Digital scrapbooking can be an ongoing activity or revolve around a specific project. You might want to create an album for your last vacation, or simply bring out the old photos stacked in a box. Another new type of project has recently combined some photography goals and digital scrapbooking goals; it is called Project 365.
What is a Project 365 (or P365)?
The idea behind the P365 is to take a photo each day for a whole year. A photo of what? That is your choice. You can decide to take candid camera shots of anything around you, the day to day activities of the people in your household, your workplace, or even in public places. You can take pictures of object that are significant of a particular activity you did, something that inspired you, or something that just caught your eye. It is not as easy as it sounds. Trust me. I tried that in 2009, and I managed to go almost half a year, then a few things got me distracted, and I guess the inspiration just left the building.
How do you do that?
You need some kind of self-discipline, that is for sure, but the best advice would be to start and not stress yourself. If each photo does not seam that meaningful, it can still be a fun exercise in using your camera. That is what I did. I learned to use my small point and shoot digital camera. I learned to do some close-ups. It was my first digital camera so it turned out to be a positive experience for me.
Do you need an expensive camera?
Not at all. In fact, most people now have phones that can take pictures and surprisingly, many of them can take really great photos! So if you have such a device, you can use it instead of a camera. And if you want to use a camera, unless your goal is to learn some advanced techniques, just any one would do. After all, you want to have fun with this project, don’t you?
When do I start?
It might sound like a good idea to start on January 1st, simply because, well, it 
is a good time for any new thing, but it is not mandatory. You can start on the first of another month, or start at a specific meaningful date of the year, like your birthday, or wedding anniversary. Don’t panic because you read this article and it is past the first of January. You can start today, or tomorrow, or next week. It is YOUR project after all.
That is a LOT of photos!
Yes, it adds up. And although the project is to take one picture a day, you likely will end up with more than one photo on most days. I know I did. If you were not someone taking lots of pictures before, you will end up with a great collection of photos you can use in different scrapbooking projects.
What about P52?
A Project 52 is a variation on the P365 idea in which you will take photos every week instead of every day. It is easier to do as it gives you 7 days to get some shots so you can take fewer photos. Many people start with the plan to do a P365 but end up with a P52. In fact, it is an idea to relieve some pressure on you: aim for a P365 and if you skip some days for whatever reason, keep going as you can and you will likely have enough for a P52.
Now is the time to start, and start with the photos. The scrapbooking can come later. Are you up to it? You might want to do this project with a friend, a relative, or an online group so you can all encourage each others, offer inspiration and share stories along the way. Do you plan on a P365 or P52 project this year?
Next time, we’ll look at what you can do with all those photos!
