The Photo A Day Challenge

Rob Skeoch · Dec 22, 2009

Could you take a photo every day next year?

I think it would be a worthwhile challenge.

365 photos in one year. You can take more than one photo on any given day, but only one counts in the challenge.

It would be tough but I think I could do it.

So I challenge you. Can you take a photo a day in 2010.

The challenge is to take the photo. If you can't get it posted on the same day, or you have to wait a few days to get it printed that's fine. You can always post them a few days late.

And they have to be real photos... not snaps of your cat sleeping on the chair.

Some people might think they have to all shot with one camera or with one lenses... similar to the Leica challenge a few years back, but that doesn't matter here.

Just take one photo a day and try and post it.

I'm going to post this on a couple other forums as well and blog on it at www.thepicturedesk.blogspot.com.

Let me know if you're in.

Rob Skeoch
www.thepicturedesk.ca

Chazzy · Dec 22, 2009

I'm quite sure that I can't make one meaningful photo every day. Of course, it would be easy if I just photographed some of my favorite locations over and over again, or if I could make the time to scout out new locations every day. Working at home, I might make more than one still life on a certain day, but I certainly wouldn't make a still life every day. I think the exercise would be pointless.

Shaggysk8 · Dec 22, 2009

I couldn't post one a day maybe one every 15 days as I use roll film, although I think I could do it maybe as a personal challenge rather than post them all.

WolfTales · Dec 22, 2009

My personal limit is about 3-4 meaningful "photos" per month. If it's a good month.

Sorry, I'm out.

mopar_guy · Dec 22, 2009

Do you consider shooting slide film as making photos? I will be using 2010 to use up this stash of Kodachrome in the fridge. I cannot wait for 2011 to use the Kodachrome as I will not be able to get it processed after 12-31-2010.

Ken Nadvornick · Dec 22, 2009

This is a damned interesting proposition, Rob.

I suspect that, if practiced with high ideals and good-faith intentions, it is not nearly as easy as it might initially seem. Every single day, eh? Hmm...

Let me think about this.

Ken

alkos · Dec 22, 2009

Damm, it seems I've been doing it for few years now ;-)

polyglot · Dec 22, 2009

I've been doing approximately that for two years now: it is very difficult and time consuming but IMHO worth it. If you try for every single day you either have to accept occasionally crap results, or fail. Instead, I set myself a 4-day window within which to take each image and post one every day - see my signature.

markbarendt · Dec 22, 2009

Great idea, I'm interested, but taking one-a-day and posting one-a-day are two wildly different propositions. Scanning for me only happens after printing so...

I can see and will commit to shooting at least one frame a day, the postings though will come only after print sessions, whenever that may be.

removed account4 · Dec 22, 2009

does it have to be 1 a day with a camera, or can one make a cameraless image
instead of a in camera negative ?

great idea rob !
john

MattKing · Dec 22, 2009

I may consider making a point of each day in the year going out with a goal of taking at least one interesting photograph.

I do think, however, that one of the most important things to learn in photography is when not to take a photograph.

Matt

Medusa83 · Dec 22, 2009

I did this a year ago and let me tell you it was tough!!!! The interesting photos got less and less interesting as the year went on.

polyglot · Dec 23, 2009

Medusa83 said:
I did this a year ago and let me tell you it was tough!!!! The interesting photos got less and less interesting as the year went on.

This is so very true. However, I see that as a good thing: the pic-a-day means you're always out and experimenting and you work through your more lame ideas pretty quickly. Raises your standards I think, but as they come up, it of course gets harder as the opportunities to be original suddenly seem a lot less original.

Rob Skeoch · Dec 23, 2009

I don't think it matters how you take the photo. As long as you would call it a "photograph" when you're done.

I plan to count my regular assignments as well... so some days would be easier. Plus I have two ideas already so that gets me to Jan. 3rd before I've run out of ideas. LOL.

It's a challenge, no marks, no fame if you do it. But I triple-dog-dare-you to try.

-Rob Skeoch

David William White · Dec 23, 2009

The dreaded triple-dog-dare! No way to shrink from that. I'll bulk load some really short rolls.

Rob Skeoch · Dec 23, 2009

alkos said:
Damm, it seems I've been doing it for few years now ;-)

So are you in then?

-Rob

JBoontje · Dec 23, 2009

I am doing this challenge for the month December - that means I'm taking a photo a day since 01-12 until December 31-12.

Have to say, its pretty interesting. I wish I would have used a faster film, 200 ISO is way too slow. I end up shooting lots of photos at 1/8, 1/15 and 1/30, I hope my rangefinder forgives those mistakes. I also notice that I end up shooting something in the evening, when I forgot about it or I didnt have time enough.

Cant wait to see the results though.
Might be doing this more often, but a year; No way. At least not now

Romary · Dec 23, 2009

That is a great idea, but shooting once a day, devellop and print is quite a heavy job.I do not really have the time for that.

Rob Skeoch · Dec 23, 2009

I'm not going to get all the printing/posting done on the same day.... I'll take a photo a day and post them as they work their way through the darkroom.

-rob

David William White · Dec 23, 2009

I think I can manage it if I:

a) load short rolls (like one foot of film), and shoot one each day, don't worry about filling a roll,
b) dedicated film body so as not to interfere with anything else I may be doing that day or week,
c) mix up a tank of d-76 specifically for these strips so I'm not mixing one-shot each day,
d) just develop these short rolls each and every evening in spare time,
e) scan from the contact print.

With these shortcuts, this should be just a few minutes here and there.

thebanana · Dec 23, 2009

I'm thinking about it. I have a ton of film in the freezer, so I can't use the lack thereof as an excuse

Vincent Brady · Dec 23, 2009

I can see people bending the rules in order to remain in the project. On that rainy day when you don't feel great and you don't want to go outdoors, but you have photographed everything indoors, most people I feel would be inclined skip that day and promise themselves to shoot 2 shots the next day. And so the tread begins to unravel. Six weeks later you are posting shots you had taken the previous year.

PS I think you can gather from this that I'll not be taking part, but I do wish everyone who takes part the best of luck with the project.

Existing Light · Dec 23, 2009

I'll give it a try. I think I can get the developing and printing done on the weekends. This will give me and excuse to get the pinhole camera built before Jan 1st (I've been putting that project off for a while)

Ken Nadvornick · Dec 23, 2009

TEX said:
I can see people bending the rules in order to remain in the project. On that rainy day when you don't feel great and you don't want to go outdoors, but you have photographed everything indoors, most people I feel would be inclined skip that day and promise themselves to shoot 2 shots the next day. And so the tread begins to unravel. Six weeks later you are posting shots you had taken the previous year.

PS I think you can gather from this that I'll not be taking part, but I do wish everyone who takes part the best of luck with the project.

But you see... that's why I said "if practiced with high ideals and good-faith intentions." Of course I could cheat the protocol. Quite easily. And no one else would know.

But ultimately it doesn't matter if anyone else knows. It only matters that I know.

Ken

Eric Mac · Dec 23, 2009

A couple years back I did the Picture a Week thing and that was tough. I kept it up for about 2 and 1/2 years and finally had to let it go. Devloping and scanning put me on a 2 week cycle as I was able to shoot off about a roll every other week.

Eric

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