Saturday, February 26, 2011

Project64

Monday, February 28 ended my 365 Project journey. It's been a lot of fun. While I haven't been very diligent of posting to the website in a timely manner I have been pretty good about getting a photo a day. The best part is that it's reconnected me to some of my favorite college friends, Wendy, Joanne, Cristen and Sue. Seeing bits and pieces of their everyday lives is such a wonderful blessing.

The 365 Project has also been fun for documenting OUR everyday life as newlyweds. Being able to flip through the photos and journaling cards in the Project Life album and see a whole year in an instant is very satisfying. I've also found it's a good way to get people to be in a photo. I can say "but I need a photo for today!" and they grudgingly comply. Still, I'd say 75% of my photos are of inanimate objects since they don't complain when you take a few extra shots or stop to adjust the aperture or shutter speed.

I have to admit that I feel like I'm a little burnt out creatively.  Maybe from forcing myself to take a photo every day when nothing exciting happens? Or because it's dark and grey and frigid outside? Or from being a little lazy and snapping a photo that's "good enough" just to put a check mark next to the day?

Last week, I stumbled upon the Project64 challenge blog and decided to jump in and participate. Each week they pull a crayon from the classic Crayola box of 64 and use it as inspiration. Genius, right? I can't tell you how much more tuned into my surroundings I am by focusing on trying to find specific colors in my everyday environment. A little part of my brain is constantly scanning and then I get this little AHA! moment like "hey, that butternut squash sure looks like apricot on the outside" or "these pages are robin's egg blue!!"

My intent is to find regular household items to fit these Project64 challenges. I may push myself to try to set up some still life shots and to get better working with props and placement. I want to make these photos more intentional, more deliberate, more artsy.

The good folks at Project64 are having a catch up day so stragglers and new joiners like me can participate and get up to speed. I'll post each color separately to make it easier to track.

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