Back in January I announced that I was participating in Ella Publishing’s Take Twelve photo challenge. As a 2012 Ella Friend, I’m encouraged to participate. But, that’s not why I’ve stuck with it. Almost halfway through the year, I’m still loving this project!
In this post, I’m sharing my reasons to tackle Take Twelve or a similar type of challenge. It is the perfect simple approach for capturing some of the smaller details of daily life without stress. At Simple Scrapper, that’s pretty much our motto!
1. Once a Month – I get frustrated when I can’t keep up with daily/all-the-time type projects. I can totally remember to do something once a month. Having a community around the project to remind me helps too!
2. iPhone Friendly – My camera phone is the one I always have with me. The Take Twelve community has totally embraced phone photos and apps like Instagram for sharing these quick shots.
3. Slice of Life – I love projects like Week in the Life, but even a week of really intensive documentation can be hard to complete. With this project, I can capture what daily life is like in 144 photos over one year.
4. Forgiving – Did you miss a photo or forget on the 12th? The lack of strict rules from this project means that you can “cheat” and just do it another day. There is no worrying about doing it right.
5. Easy – I can take twelve photos in twelve minutes or twelve hours. Twelve is just a small number that it’s almost impossible to not be able to complete the task at hand.
6. Goes with Everything – When scrapbooking Take Twelve photos there is no need to find specific, themed supplies. Just about anything will coordinate with your photos!
7. Inspiring – On the 12th of the month and the days after, I find I feel more creative and inspired. This simple exercise is great for getting your brain in the right zone to do other work.
8. Community – There is something incredibly motivating and fun about memory keeping with friends new and old. Like other popular projects, being a part of something bigger makes it more meaningful.
9. Guilt-Free – There are two subjects I often feel awkward photographing: my food and my pets. With this project, however, photos of my pot pie and my cat are A-OK.
10. Creative License – I find myself getting creative with composition, lighting etc. in my Take Twelve photos, much more than when I am trying to document a specific moment or event.
11. Productive – When you add to a project each month, it quickly feels like so much more than “just twelve photos”. Seeing these images come together in an album is very satisfying.
12. Basic – Sometimes scrapbooking can seem so complicated. Too many photos, supplies and ideas can bog you down and make it difficult to feel excited about the hobby. Going back to basics with this project reminds me why I love it!
Did you take twelve today? If not, why not start tomorrow!
every month i say i’ll do this, then i forget. so i think i’ll do my 12 on the 13th. i’m going to keep in mind what you’ve pointed out…..it’s easy!
Definitely, just do it when you remember! For next month, set a reminder somewhere. Google Calendar will even email you reminders.
I have been doing this project since 2008 and it is so wonderful to see the changes in our lives. Really worth while for all the reasons you listed 🙂 Glad you’re on board!
I can definitely see myself keeping up with this for a long time!
I am also doing Take Twelve but with a twist. Since I am retired, there are some days like yesterday when I just don’t do enough to get twelve shots and I certainly don’t want to have to worry about finding stuff to do! So I just use 12 shots from anytime during the month. This is giving me the result I want. Have not posted anything yet.
Love the twist Debra. Great way to make it work for you and feel great about it!
I love the idea of Take 12. This year I’m doing 365+1 of my house and area. So come Jan. 2013 I’m going to do take 12 about ME and what I do as asort of history for my sons. Life at 50!
I started this in January, and have loved it. I’m also retired, and sometimes coming up with 12 photos is a challenge, but I try to get them all in on one day so I can see how different every month is. Last month I had all my family with me in Oregon, so I had oodles of photos to choose from. Tuesday was a LOT harder, but between my iPhone, my P&S, and my Rebel I managed to come up with 12 even in the rain.
I love your list, Jennifer : )
It’s such a great idea… I know it’s 2013 now, but I’m guessing it can be a yearly project. TFS