Week 52 || Project 52

Yes, you read the title of this blog post right. This is week 52. This is the end of the year in photographs. If this is your first time hearing of the 52 week project, let me help you out! This year I set out on an adventure with several photographers around the nation (& the world!) to take a photograph each week. Now, it doesn't sound like much work, but let me tell you it was! Life happens. Sometimes you let the things you love most go. It was a struggle for me to pick up my camera once a week and photograph something that meant something to me. But...

I DID IT!

I'm sad it's over. I'm mostly amazed though. Amazed at the fact that 2012 is over and this project was actually accomplished. I am officially not a quitter. There were weeks when I had absolutely no desire to work on this and weeks when I had too many photos to choose from. But enough with the chatting, let's get to the very last week of Project 52.

The last week of December is the best week of the year. It holds Christmas & a new beginning. This week I woke up for the sun rise [even though the sun didn't really rise...it just got light outside] and went on a photo adventure which doesn't happen much anymore. Like I said, life happens and we drop the things we love the most. There were few times that I woke up super early just to take photographs. But there is nothing like those days. Wake up when the fog is still thick and it's still dark outside. Wake up when the birds aren't even chirping and before your alarm clock wakes you. 

A lot of this project meant going back to my roots. The challenge of photographing for the love of it. Not to take photographs of someone's event or a special moment in their life...but to photograph events in my life and special moments in my life. I spent a lot of time this morning looking up. I don't have much interest in what is right in front of me. The roads look plain and the grass is brown. But if I look up I see the way that the little twigs of the trees paint the sky and the birds flying off. 

So that's it. Week 52. The final week of Project 52. 

I kind of don't want this post to end or the project but I know it has to at some point. It's been an incredibly memorable journey. I've been more inspired this year by this project than ever before. To those of you who have been following this project since the  very beginning, THANK YOU. I cannot tell you how much it means to me. To those of you who started reading this that had no idea what this project is about, THANK YOU. It means the world that you read and viewed this. 

Love to all of you.

[p.s. a summarized post on Project 52 will be up in 2013!]

The Beginning || Film Friday

This is the story of the beginning of my photographic journey. It all began with a Canon AE-1 and a million rolls of 35mm film. Six years and countless rolls. My beloved Canon took me everywhere: Denmark, North Carolina, Wisconsin. I began as a newbie and finished with adoration for the art.

At the age of 12, I ventured to Denmark and brought several rolls of film, not really knowing what to expect or to do with this "ancient" camera. Soon, I was comfortable with the foreign qualities and loving the click of the shutter.

This was my first experience with actually pursuing photography. I wouldn't have it any other way. Learning to love the struggle. Sometimes I would be so excited about a roll of film, thinking it would be absolutely brilliant...and my exposures were developed, I would be disappointed. It's the beauty of the mystery. With film, there isn't instant gratification. It's a game of patience and testing and learning. It's a thrilling game.

Beginning with film, I always had a sense of urgency to take a photograph, bring 4 backup rolls of film with "just in case". My days were centered around "what am I going to photograph today, when am I going to get this film developed, how is this film going to turn out?"I was learning and I hungered for photography.

I still hunger for photography. I still love this game. But now, I have instant gratification, I have more than one chance to capture, and more than 24 exposures to take. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I'm not really sure. I miss the urgency and the patience and the waiting game. But this is a new game and I love it just as much. 

Week 46 || Project 52

This week is a bit different...week 46 is a video! After filming this I realized how much I would love a Macro lens. I had tons of fun editing and playing with this one. Check it out & tell me what you think!

Light Leaks || Film Friday

Light leak :: a hole or gap in the body of a camera where light is able to "leak" into the normally light-tight chamber, exposing the film or sensor with extra light.

Light leaks are my absolute favorite.One of the most dreamy and addicting things about film. There is just so much you can do with film that just isn't the same with digital photography. 

Happy Friday!

Alison