Reflecting on 8 Years of Daily Photography

I started this project on a whim one Tuesday after taking a photo of a rainbow after work. All I knew was that I would take a photo every day for at least a year, having been inspired years earlier by an amateur photographer who completed a 365 project. I did not expect to still be going strong 8 years later, or to learn so much in the process.

Having started working professionally that year I was aware that I was already falling into the commuting trap of not paying attention to the world around me (mindfulness wasn’t a common term at the time). To rectify this, I wanted to change how I interacted with the world by seeking out something beautiful every day.

I developed my rules over the first few weeks (no photos of me or anyone I know, no identifiable features of my home or workplace) for privacy and to challenge myself. For the first few years I shared photo on the day; now I post them any time (always chronologically) so it's easier to manage and for additional privacy.

So, over 2920 days later, here’s what’s changed for me:

Improved photography skills: consistent practice goes a long way, and through the simple act of taking and editing at least one photo every day my photography skills have vastly improved. I now have a deep appreciation for composition, lighting and editing and take fewer photos, as I instinctively know which shots will be deleted.?

Being present: the scene in front of me can change in an instant, so I try to enjoy it while I can! The weather may change, cars might block the view or people might move into the shot – if I like this view then I try to appreciate and capture it in the moment.

Experiencing joy and wonder: unsurprisingly, the world is far more beautiful and interesting when you intentionally look for things that bring you joy! By doing so every day, my world opened up and I delight in the smallest of things, which I’d never previously noticed. It really is true that our experience of the world reflects our inner worlds and what we focus on.

Deeper appreciation of nature:

• Spring brings colours, with flowers blooming and leaves adorning the trees again (I love the framing effect they provide).
• Summer brings longer evenings which make it easier to capture my daily photo in the daylight, as well as people outside enjoying the sunshine and hazy evening light.
• Autumn turns the leaves to orange and red, adding new colours and colour gradients, as we try to hold onto daylight in the evening.
• Winter is the hardest season for my project, and means I have to be more intentional if I want to capture the world in daylight. I also get excited for the Christmas lights in November/December as they provide much needed interest in the darker evenings.

Creativity, awareness and curiosity: by looking for interesting ways to capture the same areas I have taken different routes to find new perspectives of the city. Sometimes just walking on the other side of the road can lead to a newfound appreciation for and connection to my surroundings. By framing the world and changing my perspective through the camera lens, I also unleashed my hidden creative side.

Storytelling and being decisive: I used to be indecisive, but forcing myself to select ONE photo per day developed my decision-making ability. My storytelling improved as, if in doubt about a photo, I'll ask myself “does this individual photo tell a story?”. If the answer is no, I delete it.

My favourite part of this story is that I shaped the way I see and experience the world after taking a photo of a rainbow one Tuesday. You really are just one decision away from uncovering a hidden passion and making your world brighter. If there's a skill you want to learn, I can highly recommend a little practice every day - you never know where it might take you!