"I have a flash new camera. It should be much easier to take photos everyday."
These are words I'll probably eat now for ever saying. But yes, for those who are connected to me on Facebook will know that I have begun a 365 Photo Project. For the next 356 days I aim to take a photo each day. Simple? Yes. Easy? No.
It all began when I, after months of saving and waiting for the perfect sale, bought Jerome my new Canon 700D DSLR camera (named after Jerome from Switchfoot - because Jon and Tim as camera names don't work too well). For a good portion of my teenage life I've borrowed the family's 400D, and later on my boyfriend's 600D when I had to work at concerts. No longer wanting to rely on borrowing other cameras, it felt good to finally invest into my own. It was like living out all the dreams I had. I wanted to be that person capturing moments every day just like I used to in high school at the peak of my photography passion.
"I'll take photos every single day! I'll always be prepared in every moment. I will capture beautiful things."
16 days later, I'm still going - just.
While I love Jerome and care for it like I imagine a child of mine, the problem with undertaking a project like this is finding the time and the inspiration to take photos every day. When I'm leaving work at 7.30pm at night, the last thing I feel like doing is taking 5 minutes to take a photo. Already I've taken photos just before bed and before it hit midnight - just so it still matched the quota. My workmate told me that while he was doing a "100 Happy Days" challenge, he gave up by day 45. It would become difficult, and it would become a chore.
And this is perfectly why it's worth taking on a project like this.
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| A sample of what I used to do in high school with film and print. |
So if you would like to join me on this challenge, I would love to support you as we stretch ourselves over this project. Despite it being another item of my list of daily tasks, I haven't grown too resentful of this project yet. Give it another month perhaps haha.
Photo Diary Highlights:
I took my camera for its first proper outing when I had dinner with my friends at Better Burger (review here). I took photos at dinner, then we went out for dessert at nearby Milse. Not missing the chance to take a proper photo, in one hand I held the ice cream, and the other I held my camera. Thank goodness for auto focus otherwise shots like this are impossible to take. I'm pretty proud of my first shot as I love the lights and the bokeh in the background. And I think when I finish this 365 project, I'll celebrate with Milse again.
I can find a hundred things to nitpick about this image. My skin is far from perfect. But strangely people like this photo. This was originally my challenge to take a self-portrait, but I hate taking my own photo. I look in the mirror and I seem okay, but the second I take it on my DSLR, high def brings out the unsightly. I took the photo to focus on my top lip mole - something that is barely seen yet noticeable when pointed out.
This to me is a badly composed shot. There are so many ways this could be better positioned. But this photo still has a lot of meaning to me. It was a photo taken in a moment of spontaneity and fun
This photo was taken at the church opposite my work. I never usually look at this church but anything is different with a camera in hand.
It's not the most beautiful looking church, but this moment as the sun was setting and the bird perched on top of the cross, it became beautiful.
And because I didn't notice the sparrow on top of the cross (I don't wear my glasses like I should), it was a nice surprise to review the photo and see that appear on the screen. It's such a subtle detail but without that bird, this image would really be lacking.
