Picture a Day (PAD) - 2007
I've run with the same core group of people at work for more than a decade now. At least every Tuesday and Thursday we meet at the gym at work to do a few miles. During our time we've noticed a cycle; around Thanksgiving the gym starts to get quiet. By the week after Christmas the place is positively dead but come the first work day of January the line for the showers gets ridiculous; everyone on campus suddenly has a New Year's resolution to get fit and/or lose weight. For a few weeks the changing rooms will be packed but by mid-February everything will be back to normal.
Let's face it, New Year's resolutions rarely work but I do see something heroically optimistic in their failure; the belief that we can change ourselves for the better through sheer will-power. With this in mind I am embarking on a Picture a Day project for the New Year. I've noticed the Flickr and photoblogs are littered with these PAD projects at the moment, much like an overstuffed gym, as we enthusiast photographers resolve to learn more, stretch ourselves and to use our toys more frequently. I tried this back in October for a month on my photoblog and it is harder than it looks. This time I am allowing myself a little more latitude by hosting the project on Flickr. This allows me to keep my photoblog as it currently runs; if I want to post old pictures I do, and if I want to post different shots from the same outing over several days I can. The Flickr set will be more strict in that I will try to post a picture everyday from the previous 24 hours.
I wonder if I can make it past mid-February and the death of the majority of New Year's resolutions. Running has taught me that you have to make something an unconditional habit if you hope to succeed. If I don't turn up to the Thuesday group you can bet one of them will be calling me by mid-afternoon to either make sure I'm not injured or to call me a lazy bastard. Hopefully my conscience will play that roll in my photography although my wife is also a good task master for these kind of projects. Carrying a camera every day is already a habit - now I just have to make sure that I make time to use it.
What about you? Anyone else made any Photography related resolutions?
Comments
Hmmmm, I don't think I could make it. I take a lot of photos, but I think the pressure would also take some of the pleasure out of it for me. I think I am pushing myself enough at the moment.
Still, I think a month of it would make for an interesting challenge. I don't make New Year's resolutions, mostly because of the reasons you state about the gym - the world is too crowded with other people trying to keep to their resolutions. This year my resolution is to pick a random day to start my resolutions on.
My photography related challenge is this photo-learning-blog that I have started... trying to start from first principles and work my way up to my current level and then take it beyond - and try and keep it simple while I am at it, so that other people might learn from it as well. I'm trying to add something each day to that. Shockingly, I might even get around to starting to add some photos!
PhotoMonkey - Manuals are tough. They are so dry and dull. I write tools for tech doc writers so I know what they're like. I think manufacturers should provide you with video lessons on the same CD/DVD that contains the included software. If you've bought a camera you're much more likely to be a visual rather than verbal person after all.
OhShoot - I just started to read your entries after you commented here. I've found teaching people has helped me solidify my own opinions and knowledge. Keep up the good work.
Regards - Martin