Photography 365 Project by Sevenoaks Family Photographer 3 Boys & Me

Photography 365 – what does this say to you? Have you heard of this before? It’s a well known “thing” in the photography world, and one many of us undertake but soon abandon because – if I’m honest – it’s actually quite tricky. Most of us feel we need to start this on the 1st January, in any given year, but actually, you could start this project at anytime in the year because, all it is, is a photograph a day for an entire year. I’m proud to say I achieved this in 2016.As a busy Sevenoaks Family photographer myself,  I’ve only ever done it once and there were a few occasions where I didn’t manage to take a picture that day, or I ended up taking a picture of an inanimate object, at 10.36PM, having totally forgotten, but, if you can do it, or even manage to complete this project in part, you will be left with the most amazing diary of that time in your life.

2016 was, like any year when you have kids, a big year for us. One of the boys moved schools for year 3 and this was a big deal, for him and for us. It was the last year that my now year 10 boy allowed me to attend sports day and that’s a big deal as a parent! It’s something I really miss but have to respect his wishes. We holidayed, as we are always fortunate to do, in large groups, Centre Parcs for 24, camping for 52 and Levante in Greece for 27! Pokemon Go was “a thing” and J spent one weekend wired up to a pager with a transmitting device in his tummy trying desperately to find out why he was still having such bad reflux at the age of 7. We had lots of sleepovers for the boys’ friends and iPhones became a must-have amongst all the boys. We had sports days, BBQs at our friends, day trips to Southend, and lots and lots of photographs of the boys just doing the ordinary every day stuff around the house that is so easily forgotten. Birthdays, Christmases, paddling pools, reading books, adventures in our friends’ tree house, the list goes on and on and I’m going to share a lot of these with you over the coming months, starting with January in this post. 

When I embarked on this project, I soon decided to write a diary entry, and these entries, along with the photos, are just the loveliest thing I have done. I spent weeks copying and pasting these entries to match the photographs and made them into two coffee table books that I look at time and time again.

This year, 2019, I am going to try and do this again. It’s going to be a real challenge, not least of all because all 3 of my boys now either hide from my camera or demand to be paid! Photography to them is a means to earn cash and one they exploit to the full, (“Mum – I only have £15 but the Fortnite thing I want costs £20 so how about I agree that you can take photographs when you want to and you advance me a fiver?” – and thats my 14 year old!!) but nevertheless, I’m going to give it a go and I think you should too. You don’t need to be a photographer or have a fancy camera. My 365 from 2016 (that year was actually a leap year, so technically it was a 366!) has a mixture of iPhone and camera pictures and it’s just fine, so give it a go. I always have my camera to hand, and this is key, make sure you can grab it at a moment’s notice, and just click away. Put the photos in the same folder or album on whatever device you use, so that you can keep adding to them. I put mine in a Facebook album and this was a great place to be able to easily add to, which I did weekly, not daily, saving up a week’s worth, or even 3 weeks’ worth, of pictures and uploading them all at once. Lots of my friends really enjoyed following along, and of course, lots were featured over and over again, as my friends and family are a big part of my life.

As I update this post for 2022! I did manage my 2019 goal however it still hasn’t been collated into books! even a COVID lockdown didn’t give me the time to do it, but one day, I will, because once you see the end result it is totally worth the effort, a diary in photographs of the year, such a lovely thing to have.

Please come and find me on Instagram where you can follow along with my journey and see what I get up to with my client work too!

So, good luck! If you do start I’d love to follow along so please let me know.

Nina x

young boy playing in fairy lights Sevenoaks Family photographer 3 Boys and Me Photography

1/365

young boy taking an iPhone photograph at Harry Potter World  Sevenoaks Family photographer 3 Boys and Me Photography

2/365 tom practicing his iphoneography skills at Harry Potter World!

boy playing with night light in the dark Sevenoaks Family photographer 3 Boys and Me Photography

3/365 Your auntie Sally Taylor bought you this new light and you love it! the colours change through the entire colour spectrum – red is your favourite! thanks Auntie Sal 🙂

soon to be teenager sitting in the garden listening to music on his phone Sevenoaks Family photographer 3 Boys and Me Photography

4/365 – you’ ve been of school a while, breaking up a week before your brothers and not going back till two days after. This was the penultimate day of your Christmas break, and youve started to learn that you can do jobs for money, not silly little jobs, but proper grown up jobs, like sweep up the leaves in the garden. Youve turned into quite a good negotiator although you don’t have much staying power! this day you started sweeping up those leaves, having put your headphones on and tuned into your favourite music, and it was going so well, until your FaceTime went!!!

young boy in white company pyjamas Sevenoaks Family photographer 3 Boys and Me Photography

5/365 you moved to fast for this shot, i had to ask you to stop and this was not the shot i saw, you can barely see your precious blankie and blankie dog under your arm, these guys go everywhere with you – seriously everywhere! breakfast time is no exception. Today you tucked the rascals under your arms, picked up your toast and drink, and headed into the playroom for your regular spot on the floor infront of the TV

too early for school, young boy looking in the mirror Sevenoaks Family photographer 3 Boys and Me Photography

6/365 oh boy! you were shattered today. Yesterday you had 2 hours of PE at school (yoga and football!!) followed by an hours tennis coaching and an hour with your water polo team. I let you sleep in till almost 8am, but this face says it all!!

dog ready for his walk Sevenoaks Family photographer 3 Boys and Me Photography

7/365 Bazvegus! this adorable woof calls for Tom every day! we were chuffed to see him wearing his new coat due to the weather we’ve had this week! Kelly thanks for letting me take a picture of Basil!

just woke up Sevenoaks Family photographer 3 Boys and Me Photography

8/365 there they are, your most precious blankie and dog, never far away – ever present with you when your home. Today you tucked them down your top while you ate your dry cherrios (without a spoon!)

group of boys at the computer Sevenoaks Family photographer 3 Boys and Me Photography

9/365 the sleep over gang – the tech generation 🙂

st Marys church Bexley Sevenoaks Family photographer 3 Boys and Me Photography

10/365 sat in the lounge,headphones on , buried in youtube photography tutorials, i got suddenly distracted by the most amazing light peaking between the houses opposite, i grabbed my camera and my coat, put on my boots without doing up the laces (safe!) and ran quickly to try and get a better view. its too built up round here, so no luck, i don’t know if anyone will be able to tell, but the church is illuminated in the most amazing reflected light, as the sunset – which i have no doubt was amazing!! – bounced its rays of the church clock and spire! it was gone, in minutes!

silhouette of a boy with a nightlight Sevenoaks Family photographer 3 Boys and Me Photography

11/365 Night time ,new christmas night light, this one from mummy and daddy – you could rival the blackpool illuminations if you wanted with your christmas stash!

brothers cuddling and laughing Sevenoaks Family photographer 3 Boys and Me Photography

12/365 Every morning the light streams through my downstairs toilet window! shame its no the lounge or somewhere nicer to photo! the boys ran in there for me, all ready for school, even in their coats, to have a quick snap, it didnt work but they found it amusing!

young boy in white company pyjamas and a new Union Jack hat Sevenoaks Family photographer 3 Boys and Me Photography

13/365 Sprout has a new hat – and like any self respecting small person, said hat should be worn at all opportunity – even in your pyjamas when youve just got out of your bed!

boy leaning against wall in pretty light Sevenoaks Family photographer 3 Boys and Me Photography

14/365 This was your idea sprout, we had our usual conversation about how beautiful the light was outside to which you said – grab your camera mum – i was initially confused until i remembered yesterdays conversation about beautiful light and my favourite wall. The school run is not the time to do this really, one day ill get you out of bed super early and we will run down there with a bit more time on our hands – but for now! this will have to do – good idea sprout, your learning nicely!!

Christmas tree ready for collection on the pavement in pretty rim light Sevenoaks Family photographer 3 Boys and Me Photography

15/365 the recycling still wasn’t collecting for over 2 weeks after christmas, today they finally took all the lonely and abandoned Christmas trees in our street! funny looks a plenty when i dragged mine out on to the pavement to get a shot of it straight into the sun – i am officially nuts!

bridesmaids at a Kent wedding Sevenoaks Family photographer 3 Boys and Me Photography

16/365 – the wedding! today i photographed my first ever wedding! it was lots of fun and lovely to be part of their special day

insight into the editing process with Lightroom Sevenoaks Family photographer 3 Boys and Me Photography

17/365 and then comes the editing 🙂

brushing your teeth, young boy with his new toothbrush Sevenoaks Family photographer 3 Boys and Me Photography

18/365 the new toothbrush – lots of arguments over who could have which minion toothbrush today at the shops. we’ve had a pile of very similar toothbrushes now for over a month and I’m so fed up with people using mine because everyones was pretty much the same! today i decided – no more!! tom very kindly let his brothers choose first and prevented a total melt down over minion toothbrushes – well done tom!

young boy eating a McDonalds McFlurry Sevenoaks Family photographer 3 Boys and Me Photography

19/365 the treat! The day you sat your 7+ entry exam -an entire mcdonalds with a mcflurry! repeat! with a mcflurry! you must have thought it was your birthday!

vase of daffodils on the windowsill Sevenoaks Family photographer 3 Boys and Me Photography

20/365 love it when the daffodils are in the shop! all of a sudden, for a couple of quid, you can brighten your house up with some beautiful spring flowers!

school friends, boy and girl on their way to school Sevenoaks Family photographer 3 Boys and Me Photography

21/365 Me and my pal! Tom and Aimee, really good friends, it doesnt matter that she is a girl and you are a boy, your just good mates – like you are with any of the boys

urban sunrise in Bexley Sevenoaks Family photographer 3 Boys and Me Photography

22/365 this is a rubbish picture, its too congested round her, but at this time of year – the sun rises and sets are truly amazing, and ive enjoyed seeing lots of pictures taken by friends out walking dogs etc, where they aren’t hemmed in by a million houses!

young boy with player of the week trophy Sevenoaks Family photographer 3 Boys and Me Photography

23/365 Goalie training! realistically, fridays are crazy in this house, football after school x 2, bug club x1, swimming training x1 so what do you do when fridays are already mental? thats it! lets go goalie training late in the evening – only possible because another class mum has kindly taken you, fed you, got you changed from one kit to another! you were chuffed on this , your first occasion, and came back with a rascal of a trophy! well done sprout!

boy cuts out paper for his homework Sevenoaks Family photographer 3 Boys and Me Photography

24/364 Homework – were used to homework in this house but this half terms year 2 homework has put a new meaning to the word homework. having been keeping on top of the 3 x maths tasks, spellings , writing practice and reading that arrives weekly, we finally, braced ourselves, and decided to take “the sheet” we’ve now ticked 3 of the list of about 10 things! 1x firesaftey poster, 1 x house model made and 1 x vocab poster done – phew, just a few more to go then!!

incredible book eating boy Sevenoaks Family photographer 3 Boys and Me Photography

25/365 today was a sick day. when you told me you didnt feel great as i tried to get you out of bed, i just didnt believe you. fast forward 10 mins and i hear you throwing up, from your bed, onto your carpet! at the same time Ollie rings up telling me hes been thrown of the bus by QMS hospital – small amount of panic all round! Anyway, i wouldnt say you enjoyed your sick day but you enjoyed reading your favourtie book, playing the ipad, having a nap and watching a bit of tv! back to school wednesday

young boy on his new Swegway Sevenoaks Family photographer 3 Boys and Me Photography

27/365 boy – have you gone on and on about your “SWEGWAY” (if anyone wants to actually clear up what these rascals are called that would be great) you were in two minutes, and barely got your shoes off, before this new set of wheels was unpacked, and you were tearing round the house! I’m still not sure about this, but you are very sure, and you sure do love it!

lens flare st marys church Bexley Sevenoaks Family photographer 3 Boys and Me Photography

28/365 on the way back from dropping in at school, id taken my camera with me on the school run, as you can see the light was beautiful! i stopped in the church yard on the way home, and managed to catch a rainbow!! i always love getting sun flare in my camera lens but have never seen it like this before!

Bexley family photographer Nina Callow My 365 project

29/365 “go get ready for school boys” – i must have said, go get into your brothers bed and start fooling around!

young boy with a Nikon FE film camera taking photographs of his bears Sevenoaks Family photographer 3 Boys and Me Photography

30/365 my new pride and joy – a track to Camdon to get this rascal, my very own first proper film camera – initially terrified about owning a nikon when i have canon, i soon appreciated that this is such a different kettle of fish it made no difference. i cant wait to develop the film, I’m going on a dark room course soon, no doubt it will all be rubbish but you never know!! #takemebacktotheolddays !

boy reaches to put cornflakes in cupboard Sevenoaks Family photographer 3 Boys and Me Photography

31/365 today the sainsburies shopping was late! we were ready to leave for football and they made it just before it was too late. today, you decided to be mr helpful and even pulled over your own chair to help put the cornflakes int he highest cupboard! thanks Sprout xx

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Nina is a family & commercial photographer and mum of 3 boys based in Bexley Village, Kent.

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