The Alpha and the Omega

Seven months after it ended, I need to reflect on what I accomplished by taking a picture every day for 365 days.

My subject was my son, and I have definitely set a precedent for myself. Our second child will require the same level of photographic evidence, and the exceptions of the amount of pictures I want to take as we all grow as a family are high.

If you are considering a 365 project, know the highs and lows. The amount of discipline required is high. The pay off, though, is an amazing result.

The Bad

1. Some of the compositions and images were poor and forced. There were some days when I got home and he was already asleep. I literally had to take pictures in the dark. Other days, I treated the picture as a "checkmark" on my mental to-do list.
2. Processing each image and archiving them sanely was very much a chore. I definitely understand why professional photographers with multiple assignments are always looking for better workflow tools.
3. My raw images take up multiple GB's of space on my hard drive.
4. Once I got behind on posting, it took me a week to recover. An update to Aperture (workflow/processing software) completely broke Aperture on my older Mac. I kept taking pictures, but without Aperture, I couldn't process/archive/post. I lagged by approximately 2 weeks before fixing the issue, and it took me another week to catch up to recent.

The Good

1. I learned about all of my cameras. I learned the intimate details, quirks, tricks, menus, everything. I'm to the point now where I almost don't WANT to get a new camera body because I know my Canon 40d so well.
2. I used all of my cameras. I used my iPhone and my Canon 40d, mostly. I also made use of my film and toy cameras to augment the project. The best camera is the one you have on you, so I made sure I used what I had to take the best composition I could. If we're at the park, and a moment unfolds, I can't run home for my 40d if I don't have it.
3. I love my 50mm lens. I have a zoom lens, but the majority of my images come from my 50mm F1.4 Canon lens.
4. I learned to add light using strobes. Although my creativity is lacking, my skill is better.
5. I failed, learned, and succeeded at becoming proficient in Aperture. I'm still not comfortable modifying my files in Photoshop. It feels forced and artificial. Aperture gives me enough power without it becoming a anchor around the neck of my process.
6. I took an absolute ton of pictures. It's the second best result of the project.
7. Most of all, I took pictures of our family and our first son.