Project 365 d-1

     A friend of mine had something on his Face Book page about his friend taking a photo of himself everyday for a year. This seemed like an interesting idea to me, although I didn't want to photograph myself. It was not hard for me to think of another theme. Total randomness of the the things, sometimes bizarre things I see on a daily basis. The only rule was to take at least one photo per day for the entire year. My goal was to place nearly all of the emphasis on capturing the image, and avoid all the tools that can distract an artist. In other words; I wanted to just shoot and not spend a bunch of time in PS, or worrying about which gear to use. Too many opportunities to photograph wonderful things had just slipped by me. Whether I was driving down the road, walking in any old parking lot, looking at the sky, etc. It occurred to me that as clearly as I see these things; I never put any plan in place to document them. What good is it to see these things if you don't capture them? Honestly, I had gotten a little lazy about my photography, and I needed a kick in the lens. I would soon get that kick, and photographically things for me were about to change.

     On January first of 2010 as I pulled into the parking lot of my work-place; I suddenly remembered my idea to take at least one photo a day for a year. Being that today was day one; I needed to use the camera that I had with me. Consequently, until partaking in this project I had rarely carried my camera as I went about my daily business. There was this fear that somebody would steal my gear and it was a greater fear than missing the capture of  a special image(s). On this day, I was without any of my serious photo gear. The only camera I had was my cell phone camera. It seemed like a very practical thing to start this project in this way. It seemed raw, spontaneous, and exciting to see what images would be birthed with such a seemingly crude device. All day as I worked; I thought about this project and the wonderful things I'd hope to capture. I hoped it would lead to a book, or at the very least to a show when all was said and done.

     On my way out the door that day; I put my fear of  people staring at me aside and started combing the parking lot. My eyes scoured the lot for some of the things that I have often seen on my way in and out of the building. Crumbling, peeling, and faded paint mixed with slush and snow. An abstract world just below my feet that lay in quiet solitude hoping that anyone in our world will take notice. Honestly, I see things all the time to the point it feels like I'm losing my mind. How do you explain with out the benefit of an image to a disbelieving  soul. Not because their disbelief is rooted in a bias against you, but because there is a price that comes with seeing. In my case, I have been guilty of witnessing truly blessed things yet failing to make a record of them. The world needs us who see to help them stay grounded, to add value to their starving souls, and to remind them that their are other worlds existing daily within our midst. This first days image was taken with a cell phone camera and perhaps this is a fitting start to my endeavor. A once freshly painted and bright  arrow on pristine concrete guiding us safely to and fro. Eaten away by time and the elements, yet beautiful as if a painted canvas stretching out before my eyes. The ghostly white arrow lunges south to usher in the night. Down toward the abyss where darkness and shadow devour the light. Only time will tell where this project will lead. Great things my come out of this project, and at the very least I expect it will change me forever.

Happy Shooting.