365 Days – Thoughts So Far

I’m past day six in my “one photo a day for a year” project and I’m already seeing a pattern. I like playing it safe.

So far, I’ve been extremely picky and clinging to my comfort zone for bare life. That’s gotta change. No one got better at anything just by doing the things they already know how to do! Browsing flickr I’ve found so many crazy, wonderful, impressive 365-days photos! It makes me feel disappointed with myself.

So I’ve decided to start my own challenge. One pick every week needs to somehow be out of my comfort zone – be it a full-body self-portrait or a shot that just is crazy. It doesn’t matter if it’s good or bad, stunning or mediocre, inspiring or plain boring. Every one out of seven pictures will be all about pushing the limits!

There, I’m feeling better already for having decided this. Let’s see what tomorrow will bring!

6/365

Day 6, as presented on flickr:

Have a friend over today to play games. We’re having “mossaka” and salad for dinner.

A bit uninspired too.

This is the best I could come up with, it’ll have to do 😛

5/365

I really need to set some time aside to go through the camera functions. SO far, I’ve been enjoying the wonderful quality of the pictures the “Auto” setting can achieve.

I have been playing around with ISO and shutter speed, but mostly there’s just been stabs in the dark. Soon though.

Day 5 in my 365 days project turned out like this:

I brought the camera with me to school in the hopes of finding something fun to shoot. By five o’clock it was time to go home and I hadn’t found anything really impressive. Just as I was on my way home I remembered that the view from the fifth floor (which also belongs to our school) can be quite breathtaking. So up I went and managed to snap this shot and three others before I ran out of batteries. Quite embarrassing, but I can’t help but feel just a little bit more like a photographer now. It’s like “oh yeah, always check your batteries, yeah it’s happened to me”. It makes me feel more experienced and I won’t be making that mistake again anytime soon I can tell you!

What’s your most embarrassing photography blunder?

Interlude, February 15th

I want light. I need it, real badly.

I’ve spent the past few months at work just coping. Doing whatever absolutely needs to be done; making lists to cull the anxiety of not being as productive as I’d want to be.

I need sunshine and longer days. I need the sun to rise and clear my head of all the cotton. I need light to gently stroke my cheek and revitalize me.

We’re not even through February yet. March awaits. April and spring seem light-years away.

One can only hope.

4/365

After two black and white photos, I decided it was time to bring some color back into the equation. Hence, today’s shot.

Johan had the day off today, so we spent some quality time together. This consisted of staying in bed half the day, nachos, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and just hanging out. Not much action today, but most definitely a wonderful day, the kind I look forward too all week.

3/365

Black and white seems to be turning into this weeks theme.

Today I listened to Hello Saferide and this one song stuck with me. It was the inspiration for the photo.

I’ve been playing around with slow shutter speed. Of course it resulted in motion blur, since I’m lousy at being entirely still. I like the surreal, dreamlike effect it adds to the shout though.

And suddenly, I don’t feel fat anymore
I don’t count my blackheads as a hobby
I don’t count the marks on the wall
And I don’t sleep well at all

I Don’t Sleep Well – Hello Saferide

Mattias, Emma and Märta came to visit today, so we spent the day hanging out at the bar while Johan tried to both work and be social. It’s been a really good day!

2/365

I’ve been playing around with Photoshop a bit. Today I found the filter function that let’s you add certain lighting to the picture. I’ve used it in my day 1 picture, as well as in this one, though I’m trying to keep it toned down to retail some of the natural feel of the photos.

My boyfriend and I have been looking for an apartment for some time now. Being picky didn’t exactly help us in our search, but we simply didn’t want to settle. We wanted an apartment in walking distance from the city center and with a unique, special feel to it. We want it to feel like a home, not like a factory made storage container for humans.

A few days back we were informed that one of the apartments we’d been interested in might be made available to us. We were asked to go look at it and get back to them with our answer. We went and looked at it and though we didn’t fall in love with it at first sight, it grew on us. So much so, that by the same time the next say we decided to accept the offer.

Since then we’ve been waiting, holding our breath, to see if we actually got it. Today we heard from them again. On Wednesday we have an appointment to sign the lease.

We’ve found a home.

1/365

Yesterday I started my 365 days project. I’ve decided to make it a general photography project. I reason that the less limitations, the fewer obstacles or moments of feeling uninspired.

I’m recording the project over on flickr, but I’ll also post the photos here along with extra background information and such. I’m so excited! Since I’m determined to complete the project this time, I’m currently working on a list of weekly themes to inspire shots and – ultimately – help me grow as a photographer.

Here is the first shot in my series:

On this particular day both the boyfriend and I had the afternoon free so we mad the most of it. We went shopping for food and drinks, cooked a delicious dinner while listening to sassy music and drinking cold cider. We sat in the sofa and talked at random and had a good time. We later had a good friend over for a few rounds of Scrabble, drinks and good company. We all had a blast!

6 Tips For Succeeding At The 365-Days Photo Project

Last summer I decided to participate in one of the 365-days projects over on flickr. The point is to take 365 photos on 365 consecutive days. The project exists in different forms – take 365 photos; take 365 self-portraits; take 365 photos of Wall*E; you get the point. My project last summer fizzled out after the first 14 days.

Now that I have a digital SLR camera I’ve decided to give the project another go. This time I’m determined to make it. Taking into account my failed first atemp, I’ve made a list of things to consider when embarking on this journey:

1. Planning

365 days means 365 ideas. Noone can do that without some kind of planning. Preparing weekley themes is a good solution, let your favorite songs or current events inspire you.

2. Support

Though being a photographer might seem like a one-man hobby or profession, support is very important. Even if you don’t have a buddy to work with, make sure you surround yourself with encouraging people. It will help you stay motivated. You can exchange ideas and receiving praise from people who know and follow your work will do wonders for your motivation and enjoyment of the project.

3. Gear

It you plan on doing the self-portrait version you will need a remote trigger. Using the timer on the camera is quite tricky since most cameras set the focus when you press the trigger, not when the shot is acctually taken. In other words you need a stand-in. Using the timer also means you have to reposition yourself for every frame. A remote will make your life much easier.

When it comes to your camera a digital SLR is what you should aim for, but having a small compact in your bag at all times is a great idea. Which brings me to my next point:

4. Always be prepared

This should be your motto! Always have a camera with you if you can or at least a notepad. You never know when you’ll find the perfect location or come up with the perfect idea.

5. Don’t be too hard on yourself

The goal of the project is to take 365 pictures in 365 consecutive days, not to produce 365 masterpieces. Having a bad day, being uninspired is ok. The important thing is to keep going and get over the bump.

6. Don’t stop

Even if you’ve had several bad days in a row, stick with it! Getting through the first 20-30 days is the hardest part. Once you’ve set up a routine you’re bound for success!

Lastly, don’t forget to have fun. Fun is the main point of the project.

I plan on starting the project this week, though I haven’t decided which variant of it I’ll go for. Once the project starts, there will be weekly updates here on how things are coming along. If you would like to see the entire project feel free to follow along on flickr.

Let the journey begin!

Wordless Wednesday: Endless Winter