December 31st - Day 366
So that was 2012.
A whole year in pictures and one hell of an education for me too. I started out the year, after seeing a friend do it, thinking it'd be fun to try and I'd get taking more photographs and I did. Little did I know if would be a rollercoaster of euphoric highs and depressive lows though.
I'm not the kind of guy who finishes a lot of things. I get an idea in my head about something, obsess over it then I'll see something else and get onto that. My life is full of half-finished projects; half-finished websites, half-finished game ideas, half-finished scripts and books and everything else. Hell, it's a good thing they pay me to finish things at my job because I'm all too easily distracted by the next idea that pops into my head to give the time to see this one through to the end.
Certainly in the latter half of the year, when the days get shorter and the workload in the office was getting more stressful, there were many days where the thought of picking up my camera was the last thing I wanted to do. Sometimes the creativity just wouldn't come and nothing would inspire me. Those days would be the lowest. So, the thing I'm proudest of most, more than any of the photos I've taken this year (and I'm proud of so, so many of them) is that I actually saw it all through to the end. I have something I can hold up and say I finished this, which, outside of my job, I rarely get the opportunity to do.
I'm going to miss having my camera with me at all times. It's become an essential part of my outfit. When I leave the house I have to check "keys? wallet? phone? camera bag?" because I know if I go out without it, I'll miss the best moment to take a great photo. And I have. So many awesome shots I've missed this year thinking "I wont need my camera, I'm just popping to the shop" and then pass some street magician or an incredible sunset.
I'm gutted for all the shots I missed, all the perfect weather I was waiting for but never came. I had a list as long as my arm for things I wanted to do in the fog and snow, even a few more days of frost this month wouldn't have gone amiss. Sorry all for going on about the weather...a lot.
I'd recommend anyone with an interest in photography to give something like this a go, though. Despite my bellyaching, it's been a terrific experience. Every day, even when it's another landscape of some bushes, I'd try and find a new angle, a new approach a new setting to use or, at the least, a new way of talking to people to put them at ease. No matter the subject, I always felt better for it once I got back and saw how they all came out. I guess that's true of anything.
Before I sign off for the year, I'd like to thank everyone who came to check out my work. I started publishing them to twitter and facebook in an attempt to keep myself honest and, importantly, regular. I thought maybe, at a push, one or two close friends would actually be interested in it and jab me in the ribs if I hadn't updated in a few days but the feedback I've had from all you guys has been so heartwarming and inspiring I've wanted to do a better job because of it. So if you've been following along, thank you SO MUCH for that, it honestly makes my day when someone says they liked a photo I put up here.
So that's it from me. I've a ton of photos that didn't make the cut from the year I'm thinking of putting up here soon, and a host of analogue film stuff I want to get my teeth into during 2013 so stay tuned for all of that. In the meantime, I'm off to have a sit down and enjoy the New Year celebrations.
Thanks.














