I recently had the pleasure of befriending the co-founder of ShutterCal.com, Scott Harris (better known as DefaultArtist), and was able to discuss the success and growth of their project site from inception to present day. “So what” you say? What is ShutterCal and what does this have to do with getting my photography more exposure? Well, hold your horses already… I’m getting there.

In case you haven’t heard or have been too busy trying to get explored on Flickr, ShutterCal has been inching it’s way up in the Daily Photo (or Project 365 if you prefer) community in the last 2 years. The concept for the site is a calendar-based photography site. “We give you a calendar, link you to the site’s community, and encourage you to upload one daily photo.” The creators intentions were to get people to improve their photography skills by getting out there daily with their cameras and just shooting. It was also a quick and easy way to document events,  feelings and emotions, as well as places and people met along the way.

So why am I mentioning this site, when there are so many different options out there? To name a few: Flickr, Picasa, Facebook, your blog, the list goes on and on… Sure, take a great macro shot or colorful bokeh and your flickr popularity will soar, but in most cases, posting on large photo sharing sites get you lost in a crowd and other sites continuously flaunt photos to already interested friends and family. ShutterCal is different. It’s about the 10,000 (and growing!) strong community of dedicated photo a day enthusiasts -including creators- that drive me to write about it. That’s right folks, with full time jobs and absolutely no VC  money or ads, a couple of photogs like you and me managed to grow this tiny concept into a TEN THOUSAND participant member base in just 2 years!

What does that mean for you? It is a way to expand your community reach as well as easily gather inspiration and support from others that are going through the same daily trials and tribulations as you. A way to stand out from the hundreds of thousands of posted photos from other sites. A way to showcase that one special photo you take in a day to 10,000 other members just like you. It’s also pressure free, meaning you aren’t penalized if you don’t upload every single day – unlike other sites, and it’s built out of a love and passion for photography that doesn’t exist in many other sites.

By using ShutterCal (and don’t forget their awesomely cool photobox and postcards), you are supporting a movement of building a photography community “for us, and by us”. I encourage any of my daring project365 people to at least check it out, and let me know what you think.

My ShutterCal Calendar

If you’ve never encountered a project 365 on Flickr, Twitter, or Facebook, you’re in for a real treat! In the simplest of terms, it is a photographer’s, or aspiring photog’s way of slowly torturing themselves one day at a time by having to take, process and upload a photo every single day of the year for 365 days. There are different reasons as to why someone takes on this project, but a lot of them include, building a portfolio, perfecting photographic skills, and challenging those creative juices. Most people decide to start their projects at the beginning of the year as some delusional New Year’s Resolution and of course it makes it easier to track progression. There are even sites and groups purely dedicated to documenting the hijinks of these crazy time consuming quests. (Check out Flickr’s group Project 365 or ShutterCal to see some).

I began on my journey in a different manner… basically a friend bullied me into it. Although this friend, who will remain nameless, eventually dropped out of this time consuming project, I have managed to continue shooting (even though the posting of them daily is somewhat questionable.)

My current Set:

My 365 Photo Set

Onto the reason why I brought up the project… It’s DECEMBER! Therefore all you ne’er do wells out there have a good month to think about whether you want to jump on this crazy photo-a-day bandwagon! I really hope you give this project the consideration it deserves. Although there are days (many) in which you will be cursing my name for ever mentioning it, the journey is beyond worth it in the people you will meet and the photos you will take!

Don’t forget, if you do decide to start, send me the link and I will be sure to check them out!