365 #47

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Oh my word, #47? Means we have just five weeks left of Project 365 for 2013. Hopefully some of you are thinking about continuing on, this forthcoming month will capture some truly magical moments and show the worth of the 365 Project to Family Bloggers.

The 365 linky only works because of people linking to it and then contributing their thoughts to others' posts via comments. I can't emphasise this enough, it's the whole point of the linky!

Join in by entering the URL of your favourite photograph of the week (either a 52 or a 365 photo) and show some comment love to everyone else in the community. We've got a Facebook group, and now I've created a collaborative Pinterest board (if you'd like to collaborate, let me know and I'll add you).

  1. Choose your favourite photo from the past week and link it up below.
  2. Please add the badge to your linked-up post so that other people know how to find all the other fabulous entries.
  3. If you can spare five minutes to comment on a few other entries I know they'd appreciate it!
365



365 #46

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The weather has really turned decidely nippy this week, and I'm about to look out my thermal leggings to ensure we continue with outdoor play! We've got five and a half weeks until Christmas and I suspect we'll start to see some festive photographs creeping into the project.

The 365 linky only works because of people linking to it and then contributing their thoughts to others' posts via comments. I can't emphasise this enough, it's the whole point of the linky!

Join in by entering the URL of your favourite photograph of the week (either a 52 or a 365 photo) and show some comment love to everyone else in the community. We've got a Facebook group, and now I've created a collaborative Pinterest board (if you'd like to collaborate, let me know and I'll add you).

  1. Choose your favourite photo from the past week and link it up below.
  2. Please add the badge to your linked-up post so that other people know how to find all the other fabulous entries.
  3. If you can spare five minutes to comment on a few other entries I know they'd appreciate it!
365



365 Photographers: OneDad3Girls

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Over the past 23 months of the Project 365 linky, there have been well over 150 who have taken part; some of them manage the whole year and others thank me for reigniting their passion in blogging, but turn down completing the project. Out of those 150 bloggers, only one has been a man.

I give you the man with the ultimate staying power, Darren from OneDad3Girls.

OneDad3Girls

I really enjoy seeing the lives of the Project 365 participants unfold before me throughout the year, but it is refreshing to see family life from the perspective of a dad. Darren photographs his two daughters and their antics with much love and devotion, and his project is occasionally interspersed with gadgets, gizmos and geekery (got to allow him a few stereotypical photographs!).

These are my favourite photos of Darren's.

OneDad3Girls

I am yet to be able to take a good dew-drop spider's web, we clearly don't have the right kind of rain or spiders here in Wales. However, it does mean that I am infinitely jealous of anyone who manages to get such a shot. This one is cracking! Whenever we go to London, we always have to take a trip on the London Eye and as I stand at its base waiting in the queue, I am always in awe of the feat of engineering.

OneDad3Girls

This is another photo that I've always wanted to be able to take; the full moon. Having seen Darren's fantastic photograph, I was very inspired to have a go myself; I'd recommend a tripod! And this photograph of one of the three girls in the blog title, shows off her personality brilliantly.

These are Darren's favourite five from her two years of Project 365 so far.

Heart

01/07/13 – Taken for Fat Mum Slim's  'Photo A Day' prompt: Heart.

Mia & Ludo

08/04/13 – Meeting Ludo in the Shoreline Hotel at Butlin's.

Newquay

21/02/13 – A day trip to Newquay during our holiday to Coombe Mill.

Shard

08/10/12 – The Shard on a trip to London.

mia-pounce

15/09/12 –  Little Mia getting ready to pounce!

  • When did you start doing the 365 photo project, and why?

I started my 365 journey around March time 2012 and every since I've been hooked and not missed a week even if at times I have struggled. The reason for starting the 365 project was I've always enjoyed taking photos and this was the idea way to link the photos to what our family was up to.

  • Why did you decide to continue the project for a second year?

The reason I continued the 365 project was because I wanted to see if I could complete a full year. I joined midway through a year and wasn't sure I'd have the staying power. Plus the project is an excellent way of storing the memories and looking back over the year to see how our family has grown.

  • What's the best bit about doing a 365 photo project?

Without doubt one of the greatest things about the 365 is the community and friendly bloggers that take part, if ever you feel down or struggling to complete a week you've always got someone to help you and perk you up.

  • Are there times when you've wanted to give up, why? What kept you going?

Without doubt, and I think a lot of people go through that stage. It has got to the point in a long day at work and everyone is in bed and then suddenly you'll remember you haven't taken a photo. The great part about the project is the community side of things, people often just see the posts but pretty much everyone in the project knows each other and we all help spur people on.

  • What tips would you give to anyone who wants to start a 365 project?

If anyone is thinking about joining it it's a must, honestly it's never too late to start and most of all enjoy taking the photos and don't make it a chore.

—

Please pop back next Thursday when I introduce you to the world down under according to Susan Snaps.

365 #45

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7 weeks to go, only 6 weeks until Christmas. Now who's got all their presents already?

The 365 linky only works because of people linking to it and then contributing their thoughts to others' posts via comments. I can't emphasise this enough, it's the whole point of the linky!

Join in by entering the URL of your favourite photograph of the week (either a 52 or a 365 photo) and show some comment love to everyone else in the community. We've got a Facebook group, and now I've created a collaborative Pinterest board (if you'd like to collaborate, let me know and I'll add you).

  1. Choose your favourite photo from the past week and link it up below.
  2. Please add the badge to your linked-up post so that other people know how to find all the other fabulous entries.
  3. If you can spare five minutes to comment on a few other entries I know they'd appreciate it!
365



365 #44

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8 weeks to go and the nights are drawing in, but this is a wonderful time of year; scrunchy leaves, pumpkins, fireworks. Keep it up!

The 365 linky only works because of people linking to it and then contributing their thoughts to others' posts via comments. I can't emphasise this enough, it's the whole point of the linky!

Join in by entering the URL of your favourite photograph of the week (either a 52 or a 365 photo) and show some comment love to everyone else in the community. We've got a Facebook group, and now I've created a collaborative Pinterest board (if you'd like to collaborate, let me know and I'll add you).

  1. Choose your favourite photo from the past week and link it up below.
  2. Please add the badge to your linked-up post so that other people know how to find all the other fabulous entries.
  3. If you can spare five minutes to comment on a few other entries I know they'd appreciate it!
365



365 Photographers: A Kilt & A Camera

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In the run-up to the launch of the 365 linky back in January 2012, I was nervous that no-one would join in. I bullied some blogging friends to give it a go and support me, and they came through, which was a big relief. Many of the blogs, I'd already heard of and most of the others were UK parent bloggers, however one or two people who linked came as a complete surprise.

Like Peg from A Kilt & A Camera.

A Kilt & A Camera

Peg is not a British parent blogger. Peg isn't British. She's also not a parent blogger.

What Peg is though, is a wonderful American lady who, with her ruggedly handsome and Scottish husband, has spent quite a lot of time in the past few years travelling the world. In the past 22 months since Peg's been linking up (when her travels allow her!) I have seen the wonderfully tropical life she had in Brazil be swapped for one in Newcastle, England. Seeing her 'From Where I Stand' photographs change from those of bare and tanned feet on a beach to ones of hiking boots on a snowy hillside, or the glistening-wet cobbles of Edinburgh amused me greatly. And they kept me captivated and hankering after more and more of her photography.

Having someone so removed from my own life and experiences join in the 365 linky was a surprise but a complete joy, and I must confess that I love spending time once a month catching up on her travels and life through the lens of someone on a completely different continent.

Which is why I've had such difficulty narrowing down my selection of the favourite photos by Peg, but here they are.

A Kilt & A Camera 1

Peg and her husband started 2012 in their sunny paradise of Brazil, visiting friends in the forests and mountains, and walking barefoot on golden sands. The Hockney-esque splash from an aquababe in the photo on the left with the small waterfall in the background, and sunkissed toes, is wonderfully tropical. The angle of the photographs in the 'From Where I Stand' series always makes me feel that I am the person taking the photograph, I'm in the scene and witnessing what the photographer is. I've chosen the red post box purely because seeing it in her photostream on flickr amuses me; such a contrast from the start of the year.

A Kilt & A Camera 2

For 2013 Peg decided to try a new theme of 'Through'. While I know that she found it quite challenging at first and missed the FWIS theme, she soon started to fly with the possible interpretations. I've chosen these two photographs because they show how in the past two years, her life has almost come full circle; the one on the left was from the start of 2013 and taken in Shetland at a Viking festival, the one on the right is back in Brazil (albeit a different city) where the travelling twosome have returned once again. (And no, I don't have a thing for Peg's feet, although they are very pretty.)

These are Peg's favourite six from her two years of Project 365 so far.

265FWIS

11/02/12 – Our very own beach, just steps from our apartment when we lived in Rio das Ostras, Brazil. Oh, how I miss this beach!

266FWIS

20/02/12 – Hammock Life. We spent many an afternoon nap listening to the sounds of the Atlantic Rainforest here at our friend's "country house" outside Rio de Janeiro.

267FWIS

16/05/12 – Ready to Ride. A beautiful springtime ride in the forests surrounding Mt. Rainier in Washington state.

269FWIS

14/10/11 – Ride! Taking a photo of my feet in action while riding a bike along the streets of Amsterdam earned me a few odd looks, but it was worth saving the memory. Luckily I didn't ride into anyone!

262Through

15/01/13 – Through Winter Branches and Snow. This fountain lived outside the window of our flat in Newcastle, England. It was our  weather indicator in a climate that changed daily.

263Through

28/04/12 – Through Barbed Wire. A very common example of home-security in Jundiaí, Brazil. We see this surrounding many of the houses here in our new city.

  • When did you start doing the 365 photo project, and why?

I had several photographer friends who had taken on 365 projects of their own, but for the longest time I balked at the idea. I tend to be a bit flaky and commitment phobic, and have a hard time sticking with projects to the end, but I really liked the idea. On New Year's Eve of 2011 I came across another photographer who had been doing a daily photo project for nearly two years, and I loved her theme. That's where I first heard of "From Where I Stand" (#fromwhereistand) and instantly loved it. I knew we would be traveling quite a bit for the upcoming year, so I had a chance of finding new and exciting locations, and no matter where I was, I always had my feet with me. I decided to start the very next day, on January 1st.

  • Why did you decide to continue the project for a second year?

I absolutely loved how the project had become a daily journal of sorts, and documented what turned out to be an epic year for us. I have photos from five different countries on three continents, and one or two from somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean on an airplane. I can look back at those photos and remember exactly where I was, and sometimes who I was with. Most of my friends got used to me rounding them up to get their feet in my photos. I quickly learned to explain what the heck I was doing in two languages.

I changed my theme after the first year from "From Where I Stand" to "Through", and have enjoyed the challenge of finding ways to take a photo which represents the theme. I do miss my "FWIS" photos though, and I think I'll pick it up again for next year.

  • What's the best bit about doing a 365 photo project?

It's a great way to remind yourself to pay attention to where you are, and what's around you. Too often I find myself floating through my days and not really seeing how lucky we are. To stop and find something to commemorate makes me realize how much I have to be grateful for.

  • Are there times when you've wanted to give up, why? What kept you going?

There have been quite a few days when I have no idea what to shoot, or how to get creative when it's 10pm and I've forgotten my shot for the day. Those are the days when I tell myself to just skip it, and make it up tomorrow, but I know myself. Once I go down that road I have been known to "forget" for days at a time. I've had to discipline myself a bit to make sure I'm on top of it. Having a theme I loved really helped, and as much as I'm enjoying the creativity of the "through" theme, I'll be glad to get back to "FWIS" next year. It was way more fun.

  • What tips would you give to anyone who wants to start a 365 project?

Like I mentioned above, find a theme you love! If the project is fun, and you have a good time doing it, you'll be much more likely to stick it out. You'll also really love looking back through those photos to remember the moment you took them. It doesn't matter if it's your feet, your dog, sunsets, water, or your vegetable garden, if you're really enjoying the project it won't ever feel like a chore.

  • Anything else you'd like to add?

Don't forget to go back and look over those photos. Brian and I still have a great time looking through ours from the last two years, and it never fails to get us talking about great times we had, and good friends we've enjoyed spending time with.

What would your 'From Where I Stand' photo from today be?

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Please pop back next Thursday when I introduce you to the only dad who's been 'man' enough to take on the 365 Project in two years: OneDad3Girls.

In The Woodshed (#SundayPropShop)

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Throughout the past fifteen or so years, there has been an infiltration into both my own, and my parents' house.

Wood is creeping in. Very slowly.

Our wedding present from my dad was a large block of wood, and I've got several others lying around as well with various purposes.

But these aren't just rough lumps of wood, because quite frankly that would be very odd. These have been carefully nurtured into wonderful creations; the texture and natural shape of the wood shining through the hewn branches. And you might occasionally see these creations in my blog posts, with cakes or quiches adorning them, or pinecones and orange slices scattered across the top.

In The Woodshed 2

These are created inside the purpose built workshop that my dad has at the bottom of their garden. And it's quite fascinating inside.

In the woodshed

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SUNDAY-PROP-SHOP

365 #43

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Only 9 weeks to go! Don't even think about giving up now!

The 365 linky only works because of people linking to it and then contributing their thoughts to others' posts via comments. I can't emphasise this enough, it's the whole point of the linky!

Join in by entering the URL of your favourite photograph of the week (either a 52 or a 365 photo) and show some comment love to everyone else in the community. We've got a Facebook group, and now I've created a collaborative Pinterest board (if you'd like to collaborate, let me know and I'll add you).

  1. Choose your favourite photo from the past week and link it up below.
  2. Please add the badge to your linked-up post so that other people know how to find all the other fabulous entries.
  3. If you can spare five minutes to comment on a few other entries I know they'd appreciate it!
365



365 Photographers: Mummy Mishaps

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When I came up with the idea to do the Project 365 linky, there was one person that I turned to as my sounding board; the one who had consistently commented on my 365 posts during the previous year, and the one who has championed the project ever since.

Meet Jenny from Mummy Mishaps.

Capture

In contrast to the previous 365 Photographers profiled, Jenny (like I do) focuses her photography on her everyday family life, and the development of her children. It is such a joy to see the antics of Burton and Jenson, the way that they play together, the comedy antics and the adventures exploring. And now that Burton has started school, it is fascinating to see a slight shift in the content of Jenny's photographs; to see the independent boy in Jenson emerge as he finds his own way without his big brother guiding his daily path.

I'll confess that I have a vested and personal interest in this particular post, as Jenny is now one of my closest friends and The Boy adores playing with his two chums. However, I do also feel that the clumsiest mummy around is one of the most genuine and friendly people, and this shows in her photographs; personality really does come through in the way we point and shoot.

Which is why these are my favourites of the moments that Jenny has captured so far.

Mummy Mishaps

These two photographs come from different ends of her 2013 project and show the change in Jenson, her youngest son. From a toddler with many features of a baby, to a confident and daring little boy who was not afraid to zoom along at a high speed. I also think the tenderness in the first photograph is beautiful, and the motion blur in the second is spot on.

Mummy Mishaps

I simply adore these two photographs of cheeky Burton as they really show off his adventurous personality to the fullest, especially the tree-climbing photograph with his wicked grin and glint of achievement in his eye. And yet, you could be mistaken for thinking he's a rough and tumble boy; he's not. Burton is one of the kindest and most sensitive boys that we know, a true testimony to the love and care that he is shown consistently.

These are Jenny's favourite six from the 365 Project so far.

project 365 6

25/11/12 – Burton loves water (well both boys do) and last year we had a lot of rain and the park was flooded for most of the Summer/Autumn, and he loved racing through the massive puddles on his bike and he went really fast too. This was taken one Sunday afternoon when I took both boys to the park while Daddy was watching the F1, and I had no idea this would happen!  I love the look of determination on Burton's face, the bright red of his coat complementing his red bike, the Autumnal colours on display, the big splash he and his bike made, and his reflection in the puddle. It just shows off his sense of adventure and how he does not care how wet he gets in the process. We both got wet taking photos that afternoon!

project365 7a

15/11/12 – I love this photo so much. I can see it has faults like Jenson not looking at the camera and the white glare of light to the left of Burton (over exposured?) , but its perfect to me because of the fun we had. I took the boys to the tangled woods in the grounds of a nearby stately house, because when we had visited before we had nick-named them the Gruffalo Woods because they were deep and dark like the trees in the book. I decided to take Burton's Gruffalo and Gruffalo's Child toys with us so the boys could go on a Gruffalo Hunt and they loved every minute of it. It remains one of my favourite little outings I have had with them and even if they will never remember it, we have this photo to keep the memory alive.

project 365 8

05/09/12 – Taken at Instow beach, I adore how the boys were helping to fill the bucket with sand to make a sandcastle together. It was a complete fluke and bonus that I managed to capture the 'flying' sand! The beach is a great way to spend time together having fun as a family.

project 36510

06/09/13 – I love this shot of the two boys. It was taken at the end of a warm day following some rain and the boys had been enjoying splashing in the puddles; Burton on his bike (note the mud stains on his clothes) and Jenson bare footed! It marked the end of a wonderful Summer and the start of a new season and a new chapter in our lives as Burton started school a week later. I just love the carefree abandonment of my boys in this photo and it sums them up well.

project365 1

07/10/13 – Jenson and I were just going on a little Autumn walk/nature hunt one afternoon before collecting Burton from school, and I turned and just saw the most amazing vista before my eyes! It was like the heavens had literally opened up and rays of golden sunlight were streaming down through the clouds onto the river and the bridge and it just looked so beautiful! I had to capture it and I love how Jenson is up on the stile taking in his surroundings. It is views and days like this which make me really love and appreciate where I live.

photo 3

28/06/12 – Burton went through a phase of just wanting to lie back and relax on this basket swing rather than sit up and be pushed really high and or fast! I love how relaxed he looks and how his eyes are closed and how the suns rays are shining down on my boy. I also love the bold red and blue colours on show. This photo made him appear older and yet over a year on he does not at all compared to how he looks now of course.

  • When did you start doing the 365 photo project, and why?

I started on 1st January 2012 after seeing TheBoyandMe complete her first year at the end off 2011. I watched with interest and a mixture of regret and envy that I had not joined in during 2011 too, as I loved the fact that she had 365 photos showing her son change and grow day by day. This is what spurred me on to participate as my blog is a record, a collection of memories about my boys, so what better way to encapsulate this then by keeping a photo a day diary.

  • Why did you decide to continue the project for a second year?

It's like an addiction, you cannot stop! I loved, and indeed love, looking back at what we got up to last year and this year and seeing how much the boys have changed. I take several photos a day of the boys anyway, so continuing to showcase them on my blog is not a problem and I like doing it. I decided to blog a weekly post this year as opposed to a daily posting last year, which I have preferred doing and will continue to do going forward.

I also wanted to improve on my photographs from last year because some of them are shocking really, due to the quality of the camera I had (an older version of a smart phone) and taking a lot of indoor photographs. It does not matter to me because they were a daily snapshot into our lives, but I know that the photos I took outside and take outside now are the ones which are the most striking – the better light and colour and I feel show my boys and their characters off best.

  • What's the best bit about doing a 365 photo project?

Quite a few actually:

  • being able to watch my boys grow and change before my eyes
  • think about how I can capture them in the best way
  • think about how I can turn an ordinary simple moment into a more exciting capture – like taking a photo of the boys playing with their toys but take it looking through the window of the farm or castle for example, to give it a more interesting angle
  • being part of a community. At the start of the year there are a lot of people who link up, but half way through the year most drop out and it is the same people who carry on. It is those lovely bloggers who I feel I know so well now. It's a wonderful little group and I enjoy seeing their projects evolve too.
  • Are there times when you've wanted to give up, why? What kept you going?

No, not once. I do not find it a chore – how could I find taking a photo of my boys an effort or hard work?

  • What tips would you give to anyone who wants to start a 365 project?

Just take photos of a subject/subjects that really interests you and that way you won't get bored or feel like giving up easily. Remember why you are doing the project and even if you do not get any comments or as many as you would like, does that matter? I take the photos for me, as a record of my boys growing up, and to remind me and show them what we got up to during a certain day/week/month/year; if I get nice things said about my photographs then that is a bonus and a complement.

  • Anything else you'd like to add?

I would like to thank TheBoyandMe (awww shucks Jenny) for inspiring me to join in with Project 365. Not only does it give me an amazing back catalogue of memories but it spurs me on to take, I hope, better photographs and keep them interesting. Afterall, I am just a Mum with her smart phone capturing a moment she has shared with her children; I am not a photography expert. But that's the beauty of this linky – anyone can join in because anyone can take a photo which means something to them.

Can you make every day photographs capture a special moment like Mummy Mishaps does?

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Please pop back next Thursday when I introduce the globetrotting and nomadic empire of A Kilt and a Camera.