I’ve done 165 days of my 365 project… just 201 to go!
So, it’s time for a little recap. I keep calling it a 365 project, yet it’s actually the 366 project, seeing as it’s a leap year and all that. So, it’s time for a review of sorts with an imaginary interviewer. (me, if you were wondering).
How have you found it?
Funnily enough, it’s been pretty good. I’ve enjoyed it, and it’s meant i’ve explored a lot of places and taken some really good pictures that I probably wouldn’t have done. I can’t say that’s strictly true for all of it – I do take a lot of pictures of things and whats happening – not people as such with my phone. I don’t overload Facebook with a million of the same drunken pose. I take pictures of where I am. For example, I took the one above with @nicktheguitar said ‘let’s go to Covent Garden’ – and we passed the Spooks HQ (in the TV series). I love Spooks, so it’s a great shot to have. (It’s also smaller than I imagined it).
Most of the time, getting a decent shot hasn’t been a problem, and a lot of the time, the problem has been getting a unique angle.
Have you struggled?
As I said above, getting a decent shot isn’t an issue. It’s getting a shot thats worthy of it. Many of the days when I have thought at the last minute are the days when i’ve been really busy, and at a computer or in one place all day. What helps is going about and exploring, and just looking for photos. Looking for a shot that you know can go in the project. Sometimes, things just aren’t photogenic, or you’re having a day where you think ‘you know what, this is a waste of time’.
What have you enjoyed?
Actually exploring and seeing things. Using Instagram, it’s made you think in terms of composition. It’s a square image from a iPhone shaped picture, so you have to think whats going to be missing from the crop, and how the image will look. Are you going to fill the frame, or go for landscape and put black lines at the top and bottom? Also, how much blur do you want to apply. You need to think about it. You want to make it the best as possible, so you have to make it still, get the moment right, and ideally not use HDR on a fast moving shot. It’s all a skill.
People decide to say Instagram is hipster-ish – well, maybe, but it’s good. I am in no way pretending that it’s photography on it’s own. It is by no means a replacement for my camera – but as the saying goes, the best camera in the world is the one you have on you. The iPhone is pretty much always on me – sometimes it has no battery, but it’s always on me!
Instagram works wonders on images. Yes, they’re faux-old style, but it’s what I want them to be. It’s the same as the over done HDRs on Flickr – I don’t cry about them. I don’t like them, and maybe I wish HDR was never invented, but I don’t cry to your face about them. So, I use Instagram. Let’s all take photos how we want in peace! Yes.
