Photo-a-Day: The Experience.

On January 1, 2011, I started a project. I called it a Photo-a-Day. I vowed to take at least one photo every day in the year 2011.

And now, on January 6, 2012, I am proud to say that I did it.

365 straight days of taking photos. Phew! It's been a long time since I've felt such a feeling of accomplishment.

You see, it all started as a challenge to myself. I wondered if I would be able to do it. And then it turned into more than that. I had friends and family all over the world following it, encouraging me, and wanting to be featured in a "photo-of-the-day".

As I now look back over all 12 months worth of photos, I get a little nostalgic. I remember where I was for each of them, and what I was thinking at that moment. I remember being disappointed in the April photos, and absolutely falling in love with May. I pushed myself harder that I expected that I would have, and I am so proud of what I did.

It is now more than just a portfolio, it is a journal...It tells the story of 2011. There are highlights (weddings, birthdays, vacations, etc) and lowlights (being sick for an entire week and taking photos in my room...), but that's the beauty of the whole project--I documented EVERYTHING.

I learned to think outside the box and to see the world from the perspective of my lens. A photo captures one moment--a split second of life. A moment that will probably never exist again, whether it's a facial expression in an engagement shoot or the position of a dragonfly in the grass. The angle at which you catch that moment can drastically affect the perception of it.

By forcing myself to take photos every day, I was forcing myself to look for subjects that wouldn't necessarily capture the attention of a camera normally. I needed to take my camera every where, all the time, just so I wouldn't miss anything.

It was an absolute joy.

Now that it's over, I definitely miss it. A few times this week, I've freaked myself out at the end of the day thinking, "Oh my gosh! I didn't take a photo today!!" Something that has been a part of my life for a year, is no longer.

But now it's time to move on to the next challenge...who knows what it'll be!

Until then, I would encourage all of you to challenge yourselves. Push yourself outside the box, do something you love, take the time to get better at it, and watch yourself grow.

Here's to a new year!