My 365 Project is ... COMPLETED!

Photo 365: Today is a special day - the last post for my project... picture #365. I did it - I actually took and posted 365 pictures in one year to the day. A year ago I read about this 365 idea, and thought, hey why not try to take a picture for one day for the entire year? It was exciting, a new challenge, but I never thought how the project would take over and change me as a photographer, an artist and even as a person.

I did a little off roading in Alaska to get that perfect shot of a mist-covered bridge, rode a camel to capture the Pyramids, climbed security fences to shoot graffiti, and learned how to use a tripod and shoot amazing firewors. I saw colors, shapes, people and places through a lens, and everything around me changed with that. You see images and ideas where you never think to look, and learn so much more about your surroundings and the magic that is a city, a field, a beach and even an empty baseball stadium. Speaking of baseball, I was hit by one (twice), braved a snowstorm to find snowmen, and apparently stalked dogs throughout the city - all in the name of photography. I got lost in Lake Tahoe, looking at the water and beautiful scenery as a thunderstorm was rolling in. I walked around an old castle with perfectly groomed gardens and saw my city - NYC - from every angle that you can think of. I look back now and remember chasing down watertowers all over the city, riding a ski lift up and down to get the mountains just right, and learning about the rule of two thirds. I remember shooting my 100th picture, and how amazed I was that I got this far already, and then scared at the same time, because I still had 265 pictures to go, and it seemed so far away. Most important, I am thankful that I had this awe-inspiring, breathtaking, exhausting and fulfilling experience. There were times when I just didn't want to pick up Pedro anymore, because I was pictured-out, and I didn't want to go out and look for another image, but I dragged my sorry butt off the couch, and went outside anyway. Why? Because this project important to me, I had something to prove, and I'm a competitor, and didn't want to fail . I persevered, with some not-so stellar images (i.e. those long, dreary days in January), some great shots that I'm very proud of, and Pedro a little more used and abused but still my steady sidekick. My project is done, and I'm sad, but feel very accomplished. I did it!

Here's a last image (for this project) that I absolutely adore. I hope you like it! And always remember, no matter what the goal is - big or small - embrace the challenges and obstacles, because if you put your mind and heart into it, anything is possible.


P.S. Stay tuned for my new "100 Moments in Photography" project. Project365 inspired me so much (along with the book, Half the Sky), that I decided to do a fundraiser... for what and why you'll have to just wait and see. I'll keep you posted and will sharedetails in the coming days, but needless to say, I'm very excited about this new step for a good cause.

- FIN -

A Little Green Goes a Long Way...

Photo 345 - 347: This will be the last post before I upload some more shots that I've been taking, but I needed to throw little green into the mix, and of course a stairs that lead nowhere... No idea who put it there or why, but it makes for one more oddity in this fantastic, scary, serene and odd site.

A Ray of Light

Photo 342 - 344: Archways are my favorite types of architecture to photograph. Granted, these aren't "pretty" due to the graffiti, but they're definitely interesting and they frame nature trying to break through. And nature isn't the only thing trying to break through, just look at the sunbeam... I couldn't have staged it any better.

Beauty Amidst Ruins

Photo 339 - 341: Hm... Looks a little scary, no? lol But here is the fence I climbed, and the shrubs I escaped. It's amazing how these grounds seem to set themselves apart from the rest of the neighborhood. Birds chirping, leaves blowing around and bees buzzing, but surrounded by these ruins.

"But two miles more, and then we rest!
Well, there is still an hour of day,
And long the brightness of the West
Will light us on our devious way;
Sit then, awhile, here in this wood--
So total is the solitude,
We safely may delay.

These massive roots afford a seat,
Which seems for weary travellers made.
There rest. The air is soft and sweet
In this sequestered forest glade,
And there are scents of flowers around,
The evening dew draws from the ground;
How soothingly they spread!

Yes; I was tired, but not at heart;
No--that beats full of sweet content,
For now I have my natural part
Of action with adventure blent;
Cast forth on the wide world with thee,
And all my once waste energy
To weighty purpose bent."

-- Charlotte Bronte

Graffiti in Nature

Photo 336 - 338: We all know about my fascination with graffiti in all shapes and sizes. Here are some more to add to my collection with a total of five now (to see the first, click here, and to see the second, click here).

Who.. Me?

Photo 214: I never (or on rare occassions) post pictures of me on here, but this picture I love. It's a reflection of me in a window admiring the colors and the contrast, and I caught myself as well. There's trusty Pedro, my camera big and I on a perfect afternoon in my city.

All You Need Is ... the Beatles?

Photo 211-213: Here is the lesson of the day, no matter how cold you think it is... disregard frostbite, the North Pole wind and shoot away. Pedro didn't mind the arctic wind that blew me around Soho the other day, so here is some love expressed in all different ways. Notice the last photograph, does it perhaps remind you of this? Hm... will have to go by there more often to see how much it changes.

Art Isn't Original?

Photo 188-189: What to say. Well, I heard something quite "interesting" yesterday. I was having a conversation with a painter - and I honestly use that term loosely - and he told me that art is always planned, and that no medium is left to chance, and no art is original. He also thought that photography was nothing but using photochop, and a person behind the camera is not an artist since they aren't creating anything new. As I resisted the urge to slap him into next week, I "demurely" disagreed, and yes, almost called him an idiot, but my tact/manners prevailed. I informed him that no matter what inspires you and how you choose to express yourself, it's in the eye of the beholder. Sometimes you see what's already there and interpret it in a different way, sometimes you imagine something and then try to capture it on canvas or in a print. I think true creativity comes from being open to your surroundings and then letting yourself be inspired - even by the smallest, most insignificant things. If your heart starts racing, your mind starts flowing and you're using your artistic eye, you're creating something unique, that's only yours. And "paint the numbers" is not art, unless you go outsides the lines. ;) That should have been one of my answers for Mr. Louvre. lol

Pink is my favorite color...

Photo 136-137: The first picture says it all, followed by the queen bee herself, Madonna. It's great what you can see as you're wandering around on the streets of Manhattan.

Christiane a Paris

Photo 110-112: Here are a few more images of the clothing store's unofficial "opening." That's all I got today. lol I'm tired, my tooth hurts, and yet, I post. How's THAT for dedication. Honestly, I've been feeling bad about slacking off, so I'll have to rev up on the postings again.

New Venture

Photo 109: I've been in PA helping out the family with the gallery, and they now have a fabulous clothing store called Christiane a Paris as well. It's becoming quite the little business, and I have to tell you, I'm so flipping excited for everyone involved. Not only is the artwork absolutely inspiring, but the clothing is so different and so beautiful. I caught Joelle, outside, through the new store's windows, taking a much-needed break, and looking as fashionable and happy as she can only be.

Murals

Photo 101-103: Here is a collection of murals I've seen all over. The colors, the stories, and the meanings are varied, but what matters really is what each viewer interprets, sees and feels.

Holiday Weekend

Photo 12: I'm off to Lancaster, Pa., this weekend, for some family time, and to take in some of the new arts and crafts of an amazing creative community in Pennsyltucky. lol Lancaster is one of those little towns that's ever evolving, ever changing, that embraces every kind of art from modern to traditional and everything in between. My best friend's mom owns a gallery there, and they're also expanding into having a clothing line, so I am very excited to see what new art she's created, and what the new clothing line looks like. They are both from Belgium (the artist and the clothing!) If you're interested in seeing her paintings, check it out here. I am privileged enough to own one of her bigger pieces, and I'm a huge fan. No bias here!

I'll be back on Sunday, and no worries, New York is never far from my mind.

Happy 4th of July!!!

What is art?

Photo 2: So, it's Tuesday morning, and I'm ambling along Bedford Avenue to my subway stop. All of a sudden some new graffiti art hits me. It's a whole wall filled with someone's imagination, passion, anger or just plain boredom... all created with a few paint cans of color. Graffiti to me is like any "modern" art, depends on how you interpret it and what you interpret it to be. This is what I saw this morning, as the sun was FINALLY trying to break through some very dense, gray clouds, and I was searching for my shot of the day.