365 #42

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Week 42 means we have only ten weeks left of the project! I have also worked out that I have now done 1023 days of Project 365; not sure I know how to stop even if I wanted to!

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: Point & Snap The World

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There are some people who take photographs that are so intriguing that they make the viewer ponder them. It might be because of the content, or it might be because of the editing style. Steph from Point & Snap The World is a person who makes me react in exactly this way for both those reasons.

Selfie

Tilt-shift, accentuated colours, monochrome, HDR filters. These are all features of her photographs, and it always amazes me how Steph can photograph so many different subjects, edit the photographs with varying finishes and still retain her definitive style. She likes her trees, 'stealth photography' with human interest, alleyways and architecture, close-up flowers, converse trainers.

I've been following Steph since she first started doing the 365 Project in the first week with the most amazing shadow, greyscale shadow picture. The blog she was using then is no longer online, but a thumbnail is available in that first week's linky; she's number 58.

The Instagram feed of Not So Slummy (as is her twitter and IG name) is a recognisable one with quirky and sneaky photos of the world around her; definitely one to follow!

Point&SnapTheWorld 1

I absolutely love the photo of the two 'old dears' having an afternoon cuppa together under the shade of the parasol. The lady whose side profile we can see is chuckling away, and I can only imagine what was said to her by her companion to make her life in such a way. The less sneaky photograph of the poppy is simply stunning and needs no further commentary.

Point&SnapTheWorld 2

The police car above to me epitomises Steph's photographs; classic high definition shots with perfect framing. I'd love to know what that old car was doing there, because I'm pretty sure that it's not still in service! The boisterous colours of the quirky canalboat are a wonderful contrast to the murky brown waters of the river behind.

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

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27/03/13 – I was walking home one day and I saw these 3 ladies having a good ol' proper chinwag! They brought such a smile to my face!

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22/04/13 – I visited York for the first time earlier this year, and I had such a lovely time there, this was just a tranquil shot.

photo(3)

01/06/13 – My boy, this is him in his element, just having fun! He's my world and brings my joy.

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04/07/13 – A simple picture of an icon!

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25/09/13 – This was taken just as summer was turning to autumn. One of the last balmy evenings we had and the rowers look so graceful gliding down the Thames.

photo(6)

29/09/13 – I go through moods of taking colourful pictures, but on this foggy morning, colour would never do it justice.

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

I started in January 2012, after I saw a few people tweeting about it, and liked the idea of taking a photo a day.

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

I really started getting into taking photos of people, places and things and set up a blog strictly for my photos. And despite going back to work full time, I was really determined to see it all the way through 2013.

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

I love looking back and being reminded of the places I've been or taking me back to a moment.

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

Absolutely, there are some days when I just feel uninspired and think to myself 'does anyone want to see another flower or some scenic shot?'  And life is busy for me, so it's very easy to get into that frame of mind, when I think, 'I'll do it tomorrow'. But it's good therapy just to start snapping and see what photos appear.

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

Pick up your camera or smart phone and just take photos! I've only ever used my iPhone to take my pictures and do a bit of editing with the snapseed app. I love the instantaneous element that can be captured. It's also good to look at others taking part in the project for inspiration. And most importantly, have fun with it!

Here's the challenge; can you HDR your world like Point & Snap The World does?

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Please pop back next Thursday when I introduce the wonderful and loving family life of MummyMishaps.

365 #41

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We've got 11 weeks left of this year's project! 11 weeks!

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



Days 279 – 285 of Project 365

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279 - 285 of 365

279. Sunset Splash (Having taken my niece and nephew on their first conker hunting session of the season, the three of us then went down to Barry Island for a chippy tea. We of course had to paddle in the sea, although The Boy had difficulty understanding it would be too cold to take our shoes off at this time of year. He ended up splashing around in his boots instead. And when I say splashing in his boots, I do mean in; there was three inches of water in each boot.)

280. Eye-Eye (Magnifying glasses are such fun!)

281. Construction (The Boy was having a great time tonight constructing an aeroplace. He very rarely constructs anything without guidance or a picture to work from, so I was pleased to see him having a go.)

282. Greedy Guts (A quick after school trip to the local nature reserve to feed the swans, they are very greedy and reach up to grab the scraps from the boardwalk.)

283. Concentrating Mummy! (We revisited the nature reserve to film The Boy tree-climbing for a National Trust project that I'm collaborating on, and were very happy to find a new, perfect tree with low sweeping branches and thick boughs.)

284. Homework (Those who follow me on Instagram will know of my ongoing concerns about when The Boy's school was going to introduce homework, as he has been able to read since May, and I am eager to give him the opportunity to develop his interest. Tonight we had his first homework; a worksheet which he had to practise his 'S' formation on. We decided that was a little boring so got out the shaving foam in the bath!)

285. Wait For Me! (Where Fiery Cousin goes, The Boy must follow! A wonderful afternoon at Dyffryn Gardens, the local National Trust site.)

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TheBoyandMe's 365 Linky

365 Photographers: Five Go Blogging

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Photography should tell a story; the best photographs in the world have got something going on in them, something hidden to be deciphered by the viewer, or sometimes something obvious which involves those looking at it. Alison from Five Go Blogging is one of those great character photographers on the 365 project.

FiveGoBlogging

Alison has been with me from the beginnings of the 365 linky, and her weekly collages are amongst those that I look forward to the most. I've noticed over that time that she has a few particular types of photographs that she likes to take; shadows, faces in fences (I kid you not), light streaming through windows/trees/anything around, and mischievious snaps of her children being cheeky!

Her Instagram feed is one of my favourites to follow, because of the wonderful beauties that she manages to spot on a walk to and from school, or a little thing that is noticed in her kitchen. And the best of these make it into her Project 365 weekly collages; full of life and telling a story.

FiveGoBlogging 1

These two photos to me show two very different sides to Alison's photography; the simple colours of nature, and the quirky kitchens. There are many eye-catching photographs in her Instagram feed which show the wonderful colours and details that she can spot, like a brightly coloured leaf covered in dew in a gutter. Likewise there are a multitude of humorous shots of bits and pieces in a kitchen. I love the way her son is poking his head and nose over this, desperate to spot what mischief he can get up next.

FiveGoBlogging2

In Alison's kitchen, there is a slatted blind. And through this slatted blind, the sun casts some serious light at times, creating wonderful photographs like this one of her son laughing away, and another marvellous one from last year (which I couldn't find) of a half empty beer bottle and it's emerald green shadow. And for my final choice, I've selected a sentimental shadow picture which demonstrates how she uses light to perfection.

These are her favourite six from the 365 Project so far.

09062012

9/6/12 – Burghley House and the children all scooting: Our favourite day out and its only a mile from home. No matter how many times, we go the children can always find something new to do or look at and I can take another photo that is different again from last time. I love this one because it shows the ages so perfectly of the children.

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30/9/12 – Swings: I took about 30 photos before I got this one with them both at the same point and both looking at me. I just love their expressions.

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14/10/12 – Tweeting gate: Again at Burghley House. I just saw the birds kissing and thought it was perfect for a twitter picture.

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18/11/12 – Family walking out of a winter evening sun: I loved that the sun was behind them, they look like they are returning home after a long satisfying walk (which they were).

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18/08/13 – Reflection in a knife: My favourite photo so far this year. I love reflections and shadows and just happened to glance down at my cutlery and saw the shot!

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27/1/13 – Shadow: I had to have a shadow shot in there somewhere and this one sums me up perfectly. My iPhone and a shadow.

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

I started Project 365 in January 2012. I am a habitual photographer and almost always take at least one photo a day anyway and when I heard of this project I knew it was something I wanted to do. It was a way to capture the memories and hopefully improve my photos in the process through practice and inspiration from other photographers.

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

Once I had started and completed a year of 365project, I was hooked. The thought of a day passing and not capturing a shot was scary! I'd love to say it is because my followers insisted I carry on but neither of them seemed that bothered!

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

The best bit about the 365project for me is the photographic diary I am making. I suspect I'll still be doing this in twenty years time and look forward to going through my albums with whoever I can persuade to sit with me.

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

I haven't ever thought about giving up but there are days when I just haven't been inspired or had time to really look for the shot. That's when you see a random still life photo in my collage!

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

If you are thinking about starting a project yourself, then just start snapping! There is a huge community to look to for support and inspiration and photographic critique if you want it. I use my iphone 99% of the time and I know they are not technically brilliant but more often than not a photo suddenly appears before me and I have to snap it there and then. Those are the best and most fun shots in a 365project and take no time or effort.

Like Five Go Blogging, how could you use light and shadow to improve your photographs?

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Please pop back next Thursday when I introduce the high-definition perspective of Point & Snap The World.

365 #40

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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: HPMcQ

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There are some people who just have an amazing ability when it comes to using a camera; they see an angle that no-one else does, a shape in the hodge-podge of chaos, or can visualise what the image would look like edited, to achieve wonderous photographs that leave the viewer in awe. To me, Vanessa from HPMcQ is one of those photographers.

HMPcQ has linked up from the very first week of the 365 linky, and with only the minimal amount of prodding at times, she has been there all the way through the past 91 weeks. Vanessa has a particular style which I can recognise at a glance; the 'blown' appearance (over-exposure), the muted colours, the grandeur of an ignored building, or the close-up face of a person lost in their own world are her distinctive approach.

And I love it.

Her photos tell a story, and that's the whole point of Project 365; to tell a story about your daily life, to capture those moments which would be otherwise forgotten, to remind us of the places we've been and sights we've seen.

HPMcQ 2012

These are my two favourite photos of Vanessa's from her 2012 project; St. Paul's Cathedral (this is actually my favourite of her photos) and the doorman of the hotel she stayed in during a work trip to Delhi. I love the stark contrast of both of these photos with the splash of red punctuating the monochrome effect.

HPMcQ 2013

The curves in the escalator photo and the bright green of the cabbies' cafe make these two of my favourites so far of 2013, the other two are the first images which Vanessa has selected as her own favourites below.

brockwell park

22/01/13: As the title says "not a black and white photo", I did not take this photo in black and white, this was the actual colour of the landscape in front of me, and this is why I love this.

after school lean

27/06/13: Ronnie is really into leaning, it's quite amusing. Whilst I was chatting to another mother at the gate of the school I turned to see this rather glorious lean. Who knew that children could be so subtly entertaining!

dont let me down

11/07/13: Could one single photo be more ironic if it tried!

men at work

24/07/13: HPMcQ & son; a partnership in the making… however it wasn't daddy in charge, Ronnie was definitely the foreman on this job!

vietnamese girl

08/08/13: Blooming love Vietnam, how beautiful  is this little girl, if not slightly bemused about me peering at her taking snaps!

st paul cathedral

26/08/13: Well you nabbed my other one so I'm having this! I adore St. Paul's Cathedral. I think it goes back to a drawing in my abuelos' house (Spanish grandparents), it's a charcoal drawing that my father drew many many moons ago way before I was born. My dad has a talent that he has never explored to the fullest, he is very creative. I always looked at this drawing and wished that I could draw as good as that, I never have! But this is where my love of St. Paul's has come from I'm pretty sure, what a magnificent building.

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

A friend of mine had a blog (she's an artist) and for some reason it really played on my mind as something I could do. But what on earth would I do? I dabbled with a couple of posts and just thought, "This is silly! I'm not a writer, who am I kidding? What am I doing?" So I didn't really do much else, but I still loved the idea of it and carried on reading and finding new blogs. Sometimes I would write a post but never publish, it's very cathartic you know! I then found your blog and linky, and I that was that! This was something I could do for sure, I take pictures all the time, so it would be a journal at the same time. BINGO!

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

I didn't really consider having to make a decision, I just carried on taking pictures, so I carried on posting them.

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

Ooh tough! I think recently the being bullied (ha ha, yes bulllied!) by you and Jenny, to buy a real grown up camera. From taking snaps on my phone to a real camera, something I would never have considered before, but the support and encouragement that I have recieved from both of you and a lot of the blogging community has meant that maybe just maybe I could take photos in a more grown up way too. I will however be keeping my 365 just to my iPhone, it feels wrong to change it.

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

No, not really. There's been times when I've nearly forgotten to take a picture of the day and have then run around like maniac finding something of the day to snap.

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

Take it easy, don't stress about it. If carrying a camera around with you doesn't work, then use your phone like I do. It doesn't make it any less of a project. If 365 is too much do 52 instead, break yourself in gently.

  • Anything else you'd like to add?

Photography can be anything you want it to be and it should always be fun and natural. Whether it's your phone or a top of the range DSLR who cares, enjoy!

Did I mention that Vanessa takes all of her 365 photographs on an iPhone4S?

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Please pop back next Thursday when I introduce the shadowy world of Five Go Blogging.

365 Photographers

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I've been hosting a 365 linky for nearly two years now and have been privileged in that time to be a witness to many different photographers' daily lives; to see couples marry, pregnancies develop, babies be born, learn to walk and talk, families grow and spread their wings. I've travelled the world without leaving my living room, and rediscovered some of the most amazing architecture Britain has to offer.

At the end of last year's project I didn't think there would be anyone foolish eager enough to carry on the project, but there are well over fifteen photographers who ventured into a second year and it is a pleasure to see their interest in photography develop. The 365 project becomes a part of everyday life for participants, picking up a camera and snapping a scene (hopefully unobtrusively) is second nature, assessing the composition and lighting, picking the best angle, and editing the image to get the best out of it, are all skills which come with time and practise. The 365 (and Project 52) photographers' dedication is something to be admired and sung about in my eyes.

And so I finally get to my point.

Months ago I sounded out a few of the 365 photographers about being featured in a series, they jumped at the chance and since then we've been sifting through finding our favourite photos to share.

The 365 Photographers series will run on Thursdays, starting this week with a photographer who has an incredibly artistic, architectural eye and manages to find the beauty in London that is often missed in the madding crowd.

Pop back over on Thursday to see the wonderful world of HPMcQ.

HPMcQ

365 #39

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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



Printrbook: Instagram Photo Book (Review)

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I love Instagram; the whole concept of taking a photo and sharing it with friends and family, or like-minded people, is really appealing to me. It's a great social media platform with a huge audience, and the people I follow are made up of friends, bloggers, pure Instagrammers (no blogs), or complete strangers on the other side of the world with an amazing photographic library. And that's the thing about Instagram, the people who use it do so for different reasons; to share their artwork, their stories or the precious moments during the day.

Basically for me it's like a 365 project but with more opportunity to record our lives.

Over the past few months, I've seen quite a few bloggers share the various ways they've found of getting their virtual photos actually into their hands in real life. Some come in the format of fridge magnets, some are posters, some are individual Polaroid style photographs. All of these are fine and dandy, but to me it means I then have to find somewhere to put them; the fridge is reserved for The Boy's paintings, a poster doesn't appeal to me, and I have more small photographs than I know what to do with. I've still got prints from photoshoots when The Boy was a year old to do something with. I certainly don't want more loose photos.

About a month ago, I had a 'like' on one of my photos from a company called Printrgram. They have since had to change their name as Instagram have issued new rules, and are now called Printrbook.

I digress.

Printrbook is a third party service (not associated with Instagram in any way) which allows users to create photobooks of their Instagram photos. It is incredibly easy to use;

  • sign in using your Instagram login details, select either 25 or 50 photos (same amount of pages, just printed on one side or both sides of each page),
  • edit the front cover and whether dates or captions are required on each page,
  • preview,
  • pay £10.00 plus £2.00 p&p.

Printrbook Instagram Photo Book

The books measure 10cmx10cm and the pages are 150gsm Inaset paper while the cover is 300gsm Trucard. The paper used is FSC certified, produced using power from 100% renewable resources and Printrbook have a carbon free status by offsetting all site emissions through the charity Rainforest Concern.

And I'm very, very impressed with the quality of the book.

Printrbook Instagram Photo Book

I've selected three photos for the bottom row which show off the quality of the printing (click here, here or here to see the original Instagram images), which I think is very good considering Instagram only stores them as 612×612 pixels resolution. I also like the fact that they aren't glossy, but have a soft sheen to the paper.

The books cost £10.00 with £2.00 postage and packaging. I think that's actually really good value for money, especially when an equivalent book from one of the main online photo stores would cost well over £15.00, and need the photos uploading to them. I've just demonstrated the process to my husband and it took four minutes to access my Instagram photos and go through the editing process. As a web-based software developer, he was impressed. As a busy woman who doesn't have time to faff around uploading photos that are already online elsewhere, I was impressed.

A perfect size to stereotypically fit in a handbag (or laptop bag, Filofax, briefcase or suit jacket pocket), I love this as my first ever 'boasting book'. Skimming through my Instagram album takes ages with over 2,500 images in there. Here, I've got the best of our Spring and Summer ready to hand. They would also make excellent Christmas presents for grandparents!

I will be ordering from Printrbook again, because it's quick, easy, good value for money and really good quality.

I was provided with a free review code to produce a book, my opinion is honest and unbiased.

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