Project 365 (+42)

Yesterday, I finally finished up my flickr Project 365 work. I really didn't plan on it taking exactly 42 days more than the 365, but you know that 42 is the answer to the ultimate question of Life, the Universe, and Everything, so nobody should be surprised. I actually took the last picture on Feb. 14 and uploaded the last batch on April 2, but I didn't finish sending the last ones to the Project 365 Group until yesterday.

For those of you that don't know, the idea behind Project 365 is to take a new picture (or 2, or 3, or 4, or....) every day, with the goal of improving your photographic skill and technique. Over the course of a year, I've taken literally thousands of pictures (gotta love digital cameras!) . I've gotten some OK shots, some really nice ones, and some that never made it off of the camera. I got a new camera, broke the new camera, moved back to the old camera, and moved back after getting the new one repaired. Some of the shots I found easily, and some were desperation shots taken just before (or in some cases shortly after) midnight. During the last few months, I started really obsessing about getting a picture every day and my wife suggested, rightly so, that I should just quit. However, I really wanted to see this through, so I just kept at it.

So, did I get a new picture every day? No, but I did take one to be used on the days I missed. Did this project make me a better photographer? Maybe yes, maybe no. I did learn how to use some of the features of my cameras that allowed me to take pictures I would not have otherwise been able to take, so that's something gained. Would I do this again, or something like it, in the future? No, I have too many other things to do. That being said, I don't have any regrets about the project and wouldn't caution others against it. I would just suggest that they go in with their eyes open and that they not get obsessive about it. It's all just a bunch of bits anyway.

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