Beginnings (the start of a visual journey in 2010)

Many widely recognized yearly photographic efforts are made by the likes of Jim Brandenburg, among others, but I decided to undertake this series for many reasons. The first spark occurred when I came across a collaborative daily blog turned written documentation, A Year of Mornings, which appealed in a human way. It was a part of the photographers' daily lives, a document of the passage of time, as well as an aesthetic effort.

This project is designed to amass a series of related and unrelated images as they flow and feed off of each other, creating a vision of a whole year of experience.

A larger reason to shoot so much was to force myself to continue to push images. Some days I have projects in mind, other days I'm inspired with a flash of insight, and some days I think, "damn, what am I going to create tonight?" Either way, I've kept going.

When this series began I thought of it as a 365+ project because the goal was to have the equivalent of a year's worth of daily images that would follow and reveal twelve months. But, because I'm also working and a full-time graduate student as well as a human being with other interests, I gave myself the leeway of not photographing every day, so long as the final number of images surpasses 365. When I began posting on a social network site, I started by sharing an average of two photographs a day; by the end of January it looked as though the quantitative goal would be reached halfway through the year. I tend to work in series and like to show context, so a challenge has been paring down daily posts to just one or two images. With this blog I will try to be more particular and share no more than two photos per day.

Thus far, we're 1/12th of the way through and not a day has been missed. More importantly, though, I feel the tendrils of inspiration not previously imagined, and for that reason, this already feels like a success.

Please enjoy, contemplate, comment and share with your friends.

Quarterlings

March is drawing to a close, which marks the completion of 1/4 of the year and this project.

Reviewing the images I'm pleased by some and bored by others. Many photographs would not make the cut were it not a daily regimen. But, though I missed one day due to illness and, technically supplanted one day's picture amongst its vacation brethren during the week and a half of Alaska photos, the gears are still rolling.

The images I've been more pleased with have been the light/color compositions, although projects such as the water droplets, reverse lens macro, smoke and TTV photography were also highlights. Where I seem to grow stagnant are with images relating more directly to documenting me or my life, especially the mundane, but perhaps that's personal perception. April will be kicked off with a weekend in Chicago.

Keep on checking in as I keep on keepin' on. Recent layout goodies includes the ability for you, oh honored viewer, to rate posts and vote on imagery types.

Middlings

As June winds down, 365+ nears its crest. Counting back, however, just over one hundred images remain to be posted.

These past few months I've embraced the loose design of the project and shifted into a relaxed schedule of posts. In favor of sharing greater context and more consistently solid imagery while maintaining an eye on the year as a whole, I may not shoot or post every day, but continue to translate the spirit of the time. Early July marks the beginning of the descent and holds the promise of visual adventure as I head back to Alaska.

Please be aware of new links on the right column noting Artists, inspiration and intriguing ideas or commentary.
*Clicking on most photos will enlarge the image*

Friday, March 19, 2010

March 17 ~ Spring?

Wednesday was beautiful. We may see snow again over the next several days, so I took an evening walk until just past sunset. Temperatures hung around the mid-fifties when I strolled out the front door but probably cooled ten or fifteen degrees after the sun dropped. After so many months, how nice it is to be outside without hefty winter clothing. Unlike a lot of the complaining DJs and weather forecasters, I do enjoy winter, but change is good.



This is not my favorite time of year. Usually, autumn thrills me more than any other season, and Wednesday felt particularly autumnal. The cool air always feels great but the colors are what really do it for me--2008 was amazing that way, and I was so pleased because my family spent late August in Alaska, where the weather was already creeping away from summer, and when we returned to the Twin Cities, autumn was just beginning and held out for another two months; my experience of the season was extended and the colors were particularly vibrant that year. The change in our world's weather is amazing. I'm not sure about the current local light increase, but Fairbanks gains four minutes of sunlight each day.




These kinds of changes are so nice that I took as many pictures in an hour and a half walk through Snail Lake Regional Park than during ten days in Alaska. To be fair, that was a visiting trip more than a touristy trip, but this warm air lifted my spirits. Most of the world is still brown with a few scattered latent reds--the new growth needs a little more inspiration than a temperature change--but a few wispy green tendrils bravely crept above the soil. The early spring sky is just as blue, and pink near dusk, as summer.


Many of the posts from the last few weeks seem orange-oriented, which surprises me as it's not something that seems to be part of my regular color palette. Hopefully, these early spring colors offer a nice contrast.


Gear: Nikon D90, Tokina 12-24mm
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