Top 5 PAD Success Tips

5 Keys to Success for your PAD (Photo a Day) Project

With the New Year fast approaching it's time to start thinking if you will be participating in monthly or yearly photo projects! Personally, I think that's a lot of work! However, I think I want to try to do some projects on the blog this year! I would love to think it will turn into a Year long project, but for now I am going to commit to a January project! It should be fun and I would love you all to join me and share your images along with me!

With that being said, I have been looking into different projects and ideas and I came across several tips for being successful and getting the most out of your own Photo Projects.

1. Always Have Your Camera With You 

It comes down to this, you can't take a photo if you don't have a camera! This is something I think I will need to be better at, I don't carry my Pro camera around all the time, and honestly I think my phone camera is just crummy! Not to say that you shouldn't use your camera phone for these images... in fact I think that's the easiest way to undertake a daily project! It's easy to upload, easy to edit and you always have it close! If your like me and choose not to use a phone camera - then you will have to think about how your going to take the time to accomplish the daily task.

2. Experiment! Get out of your BOX!

©Verte Photography 2013

Bust out of your comfort zone and take a chance! I do a ton of portrait and product work, but I am the first to tell you that I don't consider my landscape work to be up to par on most occasions and I absolutely don't have the patients for nature work. To me, I don't want to sit and wait for my subjects! However, I know that if I never TRY I will never get better!!! The above shot is a great example. I have the technical knowledge, and equipment to create the soft flow and peaceful feeling that I get when I am sitting in the mountains of Colorado. I just don't tend to take the time to push myself to do it. So that's a goal! Get out, try something new and push yourself beyond your personal standard! 

3. Plan Ahead, Write Down Ideas or Work from a Preplanned list.

Each month I am invited to participate in one type of photo project or another. Sometimes these are combined with blog inspired posts... here's an image now write about it... or here is your topic... go shoot something about that. I find the idea of someone doing the leg work for me very appealing! Give me a direction so I don't have to come up with a new idea each day, perfect. For my life that works best for me.

 Working off of something that is planned, makes it less of a daily task! Perhaps that's a bit of a cheat. However, I think it still accomplishes the goal:To improve your photography or to inspire you to shoot more.  I don't write a post and kick it out the same day .... EVER. Why would I do that for photography?

Even when shooting I work off a shoot list, and I plan my day or studio time according to the projects I have. It's not only helpful... it's TIME SAVING! I can sit down and write for a day and post for up to 2 weeks depending on the types of posts I am writing. Why wouldn't you approach the Photo a Day projects differently? Be smart and plan ahead!

4. Add Notes to Your Photos

Not only do I find that viewers and readers enjoy it when you share antidotes about your daily images, but they can learn a lot when you add your own notes to them! Plus when you add the image data that is collected from your camera  - YOU learn and remember what worked!  You can look back on this later to refresh your memory or to see how far you’ve come. It's a priceless bit to add to your image for your readers and for yourself! When you write up notes for your PAD - think about sharing why you choose that image, how you took it, and what you found worked or didn't work if you took many shots to get it "just right".

5. Create a new Habit, and have FUN!

 

©VertePhotography 2013

I've heard it takes 21 days to 'train yourself' to have a new habit. Make sure to have fun during your year long photo project. The moment it becomes work the more challenging completing a Photo365 / Photo A Day project becomes. Getting into a rhythm can help a great deal in lowering the perceived level of effort to get your daily photos in. Knowing that you have time dedicated to get your photo(s) in takes a lot of stress out of the process. If you’re the more spontaneous type then pad your schedule to add time either daily or weekly to stop and explore with your camera.

Just get out there share your life and enjoy the journey!!!