226 : 365 In Your Shoes

One of my friends, Mary Beth, started a 365 Project on January 1st.  Mary Beth has a goal of getting herself into a photo every week.  

I get into photos with my kids periodically.  I am always happy that I did.  Mary Beth challenged me do one of just me.  

I took the photo in my bedroom.  It’s the room in our house that has the best light in the afternoon. Also, I can easily move stuff to get an uncluttered background.  I have taken many photos of my kids in this very spot.  I thought it would be the best place to turn the camera on myself.

I’m not gonna lie – I felt silly smiling at a camera on a tripod.  This resulted in the first twenty-five photos being serious.  

Today’s photo count: 58

225 : 365 What a Gem

He’s been asking, “What is a gem?”  Gems have a lot of significance a video game he plays, Temple Run. But Atticus doesn’t know what they are.  I told him I have one in my ring that Dad gave me.  He asks to see it every day.  He still asks, “But what are gems, really?”

I love an answerable question.  And I knew just the place.  I took him to the Carnegie Museum’s Hall of Gems.  We walked in and immediately he said, “This is not what I thought it would be like. Let’s go.”  Maybe he thought there would be sand and wooden chests full of gems? 

I insisted we walk through the hall, at least to see the big rubies and emeralds which the most similar to what he sees on his game.

 He didn’t change his mind about the Hall of Gems.  

I know, my boy.  I know.  It’s hard to see beauty when it’s not what you had in mind.

Today’s photo count: 23

224 : 365 Magic

I got to the end of the day with no photos.  

At first, I asked him to jump on the bed which he loves and does very well.  He did a few jumps.  He was only doing it so I would read to him.  (Witness the madness of a 365.)  I was wanted to get a shot of me reading to him.  The above photo was taken while I was setting up the camera on a tripod for a photo with me in it.

We did some jumping and a few with me but this was my favorite – because – look how he’s holding the book!

Today’s photo count: 56

For the Love of a Project – Blog Circle

At the start of the new year, a wonderful thing happened.  Some friends of mine started a year of daily photos – 365 Projects.  

I started mine in June of last year.  I’m a little over halfway through.  

I have times when I feel like my 365 project is the best thing I do all day.  Once I get a photo done – it stays done. (Unlike the laundry.)

I enjoy looking back at a week or month of photos and see what we’ve done. (Other than laundry.)

There are other times my project is like laundry – so easy to fall behind and no way to get ahead.

People have different expectations themselves when they undertake a 365 project.

For this, my second 365 Project, I am much, much gentler with myself than during my first 365 a in 2010.  This time, I take Sundays off.  I make sure to get a photo every day but if I don’t get it posted right away, or post out of order, I don’t worry too much.  That said, there is a little voice I hear sometimes that says, “Doesn’t seem like a real project then…” I ignore that voice.  I remind myself, or am reminded by others, that it is my project after all.  

I recently started noting how many photos I take every day.  I have been surprised at how constant the number is. 

Another thing about doing a photo every day – not every photo will be great.  See above photo.  

I was fooling around with using my flash off camera triggered by my 7D’s pop up flash. I didn’t anything I liked even though I took a bunch of photos. Then, it was time for bed and I realized I needed a photo for the day. So I did long exposure of me getting ready for bed. 

This is January’s For the Love blog circle. Please follow this link to Melissa’s blog and then go all the way around the circle until you find yourself right back here.

219 : 365 What’s Your Name?

It’s reassuring to see something growing on an old piece of wood in the middle of winter. 

I have a friend that can name any fungus we come across while walking in the woods.  Unfortunately, she wasn’t with me when I found these.  I don’t know their name but I enjoyed taking a good look at them.

Today’s photo count : 95

217 : 365 Returning

Repetition is a theme in my photos.  It is a theme in my life.  Going to the library is something I am happy to do over and over.  

I love the library.  I worked at the libraries of both the colleges I attended.  I am so grateful that I can take my kids to many different libraries – all within a few miles of my home.  My kids give names to the libraries we go to.  Today we went to the main library in Oakland. They call it the Big Library.  They have named it well.  It is big.   We had trouble parking today which reminded me why this isn’t the library we always go to.  But, their collection is amazing and it’s fun to just be in the building.  

After many years of trying to remember when my books we due, forgetting and paying fines, we have settled into a weekly visit.  That way, all the books are due on Wednesday and I only have to check once a week.  

In this photo, Augusta is looking for books about volcanoes.  Why?  Her brother loves volcanoes. 

Today’s photo count: 9