Ok, well these are my thoughts:
Never ever ever use auto settings, always choose your own.
Believe it or not, shooting raw is easier, it's actually harder shooting jpeg, you can correct any raw image in PP. Using jpeg only without pp’ing forces you understand your camera better, composition, what settings to use for tones.
Getting a new camera and applying self imposed restrictions, will force you to get familiar with its controls and settings which you don’t normally use and this, come February, will be invaluable when using this knowledge shooting raw again.
Doing the sij forces you to ‘see’. It will take you away from what you’re familiar with, which is why we do it, right?
Whatever focal length you choose for the sij, you’ll definitely understand it better by the end of the month. So choose one for the sij that you don’t ordinarily use or even like.
Good composition can make anything interesting.
You are going to have to purposely go out for no other reason than to take 1 shot for the sij. It’s going to take up your precious time. What’s more, it’s better if you go out not 5 minutes down the road out but out out. Knowing that you’re taking 1/4 of your day to do it will make you think harder about that image. Soon the Christmas holidays are over, you have to go back to work and doing this every day gets very hard.
Having said that, there's a mountain of subjects in your own home that, if you view them correctly as subject matter, can easily qualify as sij entries. You'll always have 'home runs' - pets, a selfie. Best to wait towards the end of the month before using these up though.
You’ll feel like you don’t want to do it. Just do it. Even if it’s boring. Even if you’re so uninspired that you know deep down that today’s image is probably going to be a dud and you’re going to have to end up posting that dud. All other sij participants are feeling the same as you the longer the month goes on and will support you with comments/ advice/ inspiration. No pain no gain, corny but unfortunately true.
The downsides are worth it because you come out of it more experienced and therefore better.
Would I have taken as wide a variety of shots and subject material if I wasn't doing sij? No, I certainly would not have. When looking back, this justifies the uninspiring boring times.
If you’re lusting after a very expensive camera (I dunno, let’s say, an R-X1 ii, at $5.5k AUD!) and have read the specs but have not used it - wait till after the sij before deciding. Going out there shooting everyday purposefully may well change your outlook.
Trying for most of the day to find that shot, not finding the one, then getting that keeper late in the day is a good feeling.
Apply the new info you've gained from the sij for the next 11 months.
There will always be handy tips, for example
@ajramirez technique of shooting at 11.55pm and 12.05am.
Try to find the time to comment on others’ entries, you won’t get time to do all of them, but it’s a much needed source of support.
Know that you haven’t explored the full capabilities of your camera (you just haven’t, right?)
Oh and I learned that VSCO works fine on jpegs - experiment with it with your ‘leftovers’, it’s really quite fun (btw, the free VSCO LR presets are still available for download).
