Archive for the tag 'retrospective'

December retrospective

Scrivener December 31st, 2007

December retrospective, originally uploaded by Scrivenings.

1. G, 2. Self-portrait at 35,000 feet, 3. you can close your eyes and never be alone, 4. Thingmbob, 5. This is the same fire, 6. waiting on my mood to change, 7. Non-casual Friday jumping jacks, 8. What Christmas Means To Me, 9. She *loved* holding the baby, 10. Aladdin Sane, 11. Sustenance, 12. negative space, 13. Since you left, nothing is missing., 14. Shadow self portrait with very large head, 15. Penguin, 16. Rubies, 17. I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight, 18. From what I’ve tasted of desire, 19. As one who shrewdly pretends that he and the world are friends, 20. jumping beans, 21. Hoodie, 22. Waiting to blow out the candles, 23. Infinite regression, 24. Toffee, 25. Nails!, 26. Wide as the ring of a bell, 27. yes is a world, 28. So we struggle and we stagger, 29. Cause there’s, there a light in me that shines brightly, 30. Seeing, 31. Happy New Year! And 2007? Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on your way out.

Created with fd’s Flickr Toys.

I hope to circle back later today, after we get home from our New Year’s celebration, or tomorrow at the latest, to write something a little more reflective about what Project 365 has meant for me this year. I’ll pick my favorites from the year and maybe look ahead to the 2008 iteration of the project as well. For now, though, I’ll just focus on December.

On the whole, I’ve been really happy with me pictures this month, particularly with some of the self-portraits. By far, the biggest break-through photograph for me was negative space, really the whole set of those pictures that I took that day, though I’ve only uploaded a few. A number of people saw those pictures and sent me messages one way or another asking whether I am ok, which I appreciate, but really those self-portraits are, I’m pretty sure, signs of health. They are very personal in some ways–a working out of some issues that have been lurking for me for a very, very long time–but also the first photographs I’ve ever taken where I was conscious for myself as I was taking them that I was not just snapping some pictures to see what kind of image I could produce. I knew that I was making art. I’ve had those images more or less in my head for a long time, but have been unable for one reason or another to actually take them.

I’ve also been really happy with some of the more playful shots this month–the Bowie album remake, the self-portrait in bed wearing snorkle gear, Eldest in her penguin costum, the goofy shadow portrait on my cell phone.

At the end of November, I started to make strides in figuring out Photoshop and have been really enjoying playing around with it. The washed-out, near black-and-white portraits have been fun to work on, in particular. I’m hoping to continue to work on these techniques in the coming year.

October Retrospective

February Retrospective

Scrivener February 28th, 2007


February Mosaic, originally uploaded by Scrivenings.

I don’t have the energy to say too much insightful about the past month of photo-taking, -posting, -viewing, and -commenting-upon. I’ve taken some pictures this month of which I’m really proud, especially some of the pictures of Ella and Chloe, but also the Valentine’s Day picture and the one of the lily. Looking at the mosaic, what stands out at me is how much of this month has been taken up with art projects–I don’t think it’s an accident that pushing myself to take these pictures every day has also helped me to open up creatively in a bunch of other ways.

I am glad to’ve kicked off the shower curtain meme this month, but sorry that I haven’t (yet?) managed to get in on the gummi bear action.

It’s been a pleasure looking at so many great shots by you guys who’re also 365ing it. I can already see myself improving as a photographer in so many ways. Thanks.

View all the posts in February.

January Retrospective

Scrivener January 31st, 2007

365 January Mosaic

I had been mulling over a post about this whole 365 project for the last few days, but when I had a chance to get online earlier today and saw Billie’s retrospective, then I knew I needed to go ahead and write something like this too. (I see that I’m not the only one who felt inspired by Billie’s post.)

My experience with 365 has been colored by the four months I spent taking a self-portrait every day when I took part in the Whisekerino a year ago. Whiskerino was a profound experience for me for a number of reasons: taking that picture each day really pushed me to become a better photographer; looking at the daily self-portraits of 133 other guys–most of whom were photographers, painters, designers, or generally just super damn creative–gave me some sense of both the possibilities available and of my own limitations as a photographer; and the fact that it was a community of men was itself really important to me, too, for reasons that I haven’t managed to articulate particularly well for myself even yet. Probably the thing that I most appreciated about the Whiskerino, though, and that I’ve been missing since last February, was that it pushed me to explore my playful, creative side and to move through my days on the lookout for interesting moments.

When I look over the 31 pictures I’ve taken during this first month of Project 365, I don’t really see much in the way of theme or particular aesthetic, other than that I like to take pictures of Ella and Chloe, but then that’s not exactly news to anyone who’s read my blog or looked at my Flickr stream at any point in the last two years. Instead, what I see when I look at these photos, what I have felt these last few weeks, has been an increased sense of the beauty in the world around me. And I’ve really enjoyed this new subdivision of the blogging community that’s sprung up with this 2007 Project 365. I can already see ways in which they are pushing me to take better, more interesting photos.

View all the posts in January.