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.