Mid January I decided to attempt chronicling our year with one photo each day. This meant bringing my camera with us even if just going for a walk or remembering to snap a photo of something even if we'd never left the house. Each day I'd copy and paste one photo to a folder on our computer titled "Our Year."
I absolutely love the photos showing who we hung out with on certain days or reminding us of the places we visited throughout the year: the zoo, a farm, a museum, the beach, ect;
One simple snapshot from each holiday and different birthdays is certainly difficult to choose for the purpose of putting in "Our Year" folder but the challenge in itself is highly enjoyable.
It's neat to scroll through the photos in chronological order (I have them all numbered and titled by date) and see the seasons change and hair cuts happen and then how quickly hair grows back.
Most of all I cherish the simple photos, photos of little Abe playing with his toys. An act he does for hours a day but something I wouldn't have normally taken so many photos of. To see him with our dogs or just playing in the dirt in our back yard. I have so many photos from this year that I would have never taken if it weren't for this project. I don't have a cell phone and I make a very conscious effort to not live behind my lens. I do not appreciate how often we find ourselves in today's culture documenting everything and even while there, living life through a lens or screen. I never want to spend my time trying to record, trying to document, trying to remember all the while forgetting to be where I am and enjoy the now. But making sure to get one simple photo just to add to the folder for "Our Year" has been priceless.
Possibly the biggest gift I've been given through this project has been in the area of personal growth I'd never expected. I've always, since around the age of ten hated my photo being taken. When I started this project I told myself to buck it up and make sure to take photos of myself with my kid. I knew that my avoiding the camera would come back to haunt me and I needed to grow up. Since January we've used many a "uh oh, I haven't taken a photo today," to take a quick selfie together and I'm so thankful we have. I love our time together and the simple moments we share throughout each and ever day and I now love our photos together too.
I've posted very few photos of myself to this blog so here are the most photos any of you have ever seen of me.
Us
Love it! Great project!
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DeleteLittle Abe and I have a lot of fun looking through the folder together but it's also too inspiring for him. He ends up asking to do a million things and wants to see everyone at all once. Haha
I too hate having my picture taken, so I love your personal growth part of the challenge. In addition to all of the memories. Love, love, love the pictures & the fact that you've had all of the moments captured with your family.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I really have grown. Instead of dreading seeing a photo and trying to dodge them I now figure that some photos might be really bad but others will turn out good and at least we're capturing memories.
DeleteYou certainly have no need to avoid pictures as you are quite attractive. No need to hide.
ReplyDeleteThank-you. My weight has fluctuated A LOT throughout my entire life and I think that's the reason I hate the camera. I also seem to take really horrible candid photos, like REALLY horrible. But I'm getting over it. I really am.
ReplyDeleteYou seem to have a lovely fun loving close relationship with your boy. That's a gift for both of you.
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