My sister said to me earlier this week: "My motto for this year: simplify."  I couldn't agree more.  The last couple week's made my life feel...heavy.  You know those times when what normally would be a small moment, like the gas light going on in your car, turns into a breaking-point?  Well, I've a had a few of those break-down moments over the last couple weeks.  With my wife ending up in the hospital the weekend before last, and trying to keep all of the plates in my life spinning, things have been a bit rough.

But, we're starting to come up for air.  After having many conversations with the universe, and choosing to focus on hope and prosperity, the light is beginning to creep back in.  Sometimes I find that I just have to remember not to get held down by the "things" in my life, focus on what's really important, and remember that no matter what happens our lives, we'll all be okay.  As cliche as it is to say, what's really important is having each other.

And my sister's advice is key.  How many of those darn plates do I really need anyway?  Not nearly as many as I think.

Unfortunately, my "little" project, the Project 365 took a major back seat.  But, I haven't forgotten about it.  And, I'm not going to feel guilty for not being able to uphold my goal for a short period of time.  Rather, it's time to get back on the horse, and move on.  So, Project 365 is back on track, and I'll post soon.

In unrelated news, did anyone see the Denny's commercials last night during the Super Bowl?  If you missed them, man did you miss out.  I haven't laughed that hard in quite a while.  Not sure why these tickle me so much, but these are right up my humor-alley. Check out the commercials on NFL.com:

Chickens (notice the secret-service chickens at the end of the first link):
My favorite 2010 Super Bowl ad
Another good Denny's ad

And, check out Google's Super Bowl ad.  I thought this was pretty darn smart.

CONTACT ME | PORTFOLIO

I'm not really sure where I first heard of "Project 365," but I recall being inspired and thinking to my self, "one day I'll do a project 365."  Well, that day is today.  I guess I'm starting a couple weeks late, if we're counting from the beginning of the year.  But, project 351 just doesn't have the same ring to it.  So, ignore this small discrepancy, m'kay?

If you're not familiar with what Project 365 is, let me spend a few moments to explain:

Project 365 is any project you commit to doing once a day for an entire year.  The one I originally encountered was a photographer.  But, I suppose this could really be applied to anything you want to do more of in your life that you don't do, or do very little of now.  For me, taking a picture a day is a big undertaking.  I'm a husband, father, and a graphic designer.  All of those things take up time, and can easily overwhelm me to a point where adding another "something" into my life seems impossible.  This project, however, it's something I need.  I need to expand my creative horizons, and take time to slow down.  And, I want to reap the benefits of taking a picture a day for an entire year.  If you're wondering why I might embark on such a thing, here's some benefits I hope to experience:

I look forward to looking back after the year has passed, and seeing all the pictures I've taken--all the people I've met, places I've been, things I've eaten, experiences I've gone through.

As I said, I'm excited to make the world slow down.  It seems that ever since I've had my kid, life moves 2x faster than it did BE (before Ella).  And, it was already clipping along pretty quickly beforehand.  Being able to take in the world around me in a conscious manner will certainly help.  As Ferris Bueller said it, "Life moves pretty fast.  If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it."

And lastly, I've been told that taking a photo a day will make me a better photographer.  I guess this goes without saying.  No matter where anyone is in their artistic endeavors, practice makes "perfect."  For me, I think this will push my creative potential; Forcing my self to find something new to photograph every day will undoubtedly squeeze out my creative juices.

So, here's how I plan on making my Project 365 a reality:

I'm going to take a camera everywhere.  It's not practical for me to take my "professional" camera everywhere.  But I will when I can.

When I can, I'm going to go on theme shoots.  I'll go shoot red doors, or dogs, or nature stuff.

And lastly, I'm going to blog the week's favorite pic on the blog, and I'm not going to let it slip.  Knowing who I am, I won't follow through if I get overwhelmed.  Staying on top of the posts, is imperative.  So, if you see me slipping, send me a nasty-gram.

With that, here's picture #1.  A sorta self-portrait--of my raggedy tennis shoes.

Public service announcement.

This is a great idea pulled together by fellow photog Jeremy Cowart, someone I've been following on Twitter for a little over a year.  His message is simple: on December 12, 2009 we all grab our cameras, find people in need, and take their pictures.  And when the prints are ready, we deliver them to those people.  It's about helping people who never dreamed of having their portrait made.

So, what is this all about?  It's not about you.  It's about them.  It's about helping people see the beauty of who they are, and exposing their greatness.

For more information, visit Help Portrait.

If you're planning on helping, please say so here.  It may inspire others to get out there.

Some good news!  I got accepted into Modern Photographers yesterday.  I'm very thankful, and humbled to be a part of such a select group of professionals.  Whoot!

I love working with event planners for weddings.  The day runs smoother.  The details are pulled off with perfection, and everyone seems to have more fun.  It's true.  And, Calluna Events is no schlep--Heather has mad skills.

And because I like Calluna so much, if you hire me, and Calluna, you'll save oodles.  For more information, please contact me.

To find out more about Calluna Events, please visit their website.