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Reading about the A Painting a Day movement in a local magazine got me thinking about how the concept relates to photography. The article pointed out how a local artist was motivated by the fun of producing something new every day and by his desire to improve his painting skills.

My guess is that you want to improve your skills too. I came up with two skills that you could improve by taking a daily picture - finding things to shoot and composition.

When you take a photo a day, you're looking at the ordinary things that fill your daily life. You're forced to stop and look around for something you haven't captured yet that's interesting enough to shoot.

Some days will see you taking portraits of your family, friends or pets. Other days will find you in the garden. Maybe you can create an abstract image of something that catches your eye. Is it a rainy day? How about getting some food shots, some angle of your furniture or clothing laid out on your bed. Is it already night time and you haven't taken your picture yet? Try shining a light on something in your yard and taking a long exposure shot.

This is your chance to experiment. You're not on a photo shoot after all. Try something different. Have fun with it.

As time goes by, you'll look around with an increasingly critical eye. There's so much out there that you've been missing. Go out and find it.

Want to improve your skills? Start by taking a photo every day.

Sue Barthelow is a freelance photographer specializing in abstract, landscape, travel and wine production photography. Visit her gallery at http://www.SueBarthelow.com/photo_gallery.

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