I've taken a photo a day every day this year and for over half of 2008. Every day. Without fail.
What if I didn't next year? What if I didn't pick up the camera as I walked out the door? What if I stopped wearing it as the accessory to complete my outfit?
I think about it sometimes. Contemplate what I would miss. Contemplate what I might experience, seeing the world through two eyes instead of a little black square.
Would I enjoy photography more? Would I begin to see the world differently? Or would there be a deep unmet need burning at my very core?
I'm just wondering. What do you think?
About a boy. And his mom. And photography. And the occasional sentence fragment.
7 comments:
I go through a similar debate in my mind when I find myself letting my need to capture everything in photos get in the way of the actual event it is I'm trying to capture. It's almost as if I don't really experience it - always on the outside looking in and trying to save it forever. But then I remember ... half of my enjoyment from these events IS the photography. So then I keep right on snapping... Good thing to think about, though. Can't picture you without that camera. :)
As I've mentioned before, I took a picture every single day of 2007, took 2008 "off" from the project, then did 2009 (and haven't missed a day yet). In January of 2008 I felt weird not taking a picture every day--like something was missing. But I got over it pretty fast. And Project 365 in 2007 had done so much for my photography--my skill and my love of it--that I ended up taking even more photos in 2008 than I had in 2007. (Buying my first dSLR may have had something to do with that too!) I share this only to suggest that you probably don't need to fear missing a whole lot of great moments. You're a photographer; not being obsessive (is that too strong a word?) about it isn't going to change that.
Do it for the fun and the challenge; don't do it out of fear. And if you take some time off and hate it, no great loss, right? Pick up the camera again, every time you head out the door, and have fun!
Oh, and--I won't be doing the project in 2010. But I'll still be taking pictures, I've no doubt.
How timely, Katrina! I am considering this challenge for myself next year and wonder the same thing...
Kimberly
http://yeptheyareallmine.blogspot.com/
I stopped sometime in October when I had camera troubles (my card died). I had been taking a photo-a-day since Jan 08. I thought it would be good to take a break but now I feel like something is missing, not just the taking of the photo but the act of noticing life around me, and recording it. I've scrapped less because of it too! I'm going to start again Jan 1. I need the motivation back.
So timely. This is something I have been really thinking about the last 2 weeks of December and I still haven't decided. I do love the daily challenge to photograph something.
A day without creating an image is a day without life. :)
I'm going to try to photograph everything I eat in 2010.
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