Project 44

Project 365 Photo of the Day: 8/365
Originally uploaded by donlee98

Project 365 began on January 1, 2011 and quickly ended as Project 44. It was a great idea...but I ran out of steam about 44 days into the project. It reminds me of those new years resolutions where you make a commitment to go to the gym on a regular basis to loose that tire around your stomach. You are extremely motivated at the beginning and go to the gym 6 days per week. However, you soon begin to loose steam and eventually stop going completely.

Project 365 was no exception for me but now I tell myself that it's not a sprint, it's a marathon. The focus should be on doing something photographic with some sense of regularity with one or more clear goals in mind. I started Project 365 with no goals other than to take at least one original image everyday of the year in 2011. It didn't take long before I began to run out of creative ideas and to reach the point where I was taking images just for the sake of taking an image. I had no creative flow and I felt rushed and constrained; I was clearly no longer having fun with photography.

So my new mid-year resolution is to just have fun with photography...much like my son Jared (pictured above) has fun in front of the camera. After all, shouldn't the things we love doing the most be fun and enjoyable?

Via Flickr:
Jared

A very defining image of my youngest child during one of his many spontaneous acts of jest.