as i continue to take a photo every day, i've had cause to ponder why i continue. haven't i taken photos of everything in my surroundings? is there ever anything new? why do i do it? the community that was there in the beginning has dissolved, so that's no longer why i do it. is it just a habit at this point? do i move my photography towards a better place with these daily photos? or is it just a mundane plodding along that i do out of habit?
very early on in my first official, declared 365 project (2010), i realized that the project wasn't about taking an awesome photo every day, it was about memory and about finding something every day that i wanted to remember, a kind of visual documentation of my life. that was back in 2010. here i am, still going strong with my daily photo and when i look through my various iPhoto libraries (yes, i have multiple libraries, because once they reach a certain size, they make my now elderly iMac a bit unhappy and sluggish, so i have to start a new one), i realize that i pretty much began taking a photo every day when i bought my first DSLR in may 2008. i may have missed a few days there in that first year, but from 2009, i have one or other photo from every single day. even husband relies on this, sometimes asking me, "when was it we got the first chickens?" or "what was the date we picked up the pigs?" - because he knows that i'll have a photo of it that will help us remember.
my 365 project hasn't had a specific theme, other than the odd assignment i've given myself from time to time. it's been documentary, most of all. but nonetheless, you can trace my various interests and obsessions and yes, even my travels, throughout. not every photo is brilliant, in fact, probably only a very few of them are, but it does somehow contain throughout the threads of a life...my life. and for me, that's reason enough to keep doing it.
you can see much of it (from 2011 onwards) here, if you're interested.
4 comments:
A long time ago someone wanted to know why I wanted a camera. I told them I wanted to remember. When I grew old I was going to sit with my photo albums and reminisce on how it was when I was young, I had a nice family, and how busy it was.
So that's the why of it. Now it's become something I do. I've never had a really nice camera, but I get some decent photos from the ones that I hate. Keep it up. I love your photos.
Wonderful post!
Yes, it's about memory. It's not about taking something amazing everyday. I miss the community that comes with a 365, but it's just not there on Flickr anymore. I don't know where else to get that these days. :/
(Thanks for the tip about iPhoto libraries - my computer isn't coping with photos from my DSLR very well and I'm going to try creating another iPhoto library to see if that helps. At least whilst I decide what I want to do about a new computer!)
I just love this! I have many times wondered whether my photos are redundant because my environment is my environment. But it is so true that it is how it makes you feel at the moment you take it and what is happening then. I miss the 365 community too. I wonder, would a 365 facebook group be a good idea? Probably already a common thing, but a thought.
"Finding something every day you want to remember..." Like looking for a blessing, large or small :-)
I always enjoy your photos and visiting your blog. I hope you keep taking photos and sharing them with us.
xo jj
Post a Comment