102310 Project

I mentioned that I started a group in Facebook called 102310. My goal was to invite photographers, professional and amateur, to take one day and do what they love best; take pictures. I originally hoped that I could find ten photographers, as the 101010 project did, to take ten pictures and share them. The results exceeded my goals as some friends invited other friends and the project became 31 members strong. I had no special awards to offer, nor have a figured out a way (yet) to create a single photo album where these pictures can be gathered as a group and viewed together. But I built it and they came.

My own experience in taking these ten pictures didn't come off entirely as planned, but that aligned with my idea that I wanted not to go to some special extreme to capture something extraordinary. Rather, I wanted to find the special images one sees in an ordinary day. Nonetheless, my husband and I made our way to the Circleville Pumpkin Festival in hopes of seeing something new.  Along with the rest of Central Ohio. I didn't get to my caffeine fix soon enough in the day and a headache had taken possession of my head. After sitting in traffic for an hour and a half, inching along, one of thousands of cars with no hopes for a parking space in a small town, we decided to abort the mission. On our way home, we stopped at Rennick's family farm. I took a few shots and we returned home where I completed my project.

I am delighted at the passion with which other photographers have approached this completely random project. As the other members continue to post their results, I see such a variety of images from across the country. Some place emphasis on color and texture, while others have chosen to shoot favorite places or loved ones. All of the images speak about the photographer's special perspective of the world they live in.

Here are a few of mine.

Muse

Gustav Flaubert once confessed that he kept a drawer full of rotting apples to inspire his writing. Leo Tolstoy kept the leather glove of a loved one. I'm sure history is littered with such strange inspirations from artists, writers, poets and musicians looking to keep their creative juices flowing.

My assignment this week is to read up on the muses of Greek mythology, think about what or whom inspires me, and shoot it. How do you decide when your senses pull you in so many directions?

On another topic, if you haven't heard of the 101010 project, check it out. The idea; ten photographers from around the world, ten pictures, one day. I was so inspired that I started my own group on Facebook. Since 101010 has passed us by, I made it 102310. If you're interested in joining, please let me know. I'm excited to see what everyone comes up with!

Predictions for 2009

I spend more than my share of time around the blogosphere, and I’ve noticed a few trends emerging that I think will gain some steam this year, both online and in analog. Here are a few to consider;

Sincerity is back. Irony was declared dead after the 9/11 attacks, and while it will never entirely die in a free country such as ours, it’s woven into the American psyche as an escape from taking ourselves too seriously. But we now have a counter-balance to an overload of irony in the 1990’s. Unlike the pretension of the 1980’s, we don’t waste time talking about things we don’t actually care about. If we want to discuss art, poetry or culture right out in public spaces, it’s because we like it and that’s who we are. Expect to see more sincerity in 2009.

Shopping Hiatus. Blogger friends at Simple Lovely are only one example of people going on a financial ‘cleanse’ for anywhere from three weeks to three months. The idea is to reset your spending metabolism and learn more responsible spending habits. Getting out of the habit of spending freely also gives you perspective on the difference between ‘want’ and ‘need.’ Which leads me to …

Simplifying and organizing. ‘Editing’ every room in the house is all the rage. People are also downsizing and buying smaller houses, if they’re buying houses at all. You’ll see lots of yard sales this summer as people try to make room for only the things they really love or need.

On the rare occasion when we do buy this year, more of it will be handmade or vintage. To add to this, when we buy commercial goods, we’ll be buying from companies that are notorious for doing good in the world. Whether it’s about having a positive environmental impact or helping the poor in Senegal, we want our dollars to not only get us nifty products, but also cast a vote for being responsible citizens of the world.

Facebook. Everyone you’ve ever met is on Facebook (except for my husband, but we’ll save that for another time). It can be a bit jarring, having people from every chapter and facet of your life talking to you. But when you’re commenting on a friend’s wall, let’s remember that you have professional colleagues and future bosses who will be seeing every single word. So let’s keep the drunken sailor talk to a minimum, shall we?

What trends do you predict for 2009?