Project 365: 2011 Edition | Northern VA Photographer

Pro-ject 365 [n. proj-ekt, -ikt 365; v. pruh-jekt 365]: 1) Taking one picture everyday for one full year.

Yes folks. I am at it again. This is my 3rd time attempting the dreaded Project 365. Third times a charm, right? The past two years have been failed attempts. Year one (2009) I made it about 5 months in. Year two (2010) I only made it 2 months before calling it quits. However, each time I find I grow creatively and I’ve learned something in the process so I really can’t say that each year was a full failure.  It’s the project that initially sparked my passion for photography. Project 365 and I have a love hate relationship.

In 2010, my Calmer jokingly decided to join in with me. We all thought he’d quit. I gave him a month.  Me with my fancy DSLR. Him with his trusty pocket camera (cell phone) by his side. As he put it “I was the Bizarro to her Superman. The PC to her Mac. The Puck to her Finn.” Well one year later he proved us all wrong. He can proudly state that he successfully completed his project 365. And I am so glad he did. The visual diary through his eyes of our wild ride in 2010 is something I will cherish forever.

This year will be different for me. My Calmer taught me you don’t have to achieve perfection to enjoy this project. You don’t need the perfect shot each day. The right composition. Uploading. Editing. You don’t need any of it. It’s about making and capturing memories. Cherishing moments, big and small. Capturing the mundane details and the big achievements that make life worth living.

This year my 365 will be ALL via my trusty pocket camera. A cell phone 365. One stop shopping for shooting, editing, uploading, and captioning. Once taken my pictures will automatically arrive at Flickr, Facebook, and Twitter.  A much more manageable approach so that this year I can finish!

I hope you’ll follow along with my 365 journey as this year unfolds. As the year progresses I hope to post a monthly montage of my favorite shots. But since I can’t leave a blog post without a photo I’ll leave you with yesterday’s 365 shot. One of the mundane details. But one of my favorite places to relax and unwind hang out with good friends.