POTW for January 23rd to 29th

Some great photos again for this week, it was hard to choose three from the wonderful nominations. Well done to Chris Bunda Photography, dhoris and helenogbourn for having their photos chosen this week.

If you like any of those chosen, be sure to visit the photographers stream and leave a comment, they will be happy you did.

Congratulations stacy kissel!

Congratulations to Stacy, who completed her 365 Project December 31 with this celebration of a photo:


Stacy's photostream is filled with great shots and is well worth a visit. Below is her finisher's interview and her impressive favorites from her year, enjoy!

What inspired you to begin your 365 Project?
I decided to begin the project because I wanted some sort of structure that would make me get better at taking photos. I'm self-taught, and I've found that taking tons of shots is the only way to figure out what works and what doesn't.

How would you describe your photography in just a few words?
Quirky, inconsistent, selfish.

What surprised you the most about doing the 365 project?
Soon after starting the project, I found that I was constantly composing photos in my mind. I began looking at the world differently, always seeking out something interesting for that day's photo. Sometimes I wish I could turn this off, as I get frustrated when I don't have my camera with me or am in a situation where I can't stop and take a photo.

What did you learn during the course of your project?
I learned that it's possible to take an interesting photo anywhere. No matter where I am, I can find something to shoot.

Do you have an interesting story about taking one of your 365 photos that you would like to share?
See:


Weirdest coincidence ever.

What are your future photography plans?
I've taken a bit of a break lately, but I want to do a relaxed version of a 365 this year. I hope to have at least a couple of photos each week that I'll designate as a photo of the day. During the summer I may try to get back to the one-a-day thing. I hope to start shooting with film a bit more, as I won't have to worry about keeping track of which photos were taken on which days.

Favorites:


Because I like the photo and I hate that I was kicked out of a place where I could have taken so many amazing shots.


Because I love the color and I captured the bird at the perfect instant.
I also remember that I took this after work while waiting to meet friends for beers. I was just wandering around and saw the perfect photo.



This is one of my all-time favorites. Not only do I love how the colors and the lights look, but this was taken on a most excellent night. It was incredibly warm, and I spend the night walking walking all over NYC with one of my favorite people on Earth. We had just walked over the Brooklyn Bridge and back. We than wandered by the river to get shots of the bridge from the side. I didn't mind that there were roaches scurrying around my feet.


Because I don't use my old Polaroids enough.


Best self-portrait ever.

Congratulations to Mark Bonica!

Congratulations to Mark who finished his 365 on 31st December with this great self portrait

Mark's 365 has been a pleasure to follow with such a diverse portfolio of shots. He kindly agreed to answer our finisher interview questions and choose some of his favourites from his project.

1.) What inspired you to begin your 365 Project?

I wanted to share something with my wife - a project we could both be involved with - I thought it would give us something to talk about and explore together. Plus, I had purchased my DSLR, but hadn't used it as much as I wanted to. I knew taking a picture a day would force me to learn more about it.

2.) How would you describe your photography in just a few words?

I have been influenced by Henry David Thoreau since I was a young man. Art for me has always been about being awake and appreciating the splendor of the common.

3.) What surprised you the most about doing the 365 project?

How important it became to me. We went through a lot of transitions and stress over the course of the year, and it was a rudder in some senses.

4.) What did you learn during the course of your project?

Not surprisingly, I learned how much I had to learn. I learned some of the avenues that I need to travel to become a better visual artist.

5.) Do you have an interesting story about taking one of your 365 photos that you would like to share?

I think my favorite picture of the year was day 134 (link below) when I metro'ed up to Arlington Cemetary and photographed the Old Guard sentry at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It meant a lot to me as a career soldier to try to capture some of the cultural significance of the place.

6.) What are your future photography plans?

I'm hoping to continue to have it be a part of my life, trying to think how I can integrate it into my professional life as well. It's been a great hobby to share with my wife - we talk about it a lot and it's brought us closer.

Some favs:

Arlington shot mentioned above:

My first "explored" - this took a lot of shots to get the timing right. it was a good learning experience getting to understand the relationship between motion and shutter speed.

Jiu-jitsu is an important part of my life - these are some friends working out.

Congratulations again to Mark, here are a couple of admin faves, together with a slide-show of his 365.

Congratulations to JoGo!

Congratulations to Jo who finished her 365 on 4th January with this fantastic black and white shot

Jo is a great Flickr contact who is very talented and an inspiration to many. Her photography has gone from strength to strength throughout her 365, as has her processing skills, which are excellent. She has a real talent with textures creating beautiful pieces of art. Jo lives in a very beautiful part of the UK and has many photos of her local area that are awe inspiring.

Here is Jo's finisher interview, which she was kind enough to answer

1.) What inspired you to begin your 365 Project?
I was inspired to do a 365 after reading a piece on photoblog on how it had helped that person hone their photography skills. I undertook the 365 because I wanted to improve my photography and editing skills and make pictures not just take them.

2.) How would you describe your photography in just a few words?
eeek...my photography in a few words? Still evolving.

3.) What surprised you the most about doing the 365 project?
All the friends I have made, and hopefully will keep, is what surprised me. I didn't associate Flickr with social networking and while not social networking per se, there is definately a network there, and it can be kind of social, and friendly, and I like it!

4.) What did you learn during the course of your project?
Mainly I learnt to see a picture and compose it where at times in the past it would have gone unnoticed. I've learnt how good DoF and bokeh are, I can work in photoshop much more quickly now, having discovered shortcuts, actions, &layers etc.

5.) Do you have an interesting story about taking one of your 365 photos that you would like to share?
My minds gone blank I'm sure if there were I'd remember it :)

6.) What are your future photography plans?
Well, my photography still has a long way to go so I may not do another 365 (unless I change my mind in a few days time) but I will be posting regularly, maybe do a 52 instead, though I can't actually imagine only posting one shot a week...so we'll see!

When asked about her favourites Jo said "It's quite hard to choose any favourites, especially as I don't have a particular style, I chose these 3 water shots, 2 are kind of abstract, 2 are kind of dynamic in movement".

Congrats once again to Jo! Here are three of the admin favourites from the year and a slideshow of her complete 365.

Congratulations to 3Geezy!

Congratulations to 3Geezy who finished his 365 on 31st December with this wonderful black & white self portrait

Through his 365 we are given an incite into his life and the area around him, with some lovely colourful shots and some wonderful animal portraits. 3Geezy was kind enough to answer our finishers questions and his answers are below.

1.) What inspired you to begin your 365 Project?
My fellow flickr friend John Sigler did 2009 and he was my inspiration. I also have always had a love of photography. I took a class once and decided that self motivation along with an online community would be cool.

2.) How would you describe your photography in just a few words?
Situational Journalism...always have a camera in reach.

3.) What surprised you the most about doing the 365 project?
What surprised me most was how my family began observing things that would normally pass on by. Many time they would see something tell me, "that's a 365."

4.) What did you learn during the course of your project?
I learned you have to slow down to photograph. You think as you get old you slow down, but you just get busier. Photography makes you have to stop. Stop and observe, if only for a moment. Also, now it is habitual to carry my camera. If I don't I always regret it and am fearful I'll miss some great shot.

5.) Do you have an interesting story about taking one of your 365 photos that you would like to share?
I did an extraordinary amount of driving this year. It probably was not wise, but I kept the camera on the seat next to me all the time just in case I saw a spaceship or something. One trip driving from Las Vegas to Reno I spotted an Amish fellow driving a horse drawn wagon heading south. If I did not have the discipline of having a camera at all times I would have missed the shot. It was taken driving on the freeway, but it was pretty impressive.

6.) What are your future photography plans?
I plan on doing the 365 in 2011. I would like to see if I can start setting up some shots...you know planning them instead of capturing them.

Congratulations once again to 3Geezy, here are some of the admin faves and the slideshow of his complete 365.

Congratulations to Olga!

Congratulations to Olga who completed her 365 on 31st December with this photo

Olga's stream is full of wonderful variety & creativity. During her 365 amongst the many wonderful photos she has taken there are some very striking self portraits and many fabulous captures of her Weimaraner Trooper.

Olga kindly agreed to answer our finisher interview questions and share some of her favourite shots.

1.) What inspired you to begin your 365 Project?

At some point I realized that time started running faster and faster and I can barely remember what happened 1-2 months ago. It was sad. Then I saw a blog of a person who did 365, and then one of my older flickr contacts decided to do it this year, well, last year. He never finished it but I did! Now I have this visual history of a whole year, plus I learned new tricks and know better how to use my camera.

2.) How would you describe your photography in just a few words?

I love natural lighting and candid portraits. Hope to get more courage to shoot strangers:)

3.) What surprised you the most about doing the 365 project?

It's really important to have the support of others going through the same process, and evidently I love this feeling of belonging to a small community, really got attached to my flickr friends:)

4.) What did you learn during the course of your project?

Having to shoot daily really forced me to look at the world around me from different perspectives. I'm more observant of the surrounding area and I think harder about the composition of the photo. Besides, I think I finally learned to use lighting conditions to my advantage.

5.) Do you have an interesting story about taking one of your 365 photos that you would like to share?

At some point I realized that I was chasing a decent size alligator to make him my picture of the day. Crazy.

6.) What are your future photography plans?

52 weeks project is coming! I hope I can focus on quality shots rather than having something for the sake of posting it on time. It's hard to take 365 magnificent photos but I can definitely try to do 52!

Here are a few of her favorite photos from the year:

Congrats again to Olga! Here are three of the admin favourites from the year and a slideshow of her complete 365.

POTW for January 17-22

A good start for those that began their projects on January 1. Here are this week's picks for Photo of the Week. Be sure to stop these photographers streams and congratulate them.

Congratulations Phil Roeder!

Congratulations to Phil, who completed his 365 Project with this photo:



His set is filled with diverse subjects: interesting portraits, great architectural shots and macros. I enjoyed seeing his use of color and light and his use of creative angles. Phil kindly agreed to answer our finisher's interview questions and share his favorite photos with us. Enjoy!

What inspired you to begin your 365 Project?
First of all, I’ve had the pleasure of working with a wide variety of professional photographers at different points throughout my career. As an admirer of their work I thought this was a great way to have a better appreciation of what goes into taking and making a good photograph. Secondly, while I originally joined Flickr more nearly five years ago to use primarily as a place to store photos, over time I began to follow more and more the photos of others which made me want to improve my own photos. A 365 project seemed like the best way for me to do so. Finally, as luck would have it, our Canon Powershot died a year ago, so we purchased a Canon EOS XSi and added a couple of lenses; this was a great way to have fun with the new ‘toy.’

How would you describe your photography in just a few words?
Unfortunately, I didn’t develop what I’d consider to be my own “style” during the past year. At the same time, I’m now comfortable attempting almost anything. In the end, I guess I am always trying to look at things a little differently. If everyone is looking at something from the front, I want to see it from behind, if everyone is looking at something from the top, I want to get underneath.

What surprised you the most about doing the 365 project?
First, actually completing the project. I assumed something – from an emergency to apathy – would have derailed me but, good photos or bad, I kept pushing forward to the end. Second, winning first place in the Still Life category at the Iowa State Fair’s Photograph Salon. It’s a huge photo competition and was a big confidence boost. Finally, while it didn’t involve my own work, the reaction to my father’s photographs from the 1950s that I posted to Flickr; the response was overwhelming as tens of thousands of people viewed and commented on them.

What did you learn during the course of your project?
In my opinion, a 365 project is a better learning experience than any photography class could ever be. It forced me to become more confident with my equipment, with my processing (which is the area I still need to work on the most), and most of all with my own eyes, always on the lookout for something new to shoot. And for me, to do it right, it also meant looking at the work of others, from contacts on Flickr to picking up books to attending galleries to regularly checking photography blogs and web sites.

Do you have an interesting story about taking one of your 365 photos that you would like to share?
What ended up being my favorite photograph of the year (see below) was a complete accident. One summer day, when the temperature was in the mid-90s, I stopped at a downtown fountain hoping to simply get a shot of a water stream in mid-air against a bokeh backdrop. As I was doing that these two young girls and a baby – each in a different colored pastel dress – walked through the background. My first thought was “get out of the way,” but I shot a few frames anyway. When I saw the result later I loved it. The girls were nicely framed under the stream of water and their dresses added just the right, subtle touch of color to the image.

What are your future photography plans?
I suspect that I will post as many photos to Flickr in 2011 as I did during the past year. Rather than a 365 project I am doing a 52-week project for this year, so I can do more of a “best of” photo from the previous week and not feel as pressured to do something each and every day. At the same time, I want to do some documentary-type projects; rather than focusing so much on a single photo for the day do more collections of photos around events or places. In addition, I have some interest in the possibility of an exhibit, and am talking with someone about that, as well as entering a few competitions this year. Finally, I am very interested in doing something more with my father’s photographs and will explore some options.

FAVORITE PHOTOS

3.12.2010

The photo that won First Place in the Still Life category at the Iowa State Fair Photograph Salon, one of the largest competitions in the nation.

7.13.2010

An ‘accidental’ photo that ended up being my favorite of the entire year.

8.14.2010

I loved the expressions, especially the fact that the Grandfather seems to be having more fun than the little boy.

8.21.2010

My favorite attempt at a macro, this one of a spider in its web in front of our home.

Congratulations C.Duncan!

Congratulations to Caroline! She completed her 365 Project last week with this photo:



Caroline's project is full of color and creativity. She kindly agreed to answer our finisher interview questions and provide her gorgeous collection of favorites. I am excited that she has decided to continue with another Project 365 and I am looking forward to seeing it unfold!

What inspired you to begin your 365 Project?
I bought a Nikon D5000 in October 2009, after having an interest in photography for years. I was a complete newbie to anything beyond point and shoot and found that I wasn’t picking up the camera as much as I’d like to. In January 2010 I made it my new year’s resolution that I’d try to take more photos, and I started going out a lot at the start of the month taking pics.

Poking around Flickr I saw there were lots of people who had started a 365. I really liked the idea of it, so I decided I’d get on board and do one too, a bit more than a week after everyone else had started, as a way of challenging myself to take a photo every day and learn as much as I could about my camera.

How would you describe your photography in just a few words?
Colourful. Probably saturated. Probably TOO saturated sometimes.

What surprised you the most about doing the 365 project?
That I was able to finish and didn’t abandon it half way through!

What did you learn during the course of your project?
So much. So, so much. Mostly about light and composition. A lot about post processing. After I made a mosaic of the entire 365 days, I’ve been studying it, and I can actually pin point the day when a lot of things just “clicked” for me and how my photos changed after that. I’m actually quite ashamed of the photos from the first three months, in hindsight!

Do you have an interesting story about taking one of your 365 photos that you would like to share?I took this photo quite quickly one day (so the subject wouldn’t melt) when I was desperate for something to photograph and remembered I had something colourful in the freezer:

www.flickr.com/photos/43968744@N06/4625695237/

It has turned out to be my most “Interesting” photo, according to Flickr’s “Interestingness” and pretty much zero effort went into the shot.

What are your future photography plans?
I feel like I have so much more left to learn, and I’m afraid I’ll get lazy again if I don’t keep taking a photo every day, so I have decided to embark on a second 365 project. I began this one on 1 January 2011 because my inner control freak HATED that my 365 wasn’t a nice, neat, seamless calendar year. So for a bit over a week my two 365 projects had an overlap.

Some of my favourites:

Inspired by a Flickr contact, I got into playing with long exposures a little and I was thrilled by how this one came out:



I got up quite early on the first day of a Queensland holiday to capture this sunrise. Looking at always makes me wish I was still there:



I figured out selective colouring. I don’t read instruction books. If I had I might have worked it out sooner:


This is a photo I took for a Monthly Scavenger Hunt clue. As soon as I saw the straws for sale I knew what I would do with it. I was very pleased the vision in my head came out when I edited the photo.


I love the shadows here and the enthusiasm of my little one:

Congratulations to riekhavoc!

Congrats to Kaytee! She completed her 365 project on December 31 with this photo (from Ecuador!):


Kaytee's project is full of images of Philadelphia, her travels around the globe and some activists events. Below is her finisher's interview along with some of her photos.

What inspired you to begin your 365 Project?
I'd been using my camera to take decent photos for a few years, but felt like I didn't know how good I could be. I just kept taking the same photos over and over and over again. I wanted to try something that would push me to stretch the limits of my skill set. It worked!

How would you describe your photography in just a few words
Adventurous and occasionally activisty.

What surprised you the most about doing the 365 project?
That I did it! Sheesh, I took a photo every day for a whole year. I can see every day of my year, and remember what happened every day. This must be what it feels like to keep a daily diary. Creepy, kind of. But cool... definitely cool.

What did you learn during the course of your project?
Technique-wise, I learned how to use an off-camera flash and other artificial lighting. I'd never really tried that before. For myself, I realized that I can stick with something hard if I really enjoy it, have support, and see the results. Beyond that, I learned that my partner is incredibly creative. He came up with some of the best ideas, like the lego disco dance!


Do you have an interesting story about taking one of your 365 photos that you would like to share?
Oh gosh, there are so many! But I'll tell this one - I was in Vienna for the International AIDS Conference. My friend Lucky was with me. He's a photographer too. We had gone out at night to the fairground near the conference venue, and we saw this awesome ferris wheel set against a perfect sunset. We both fired off some shots, and when I got back to the hotel, I showed him my results to ask his advice on the photo of the day. He picked this one, because, he said "it's not perfect. so it's perfect." I love that description, and the compliment from a talented photographer.


What are your future photography plans?
I just got a new camera (as a early present for finishing my project), so I'm going to read the manual cover to cover and then wear it out taking a ton of photos. Just like I did my last DSLR. Some will be good, most will be lousy. Hopefully I'll keep learning in the process.

Kaytee's favorites:


Congrats again Kaytee!! Here are the admin favorites along with a slideshow of Kaytee's completed project.