10 things I’ve learned about life from my daily photo taking practice

In 2019 a close friend and fellow photographer challenged me to do a 365 project.  That meant taking at least one photo every day for the entire year.  While I found the idea interesting, I was skeptical that I’d have the desire and dedication to see it through.  Kristyn, who had already completed a 365 project once before, told me it changed her life.  I was so intrigued that I decided to give it a shot.  

Up to this point in my life my personal photographs were strictly a highlight reel.  They consisted of camping photos, sunsets, and dogs.  I almost never took a photo indoors and very rarely photographed the people in my life.  I was clueless as to what I would find to photograph every single day.  

On January 1, 2020 I began and 365 days later, to my surprise and delight, I had one photo for each day of 2020; a fascinating record of an absolutely wild ride of a year.  I was blown away by the number of photographs I had that I cherished and never otherwise would have taken if not for the challenge to pick up my camera day after day after day.  On January 1st of 2021 I decided to keep going…I haven’t stopped since.  

The act of getting a camera out each and every day has not only changed who I am as a photographer but has taught me life lessons I may have never otherwise learned.  With that, I thought I would share some of the things I’ve learned from over 4.5 years of daily photo taking.  

Life is full of delight, if we’re paying attention

I notice so many things now that I never noticed before. My daily photo is usually of something that delights me, something that tells a story of my life in that moment, or something I want to remember. With that, I’m constantly noticing things that fit in to one of these categories. The tiniest moment of delight, like spotting the very first sign of fall, will stop me in my tracks. At first it was effort to notice. Now it’s second nature and has caused me to generally be more aware and appreciative of the world around me.

It’s not possible to make magic every single day and that’s totally okay

At first I looked at this project like homework. I thought I had to make something worthy of an A+ day after day after day. Not only is that not sustainable but, to me, totally unrealistic. More and more I realized I wanted to document my life as it is, not as I think it “should” look. And as cliche as it may sound, the more I documented my life in an honest and raw way, the more I came to realize that it’s enough, just as it is.

Showing up for yourself, even in the tiniest, most lackluster kind of way, is still showing up

There have been plenty of days when I have not wanted to take a photo and decided to anyways. Some days I wonder why I care so much, I wonder why it matters. It matters because at the end of the year, when I am holding an album that is a complete record of my life, I can say that I showed up every day, no matter what. It doesn’t matter if a photo is good or bad, it matters that I fulfilled a commitment I made to myself. That simple act has given me confidence and shown me how big goals are simply the culmination of many small, consecutive actions.

The messiness of life often tells the best story

I’m a bit of a perfectionist and a bit OCD. Years ago I would have been appalled at the idea of photographing any part of my life that was dirty or messy or disorganized. Now I take those photos all the time. I take them because they’re a far more accurate representation of real life and they often say so much. Moving out of a house, breaking down on the side of the road, long work days, cooking a huge meal, home and vehicle repairs, mud season…the list goes on. This is life. I may not always love the photo in the moment, still slightly cringing at the disarray of it all, but not much time has to pass and I look back fondly and with gratitude for having preserved the story that I see in each one of those photos.

“Sometimes you don’t know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory”

This is a favorite quote of mine and one that seems to feel more true with every passing year. I have taken so many photos that I never would have otherwise taken if it wasn’t for this project. And so many of those photos didn’t feel important at the time. But now, looking back, I see how much changes when we don’t even realize change is happening (or about to happen). I’m so grateful that I had a reason to pick up a camera and preserve the moments that I had no idea would mean so much to me later.

Everything has an ebb and flow

Inspiration, motivation, optimism, creativity…for me, they all wax and wane. Had I quit this project at the first sign of disinterest I wouldn’t have made it very far. Curiosity of what I might make when I didn’t want to make anything at all drove me to keep going. What has happened is I’ve learned to ride the wave. When I’m feeling creative and inspired, I make sure to embrace it and enjoy it. When I feel discouraged and disconnected I try to not beat myself up over it and remember that it will pass. And sometimes the act of creating anyways, no matter how I feel about it, is exactly what I needed to snap me out of my funk.

Making a habit easy makes it more possible

I always, always have a camera within arm’s reach. I also have a very streamlined workflow that allows me to download, edit, and backup my images quickly. Without creating this ease for myself, this daily practice would be so much more difficult to stick with. I feel like that is such a crucial lesson for any other goal I may want to pursue in the future.

Having a record of how we spend our days is priceless

Whether it be in photos, writing, drawing, or otherwise, having a daily record of how we spend our days is a treasure that you can’t put a price on. Whether it be for practical purposes (I’m always referencing historical photos to jog my memory) or to see my life reflected back to me, documenting my life daily shows me how I’m spending my time, what I’m paying attention to, and causes me to make sure my actions are aligning with my values.

Sometimes opportunities present themselves but more often then not you have to seek them out

Every so often something will happen over the course of a day and it will be obvious that that’s what I want to photograph.  Most days though, I have to be more participatory in seeking it out.  Finding opportunities requires actively engaging with life and the world around me.  The more I engage with life, the more it gives me in return.

Things often become clearer when we step back & take a break

I think it’s a common ailment of human nature to be so IN IT (whether it be a goal, project, etc) that we lose sight of the bigger picture. For three straight years I didn’t miss a single day of taking a photo. Then in 2023 the pressure I was putting on myself to keep getting my camera out was taking away from the overall enjoyment of the practice. I finally gave myself permission to stop, step back, take a break. I thought that meant my days of daily photo taking were over until a few weeks later when I was excited to pick up my camera again. Although I’d reached a point of burnout, stepping back helped me to very clearly see all the reasons why I wanted to resume and keep going.

Many of my daily photos don’t look like much standing on their own but they’re all a piece of the puzzle that is the annual picture of my life. When I see them all collected inside one album, I see a reflection of my life looking back at me. I see and appreciate what’s steady in my life and I acknowledge and give thanks for what’s fleeting. Over four and a half years later and every photo, no matter how magical or mundane, feels like a gift that I’m so grateful to have.

A few more of the many moments I’ve documented over the last 4.5 years…

Daily photo-taking is something I’ve grown quite passionate about and can easily talk about at length. If this is something that interests you, don’t hesitate to e-mail me or comment below with questions. And if you’re interested in hearing me go deeper on this topic, you can listen to my interview on The Documented Heart podcast here.