Thursday, April 17, 2008

365 - Final Status Report

I did it. I took a picture a day for 365 days.

4/24/07 New Vistas
4/24/07 New Vistas

5/18/07 Hands
5/18/07 Holding Hands

6/8/07 Zoo Train
6/8/07 Zoo Train

My 365 project was both harder and easier than I had initially thought it would be. I really enjoyed taking pictures every day. It (please excuse the pun) focused my attention on what was important during my day. Some days it was hard to get a picture I liked, especially when I was in the office and not with my favorite subject. This led to pictures of my blackberry, craft projects or Chris looking bemused at 10:30 pm. For crafts, it was probably good - a regular photo album most certainly would not include pictures of things I made during the year, but now I have a little record of the clothes, toys and superhero capes I put together for myself and others.

7/21/07 Sheep Wagon
7/21/07 Sheep Wagon

8/22/07 Diving Helmet
8/22/07 Diving Helmet

9/26/07 chic train
9/26/07 Chicago El Train (camera phone)

Ironically, after a year of taking pictures with my little pocket camera, at the very end of the project I finally bought a nice camera. The past 5 months my little Sony has been half-broken. Maybe I dropped it one too many times, but it won't let me zoom. When I try, it freezes up. I am excited to use a camera with more whistles and bells. I sort of feel I earned the camera by sticking with the project for the full year. If I could keep it up with the Sony, the Nikon should really make me want to take pictures.

10/7/07 Pumpkin patch
10/7/07 Pumpkin Patch

11/11/07 Matching crazy hair dos
11/11/07 Matched Crazy Hair

12/17/07 Hats
12/17/07 Hats

One side benefit of this project is that it has opened me up to the possibility of trying other projects. The other day Susie and I were talking about families that gave up buying things for a year. One such family was profiled in the Oregonian recently. They decided they could buy things that ran out regularly (food, paper towels, toilet paper.) but not things that broke or wore out on a longer-term basis (toaster, clothes, birthday presents). Susie said a friend of hers tried it for three months, to break herself of the habit of shopping when bored. I am intrigued by the concept, but also scared by it. A year without buying? It is practically un-American, right? (Another reason to do it.)

1/3/08 This will be bunka's birthday card
1/3/08 Bunka's Birthday Card

2/26/08 Shows Nothing of the Fun Day
2/26/08 No Trace of Her Fun Day is Evident

I am not jumping into this kind of project just yet, but I am open to new projects, especially creative ones. I think for now I will start a 52 photo project. A picture a week is a bit more manageable than one a day. And now that I have my brand new camera, I have to keep using it, right?

3/16/07 Bacon-face, Day One
3/16/08 Bacon-face

4/3/08 Thomas
4/3/08 Thomas

7 comments:

  1. Congrats on finishing - you've got some really great shots there! I know just how exhausting it can be. It doesn't sound like it would be, but it is. I'm just wrapping up my second 365 of my son and am excited to continue on.

    This time, though, I'm doing a 365 of anything and not just of the kids. They need a break and I don't blame them. Plus getting a good one of the kids every day is just too hard and I want to be able to shoot other things, other people and stuff that doesn't cring and run in the other direction when the camera comes out.

    Plus, I got a new one too so I really want to keep using it so I can someday be good at it. I'm curious what you got.

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  2. The photos are amazing. What a great accomplishment.

    Wow, that not buying thing would be really hard. It would give you a lot to write about...

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  3. Congratulations! I'm very impressed and very pleased ;i have been a recepient of your creative project. yeah!

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  4. I have been thinking about the giving up project as well, ever since I read about it. It both terrifies and fascinates me. The fear, I'm afraid, is stronger.

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  5. Wow. Yeah. I don't know if I could give up buying things for even a month (but that sounds remotely possible). But I'd be glued to someone else's blog who tried it.
    Maybe I haven't been paying attention, didn't realize you got a new camera. A Nikon what, may I ask? I got a new point & shoot digital, which got me shooting more, but now I just steal Justin's Nikon all the time.

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  6. megan - I have a nikon d40, the entry level digital SLR. I like that it lets me mess with things but also I can be totally lazy and auto. We had some regular film purchased for someone who ended up not needing it that I think Chris keeps meaning to drop at your house for Justin.

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  7. I overlooked telling you. I really enjoyed your 365.

    And, wow does it ever prove that time with the kids really flies. Even when the kids are just adorable, well reported, sharp as tack little beings I do not actually know but read about on the Internet.

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