2016 Year in Review | Pittsburgh Family Photographer

....Because I couldn't let 2016 go without seeing them all in one place. ;-)

My 2016 daily 366 project wasn't as strict as my 2015 project. I allowed myself to shoot with my phone for a month straight in the summer. When choosing which photos to include in my final set, I chose 2 or 3 from some days and zero from other days. In short, I shot and shared what made me happy. 

Are you shooting a daily project with me in 2017? If so, I recommend the following:

• Focus on process, not product. So what if you have a few (even a lot!) of days where you hate your photo. Don't let that stop you from doing the most important thing: shooting every day. That's how you get good.
• Assess your progress frequently (but not too frequently). I find monthly is just about right. Without fail, I find that if I make a monthly photo round up on my blog I am pleasantly surprised to find I am proud of my work. It's extremely motivating to see them as a group. Assess too frequently though and you might get discouraged. Too infrequently and you might lose your forward motion. 
• Show yourself some grace. If you are a perfectionist who feels she must have one great photo a day, every day without exception, you are setting yourself up for failure. Can't let go of your perfection-seeking ways, you say? Try setting up the rules ahead of time, with plenty of room for failure. Like: "I will shoot every day without expecting phenomenal results daily. I will not share unless I feel like it. I'll continue the project even when (not if) I miss a day." 

Whatever your 2017 photography goals may be, I hope it brings you as much joy as it has brought me! Cheers!