photo a day–the end

Happy New Year – may 2011 be all that you want it to be.

I decided that the final photo in my photo a day 2010 book would be of me with my camera.  Only slight technical problem was that I do not have a full mirror unpacked yet – so I took my camera with me when I did  the supermarket shop and went into the clothes section and used one of the mirrors there – just another strange situation during the journey.

I’ve enjoyed the project but will not be doing it in 2011. I like variety and am not good at repeating projects.

I remembered to take a photo every day, mostly because I carried my camera with me all of the time, in my bag, in my pocket.  I suspect that having a point and click is an advantage in this respect.  During the year I took over 4 000 photos. There were 5 or 6 days when I was searching for inspiratation in the evening and ended up with ‘around the house’ shots.

I didn’t have any plan for the subject matter for the photos.  Doing a rough count up of categories: food was the most common on 37, followed closely by indications of the weather on 35.  There are 10 self-portraits and 11 in airports or airplanes which is a fair representation of the amount of flying I have done this year.

I will be having them all printed as a photobook.

In 2011 I’m going to do a monthly photo summary instead.  I’m planning on 4 pages for each month and may include some of my digiart from that month.  I also like the idea of choosing a few categories which I photograph each month and then create a page of the 12 at the end of the year, like Stacey did.

photo a day weeks 51 & 52

Weather and Christmas, predictably, dominate.

1. No real snow despite forecasts of heavy snowfall and blizzards elsewhere in the country

2. Bird decals in my bathroom (silver)

3. Snowed all day

4. Mother Goose panto at the local theatre – oh yes it was

5. Snowy vistas

6. Floor down in living room and table in place

7. Shadow of me and the car waiting to rendezvous for drive to family Christmas

 

1. Making mince pies – Christmas eve tradition

2. Stocking all lined up waiting for everyone to gather for brunch

3. The book pile – a Boxing Day tradition

4. Christmas jigsaw

5. Provisions for going back home – apples, ham, Christmas cake, crystallised ginger

6. My new IPOD speakers

7. In the torchlight procession in Edinburgh, part of Hogmanay celebrations, 20 000 people

photo a day week 50

Only 2 more weeks (plus one day), hard to believe.  Already planning next year – not photo a day.  A combination of some different forms of creating a monthly photo record, still deciding on the final format.

1. A window seat over the wing for my flight back to UK

2. Evidence of snow on flight into Edinburgh

3. Santas at the German Market

4. Greetings on my front door – 2 decorations from the supermarket, hope to make a wreath for next year

5. Christmas cards arrive

6. Lights in the high street

7. Spending a lot of time on my computer

photo a day week 49

A second week in Bangladesh but the hotel did have signs of Christmas.

1. jute bag bought from handicraft market

2. travelling by rickshaw (I felt precarious)

3. lunch ‘packets’ containing rice and curries

4. it rained

5. Christmas wishes in the hotel

6. group photo at the final workshop

7. the padlock for my suitcase

photo a day week 48

I’m back in Bangladesh to complete the work project, so instead of the snow and Christmas topics I would have had back in Scotland, there is sunshine and bright colours.

1. flying again – the departures board at Heathrow

2. my wardrobe for the next 2 weeks – cotton shirts instead of woollens

3. a local snack cart I drive past on the way to work – bananas, doghnuts and tea are the staples

4. the meeting room ready for participants to arrive

5. the view from my hotel room – plants grow everywhere

6. mad traffic during the commute to and from the office

7. the building where I am holding workshops – part of the Parliament annex, with a wonderful stand of eucalyptus trees

photo a day week 47

onset of winter dominates this week.

1. Amazing light on the firth

2. Hat and gloves every time I go outside

3. New boots – love that Clarks has wide sizes on the shelf

4. Christmas presents all stashed on top of wardrobe

5. No leaves on the trees in the park

6. Snow forecast over much of Scotland – earliest since 1993

7. My oven and hob are installed and working – yeah

Photo a day week 46

 

Lots of seasonal reference here with the cold and early darkness and shopping for gifts. Plus progress on the renovation work on my flat.

1. Taking the bus to Edinburgh

2. Christmas present shopping

3. Beachside walk when the rain cleared, loved the reflections

4. Collecting kindling for my sister’s fire, plenty of twigs were blown down in the strong winds

5. Frost on the car window in amazing patterns

6. Looking at lights in IKEA

7. New shower in my flat is working (happy dance)

Photo a day week 45

Back in Scotland and lovely autumn colours in many guises.

1. Flying back from Bangladesh, waiting to board behind the Emirates flight staff

2. Questions in the clouds – really no photoshopping

3. lovely colours on the beech hedge at my parents’ house

4. working on my laptop

5. amazing sunset (at about 4.30pm)

6. frost on the leaves in the morning

7. making cranberry chutney

photo a day week 44

Still in Bangladesh – including three days of running workshops

1. Friday is the start of the weekend, so had a nice walk by the lake

2. the hotel dining room

3. good participant activity at the first workshop

4. on the other end of cameras – at a public workshop there was great interest in the presence of a westerner

5. more good participation at the third workshop

6. the ubiquitous cup of tea – provided at every meeting and at regulat intervals throughout the day

7. plenty of Western reality shows on the TV – this Australian one had English subtitles!

photo a day week 43 – in Bangladesh

A different location but many of the same topics trying to record everyday life.

1. my hotel room – nice big bed

2. walking beside the lake near my hotel

3. mad traffic on the way to work

4. my desk

5. lunch at the office canteen – rice, dahl and pakora

6. the local money – taka

7. the Parliament building is surrounded by water

photo a day week 42

1. paper, glue, creative fun

2. visited Impressionist exhibition on its last day

3. rather grey and empty by the sea

4. listening to the radio via the internet, so easy

5. street lights are still on when I get up (7.30)

6. my only Halloween bite this year – bat  biscuit from the baker

7. flying again

So all you sleuths out there – yes I’m off travelling again.  Last week I had my packing list and immunisation, I’m away for Halloween and I’ve been in a plane.  I won’t tease you and make you wait til next week to know where I am now – in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, doing some work with the Electoral Commission.  I’ll share photos when I’ve been here for more than a few hours.

Deb asked last week how I  will display my year of photos.  I’m putting them into a week a page template which I will have printed as a square photobook.  Here is a double spread example – the colour of the background and round button change for each double spread.

 

Be sure to come back on Sunday for travel opportunities in blogland with the Let’s Eat Blog Hop

Photo a day week 41

My goodness, only 11 weeks to go until the end of the year

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. So many wires with my new computer set-up

2. The flowers I see out the window from my office

3. Autumn trees by the river

4. Collecting a visitor at the inter-city bus station

5. The lady who I help in ‘computer buddy’ made me an apple pie

6. Getting my packing list done

7. Vaccinations up to date

photo a day week 40

Real progress on my  office / craft room space this week (and some will show in next week’s collection).

1. Hibiscus decal on office wall

2. Started knitting a bed throw in purples

3. The wonders of Skype for keeping in touch

4. Feeding frenzy when I throw my stale bread

5. Washing up

6. Office space ready for the electronics

7. Enjoying the recreation pond area

photo a day week 39

The ongoing work on my flat, local events and the weather make up this week’s offerings.

1. assembling IKEA units

2. Doors Open Day – the view in Quartermile

3. Porty Autumn Fair

4. the tree at the end of the road

5. my crafting space is taking shape

6. driving over the Soutra was foggy

7. coming back it was clear and the turbines were visible

photo a day week 38

Only 14 more weeks – hard to believe.

I seem rather focussed on dinner and the weather this week.

1. steamed mussels for dinner

2. new walking shoes

3. interesting reflections in the puddles

4. enough sun for shadows

5. woodfired pizza for dinner

6. construction of the new local supermarket

7. more walls are painted

photo a day week 37

Some progress on my renovation and I did get outside too.

1. progress on the kitchen (yes I chose orange for the walls)

2. driving over the Forth Road Bridge taking my nephew to University

3. walk by the firth

4. my tool shelves – eventually this will be the dresser in my living room

5. rug for the living room, with paint possibilities scattered over it

6. weekly trip to B&Q for DIY stuff

7. leaves are falling – autumn is here

photo a day week 36

a real mix, this week, of close up and vista

1. planting lots of bulbs

2. Saturday papers and coffee

3. the tools for putting up shelves

4. cormorants and a windy sea

5. view from the living room

6. produce from my parents – plums, apples, toms and brownies

7. fish and chips by the sea at dusk

Photo a day week 35

Some everyday, some one-off related to that day.  Thinking about the daily photo really is a natural part of my daily routine now.

1. where I do all my online stuff at the moment

2. science fun at the busking festival (packet of mentos in a bottle of lemonade)

3. creating new playlists on ITunes

4. what to have for dinner? the prepared meal section of Tesco

5. in bed, (recreated, I admit)

6. garden weeded and ready for some planting

7. sunshine on the river

photo a day week 34

Hadn’t realised until I put them together how many were of food.  Weather in the last few days suggest these may be the last pictures of summer.

1. apples from trees in my parents’ garden

2. paint colour tests (green and pink in office/craft room other 2 are possibilities for the living room)

3. 99 cone on the beach (is the a UK thing?)

4. raindrops on the washing line

5. Tuesday is 2 for 1 pizza night

6. using the garden as a carpentry workshop

7. masses of swans on the river – they have been moulting at the river mouth

photo a day week 33

more birds, more house renovation milestones and some oats

1. all the components for my kitchen, delivered in flatpack boxes

2. porridge (with sugar and cream) from a stall at the Farmers’ market

3. one of the young seagulls I can see from my window [hard to see – bottom left]

4. swans on the river

5. met up with an old Uni friend who was in town

6. clouds over Arthur’s Seat

7. my new wardrobes in place