Wishing you the best for the new year.

Thank you for the lovely comments on my last post, my 365 project was one I was exceptionally proud of at the end - I love projects where individual failures and successes are nothing compared to the overall outcome.  

However, during my procrastinating on the internet, I have found that where ever a daily project appears, it is followed by a stream of comments mentioning their size, the commitment involved or simply how intimidating they seem.  But they are not!  Once again my mother's, slightly bizarre, wisdom is relevant - it is like eating an elephant, look at the whole thing and, sure, it's going to seem like a lot to manage, so just take it one bite at a time.

And it is true, each day is just one photograph.  One simple little picture.  I bet most of you reading take pictures on your iPhones, perhaps you use instagram or share them on your own blog.  Heck even if you don't, it takes less than thirty seconds to take a snap of your shoes in the crunchy leaves or the steaming cup of tea that might be in your hand right now.  One picture a day can hardly be intimidating, right?  

Anyway, it is the last day of 2012 and much like the last few days, I am sat on the floor drinking coffee and watching the rain.  Really I should be packing as in a couple hours I will be leaving my flat to go on a mini-break (to the seaside!!) for new year with my closest friends.  I am super excited!

I hope to see the new year in (no matter how heavy the rain) with Prosecco in hand standing in the sea, so I better pack my mac!

I will be back on the second but until then, I am wishing you all best wishes for the new year and thank you all for reading my little space.

My photo-a-day 365 project.

In 2011 I embarked on a photo-a-day project with my shiny new point-and-shoot, the Canon Powershot.  I knew very little about photography aside from the rule of thirds and how to take very unattractive pictures of sweaty friends in clubs, but I had endless enthusiasm (and an ongoing desire to procrastinate from revision).

I loved having a reason to take pictures every day, to appreciate the small things in my house and life.  Some of my pictures were horrendous and some were the first photos I have ever felt proud of.  But most of all I learnt - I learnt about angles and colours, the use of flash, the use of lines and how even the most mundane household object has an interesting angle.  

I am not going to do this project again (a few memories of sitting up in bed in the wee hours thinking oh my gosh I forgot to take a picture promptly followed by desperately trying to make an unwanted cup of tea look artistic keep me certain of this decision) however for furthering my skills, I could not have done anything of more value.

Now I have a posh camera, I have a vague understanding of what is meant by f-stop and I have dabbled in the world of manual settings but nothing has taught me as much as actually forcing myself to take something novel every single day.

Have any of you done a 365 project before?  I'd love it if you could link it to me!