365 Project: January

February 4, 2021

At the beginning of the year, I decided to challenge myself with a long-term project idea that I had been flirting with inside my mind. I mused that 2022 was my chance to bring it to fruition and welcome a new opportunity and challenge; I have decided to embark on a 365 daily photography project! This project was born by inspiration from my quarantine during the pandemic alongside my thirst for a new creative challenge.

During the pandemic, getting out into Nature became an important activity for me, especially during lockdown at home. I noticed that getting out and going for a walk in my nearby nature preserve did wonders for my stress and anxiety during that incredibly challenging time, even for just thirty minutes a day. I thought of these outings as creative exercises for my photography brain, and I followed flashes of perception with my iPhone on my walks. I found it interesting that taking just thirty minutes out of my day completely reset my mind and put me at ease, no matter what my personal or professional challenges were for the day.

I also realized I didn't have to be somewhere exotic to do this, and I found it was freeing to think outside the box to photograph subjects I don't typically photograph. Could I possibly keep this up at a daily pace for an entire year?

A common misconception is that living on the road pursuing photography full-time comes easy and that every day, I'm out on an epic adventure or hike. While that is true for some days, many of them are spent inside the trailer, working on business items and day-to-day tasks. There are plenty of days it's challenging to go out and flex my creativity. So, I thought this would be a fun challenge for the year (especially during those spells at my home base in Denver) to make sure I'm getting out for at least thirty minutes a day to photograph (and process!) a natural subject that interests me. While I usually don't subscribe to rules, I did set some for this particular endeavor:

  1. Make a habit of getting out for thirty minutes a day outside.
  2. I'm allowed to use my iPhone if necessary (I find it's easier to follow those flashes of perception with the iPhone)
  3. Welcome the opportunity to see differently and follow those flashes of perception
  4. There's no stress or pressure to create the perfect composition or create award-winning photos! I like to think of this more as a marathon and not a sprint.
  5. Be me: 100% of this creative journey remains authentic and 100% for my fulfillment, not for social media, others, etc.
  6. I'll journal thoughts and feelings each day with every photo.
  7. Most importantly, have fun!

I'm posting every day on Twitter to hold myself accountable (for those who don't use Twitter, you can visit my blog as I'll have a brief update every month with photos.) I'm looking forward to seeing where this journey takes me this year and what I'll learn about my photography and myself while enjoying the creative ride.

One month in, and it's been very fulfilling so far, and I've already noticed some trends and insights. My full thoughts won't be visible on Twitter due to the character count restrictions, but my end plan will include releasing an e-book at the end of the year with all photos with a journal entry accompanying each photo.

With that all being said, here are the photos from January. My travels started in Wyoming and brought me back to Death Valley. While some days it came easy to photograph every day, there were days during workshops and conferences I had to think outside the box a bit. I challenged myself to photograph plants with my macro lens and found myself drawn to favorite subjects for abstracts.

Thanks for reading along, and I look forward to sharing the following year in photos! Until next month, happy photographing!

Posted in 365 Project.