January is a great time to make ill-thought-out plans and unrealistic commitments for the rest of the year. There is, for example Project 365, in which I’ve decided to enlist. I’m going to take at least one photo a day, even when I don’t want to do it. And I will post these photos here. While taking a single photo every day this year will actually produce 366 photos because 2008 is a leap year, Project 365 sounds cooler than Project 366. I’m going to stick with that name, along with everyone else who belongs to the Project 365 pool.
As exciting as it should be to have a visual record of my life for this year, which is the first dissertation-less one of the rest of my life (have I mentioned that already?), I really just want to be a better photographer and have an excuse to buy lenses and filters and flash units and other equipment of which I currently know nothing but without which I surely cannot live. Um, go consumerism?
Enough with the preramble. Below the fold are my first two photos.
I took photo 1 at SeaTac Airport as Ptichka and I killed a couple of hours waiting for our flight to Vancouver. She read and I watched the planes take off and land. Notice the fact that the only snow present is on top of the mountains in the rear. I’m kind of an idiot because I always forget about how beautiful the Pacific Northwest is. When you’re constantly surrounded by mountains, you stop noticing them after a while. I obviously need to engage in some defamiliarisation, (which is another thing that this endeavour should be good for).
The weather in Seattle when we left was nothing like the weather that greeted us in Winnipeg.
After the captain announced that it was -19 Celsius and windless in Winnipeg, I thought: “That’s not so bad.” “Windless” is a magical word to me these days. Photo 2 celebrates the cold here. I’m sure that it will be the first of many. The apartment windows are new but poorly installed so we get some ice along with our drafts. Since I don’t own the place, I think it’s charming…ish. The qualifier is because we do pay hydro.
This whole project should be fun. I can’t wait to see what I’m photographing in a couple of months after I’ve exhausted my usual subjects. And you? Are there any year-long artsy projects in which you’ve decided to participate?
Go US and Project 365 days. You check up on me and I’ll check up on you and I’m sure we’ll be able to stick to it. Love the ice photo – I’m feelin’ ya on the “windless” thing. It really makes life better.
Deal.
Windless is a magical word when you live somewhere flat and cold, isn’t it? At least last night, when the wind picked up, it was coming from the south. Heat wave!
yay – you’ve joined project 365! I like the frost on the window. I’m way into my 365 becuase I started middle of last year – but think I’ll keep it up through the end of this year as hopefully there should be changes this year…. look forward to seeing your images all year. ~Geneveive
Hey Zh this project seems fun and not so draining. Like create a full journal page or something like that, i should do more with my cameras. Hmmmmmmm maybe….
ANg
Hey G: Thanks. I look forward to seeing the rest of your images too.
ANg: It’s been fun so far, although I’m casting about for what to photograph today. And, yeah, you should do more with that sweet little DSLR of yours.