365-Day Photo Challenge With the Fujifilm X100VI
If you know anything about me, you know that I can easily get sucked into a hobby, spend thousands of dollars, and watch hundreds of hours of YouTube content on it, only to ditch that hobby a few months down the road. So when I recently got back into photography (I tend to come back around to the hobbies I ditched a decade or so later), I wanted to make it a permanent habitual hobby. Here is where my 365-day photo challenge comes in.
I created a 365-day challenge to push myself to use my camera every day. The challenge is simple. Here are the rules I laid out for myself.
Take and post at least one photo every day to my Instagram account for 365 days. The photo must be taken the same day it is posted. It must be taken with my Fujifilm X100VI.
I cannot buy a new camera until I complete the 365-day challenge.
Pretty simple, right? Wrong!
Day 1. April 1, 2024.
How hard can it be to take and post a photo every day for a year?
It turns out it’s harder than it sounds. Sure, actually taking and posting any photo is easy. The hard part is getting good photos. I sure as hell haven’t posted a good photo every day of the challenge so far. As I write this, I am on day 257. Most photographers only post the best of the very best photos they take. They might take 1000 photos for every banger they post. In 2012, Nat Geo said 1,331 photos were taken for every photo published. I have averaged 29 photos per day so far. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but after a year, that will be just over 10,000 photos. As Henri Cartier-Bresson said, ‘Your first 10,000 photos are your worst’. So, this challenge will help me get through my worst photos in a year! The fun part is they are all up on my public Instagram account for all to see. You don’t only get to see my good ones (which are few and far between), but also the terrible ones.
Day 25. 👎 Crap photo.
If every day resulted in outstanding photos, some of the fun and excitement would be lost. When I finally get a photo I’m proud of after a week or two of trash, it feels so good! That feeling of having a good photography day is what keeps me going. It wouldn’t feel nearly as exciting if every day was a success. I’ve learned that the bad photos are part of the process, and eventually, all that practice will lead to something special. Like on day 220, we had low cloud cover in El Paso, Texas. I went for a hike with my camera, and on my way out of the park, I saw this little guy walking across the street.
Day 220. 👍
I have a confession to make. I’ve cheated at my own game. Twice.
On day 219, I just couldn’t get a picture that wasn’t completely garbage, so I posted one from a previous day. I still tried that day, so I don’t consider it a complete failure.
On day 222, I bought an old Nikon FM film camera for $200. It wasn’t another digital camera or a camera to replace the X100VI, so I gave myself a pass.
It’s my own game and rules, so I can cheat if I want. All things considered, I’m pretty proud that I’ve stuck with this challenge this long!
Day 197. Double exposure of Jake and a wolf skeleton halloween decoration.
Here are a few things I’ve learned so far.
Forcing myself to take photos daily challenges me to try new types of photography and get creative. I’ve explored many different types of photography, which has helped me learn what styles I like most and which I hate.
There is ALWAYS a photo to be made no matter where you are or the conditions. Get over it if you don’t have perfect lighting during golden hour. Make the best of a bad situation and get creative.
The better my photos get, the harder it is to keep raising the bar.
I am not getting paid, and I don’t have clients, so I can do whatever makes me happy. I like this, and I want to keep it this way.
I don’t need a ton of gear and multiple lenses. My Fujifilm X100VI with a fixed lens is plenty for having a good time and getting satisfying images.
I really love photography again.
Day 228. Self portrait on a day where I wasn’t feeling motivated.
It turns out this challenge I gave myself has made me absolutely obsessed with photography… again. So much so that I decided to make this website and write this first blog post. I’m not sure what my future in photography looks like, but right now, I’m enjoying the challenge I’ve given myself and will take it a day at a time. If you feel like you’re in a rut, I highly recommend making up a challenge for yourself. Copy mine, or make your own, but I promise it will make you a better photographer in the end.