here are some answers to frequently asked questions about the photo lab project:

do i have to be a photographer or have a fancy camera to participate?
nope! all you need is a film camera of some kind. a disposable camera works fine!
you also need to be willing to send your exposed film to someone you may not know. unless the person who recieves them posts the pictures on the project photo album, you may never see the pictures.

do i need permission to participate?
no you don't. all you need to do is list a film diary in your shop :)

do i have to be an etsy.com seller to participate?
you would need a seller account set up to list a photo lab project item. but, if you just have a buyer account you can search the tags for "photolabproject" to see what items are available. some items will have a price, some may be pifs (free items listed in etsy shops-pif stands for "pay it forward"). you can choose one and order it. or you could exchange a film diary with someone you already know.

setting up a seller account is free. you are putting your credit card on file so that if you did list something (it's only 20 cents per listing and a 3.5%  fee of any item that is sold) etsy would have a way to charge you later. i have done a couple of film diaries as pifs and the total fee ended up being 21 cents per listing. not bad :)

if you already have a seller's account on etsy, just make a listing for your diary. you choose the price and terms. you can do a variation of the diary idea if you'd like. just make sure to tag the items with "photolabproject"

what do i do with the pictures?
after you have the pictures developed, they are yours to keep (unless the person you received the diary from has specifically requested otherwise). i recommend having the pictures put on a cd when you have them developed. this way you can upload a couple of your favorite pictures to the photo lab project album to share with others. (or you could do what i do-take digital pictures of the printed pictures using a macro setting. ironic huh?) :)  but you are not required to share the photos at all.

what am i supposed to take pictures of?
this part is up to you. you can do anything you'd like. in the spirit of the project, please keep your pictures appropriate for all viewing audiences.

the idea for this project is to document a whole day in your life. when i do a photo diary i try to space out the pictures by taking one every 45 minutes or so, or every time i change activities.

you can edit your day by the pictures you take. i've been really surprised by the things i didn't want to show and the things i did want to show.

please keep these do's and don'ts in mind:

do-take your camera everywhere with you.

don't-take pictures that could get you in trouble. many public places prohibit picture taking. be considerate when in public and private places and if you are not sure, always ask permission.

do-show your whole day. even the parts that might seem boring :)

don't-show nudity, anything scary, anything that might be disturbing to someone you don't know. if you wouldn't show it to your aunt betty or a toddler, please don't show it in your diary.

do-keep your safety in mind.

don't-show anything that makes you uncomfortable. remember that you are letting someone you don't know into your world-it's the whole point of the project-but make sure you are conscientious about the information you are sending off.

if you list an item and tag it "photolabproject" please include in your listing a statement that welcomes others to post similar items and the address of this website: thephotolabproject.org