I Can't Believe It's a Year

12/18/10 - Day 365

Relief. Accomplishment. Emptiness. Pride. Grateful.

These are some of the feelings I am experiencing today as I conclude Project 365.

Relief:  The intensity of this undertaking was beyond what I had expected.  When I committed to do this project and gained a following, it was important to me to not only shoot every day, but also post every day.  With the exception of a handful of days, I did that.  But there were many evenings when the pressure was on and sacrifices were made to get this done.  So after today, at least for a while, that pressure will be relieved and I can engage in some additional activities otherwise forgone.

Accomplishment:  I feel a sense of accomplishment having achieved my objectives for Project 365.  I see things differently and am more creative behind the camera and in the digital darkroom than 365 days ago.  I also realize there is still a long way to go reach the level of work by those I admire.

Emptiness:  As I write this, there is a sense of emptiness in the pit of my stomach as this project has occupied a portion of every single day for a year.  I'm pretty sure it won't last long, but it is here today.

Pride:  I'm proud of the body of work I created this past year and look forward to publishing it for friends and family who have traveled the path with me.  No doubt in my mind that I'm a better photographer now than 365 days ago.

Grateful:  Most importantly, I am grateful for the support I received along the way from friends, family and complete strangers.  From 50 email followers that received the photo every morning to new friends I've met via Flickr, Daily Shoot & MacroMondays, from strangers happening onto the blog to new friends I met on the train because of photography (Doug first, then Frank) - each of you have provided the ingredients of inspiration, ideas, knowledge and camaraderie. And for that, I offer my profound thanks.  And a special thanks goes to Mrs. Wonderful, Lin, for putting up with my obsession.

So what's next?  Giving up photography is not an option.  I'm planning a two week "breather" which means I'll probably shoot & post informally and then launch into a Project52, shooting at least one shot a week (probably more) for a year.  Not sure of the format yet but stay tuned.  Once set-up, I'll provide a link from this site and those that wish to can register for automatic email delivery.  I’ll also have more time to follow the photostreams of my new and very talented Flickr friends.

Hope to see you all on the next leg of this photographic journey. Best wishes for Happy Holidays and a great New Year.

Jeff

Obscure Beatles Tune

11/19/10 - Day 336
I took this shot just after midnight, thinking that another song set image with a self-portrait for my P365 11 month anniversary would be great.  This morning, I read the Daily Shoot assignment #369: "Low contrast in a scene can connote softness, calmness, or mellowness.  Make a photo today that has low contrast."   Perfect - figured I'd process with low contrast to satisfy this assignment.  Another 3fer.

Guess the song title.

Simon & Garfunkel

11/18/10 - Day 335
Today's Daily Shoot assignment was a perfect reason for me to shoot another song title I've been thinking about.   Assignment #368 was: "Make a photograph today that visually communicates a sound.  Your choice of sound, but do your best to make us 'hear' it."

Should be an easy sound and song title to guess.  Also, one day early on the P365 monthly self-portrait.

Last Swings

10/19/10 - Day 305
Lin was sleeping after hand surgery today so thought I'd get in today's shot; a self-portrait since today is the 10 month anniversary of starting P365. Golf ball's eye view of the last swings of the year.

Nine Down, Three to Go

9/19/10 - Day 275
Today marks 9 months into my Project 365. The 19th of the month is the "anniversary" day, so that means self-portrait day.  Although it was overcast most of the day, thought I'd experiment a little with natural light high-key.  Gotta clean those glasses!

Cruising

8/21/10 - Day 246
Two days late for the monthly self-portrait. On the way to get a haircut.

Sent from my iPad using Photogene

Self Study

7/31/10 - Day 225
For today's Daily Shoot #258, thought I would experiment with some off camera flash in a self-portrait.  Didn't like any of them until I put on the macro lens.  Shooting in the dark was difficult, however the framing for this shot only need some slight cropping.

Aftermath...

7/10/10 - Day 204
...of a 53 mile bike ride is a nap on the deck.  For today's Daily Shoot #237; maybe this will get me off the hook for a 7/19 monthly self-portrait.

6 Down, 6 To Go

6/19/10 - Day 183
Today marks the halfway point in my Project 365.  Six months ago, I started this project with a cycling-themed photo and wanted to launch the second half in a similar vein.  I've learned alot along the way, some of it from viewing images by the friends I've made on the Daily Shoot and other blogs, some from reading and some from just shooting and experimenting in post.

In this image, I tried to 1) follow today's Daily Shoot assignment,  2) do the monthly self-portrait, and 3) incorporate some of the HDR technique I saw on Pat G's blog, but using Lightroom only.  I think it works.

This Project 365 been a blast so far.  I really appreciate the comments and suggestions that you all send, either by email, Flickrmail or on the blog.  Thank you for following.

Window to the Sky

5/29/10 - Day 162
Picture perfect day in Chicago, so the Daily Shoot assignment, "Look up today and make a photograph of the sky. Cloudy, clear, or somewhere in between... ", works well.

Peering

5/16/10 - Day 149
Daily Shoot today was a self-portrait.  Since my five month Project 365 anniversary is coming up this week on the 19th, thought I would accelerate the self-portrait day and accomplish two milestones with one shot.

I Don't Need No Stinkin' V8...

4/19/10 - Day 122
...because I have an Inline 6.  Today is the four month anniversary of my P365, hence a self-portrait day.  See 3/19/10 for the first V8-themed image.

Spring Fling

4/1/10 - Day 104
They made me do it!  With cold and rain predicted for the weekend, we just had to take advantage of the 80 degree, sunny weather.  27 miles, 1580 calories...it felt great!

I Gotta Have a V8!

3/19/10 - Day 91
Three month anniversary for my Project 365; self-portrait day.

Catchlights in a Mirror

3/14/10 - Day 86
Today's Daily Shoot assignment was "Sunday challenge: Catchlights in the eyes make a portrait sing. Make a portrait of someone with catchlights in their eyes."  This self-portrait was taken in a mirror using a 90mm macro lens.  Lots of trial and error to get the framing and focus.

First Ride Out

3/6/10 - Day 78
A beautiful, sunny morning with temps in the mid-20's meant getting out on the mountain bike for the first outside ride of the year.  It felt great, although the ride did highlight the lack of winter training.

Chairlift

2/21/10 - Day 65

Lucky to get into Snowmass today as visibility at Aspen Airport fluctuated greatly.  Riding the chairlift with Marshall & Randy; hard to tell from the image, but it snowed all afternoon.  Check out the "Runner-up" photo at my Smugmug site.

Two Months Down

2/18/10 - Day 62

Tomorrow will be a difficult day to shoot so I decided to do the "start of month" self-portrait one day early.

Thumbs Up

1/28/10 - Day 41

Finally, a day of sunshine, allowing for long shadows and capturing the gesture.

One Month Down

1/19/10 - Day 32

Today marks the start of the second month for my Project 365.  I've heard that tradition requires the first image of every month (the 19th, in my case) to be a self-portrait.  This image was taken at one of our recently completed projects in Redwood City, CA.  The glass curtainwall and earlier rainstorm makes for some interesting reflections on the building and pavement.