One a day for 366 Days……Done

I finished my 365+1 project today. Been some big ups, big lows….and some big hair. So I thought I’d write down some crap interesting thoughts about it. Read on for more.

My 365 project has at times been an absolute, total, utter pain in the arse! Fact.

As well as being an excellent tool for learning and practicing new techniques, it’s also been the most efficient way to heap huge pressure on myself. Pressure to try and create an original image every day. Pressure not to post any old shit just to make sure that I have an image for the day. On the whole, I succeeded for the most part to avoid this, but the odd one still got through. I’ve had a look through my images, and I’m going to pick a couple apart, and admit a few self confessed faves.

First up is this Entry from Day 26

 

 

This was the first image that I had trouble with, and it was hastily thrown together to make sure I had an image. 

I look back at this now, and I don’t care for it at all. The concept was sound, but it looks rushed. It’s underexposed, badly framed, and in my opinion very boring. The only thing it has going for it is that my kids voluntarily got involved, and from that point on have normally been only too willing to be in front of my lens.

I’m obviously aware that I will more than likely see faults in a lot of my images. Firstly, because I’m a year down the line, and my mastery of my camera and my lighting is much more advanced than it was (Check out my egotistical side). And secondly because its easy to overlook issues and flaws whilst encased in the excitement of creating an image you think  you like.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is this image from day 47

 

 

 

 liked this image the day I made it, and now It’s one of my favourite images from the series. I set the light up specifically for this effect, and then used Photoshop to create the halo. It was the first time I had deliberately controlled lighting with it in mind to add an aspect in post production, and this led on to the fairy shots I did towards the end of the year.

These two images show how useful my 365 has been in developing how I work and think when it comes to my photography. My skills have improved, I’ve developed a love for off camera lighting that I never knew I had, and I’ve experimented with light painting. I’d have probably never achieved such a collection of varied work were it not for this project.

 So, what’s my all time personal favourite image from the series?

This one.

 

Because it combines all of the points I’ve mentioned. It was a night when my creativity was flowing well, I used  off camera lighting to isolate the “Me’s” and I used my ever improving Photoshop skills to paste the images together. I love it, and so did a lot of other people, it reached the Explore pages of flickr, which is not so easily done considering the average number of images uploaded daily is 1.8 million. :-)

And the final inspiring little detail I have picked up from this is that I have an eye for a good image. This sounds big headed, but let me explain. Anyone who thinks they don't have a good eye for an image is wrong. Because its entirely objective. You know what you like and you like what you know! simple as that. If you take photos for yourself, that please you, then others will more than likely appreciate them too. So really Everyone has an eye for it!