Episode 3 of Life, Documented is about building a habit.
A story of how Project 365 started for me and what it taught me about noticing life, presence, and meaning.
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Let me tell you about moment that changed how I see my life — even if it didn’t feel monumental at the time.
Back in 2011, I got my first everyday camera. For years I’d been using a big DSLR for work, but this little Fuji X100 was small, lightweight, and easy to carry everywhere. Suddenly, personal photography felt attainable. I could capture the little moments of life — outings, adventures, hanging out with friends — without the weight of my work camera slowing me down.
And because I carried it everywhere, I suddenly had so many more photos of my life. I loved looking back through them, sharing them with the people in the photos, and seeing how much they appreciated it.
That’s when the idea of photographing daily came back to me. It wasn’t some grand revelation or life-changing epiphany — it was just what happened. But it stuck with me.
Fast forward to 20th November 2019 — my birthday. By that point, I had been thinking about starting a Project 365 for nearly a decade. I’d tried shorter projects along the way, and each time realised: “That wasn’t so hard. I could do that.”
Most people start their Project 365 journey in January — a new year, full of plans and resolutions. But for me, that felt too heavy. Adding another layer of commitment on top of everything else wasn’t appealing. And with January still a couple of months away, I worried I’d lose interest before I even began. So I chose my birthday as the anchor for Project 365.
It made it personal — it wasn’t the calendar year, it was my year to capture. And over six years later, I’m still going.
Hi, I’m Anja, and this is Life, Documented — a little space to notice life and explore the impact of documenting it.
So why did I want to photograph daily?
By the time I started, I had just made the switch from part-time to full-time photography. I quit my job as a video producer in higher education because I was tired of company politics and the corporate lifestyle. Little did I know, the timing wasn’t ideal — but that’s another story.
I realised that the best work I ever created was the work I didn’t get paid for — the work I did out of curiosity, passion, and inspiration. I didn’t want to only learn from client projects; I wanted to improve my skills on my own terms. What better way to do that than photographing as much as possible?
Every previous photo project I’d done had an objective: shoot within a specific timeframe, use only vertical images, approach strangers to grow confidence. Project 365 was different. The objective was simple: photograph every day for a full year.
I chose horizontal images mostly out of habit — coming from a film background, that’s just how I see the world. But beyond that, there were no rules, no themes, no restrictions. And on 20th November 2019, I took my first photo.
The goal was simple: shoot daily. Starting in autumn meant daylight was scarce, so I had to get comfortable shooting in low light. And since I was no longer at my old job, I needed to find interesting moments to document in my own life.
I didn’t need spectacular images. I wanted the small moments, the mundane, the everyday.
Then COVID hit. Lee and I were suddenly locked down together. We’d only been dating for just over a year, so everything still felt new. The streets were quiet, the shelves were empty — I wish I had taken more photos of that — and we had to entertain ourselves at home, with no work on the horizon.
It was strange, and kind of magical. Some of my favourite images come from 2020. Quiet moments, nothing flashy to capture for months — it perfectly suited the project.
Being stuck in a small flat pushed me to notice details I’d normally overlook: broken glass, the way light hit the wall, duvet days where literally nothing happened. It made me see our life for what it was: a gift, and a chance to create something of value — not necessarily for anyone else, but for ourselves.
While I love being the documenter, I still forget to put myself in the frame. I play with reflections and selfies — something I still remind myself to do, even six years in.
But whether I’m visible in the photos or not, I’m in them. They capture my perspective of the world, the life Lee and I have built together over the past seven years. And it’s beautiful. These images remind me who we are, what we care about, and what we value: freedom, creativity, constant learning, and self-expression.
This is us.
If this inspires you to try a daily photo project, don’t feel like you have to commit to a full year right away. Start small. Take one photo every day for a week. Focus on things that represent your life right now — a person, a place, a habit, or anything else.
If you enjoy it, keep going for another week. Then maybe a month. Build it slowly, gently.
In future episodes, I’ll share tips for documenting your life — techniques, themes, and ideas to keep your practice interesting. But for now, just notice your ordinary moments, and start capturing them in a way that feels right for you.
With Project 365, I started something I didn’t know would shape my life so profoundly. In many ways, nothing has changed — but I feel more observant. I can solve problems creatively, like with client projects. I’m not afraid to shoot in any light or any location. It’s taught me how to see better.
The joy of this project isn’t in taking perfect photos. It’s in taking important photos — important to me, not anyone else.
If this resonates with you, join me. Notice your ordinary moments and start capturing them in a way that suits your life.
Life, Documented
Hosted by Anja, a documentary family and personal branding photographer, the show explores what happens when we start documenting our lives with honesty and attention — without pressure, perfection, or fancy gear.
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Thank you for reading Life, Documented.
You can share this with someone who’s documenting their life. ❤️
Thank you for reading Life, Documented. You can share this with someone who’s documenting their life. ❤️
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