Project 365

I always intend to post to this blog more often, but it's often hard to find the time, the motivation, and something "worth saying" (my biggest hurdle!). I got new inspiration today that addresses at least the second concern.

I attended part of a nature photography expo hosted by local photography clubs. I couldn't imagine devoting Friday evening through late Sunday afternoon to the same activity, but in retrospect, I should have.

The lectures left me wanting to run out and put new principles into practice, but there were barely 30 minutes between lectures, not much time to wander the gardens where the expo was hosted. And there were so many other things to do! I left a trail of drool through the vendor exhibits - macro lenses! sharpening software! exotic tours led by professional photographers! I spent an hour analyzing the members' exhibit, trying to figure out what made each photo work. Although I was tempted to buy several stunning shots, I was equally motivated to try to recreate them.

It was a packed day, but I still wanted more! Surfing the web after I came home, I found something called Project 365. The idea is to take and post one photo per day for a year. Members of the group on Flickr provide each other with positive feedback, encouragement, and ideas for the next day's subject.

I don't have the discipline to do this for an entire year, but I'd like to try it for a bit to see how the blog and photos will inspire one another. If nothing else, I'll have a brief record of my daily life for a week or so. (Perhaps you should prepare yourself now for a lot of office shots.) Today's first shot is a patch of snowdrops from the grounds of the gardens that hosted the photo expo. The second photo is from my yard, the first crocuses poking up to say hello to the recent warm weather.