absolutely not. It was a fun experiment but I don't see any need to repeat the process. I don't feel I have anything to gain from beginning another project, and I see plenty of things around me to photograph without the artificial need to take a picture every single day. Plus this project really got in the way of dealing with all the other photos we took over the year. The only type of project I might try would be a once-a-week photo diary, but that won't be for some time now. The next project is to turn the photos into a book-shaped souvenir :-)

It was an interesting, pleasant and often fun journey, but as always it's good to be home. And that was once around the sun.