January 13, 2012 – 10:15 am

On 1 January this year I started my photo a day project up again. I’d thought I might do some sort of theme but I haven’t come up with one so it’s still a photo a day of something.
Even though it was only just over a month since I finished my last one it feels like a lot longer and I’m still getting back into the swing of remembering to take a photo a day.
I find I’m still sticking mainly to the Hipstamatic app on the iPhone but want to try some other apps along the way.
Other than that my days have been pretty busy with stuff (ambiguous I know). I’ve still to re-find my writing mojo. It annoys me that I’ve lost this particular purpose. I know they say just to write and I’m tossing up whether to go back to the model I started a few months ago, ie posting up my photo each day and saying a few words or more about each one.
What say you?
December 24, 2011 – 2:18 pm

I’ve been going through my photos and posted a few to Flickr that I took with my Project 365 in mind, but didn’t quite make the cut. Or they’re photos I just took anyway. Here are a few of them.
One of the things I miss about not going out with The Surfer any more is the proximity I had more regularly to the beach. Plans are afoot – albeit long-term plans – to remedy this though. So photos like the one above probably won’t feature as much in my daily photos when I kickstart that again.

This is Monty in my car boot. I jokingly told (well gestured because she’s deaf) her to hop in and she did. I was quite surprised because while it’s not that high off the ground I didn’t realise she was still agile enough.
Now, of course, I didn’t put the boot’s lid down and drive off but as you can see I did take a photo. She looks quite content don’t you think?

Here’s another one of Monty. I have to fatten her up as she’s lost four kilos since she had her last vet’s checkup a year ago. And that’s a fair amount of weight for a dog that only weighed 22kg to start with. The vet said that ‘we have arthritis in our back legs and we might need some medication to make us feel better’. I swear, that’s how she spoke. I felt like telling her that she could talk about the dog, not us. We don’t need medication, the bloody dog does ok? She also kept calling Monty ‘him’ after I’d more than once referred to ‘her’.
This medication would have cost $47 per month. I’ve decided to go the natural route and give her glucosamine powder and fish oil. This way she won’t feel left out with what I take for my sore knees!
Monty, despite her 14+ years, still loves to come for walks with us and she potters around the oval while we’re there. Someone the other day commented that she takes shortcuts across the oval to catch up with me.
I notice that she’s constantly underfoot too. She follows me EVERYWHERE. She never used to follow me around quite as much. I don’t know if it’s because she’s hard of hearing and has to have me in her sights now. While it sometimes becomes annoying I know I’ll miss it like crazy when she’s not doing it any more so I put up with it.
December 14, 2011 – 4:30 pm
As regular readers of this blog will know I recently completed my first photography project, ie a photo a day for a year, or ‘Project 365‘.
I’m taking a break from a photo a day until the new year but maybe I need to rethink the aim of the next project. Maybe I need a theme?
A fellow Flickr contact took a photo a day for a year using the same object in each photo. While I admire that I don’t think it’s for me because I’d be bound to go away for a weekend and forget the damn object then where would I be?
Recently I came across a photographer (Jennifer Sando) who had a photography goal of shooting a portrait of a favourite musician, Eddie Vedder, and used her photography to get noticed to reach her goal.
She says:
I’m an up-and-coming photographer based in Adelaide (South Australia) who happens to be a massive Pearl Jam fan. And I would like to take Eddie Vedder’s portrait. (Note that was “portrait” and not “snapshot”.)
I’m very conscious of the fact that Eddie will be doing two solo shows here at the end of March. So I’m striving for an opportunity at that time. Yes, I have tickets.
Until the concert, (which is 84 days away), I will be uploading a black & white photograph every day to spell out the fact that I REALLY want to take Eddie’s portrait. …
She reached her goal and got to take Eddie Vedder’s portrait when he came to Adelaide earlier this year. She wrote:
…this was more than a portrait quest for me. It turned out to be a life-changing journey with major rewards, a big finale, and a new perspective on life.
I couldn’t find anything about what her new perspective on life is. Jennifer? Perhaps you can tell me? I’d love to hear it.
The only reason I know about this project is because Jennifer was at The Gov (an Adelaide music venue and pub) a while ago taking photos one Saturday afternoon of a uke gathering I was at. You can see the photos here.
I think an aim like this is admirable. It gets you doing something you love, to achieve something you want to achieve. Food for thought.
November 26, 2011 – 11:54 am

How does one end a photo a day for a year? I wanted to take a photo of something with the numbers 365 in it but of course couldn’t find anything and I hadn’t planned ahead far enough.
Next best thing? Take a self-portrait. That’s what I did. I took quite a few photos before I was satisified(ish) with this one.
I feel a fantastic sense of achievement with the completion of this self-imposed project.
And the unexpected result of doing this project is that I’m going to have a photography exhibition early next year. I’m excited and scared all at the same time but those are natural feelings when you put yourself and/or your work out there.
I don’t know what I want to achieve with this exhibition. I don’t have a desire to be a professional photographer as I think that would take some of the fun out of it. At this stage I want to keep it as a hobby because it’s something I really enjoy.
I’ve decided to do another photo a day for a year project but I’ll start on 1 January 2012 and by my calculations it will be 366 photos because it’s a leap year.
November 23, 2011 – 4:57 pm

This was Day 1/365 of my Project 365 photos.

This is Day 364/365 of my Project 365 photos.
I’ve done it, except for today’s photo – the last one for the year. Will I continue with another year? Should I?
This is my contribution for Wordless Wednesday – hoping Trish gets her blog sorted out. If it’s not there she knows there’s problems.
October 20, 2011 – 8:02 am

Thursday, 13 October 2011, Day 324/365.
I was watching tv and checking Facebook and Twitter during the ads because I always avoid watching ads if I can and noticed that lots of people were talking about how fabulous the full moon was.
I checked it out for myself and took some photos with my phone. I wish I could have been bothered to get my SLR camera and setup the tripod but I was tired and it required too much effort on my part.
But I’m happy with how this photo turned out – you get some sense of how it looked that night. Sensational.
October 19, 2011 – 7:48 am

Tuesday, 11 October 2011, Day 322/365.

Wednesday, 12 October 2011, Day 323/365.
Catching up. It’s Wordless Wednesday too. Go join in.