I guess the best thing for me to do is to admit defeat. In my opinion I have now missed taking photos on so many days this year, that I now do not feel this 365 project is representing what I wanted it to be. I’ll keep up with it, as I can, because I like to share the photos I take on any given day, but I feel that the chronicling of my days is not complete, as it would be if I took a photo that represented each day of my life. Life seems to get in the way, and I get distracted. Or – my camera is not with me. Or – I can’t imagine that the picture I’d take would be anything worth seeing. I think I might be trying to be too “special”, when, in fact, it’s the mundane and “daily” I’m after – and learning how to photograph that in a special way. I also do not multi task well, and when immersed in other activities or necessary life tasks, other activities – like photography – deemed of lesser importance on those days – slip my mind more easily. In 2009 I also tried to do this project and by September, I’d given up.
I will continue to number the photos, and note the days I miss, as I want this to be a record of sorts. I still like the idea of taking one photo a day, but think I need to evaluate how to best make that work in a way it hasn’t before. There are no failures – only lessons…
With that in mind, let me share the photos I’ve taken up to this point:
The following photo is of a pen I purchased at a craft fair. The outer shell of the pen is made out of computer “innards”. Despite the fact that I love writing (and typing) on a computer, I have always had a love affair with “pens”. I love how they feel, how they write, how they “hold”. I’m partial to Cross refills, with my second choice being Parker, which is what this pen is. I like a smooth write, and a fatter body to the pen, although I’m finding that this pen might be a little *too* fat! I collect pens now, mostly unique things I find at craft fairs. When I was a child I had what I now see to be an un-natural attachment to my pen. I would really become distraught if one got lost. Still do – to some extent.
365 photo (June 28) #180
The photo from the following day is of a painting which our son did either in 1995 or ’96. as an assignment for his art class in high school. It was required that he use no paint brush for this acrylic painting, and instead used what I describe as a putty knife! (I know nothing about painting, so please indulge my ignorance!) He blended the paint with this tool rather than a brush, which gives it the “choppy” feel to it. Our son was inspired to do this painting from the wild fires which we had on Long Island during the very dry summer of 1995. The fire was started by a neglected campfire (I believe) – then spread throughout the pine barrens, burning a large portion of them. Several main roads were blocked off, making it more difficult to get on and off Long Island. On the day that the fires began, our son was returning home from a junior golf tournament with several other boys, and they were detoured from the road they wanted to travel. They got rather close to the fires, and the “red sky” and thick smoke inspired our son to do this painting when asked to do this assignment. We framed the painting and it now hangs over our fireplace…
365 photo (June 29) #181
the photo for June 30 was taken when Ray and I were out in his ’57 t-bird. We mostly travel on Dune Road, which abuts the ocean and is where many wealthy Southampton summer residents live. This photo is of the “Dune Church”, which is only open for services during the summer months. I believe it’s considered to be Episcopal, but has no residing pastor. Instead, each week they have guest ministers — usually from wealthy New York City churches of different denominations. However, they do ask one “token” local pastor each summer to preach. It’s also a coveted spot for a summer wedding – - and I can’t imagine how much in advance one has to reserve the church for one! I also wonder when this church might wash out to sea in a rogue hurricane….!
365 photo (June 30) #182. I am not enamored with the lighting in this photo. It was “back lit” too much, muting the interesting exterior color of the church.
365 photo (July 1) #183 – - EPIC FAIL!
This photo is the cats “toy box”. We purchased this “cat shack”, which is an ottoman style cat house, and we keep all their toys inside of it. The cats actually go inside to get a toy, and sometimes just sit in there with them! When when we see a toy lying around around the house (and no cat around to throw it for!) – we put it back.
365 photo #184 (July 2) – Cat Shack toy box
The next photo is of a circular throw rug I purchased online from Orvis. They have sold several kitty rug patterns over the years, and this is just one of the few I’ve purchased. Because I nearly forgot to take a photo on July 3, this photo was taken actually taken after midnight so it’s technically taken on July 4th. In the spirit of what I’d intended, I’ll classify it as my July 3rd photo:
365 photo #185 (July 3) – Orvis kitty throw rug
I’ll end this entry for now, as I have many photos to post for the 4th of July, and I’ll leave that to be it’s own entry.
First, I love the variety of pictures. What a beatiful and interesting church, even if the light was wrong. Maybe you can post it again in preferred lighting if you think the exterior color is off. As it is, since I don’t know what the color should be, it’s pretty!
Second, WOW, I LOVE the picture Scott painted. It is hung in a perfect spot of honor. Right over the fireplace. (A little ironic though, isn’t it? Fire—fireplace? Hmm
Third, I admire your ability to hang in this long and to think once you made it to September. Doing something EVERY day is hard, and often, tedious. Keep going. We’re enjoying whatever you put out there.
The Dunes Church *is* an interesting church, and that is a good representation of the color, although it is “darker” than it really appears to the eye. Somehow a camera doesn’t adjust as easily as the naked eye will do in back lit conditions. Since I’ve been using a camera in earnest, I have become very much in awe of the miracle of the human eye! I did alter the photo a little, but wasn’t able to get it as I remembered it.
The irony of that fire picture going over a fireplace was not lost on me. Scott didn’t seem to be in love with this painting. In fact, he didn’t seem proud of much of his work, but I think that’s because a creative person often has an overly active critical eye. I worried that the painting might have ended up stored in the basement with his other discarded creative endeavors, and we wanted that not to happen with this painting.
You’re correct about how tedious the daily photo thing can get. It’s something I *want* to do – as a challenge to myself, and as a way of chronicling my life visually. I am not giving up – but I am disappointed. To me it’s important to “keep going”, even in the face of discouragement. Sometimes when one most doesn’t feel like taking a photo – is when one SHOULD do it to keep it from becoming contrived, and to be more accurate about what it really is like each day!
I think your intentions are great to take photos every day, even if you can’t always get it done. It will make you a better photographer because you have to really think about your subjects more than if you are just taking out the camera when you have time. You’ve inspired me to do something similar…when I get the time! Also love the photo of the church!
Is your husband a vintage car lover? Something else we have in common! My hubby has a 79 Corvette and only drives it about 2 or 3 times a year.
Thanks for your comment from … “so long ago”. Yikes — I’ve allowed this blog to “grow mold” due to lack of use!
I have just posted another entry and have basically acknowledged that my 365 project has gone to seed. But – it’s my intent to take as many photos as possible and allow them to be the springboard to writing about my thoughts and life experiences.
Yes – my hubby is kind of a vintage car lover. He has both a 57 t-bird (we dated in that car back in the late 1960′s – so he’s had it for quite some time.) and a 2003 “redo” t-bird, which he bought himself as a gift to himself upon his retirement. In the late 90′s he did a complete restoration of the ’57 and it was entered in our town’s museum project on the 1950′s. (A collaborative project with the high school and my son was involved in it). It still runs pretty well, and we take it out maybe once week.
My hubby’s father was a REAL vintage car lover, and had … I’m not sure how many. we were never sure, although prior to his death in 2009, and when he was in a nursing home, it was my husband’s job to get them all organized – and then sold. That was an arduous endeavor! He had so many neat ones: a ’49 MG, a Packard (not sure of the year) and a Scripps Booth (not sure of the year of that one, either)