by Dotti
For far too long, I have been in a photography rut. Make that 'canyon'. I've made excuses: not enough time; not enough energy; nothing to shoot; the light is crappy. You name the excuse, I've made it and many more. Finally, I decided, 'Enough is enough!' After all, here I am ... one of the collaborators on this wonderful blog we've created here, and I couldn't inspire myself! You've heard the saying, 'Physician, heal thyself.' It was time for 'Photographer, heal thyself.'
For several months now, I've been following FOL reader Sue Taylor as she recorded her 365 project on her wonderful blog, Quotidian. I've been fascinated at the peek into her life in her English village; her travels around England and beyond; waited anxiously to hear of her husband's recovery from illnesses he suffered this year. She truly inspired me. And I'm overjoyed that she's continuing into Year Two which means you can follow her, too, if you wish.
So, on July 1, I decided to begin a 365. Why wait until January 1? I needed intervention now. To take it even further, I've challenged myself to posting it on my personal blog {Camper} and Flickr photostream every day. {I'm linking these here so you can hold me accountable!} Now, I assure you that life in small town Kentucky is not anywhere near as quaint and charming as life in an English village but that isn't the point. It is still my life and this record, captured on my blog, will document at least one year of my life. I've never been good at journaling so this sounded like just the ticket.
Make no mistake, I know it won't be easy, it is not my first 365. And right now with our garden at its peak, inspiration comes easily. The real challenge comes in winter. One thing I did learn about doing 365's: you improve, practice may not make you perfect but it takes you further down the road. And the truth of the matter is, I need just this kind of discipline to keep myself on the journey, that journey we love, called 'photography'.
By the time you read this, I'll be on {Day Fifteen} and already it's paying dividends. I'm learning to look again but even more importantly, I'm learning to see. I think I'd forgotten how.
Some of you may come by this skill more easily; for me it has been a learned skill, one too easily forgotten, it seems. Your photographs on our Flickr pages inspire me and for that I thank you. Your participation in our FOL family fills me with joy. Thank you for being part of this wonderful journey with us.
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In addition to our regular Flickr page, there is a new FOL Flickr page for phoneography, Focus on Phoneography. I hope you'll join us there. And remember to follow and support one another on personal blogs, that's how we'll grow our 'family'. There's a list here and we'll gladly add more as we learn them.