366 project

Foto Friday: And … it’s over

November 9, 2012

Master Locks may be invincible, but my Project 366 wasn’t, unfortunately.

I’ve been putting this off for as long as I can.

I didn’t want to admit it. I didn’t want it to be over. But it is. And there’s not much I can do about it.

My Project 366 went by way of the garbage.

When I did the Project 365 in 2010, I struggled. Many times. But every day, by hook or by crook, I took a photo. Sometimes it wasn’t good. Sometimes it was awesome. But every day … a photo.

At the end of the project, I swore I would never do it again. It was one of those things I was happy I did, but I knew there were too many times where I dreaded worrying about a photo. I live in a rural area, so I can only take so many shots of flowers, trees and mountains before I get bored.

With this year being a leap year, I thought I’d try it again. Why the heck not?

Yeah, now I remember why I said I wouldn’t do it again!

The first part of the year was awesome. I was all over it and really getting some good stuff. Then I started hitting a wall. See, this job search thing takes up a lot of time. There were times I just didn’t feel like snapping a photo. But I pushed through it. However, this was earlier than the first time around. I knew doing it this year was in jeopardy.

After 225-plus days, the sun set on this attempt at the 366 Project.

I struggled through the summer months — where the nights are longer and there’s more chances to get images. I got through August. And into September. And then it stopped.

The reality set in that despite being only 100-plus days shy of completing this project, it was over.

It’s not like I am happy about it. I truly was hoping to do it this time around. Alas, I knew a month or two I wasn’t going to make it. When I was struggling with half the year to go, I knew it was over. I kept battling as much as I could, but when reality takes over, it’s only a matter of time.

Still, to say I am fully disappointed would be a false answer.

I took a lot of cool photos this year that I wouldn’t have without this challenge. When I was pepped up in the early going, I was really challenging myself. For that, I’m happy. I have very cool images from this year because of the challenge.

In the end, I guess I held true to my original statement after the 2010 challenge — I’ll never do it again. Who knows? Maybe I’ll try it again one time in the future when I’m in a better place, personally and professionally. Maybe I’ll have that drive to do it again.

Or maybe not.

With all that being said, I’m glad I gave it a try again. It just wasn’t meant to be.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Foto Friday: July was a blink

August 3, 2012

In regard to photos, July went by quickly.

Yes, July was a blink.

Let me explain why.

You see, I have been getting into the habit of posting my 366 images on Flickr once per week. It’s easier that way. However, July didn’t happen that way. I got through the 14th and then didn’t process or post anything until … August 2.

Yikes!

Let’s just say it was a whirlwind to go through all the images, pick the ones I wanted to use and place them in the right spots. Crazy enough.

I’ve come close to ending my 366 a few times this month, I won’t lie. It’s been tough because, well, it gets old taking photos of the same small area. Sometimes I get some good stuff. Other times, it’s plain.

One thing I’ve learned to do is this — recycle.

By that I mean an area. So if I go somewhere and there are several things to take photos of and that would work, I take one. Then I keep a note and I might go back the next day. I don’t take photos of all of it in one day because then the backups are gone. So it becomes a situation where I might visit the same part three or four times in a week, just to utilize the photo opportunities.

I’ve also kept going with nature stuff, so there’s always flowers and such available.

I’m going to try and push myself a bit more in August. Softball is over now, so hopefully I can get into a photographing mood a bit more.

Now for my top images of July…

Paddles waiting to be used. (July 1)

Old glory. (July 4)

Coke. (July 5)

Fair on the Square, (July 13)

Looking out. (July 23)

You can see all my 366 photos from this year at this Flickr set.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Foto Friday: June brings heat

July 27, 2012

The summer months of the 366 have been a little slow… but this was one of my favorites from June — a person running through the Hamden Covered Bridge.

Ahhh, June. When the summer officially starts and when photography should be a breeze.

Right?

Not so much.

This summer has been hot and humid. Mix that in with softball, caching, the job hunt and many other things and my camera hasn’t been out as much as normal. I plodded through the month with 366 shots, but at times it wasn’t so easy.

That has kind of continued in July and I’m extremely far behind from posting all my imaged from July (the 14th is the last day I’ve processed/posted! Yikes! I need to get going!)

But, it’s the summer nonetheless.

I got some fun shots this month as I mixed things up with sports, events and everyday things.

As for the 366, it’s been tough! Though I thought it would be much easier than when I did it in 2010, it’s been harder. With taking the photos, processing them and posting them. I’m behind on a lot of photo things. I need to get rolling and get them on my Flickr!

Anyway, here’s my top five (plus one) from June (in order of date posted):

Wiffle ball (June 2).

Disc golf clinic (June 3)

Fog settling in (June 5)

First to find (June 11)

Coming clean (June 20)

Sliding home (June 28)

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Foto Friday: May sunshine

July 20, 2012

One of my favorite shots from May.

Isn’t there an old saying that refers to May showers?

As if!

With doing a blogging challenge throughout the month of June and then the HooHaa Holga Challenge early this month, I haven’t had the chance to report on my May portion of my 2012 366 Project. Therefore, I want to do that here.

I have to say this challenge has been hard. I’ve kept plugging away with it, but I don’t have the same zest I had when I started this year or when I did it in 2010.

To try and get myself going, I basically take photos all week and then when Sunday or so comes around, I go through the images, process and upload that week’s worth of images. That gives me more of a feel of the project and makes it so I’m not as worried about things. I just snap images.

My May photos had quite a bit of variety. There were a few “oh, crap, I need a photo!” images to many that I planned out. Take, for example, the top image on this post. I had this one in mind when I went to this track meet, but it took me many snaps to get one I liked!

As with last month, I couldn’t come up with just five images to post here on the bottom of the post, so I’m going with my top six. None of them are in any particular order.

Chair meets face (May 4)

Roller derby (May 11)

Mother’s Day golf (May 13)

Water drops (May 21)

Legendary paddler (May 28)

Cheese and crackers (May 31)

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Foto Friday: Goodbye April!

May 4, 2012

A found baseball in a field gave me a wonderful opportunity for a cool photo.

Another month gone by and I’m still going at the 366 Project.

I will admit, however, that I haven’t been as on top of posting the images as I usually am. I have been basically waiting until I have 2-4 days worth of images and then upload. That also makes it so I haven’t been posting my images to the 366 groups on Flickr. Not that it’s that big of a deal, but I have slacked there.

Still, I’m plugging away at the challenge and it was a glorious day when I hit the 100-day mark. See, when I did this challenge the first time (at that point, just a 365 Challenge), I used milestones to get me through the photos. At 50 photos, 100, 150 etc. I figure by getting myself to each spot, I was doing a good thing.

However, considering I’ve done the challenge before, my milestones are a bit more spread out now — 100, 200, 200 and 366.

Truthfully, the only goal here is 366. Anything else would be failing the project. Especially because I have done it before.

Alas, April came and went and 30 more images were added to the list, giving me 121 straight days of taking a photo as of April 30.

This month saw a bit of everything. From a bloody professional wrestler to lacrosse to disc golf to signs to a friend’s kid happily eating an ice cream cone.

And now I march on into May looking to keep the streak alive. I won’t lie — I came close a few times this month to missing. But I plugged away and kept it up. It seems I struggle after I’ve had a few consecutive days of good stuff — or the extra-long days of when I’m applying for jobs etc. But I keep at it and hopefully I’ll get through 366 days!

Below are six (usually five, but I couldn’t decide) of my favorite shots from April (in no particular order):