Congratulations to Sevenman!

Congratulations to Chris who completed his 365 on 31st December with this photo

Chris 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 was inspired to start my first 365 project because I'd watched and listened to friends do it, I'd always sort of liked the idea of photography, and doing a 365 Project myself seemed like a good way to do photography. So I bought a point & shoot and started my first 365.

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

One friend has said that I shoot creepy lonely urban stuff in a documentary, photojournalist style. Another friend has noted that I take a lot of pictures that should have people in them but don't. I can't deny either description.

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

The most surprising thing has been discovering the hard way just how much our eyes and our minds lie to us about what we're seeing and carefully not seeing.

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

I've learned to look and to see. I've learned that sometimes, taking a camera along doesn't improve the experience. I've learned that if something catches my eye, I should take a picture even if I don't understand what I'm attracted by and I think the picture is bad; even if it is, I can learn from it. I've learned to not blindly trust my camera and that I'm happier if I trust my gut. I've learned that I can't shoot to a theme or a plan and that trying to do so just annoys me.

(I regret the inability to shoot to a theme; I would really like to do a better job of participating in the 365 Community themes, but I am terrible at it.)

Finally, I've learned that I can't predict which of my pictures will resonate with people and which ones won't. Sometimes I can't even predict which one of my pictures I'll like best after a week. It's humbling.

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

My day 306 picture. One of the things that gets me into semi-trouble when I am off biking on my own is that I am kind of bad at deciding when to turn around to ride back; I keep thinking that I can go on for a bit more, and then a bit more, and this point feels like an arbitrary stopping point so I could go on a bit more, and before I know it I am all the way off in Port Credit at sunset, knowing that I am going to be riding back in the dark most of the way and get home rather late.

I don't regret it in the least on this day, though. Through a combination of circumstances this was the last good weekday bike ride I got in this year, and I knew it would be before I set out; I was leaving work early, the rest of the week was going to have bad weather, and then daylight savings time would turn into standard time and I would lose an hour of evening light.

(That I knew this was basically my last such photo of the year is one reason I gave it the title that I did.)

6) What are your future photography plans?

I'm going to do another year of the 365 project. I won't try to make any resolutions for it, because I've learned better; I'll just take pictures however I feel like it, and hope it works out.

This is four of Chris' favourites from his 365 with his reasons why

A nice example of what I think of my 'typical photograph'

One of my better people photographs and a bike ride picture; I do a lot of bike riding

A picture I am inordinately fond of because I made it work

I am contractually obligated to include a bicycle picture (and the group ride picture doesn't count)

Congrats again to Chris! Here are a couple of admin favourites from the year and a slideshow of his complete 365.

Congratulations Photo Frenzy~!

Congratulations to Manda! She completed her 365 Project with this photo:



Manda kindly agreed to answer our finisher interview questions and share her favorite photos from the project. Enjoy!

What inspired you to begin a 365 Project?
I saw other people in the flickr community with #/365 on their pictures and was curious what it was all about. When I found out and saw there was a community dedicated to people participating in the challenge I figured, why not? It was almost a new year when I decided to do it and I planned to start at the beginning of the year and go to the end. I thought the challenge would be a good way to encourage myself to expand my knowledge and creativity in regards to photography. I also wanted to encourage myself to use my camera more.

How would you describe your photography in just a few words?
I would say I've still got that amateur vibe going on and I definitely lean more towards the natural world and tend to prefer a more natural looking image as well.

What surprised you the most about doing the 365 project?
I was surprised with how challenging it actually can be. I found myself a lot of times really thinking hard about what picture I could take today. I didn't think it would be so hard, but I am also not usually the type of person to just take a random shot for the sake of it. I really like my pictures to mean something.

What did you learn during the course of your project?
I learned that you can't really force yourself to be creative. It was also really hard for me to just take a random picture of something, because it isn't what I usually do. I learned that I should stick to what I'm comfortable photographing.

Do you have an interesting story about taking one of your 365 photos that you would like to share?
There are stories behind a lot of my 365 photographs. Lots of good memories too. One that really stands out as a highlight of the year was taken back in January. I was snowshoeing through the bush with my Dad and we had been seeing a Pileated Woodpecker off and on over the winter in the area. It was our first year to see them so we were pretty thrilled with finding them so frequently. On that particular day we found one on a tree that it really seemed to like and had visited quite often, judging by the amount of holes in it. After taking a few pictures of it from a fair distance away I was able to quietly sneak over till I was about 6 feet from it. Then I just sat in the snow and watched it. It might not be that interesting, but for someone who likes birds, it was really cool to see this large woodpecker just doing what it does. I found out after that Pileated Woodpeckers are usually really hard to approach without them flying off. That just made it even more special to me.

What are your future photography plans?

In the future I don't really have anything special planned. I just want to get out there and get as many great shots as I can. I'm hoping to get some great wildlife and bird photos, but nothing specific. I want to upgrade some of my equipment and generally just have a lot of fun with the whole thing. I think it will work out a lot better now that I'm not forcing myself to photograph something every day.



The first picture I ever took for this challenge is one of my favourites. It is a close up of a patch on the side of my fedora. It isn't really special or perfect by any means, but I just can't help but like it. In a sense I guess it's just a little window open for people to catch a glimpse of who I am.



I like this one for the composition and just the overall way it looks. I think this was back when I first figured out that you could make points of light into bokeh so I was playing around with my fiber optic light. I think this one turned out great.



I like this picture because even in its simplicity it manages to look like more than just a photograph. It looks more like a painting and it seems to almost have an element of light emerging from the darkness. And to think it was just one of those pictures taken because I needed something for that day. This just happened to be what I photographed.

Congratulations 5Mae!

Congratulations to Sarah-Mae! She completed her 365 with this exuberant shot!



Her project is filled with fun shots, great portraits and lots of light and color. 5Mae kindly provided answers to our interview questions and shared some of her favorite shots. Enjoy!

What inspired you to begin your 365 Project?
I was inspired to start the project by Dustin Diaz
photography.dustindiaz.com/


How would you describe your photography in just a few words?
I don't really know how to describe my photography, Amateur?



What surprised you the most about doing the 365 project?
That it was so hard, and that I finished it!



What did you learn during the course of your project?
I learned I can do anything I put my mind to, and how to use my Nikon D3000 (first DSLR)



What are your future photography plans?
I plan to continue learning and post a photo once a week in 2011 (at www.sarah-mae.com and on flickr)

Congratulations ept_0202!I

Congratulations to Paige who finished her Project 365 in December with this photo:



Paige's project serves as a lovely glimpse into her world. She describes her project this wayI started a 365 project to see if I could do it (I abandoned an early attempt). I wanted to track my life everyday for one full year. I found the project to sometimes be easy and other times to be tedious - kinda like life. I did the entire project on my point and shoot camera.
I want to keep taking pictures and improve my photography skills. I hope to soon acquire a DLSR and continue to take photos.

Congratulations again to Paige! Here are some of her favorites from her year of photos:

Congratulations to moongipsies!

Congratulations to Elaine! She completed her Project 365 this week! Yay! Her photos are beautiful, full of color and light.



Elanie kindly agreed to answer our finisher interview questions and choose some of her favorites from her project. Enjoy!

What inspired you to begin your 365 Project?
This was actually my second 365 project... because I had so much fun doing the first one and writing/ posting pics on my daily blog (www.moongipsies.blogspot.com)...



How would you describe your photography in just a few words?
For me... the saying " The best camera is the one you have with you"... is true. For most of my 365 project this year, my camera was a simple Kodak point and shoot. So I would describe my photography as spontaneous, inspired... and vibrant.



What surprised you the most about doing the 365 project?
That I don't do well with themes. For the month of December 2010; I decided to do a theme of "games and toys"... I thought it would be easier to have a set "stock" of subjects. Fail.
Also... I was published several times this year with some of my project photos... something that was a complete (and very pleasant) surprise!



What did you learn during the course of your project?
That is doesn't matter how many megapixels you have... or how many gizmos you have... what's more important is your vision.



Do you have an interesting story about taking one of your 365 photos that you would like to share?
My father became quite ill with cancer during my project this year, and passed away on August 18th. Looking back, it is interesting to see how this deeply effected my photography during that time.



What are your future photography plans?
Starting a third 365 project... continuing my daily blog of photos and writing... and publishing a book!

Congratulations to MeltedMoments!

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

Mel's stream is filled with wonderful portraits, especially of her two young daughters and gives anyone visiting her stream an insight into her family life. She kindly agreed to answer our finisher's interview questions.

1) What inspired you to begin your 365 Project?
I had just finished a photography course and I was looking for something that would inspire me to carry on with my photography. I needed a challenge!

2) How would you describe your photography in just a few words?
I aim to capture memories and record history. I like my photography to make people smile and feel happy.

3) What surprised you the most about doing the 365 project?
How much it has become part of me. I don't feel like I need to take a perfect shot for the project as my aim was/is to record my year in photographs. I've been amazed at the variety of shots I've been able to take.
I've also surprised myself by committing to another 365 straight after this one has ended. I'm a glutton for punishment, that's for sure!

4) What did you learn during the course of your project?
I learned that even the most simple object or situation can be a photo opportunity. With a 365 project the only rules are the ones that you make yourself.

5) Do you have an interesting story about taking one of your 365 photos that you would like to share?
Looking through my photos from the project I realise that I can really remember taking all of them. The ones of my girls hold some special memories and that is precisely why I set out to record my year in the way I did. None of the shots particularly stand out with interesting stories to me, but in saying that I know I have fulfilled my own brief.

6) What are your future photography plans?
I have decided to do another 365 project after encouragement from my friends and family. My brief for the next project will be the same... to record daily life and to capture memories.
I want to carry on making people smile with my photography. If I can do that I will be very happy indeed.

My favourite shots from the project:

Because it is such a true capture of my youngest daughter. Pictures like this help me to see that she is beautiful, even when she is behaving badly!

We had just got back from a stay in hospital with my eldest daughter where she had some horrible tests. I love the look of joy and relief on her face.

This was taken on Remembrance Sunday. My daughter was cradling the poppy and it seemed very poignant.

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

Congratulations to KatieSh!

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

1) What inspired you to begin your 365 Project?
I was inspired to start the 365 project as I felt I needed something new to get my teeth into. I did a photography course last year, which gave me lots of projects to keep me going, but when that ended I was a bit lost and needed something else to keep me reaching for my camera. I'd seen so many other people on flickr having completed some fab 365s, and thought it'd be a good thing to keep me inspired.

2) How would you describe your photography in just a few words?
I'm not really sure how I'd describe my photography. I think it's definitely got a girly feel - quite light and pink and airy. I don't really think I've found my own style yet, and doing this project has definitely shown me that.

3) What surprised you the most about doing the 365 project?
The thing that surprised me the most was how really difficult it was to find something interesting to photograph every day (I think I really started to fail with this towards the end). But then, I guess this is what challenges you to be more creative.

4) What did you learn during the course of your project?
I learnt so much during the project it's hard to pin down to one thing. It made me learn more about composition, about light, using filters, everything really.

5) Do you have an interesting story about taking one of your 365 photos that you would like to share?
I'm not sure really how interesting it is, but I've still got 2 photos missing on my 365. I think I may have lost them forever as they were taken on my iphone, which I backed up, then sent to be repaired. I can't for the life of me find where they're backed up. I don't think they were particularly good shots, though, anyway!

6) What are your future photography plans?
I'm not sure on future plans. Over the course of the year, I've done my first 3 'shoots' for friends, all of their children. This is something I've really enjoyed, and might be something I plan to take further.

As for my 3 favourites:

Day 17

This is because a group of us had got together to try and raise awareness for Camille's Appeal, a charity set up by a friend of ours whose daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumour last year. We all posted photos on a weekly theme with links to the charity and information about Camille. Camille has since had dramatic surgery which went miraculously well and is awaiting the next stage of her treatment. We've also now put together a 2011 calendar to raise funds for the charity.

Another favourite is this one of my friend's two daughters.

It was a chance capture at a bbq that I just love. They're such gorgeous girls, and their parents loved the picture too.

Finally, a rather self-indulgent favourite:

I've had a tough year personally. I had just had a 10 year relationship end, not through my choosing, and was feeling very lacking in confidence. I've had to learn to love myself a bit this year, and part of that was done through photography. I still hate seeing photos of myself, but I'm quite proud of this one. It's not something I'd ordinarily want anyone to see, but it shows a different side to me, and shows that sometimes I can be a bit sexy. Hopefully, I'll find a bit more confidence and will be a bit happier seeing myself in photos in the future.

Congrats again to Katie! Here are a couple of admin favorites along with a slideshow of her complete project.

Congratulations to amycliff!

Congratulations to Amy, who completed her 365 Project on December 31! Yay! Amy's stream is filled with lovely images, beautiful light and color. Her stream is a lovely place to spend some flickr time, go check it out! This is her final celebratory shot of her project and her finisher's interview!



What inspired you to begin your 365 Project?
I had just bought my first DSLR, taken a beginners photography course and wanted to find a way to make sure I didn't let my camera become another cool 'toy' that collected dust. A friend of mine also encouraged me to give it a go and her 365 from the previous year was so inspiring I just couldn't resist the challenge.

How would you describe your photography in just a few words?
amateur, for fun but hopefully improving. My year 5/6 students would say a lot of food, close ups and too many little kids and babies.

What surprised you the most about doing the 365 project?
How challenging it was to be creative every day, that I made it to the end and how inspiring and encouraging my family, friends and other flickr members were. I was also surprised that other people actually looked at my photos.

What did you learn during the course of your project?
I learnt how to gain better control of my camera and it's various settings and manual operations, that I have a preference for natural light, that my photography weaknesses are things like self portraits and using the flash or shooting in low light, about things like bokeh. I also learnt a lot about myself and what I value by reflecting on what the images meant to me and also a bunch of random facts and pieces of information about different things I photographed.

Do you have an interesting story about taking one of your 365 photos that you would like to share?
One of the most significant photos in my 365 is #188 which is when I found out I was pregnant and is a 365 cheat. I felt like I had waited for so long to be able to take this photo, and I couldn't believe that when it finally happened my camera was out of action being repaired. So I had to keep that little test for a week or so and do a make up shot. It's not the greatest photo but it means so much to me. It captures the memory of a very special moment for my husband and I and the beginning of a huge life changes.



What are your future photography plans?
I plan to take lots of photos of our baby obviously. I'm not going to 365 in 2011 although I'm considering a 52week project instead. I want to continue to force myself to use and further develop my creativity. I want to learn more about getting the lighting and focus right. I'm also interested in learning how to use the photoshop software I have sitting in the cupboard.

#102 -

I never really looked at the little statistics icon until now when I was trying to figure out which photograph others liked or got the most attention. There are no 'explores' in my photostream, I have only a handful of followers and relatively low daily views. However, every little comment and view was always surprising to me and I'm grateful for each and everyone. This was the photo that had the most views I think - not sure why. This was my first and last attempt at using a 'texture'.

#100 -

I guess this is a favourite because it was a milestone and was taken around the same time that I was looking for inspiration and read the comment someone made about 365 projects being as boring as watching grass grow - still makes me laugh. It also reminds me of the inspiration I continually followed from a flickr friend AprilMN.
www.flickr.com/photos/aprilnewmanphotography/ I may not have made it to the end without her.

#19

I love silhouettes. When I look through my 365 as a whole this one always grabs my attention.

#255 -

Cliche I know, but I have a soft spot for hearts and let's face it, many of my 365 photos are cliches or shall we say 'inspired'. Participating in a 365 project has been all about watching and learning from others and trying the things they have shown me.

Here is a slideshow of Amy's completed project. Congratulations again!

Congratulations foshydog!

Congratulations to Allan, who finished his 2010 365 Project this week with the following photo!



Allan's stream is filled with great portraits, great bokeh shots and wonderfully lit photos. He kindly agreed to answer our finisher's interview questions with great responses and wonderful photos from his project. Congratulations again Allan!

What inspired you to begin your 365 Project?
I was ultimately inspired by watching other 365’ers during the 2009 year. I started following Ed McGowan (isayx3) and was really amazed at his ability to produce such great photos each and everyday. From there I started to dig into the 365 and find all sorts of other people doing it. Being able to document one whole year of my life was a driving factor in my decision as well. The thought of being to look back at each photo and know what was going on that day was something that I knew would be rewarding. I also wanted to get better at photography overall. I knew taking a photo everyday would only make me better and I wanted that challenge of learning how to get a good photo in a short amount of time.

How would you describe your photography in just a few words?
Life, faces, and light.

What surprised you the most about doing the 365 project?
The biggest surprises were the amazing people I met and the friendships I created. During the 365 you get a chance to interact with people all over the world and everyone gets to watch each others lives unfold over the course of the year. I never saw that coming when I started the 365 but I am glad that it happened.

What did you learn during the course of your project?
I learned how to say “Thanks”. I’m not that great with compliments and it made me better about accepting them. Getting more comfortable with my strobist skills is one other thing I learned this year. I am very confident with the camera now and how to set up my gear to fire off a good portrait quickly.

Do you have an interesting story about taking one of your 365 photos that you would like to share?
Well of course it has to be the photo of the 3 ultrasound pics. We got a great surprise early in the year that my wife was pregnant and then eventually found out we were having twins. A few weeks after that we were told that it’s actually triplets. Talk about your jaw hitting the ground. Life was about to change in a hurry but we knew we could do it and we were excited for the new additions to the family. The flickr community was awesome and everyone gave us great support throughout the rest of the year. Keeping up with the 365 was very hard, but getting a chance to document the entire birth year of my boys was well worth it.



What are your future photography plans?
I want to continue to take pictures of faces. People are very interesting subjects and I love it when I can snap off a photo of somebody that they like and appreciate. Hopefully I can also get back to taking more live music photos this year. I kind of put that on hold with the 365. I have also joined a 52 week group so I can come down slowly from the 365.

I loved this photo because it’s just something you never really see that often. I actually took the photo holding the camera upside down so I could press the button with my right hand.



I loved this photo from the second I saw it on the back of my camera. I love the beat up door we were standing in front of and how the light looked.




I was heading out to work when I looked at the boys and saw the photo just waiting to be taken. This is one of those shots I would have never taken if I wasn’t doing the 365.



Below is a slideshow of Allan's completed project.