365 Project, The pandemic year in Katy Texas. This year, the pandemic year, is the second time I have started a 365 project. But is it the furthest through I have ever made it. For those who haven’t heard of a 365 project, it is about taking one photo a day every day. And I’m not going to lie during the lockdown phase of the pandemic it was a struggle to come up with things to photograph.
Just before lockdown we were in Colorado on the holiday of a lifetime. Our last night in the resort everyone was told the news that they were closing the next day and wouldn’t be open again until next season.
When we got back to Katy Texas all we were doing was going for walks around the lake, and playing in the yard. Luckily things have opened up a lot, and we have even managed to have some trips to places we can drive.
I did struggle to keep shooting especially when we were locked down and then kids had been in pjs for three days, but it also made me more creative. Having no where to go made me look at things around me more closely. And some of my favourite photos of my kids this year are from the time we all spent at home.
What to capture is the ultimate question, my subjects ranged from my kids, to birds (which I have an unnatural fear of), to flowers, to shadows on the wall, at one point I even posed and captured photos of bears my mum had knitted and posted over from Scotland! Luckily for all of us things started to open up not long after that!!
I mixed things up not only by what I photographed, but also with the light I used, the lens I used and the way I edited the photos. All in all it was a great way to learn, and to keep myself creative during a difficult time!
I also started an online photography challenge for kids who were stuck at home to do. My kids loved it and it involved 100s of kids all over the world, USA, Scotland, Dubai, Thailand! The kids were so creative, and it made everyone feel part of something new. Some of the work can be seen in my stories on Instagram.
Once the rules relaxed a little I started doing some porchtraits and capturing what families had been doing during lockdown. So we had to get in on the action. With a long lens it was amazing to see people again and be able to capture them in a safe and fun way.
365 Project, The Pandemic year in Katy Texas, has been an experience. The lockdown phase was tough, and so is having the motivation to pick up my camera everyday – but both experiences have helped me grow in a way I could never have imagined.
I am still maintaining social distancing practices during my sessions, if you are interested in more information you can find it here website.