Day 365-365 Celebration

Day 365-365 Celebration, originally uploaded by saralonde.

It's seems so fitting that this project should be over at the end of a year (and a decade!), and that a new year and decade is beginning.

Having done a previous 365 before, I knew what I was getting into, that it would be worth the effort and that I would learn a lot. Besides being a journal of a year in my life, I decided at the beginning some of my effort would be in getting to know Photoshop better. At the end of the year I've barely scratched the surface of what that editing program can do, but I'm amazed at the things I can do with it. Yeah, there were some overboard bokeh and texture things going on but hopefully I'm developing a better eye for that.

The downside to a 365? Having days were everything you took looks like rubbish, but you still need to put up a pic, feeling panic at 11:45 PM because you're in bed and you forgot to take a shot (!), losing your photo mojo for weeks at a time, but you still have to work through it. That's when you decide Starbucks cups become a compelling subject!

Upside? First, the people you meet! The 365 - DPS Assignment group has a great bunch of enthusiastic photographers willing to help each other out and applaud everyone's efforts. Then there are the friends that willingly visit your photostream on a regular basis leaving comments and observations, faving and sending flickr mail. They manage to keep you going on off days. Despite some misses along the way - and there were quite a few - I can look at some of these shots and feel as sense of pride that I am slowly improving.

I'm not a naturally gifted photographer, I take 2 steps forward and 1 step back all the time, have no real distinct style, love to take pictures of everything, and constantly mess up under pressure. But those are all reasons why I love doing it, too. The fact that you are never done learning about it, there is always a better picture around the corner, plus the camaraderie of others that feel the same as I do keeps us all going, trying to be better photographers.

So I'm ending by celebrating my year and yours and looking forward to more pictures from all of you ♥

Happy New Year everyone (with a little bokeh ;-))!!