I’ve been wanting to do it for a while now. I’ve put it off for a while now…
Am I really so passionate about what I do that I would actually enjoy it? I was about to find out!
And so began my journey into my new Project. It’s called the 365 Project and like the name suggests I take a photo a day for a whole year. A whole year! To say I was a bit nervous, slightly daunted was an understatement. On Sunday 1st September 2013 I went out specifically to take a photo for my project. It wasn’t the most amazing photo I had ever taken but it was one that I had been meaning to try for a few months and just never got round to it. There was something really liberating about creating just a single image. No pressure to build a big portfolio of work that needs to meld together and be a cohesive piece. Not worrying whether I’ve done enough or if the clients will be pleased. It was just for me. And what a delight!
Spurred on, I already had a plan for day 2. It went to pot when my friend’s gorgeous daughter offered to be my model. Another chance to do things differently, try something new. This photo was taken with me in front of the camera, sitting next to Ellie. And I loved the result! It’s not a typical portrait, it’s unusual and yet it captures a little of who Ellie is. That lovely smile that can light up a room and that twinkle in her eye that can sometimes be a little mischievous. Could it really be this fun everyday?
The next 3 days were absolutely brilliant! Tuesday I spent a happy hour or so in the cemetery. Seems a bit of an oxymoron doesn’t it? But with my macro lens on I got to enter another world! The world of bees! From a distance the flowers look plain and a little bit forlorn, set amongst some horizontal tomb stones. Yet, up close and with the sun streaming in behind the flower it is transformed into a colour kaleidoscope. The bees are everywhere and the most challenging thing is getting one of them in focus at the right time. I took a lot of photos! But I only needed one…and I got it! At the end of the day photography is hard work and takes time and skill so when, after taking over 100 photos within a short time frame, I end up with one like this, well it makes it all worth it.
Day 4 and 5 I was just as pleased with the photos and the response I had from my fb followers on my Curbar Edge photo (Day 4) was phenomenal. It’s always so interesting to see which photos people relate to best and I can’t tell you how encouraging it is when people like or comment on a photo I’ve posted. Day 5 was totally being in the right place at the right time. I was feeling uninspired walking along the path beside bushes and trees when a single ray of sunshine caught my eye. It was lighting up this little spider web on the ground. I had literally about 5 minutes to take as many pics as possible before the sunbeam had gone. The spider was incredibly good at posing and stayed stock still the whole time!
I finished up the first week of the project with two totally different photos. One was a macro (close up) of tool bits at Treeton Auto Services. It was such a miserable day and I had no inspiration but when I realised I would be going to the garage I did get just a little excited. I love making ordinary, even dirty things look fabulous or at the very least a little more interesting than they were before you saw my photo. The other photo was of the lovely little Alfie. You’ll be seeing a lot of him here I suspect. I used natural light again which is my preference wherever possible and managed to get a lovely one of him feeding.
By the end of the week I felt more passionate about my work (if that’s possible) and feeling so glad that I had started this project. Ok, so at that point there were still 358 days left but those are days filled with infinite possibilities for an Image Maker like me…for the Girl Behind the Lens!