"A snap shot is a two-dimensional piece of paper. A photograph is a three-dimensional work of art." - 365 Project, Day 365

Technically, today is the last day of the project, given it's the 365th day, but there is one more day to February, being a leap year.

It's been a great year, trying out new things and taking tons of pictures.  I'll have all the weird stats tomorrow, but for today, it's more an impression of the project as a whole.

It was nice to have a few people try it out with me, though we lost a couple in the process.  I half-expected this, but seeing the support and creativity come out, even if it was only for a short time, was a very educational experience.

It was also nice to see everybody trying out new types of photography and going out of their general comfort zone.  Everybody tried landscapes, like sunrises and sunsets, but everybody tried macro-ish stuff, and even candid and street photography.  There was also studio-type stuff, with placed elements here and there.

I've really enjoyed doing this, and not only because I can say I did it, but also because, for the most part, I did learn a lot and I feel I have grown a little bit about being a photographer.  I do edit my shots more, and I do pretty only only shoot in RAW right now.

Thank you, Frank, Mandy and Shannon for joining me in this endeavour, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Here are our non-last shots for this project.

Frank

His note: Car wash curtain.

My shot

I just liked the colours in this kind-of sunset going on.  I've also tried to take a shot with a reflection in the building, but I'll settle with the colour reflecting on the side.

Onto tomorrow!

"Maybe, the greatest art discovery within hundred years from now, would be our grandparents' photo albums!" - 365 Project, Day 364

I'm sure family albums have a lot of generic, boring pictures, but I'm sure a few shots are pretty nice and different, as well.  Vacation shots are by and large nothing special.  How many times has the Eiffel Tower been shot with someone standing in front of it?  However, I'm sure there are some really different and creative shots out there, also.

It just takes a bit of thought, and and interesting angle, and you have a nice shot.

Here's what we have today.

Frank

His note: My very first car, 1973 SuperBeetle!

My shot

Just another generic street shot, a few people walking home in the snow.  There's nothing special about this shot, but then again, there was nothing special about this day, either.

What's tomorrow?  It's day 365!

"My artistic eye is black and white. I’m used to seeing and visualizing in black and white and have only one way of taking pictures." - 365 Project, Day 363

Shooting in colour takes a certain eye, but by the same token, shooting in black and white, or shooting for HDR, takes a certain mindset.  The tones and highlights are different in all these types of photography, making you look differently at the same scene.

It's not that tough to train your eye to look at a scene for a specific type of shot, it just takes a certain amount of practice.

Here are our scenes.

Frank

His note: Don't ask I have no idea what this is either.

Myself

Yes, this is a shot of my cat.  As much as I wanted to go out side, it was cold and windy.  Tux was sleeping and looked at me strangely when I took a shot of him.  I don't think he cared much about what was happening.

Onto the ending, coming very soon.

" A photograph that has not been shared or at least printed is almost an unexistent photograph, is almost an untaken picture." - 365 Project, Day 361

I remember seeing a series of photos someone took, and the angle was that the photographer/artist took out all advertising of any kind.  So, billboards were empty, company signs were empty and the like.  The photos had a very odd look to them.

The point of the series was to show how used to advertising we've become, and it definitely proved its point.  These photographs looked a lot stranger without the companies and ads in them.  What does that say about us as a society?

What we saw today.

Frank

His note: The beginning of the snow storm from my balcony.

My shot

This is more or less day two of this insane storm.  You can see the results here.  You can hardly see past the parking lot, and it was pretty much like this all day.

"My goal is, with each use of the camera, to strengthen my intution and deepen my insight." - 365 Project, Day 360

There's always a chance to make the most out of an unideal situation.  It got pretty snowy today, and instead of hunkering down and trodding to work, I knew I had to get a shot of something.  Luckily, there was someone walking down the street to create a reverse-eerie look to the empty street I was travelling down.

This just goes to snow that there's always the possibility of taking a nice shot in any situation.

Our shots.

Frank

His note: Futile attempt at reproducing the Olympic logo.

Pat

When I left my place it wasn't so snowy, but halfway to work it got pretty thick.  I accidentally overexposed this shot but I really like the whiteness of it.  I suppose it enhances the snowy feel, which is pretty much the effect I wanted to get before taking the shot.

Hopefully we can make the most out of tomorrow, as well.

"No one moment is most important. Any moment can be something." - 365 Project, Day 359

I live my life believing that life is generally one big Monty Python sketch.  It's served me well so far, and I don't see things changing too much.

Not all photography should be serious.  It's nice to have grand landscapes and poignant portraits, but not all life is like that.  There are always lighter moments that make you laugh and make you forget the other moments.  I suppose I could have edited my shot to make it seem more punchy, but it's not that type of shot.  It's simply to show how well people follow rules.

Here are today's memories.

Frank

His note: Getting ready to start my next painting.

Myself

I just couldn't resist taking this shot.  It's silly and simple but I find it funny.  Besides, I did move around a fair bit today, but nothing caught my eye.  I'm hoping tomorrow will be different.

I don't think tomorrow will be tremendously eventful, but I might be wrong.

"I am sure the next step will be the electronic image, and I hope I shall live to see it. I trust that the creative eye will continue to function, whatever technological innovations may develop." - 365 Project, Day 358

Yesterday, I got to shoot with a Nikon F2.  It was my co-workers, and a gift from her father.  It's the first time I shot film since probably 2004 and the first time I shot a non-digital SLR since, uh, 1993, I think.  In any case, it was a pretty different experience from shooting digital.  I'd forgotten how different.

I was at the time shooting on a Canon T3i with a 50mm f/1.4 lens and was enjoying it.  My co-worker came with her camera and enthusiastically showed me the three lenses she had, a 28-80mm standard lens with a macro setting (strange but true), a 50mm f/2 lens and a 135mm f/2.8 big boy.  I immediately grabbed the 135mm and shot a few portraits with it, and enjoyed every second of it.

It was fully manual focusing was interesting, to say the least.  The viewfinder on the camera is so much nicer and brighter than the T3i's, and, for that matter, the Canon 7D's.  There wasn't really any issue in focusing after I got used to the feel of the camera.  Because it was fully manual, it was tricky figuring the exposure, as well.  There was a light meter in the camera, but I ended up getting a basic idea for exposure with the T3i's metering and shooting with those settings.  It was also very odd looking at the back of the camera after taking a shot and not seeing anything.

I would definitely shoot film if I wasn't lazy about getting my film developed (and if it didn't cost me money every time I wanted to take pictures).  I also take too many photos and it would end up costing me too much in film and processing.  I suppose I could figure out a way to process my own stuff, but, again, chemicals and other equipment would end up costing me too much.  Lightroom is also slightly more convenient in coming up with a shot I like.

Obviously, the pictures I took aren't in this project for a few reasons, but I'll hopefully be able to get a hold of one or two in a little while.  Here, instead, is what we shot today.

Frank

His note: Took this shot and decided it was too plain so rotated it counterclockwise 90° and it gave the picture a whole different feel.

My shot

There are usually tons and tons of snowbanks in various spots across the city at this time of year.  This is only part of one, though it doesn't really look like one.  It's been one of those days, as well, and didn't have much to shoot.

I'm hoping tomorrow is going to be somewhat picturesque, though I can't promise anything.

"Photography begins with an "f" sound that stands for fiction, fake or forgery. And that is the original sin of photography. Only the most untainted purists (and the pedantic New York Times) seem to be unaware of this." - 365 Project, Day 357

My picture today is the perfect example for this quote.  With the photo's title and its content, there are various things that could be said about paying for it:
- too much beer this evening and the morning after is painful
- too much food eaten and the bill is way too high
- someone simply paying for their bill

I could tell you anything and you'd have to believe me.  Photography, as much as it is, is a replication of what happens in real life.  Add to that and explanation of what you're seeing, and that reality becomes questionable, as you were not there, and the storyteller may not be one to trust.

To find out what happened, read my photo description.

Frank

His note: I know I shot this one not long ago but the way the sun was shining through it today made it sparkle.  Very cool.

Me

I like my title for this picture, as it can mean a few different things.  However, the real story is that we simply paid our bills and left.  There was nothing extravagant in the prices or consumption of various foodstuffs.  One can imagine anything one wants, though.

Here's what will happen tomorrow: I'll wake up, do stuff, post my blog entry, and go to bed.  How's that for exciting?

"The photgraph that I call my best from a sitting is not always the clients favorite but it is the one that gives out the most emotion to anyone who looks at it." - 365 Project, Day 356

I've mentioned this before, but this is all about context.  My shot today is nice, if a bit cheesy, but nobody will care about it as much as I will.  Whenever I see it, I'll remember a few things, one of them being how much fun I had.  Now, you may say that a good shot will also convey that fun.  However, I have the jokes and laughter behind that shot, so even with a bit of fun in the shot, nobody will be able to fully appreciate it in the same way I will.

A second thing this shot will remind me of is how tough it was to choose the colour scheme.

Here is today's entry into the project:

Here's where it gets tough.  Look at the black and white version of the same shot.

To me, this is a tough choice.  The reason I went with the coloured shot is that I like the colours and, oddly enough, I also like the muddy greens in the pool table.  This is a limitation within the camera's dynamic range capability, but I really like the mushiness on the left, right and bottom of the shot.  It's funny and not something I'd usually enjoy, but it just seems to work in this shot.

Other than that, I wish there would be more balls, or the balls would be in more aesthetic positions, but I'll take this shot.

See what will work tomorrow.

"Photography appears to be an easy activity; in fact it is a varied and ambiguous process in which the only common denominator among its practitioners is in the instrument." - 365 Project, Day 355

I thought it only fitting to have a quote by Mr. Cartier-Bresson.  Street photography is somewhat tougher than other forms, because you need to be very quick, and not really care about upsetting or annoying certain people.  Under certain conditions, I can be like that.

Getting the best shots also involves knowing when and where to be to get the best shots.  I spend an hour or so walking around in a busy part of the city at the perfect time of night to see random people doing random things and am very happy with the results I got.  Thankfully, it was a great night to be out - not very cold and busy enough for different things to happen around every corner.  I'm hoping to do more of this type of things soon.

Here's what we got.

Frank

His note: Just havin fun.

Myself

I went out with friends and ended up walking home (which, in case you're interested, was what I wanted).  I saw this couple and they inspired me to take a detour, avoid my place for a little while.  I got some nice shots.  The Market is generally busy enough on Friday nights and it was pretty warm outside.

I had a great time today.  Here's hoping to the same tomorrow!

"The camera is a fluid way of encountering that other reality." - 365 Project, Day 354

That other reality is the one through the lens.  Things are different: they have edges, they may have different colours (or no colours), they are bound by simple moments and don't have any movements.  It's a funny thing, but it can be magical.

This other reality creates terrific moments in time that allow us to look at life and criticise, contemplate and enjoy.  They can be simple or complex, but they always make you think and look at reality.

Here's what we captured.

Frank

His note: I liked the texture of the wet stones.

My shot

This is another entry into my address photography nonsense.  The texture created by the wood its juxtaposition with the smooth metal of the mailbox..  I wish the mailbox were bigger, but I wanted the door handles in the picture, as well.

I'm patiently waiting for tomorrow.

"Ultimately, my hope is to amaze myself. The anticipation of discovering new possibilities becomes my greatest joy." - 365 Project, Day 353

I keep walking around in the same streets, but yet I generally something I want to shoot.  Now, that something may have variable levels of quality and interest, but at least I shoot something.  My goal is always to shoot something I'll like, at that is the point of any picture I take (and any picture I've ever taken).  There's no real point in taking  a picture you're not going to enjoy in some way or another.

When I think I have a great shot, I always get a little pang of excitement as I check the back of the camera to look a the shot I've just taken.  It's somewhat of a silly feeling, but when I know I have a great shot, I like looking at it.

Here's out inspiration today.

Frank

His note: Darn puddy tat put me in jail!

Pat

My note: Sitting down is generally not how one waits for buses in Ottawa in February, I'll tell you that.  I also like the fact that you just see this lady's legs.  In fact, I didn't know it was a lady until I walked right next to her.  It would have been nicer if the bus sign would be a bit more visible (or any kind of visible), but I'll take this shot anyway.

My 7D is now officially gone.  I simply have to play the waiting game for now, until Canon decides to announce new things for me.

What will happen tomorrow is only going to be determined tomorrow.  Head back to see what did happen.

"Photography has increased my awareness." - 365 Project, Day 352

This is a simple but apt line.  It not only awareness of what goes on around you, but also of how do shoot the same thing but making it look interesting in different ways.

Unless you really know where I hang out and walk around, there's probably very little chance of looking at my picture from today and a few previous pictures and knowing they were taken from pretty much the same spot.  That's partly because I don't walk around different places sometimes, but it's also because I try as much as possible to use different angles and editing to mix things up. 

Our shots.

Frank

His note: Lamp and tree near the apartment bulding. Looked a little eerie.

Myself

This is really the first time I kind of repeat myself (other than shots from my own balcony).  I think I have a shot taken from pretty much the same spot I took this one from.  This is different in that I wanted to look for a saturated look.  It looks kind of fake, but that's exactly what I wanted.

Here's what I'm going to do tomorrow: take pictures.

"There's no dividing line between adventure and photography." - 365 Project, Day 350

It was about this time last year that I was complaining about the weather, and not being able to go outside and take pictures.  This year has had a couple of rough weeks, but to be fair, it's had much nicer weather all around.  It's not as cold, though wind is sometimes and issue.  It's only mid-February, and so the next month will decide if this winter is truly better than last year's, but up until now it's been much milder.

As such, there are a few more pictures of the great outdoors from myself and the others in this project.  That's really nice to see, as there are a few more interesting things outside my apartment than in my apartment.  We'll see where the next month or so goes.

Here's what we shot this fine day.

Frank

His note: Just a broom.

My shot

Moving on to bigger and hopefully better things, I'm hoping to sell this soon to upgrade the Canon vaporware 5D Mark II replacement.

The end of an era, so hopefully the end of this project will be able to lead to something bigger and better.

"Wait a minute - I'm a journalist... I don't take sides, I take pictures." - 365 Project, Day 349

Truth be told, I'm kind of running out of ideas about things to ramble on about.  It's been almost a year now and I think I've talked about pretty much everything related to photography.  Given the last two weeks, I could talk about all the cameras that have been announced (and pretty much every company has announced new cameras), but that's pretty topical and I'd rather not talk about news all that much.

I suppose I just need to go out and take pictures to have stories to talk about.  After all, if I don't have stories to tell, I'll just have to wait until I hear one so I can relate it to you.  That might take a bit longer than I'd like, so I'll take the initiative.

Our inspiration for the day.

Frank

His note: What is it?

Pat

I was goofing off with longer exposures and noticed this line of red dots in the shot.  I looked around to figure out where that red light was and noticed my heater.  After about 10 minutes of messing around trying to write messages, this is the closest I got to anything.

Tomorrow's up.  See you then.

"There's a kind of power thing about the camera. I mean everyone knows you've got some edge. You're carrying some magic which does something to them. It fixes them in a way." - 365 Project, Day 347

Cameras definitely fix people, it's undeniable, especially in Ottawa.  No matter how big or small, as soon as I whip one baby out and point it at something, people look at me funny.  They're eyeing me, making sure they're not in my shot.  It's very strange, and a big reason why most of my street shots are from the side or the back.  If I tried shooting someone from the front, they'd be, in their eyes, considerate and move out of the field of view.

I heard once from a TV show (and I can't remember which one, but it was a news report-type show) that if you walk around Los Angeles with a camera crew, people will come up to you and be curious about what you're doing (the idea was, because it's Los Angeles, everybody wants to be an actor).  In the same vein, I've wondered how people would react if I went to a city with more people that want to be where they're going quicker.  Say, New York City, or Los Angeles, or Hong Kong; would my cameras attract more or less (or the same) attention there?  I've missed a lot of decent shots because people move out of the way to not step into my field of view.   I try to be discreet, but maybe I'm just too charismatic and people simply notice me.

Once more, and you probably expected this, our contributions for the day.

Frank

His note: Part of my steering wheel.

My own self

By any stretch of the imagination, or by any definition, my movie collection is pretty hefty.  It's probably part and parcel of my interest in photography.  Somewhat of an oblique homage is this shot, not really reflective of Mr. Kurosawa's style or anything, but it's the most interesting way I could think of showing what I have.

I think I may know what tomorrow will bring.

"Always carry a camera, it's tough to shoot a picture without one." - 365 Project, Day 346

All cameras can shoot video (and most of them in high definition), most cameras can shoot black and white and sepia (for some reason Sony forgoes these filters), some cameras have a burst mode of up to 60 photos in a second, some cameras can yet do more, such as in-camera panorama shots, in-camera HDR, in addition to every colour filters and effect you can think of.  My Canon S100 can even do super-slow-mo at 240 frames per second (which, by the way, is a lot of fun to watch).  Oh, and they also take normal pictures.  This last feature is the only thing that, by my estimation, 70-80% of people buying a camera want out of a camera.

Why add all these bells and whistles?  I pride myself on utilising any gizmo I have to its full potential.  A few people have actually commented on how I use keyboard shortcuts to do what I want instead of always using the mouse, for example.  I've used more options in the Fuji X10 and Canon S100 than most people, I believe, but there are a few modes I would never try (such as toy camera effect, colour swap on the S100, and the pro- portrait and low-light modes on the X10.  I do like a lot of these little features, but even I can't see the use of some of these.  Some filters and features in the S100 are useful: fisheye can't be done easily without Photoshop, and so is nice to have in-camera, and ditto for in-camera HDR.  The Movie Digest mode is fun to have because editing small clips together is time-consuming and tough to process on an older laptop.  However, some of the simpler things are mind-boggling to me.

If this camera can do RAW, and is, say $450, this isn't a camera for the general population, and so people buying this probably won't mind, say, taking the RAW file and creating a black-and-white shot out of it, or taking  a picture and making a fake lomography effect.  I suppose if Canon offers some of these effects on their lower-end cameras, they'll justify the price of more expensive cameras by simply including these bells and whistles for people who won't use this camera for RAW shooting.  However, this gets back to the question of my spend $450 on a compact if you're not going to take advantage of everything it can do?  Maybe I just don't get it.

Here's what we did get today.

Frank

His note: Indispensable tool.

My shot

My friend asked me to take a picture of the sunset today, so I figured a panorama shot would be a good idea.  This is pretty much my view from my balcony - all of it.

Find out what will happen to us tomorrow.

"...to photograph is to frame, and to frame is to exclude." - 365 Project, Day 345

It's nice to show everything there is to show (I myself love wide-angle photography), but sometimes it's better to focus on one thing and let the imagine run wild about what's happening in the outer edges of a shot. Seeing, say, a photograph of someone with a big smile taking a picture at a fair or circus, but not seeing what this person is shooting is just one example.

Sometimes it's pretty obvious what's excluded, but that's okay, because the photographer figured that wasn't the most interesting subject out there.  It's all about the mood, the atmosphere and the intent.  Happy shooting!

Here's our output for the day.

Frank

His note: A large metal feather well balanced on a local monument.

Myself

I once took a picture of some arid, caked earth.  It was a hot summer for a while and the ground was completely dry and even cracked.  For some reason, I like cracks in things.  The paint here is peeling off, and it has lost its colour.  I also didn't want to show everything simply because looks better this way, not knowing what's around the sign.  (Hint: an intersection.)

What's tomorrow?  It's another day for pictures!

"The photograph should be more interesting or more beautiful than what was photographed." - 365 Project, Day 341

It's always recommended that people try to take shots of the mundane and try to make them interesting - choose a different angle, put something different in that shot, or otherwise inject a little bit of yourself to make that shot fascinating and distinctive.

It would be a different kind of project to take photographs of amazing places and gorgeous things, but to make these as mundane and as normal as possible.  Take a picture of the Eiffel Tower, but make it seem inconsequential.  Take a picture of the Garnd Canyon and make it look small.  Take a picture of a lava flow at night and make it seem like an everyday occurrence.  These are nice shots, but somehow this idea seems to be easier said than done.

Here are our shots.

Frank

His note: Another view of the burried car in the parking lot.

Me

Winterlude started yesterday and, today being Saturday, the park hosting the event was pretty busy.  I also prefer this generic Rideau Canal shot, anyway.  It's not as busy as I've seen it, and I'm surprised it wasn't busier given the gorgeous weather, but I suppose people were spread everywhere downtown today.  I boosted the contrast, trying to give it a harsh, but shadowy, feel.  It's probably not the way it should look, but it's a different look, and I especially like the clear blue sky at the top, contrasting the spotted canal in the res of the shot.

I will have something else tomorrow.

"Quit trying to find beautiful objects to photograph. Find the ordinary objects so you can transform it by photographing it." - 365 Project, Day 339

In filmmaking, security, and communication, photography (in the most general sense) is on the important side.  It allows you to show something to some, and allows you to see what you have to see.  I've been trying to think of areas where photography is important, though it doesn't seem to have a place.

For example, mechanics and plumbers, from time to time, need a camera to get into tight places and take pictures to show various pipes and things to clients.  It's pretty difficult to think of something where photography isn't overtly used.  Many video games use motion capture for basic movement animations; many paintings (such as the work of Robert Bateman) start with photographs; according to tv shows and movies, spies have some sort of retinal scanner to identify themselves.  I suppose something like computer programming doesn't need cameras, although with the work people did in hacking the Kinect, I guess that's on the list of camera-infused areas!

Here are our shots for today.

Frank

His note: The brick and the salt mixed in with the lines of light made for an interesting pattern.

My shot

Whenever anybody asked me what I was going to do during my vacation, I would answer exactly what you see here: chill on my bed with Tux.  My photography is kind of suffering because of it, I know, but I have to rest a few days before I'll go spend time outside.  Besides, this is forcing me to be creative within my apartment.

It's probably going to be more of the same tomorrow.