photo a day...reflections

my last photo of 2011.

when i began my photo a day on january 1st, i wasn't sure that i could do it. some days i had great enthusiasm for the process. i had dozens of photos some days. some days i had to force myself to take one. and posting could be a challenge.

but i did it. 

like the year before, when i said that i would keep a gratitude journal. as it happened, it was one of my most difficult years, but i did it. and continued, every day, this year as well.
the other day, a very good friend and client of mine asked me what it has meant to me to keep my commitment and do a photo a day for the whole of 2011.

i am proud of myself for the consistency. not generally one of my fortes.
i love that i have a photo of one moment of each of my days. while the memories escape me, seeing a photo of the time i am immediately back in the moment and remember everything.
i realize that my year has been quite localized. didn't travel, maybe even outside the state, this year. hm. too bad.
i love my little camera but found that i needed more power. just ordered a new one! thank you, my dearest little canon. you were with me every single day this past year and i appreciate you so!
i was surprised to find that people i know and even those i have never met have followed this photographic journey of mine. and enjoyed it! a number of people have urged me to continue in the new year. thank you so much for your support!
my sister in law in england also did a photo a day. she always had a great eye but this year, she became an extraordinary photographer. i have found it thrilling to watch her art grow. and it also gave me pause to think about my own photos. some days the photos were good...you know, good composition, color, subject, and all. sometimes, they were just photos. and i went through a time of thinking that my photos needed to be good. you know, like art good. it was a good mental exercise to go through because my whole point was to document one moment of each day of my year. not to be a great photographer. so i got to celebrate my sis in law's extraordinary journey and my own. i could release being good at something and just be. accept.
BUT what i take away in greatest measure is being present. i found that some times are inspiring and beautiful. and some times are not. but there is ALWAYS something of interest. always something of some beauty. always something that wants to looked at and admired, if only for a moment. i may have had to look closer, or from another angle. i had to slow down sometimes and sometimes speed up. i had to be ready.
taking time to BE in that moment has really made a difference in my life. and yes, i have put this quality of being present on my gratitude list on more than one occasion.
so as the year closes and another one calls, i want to thank each of you who have traveled on this journey with me. through the striking and the mundane. it has been my life.
i hope that 2011 brought each of you joy that you didn't expect.
may 2012 bring you inspiration, prosperity, love and unbounded joy, one lovely moment at a time.
so what's next? stop by tomorrow for my announcement 2012 "___ a day" adventure.

until then...happy everything, my friends!

much love and hugs to all!