#114 – January 1, 2022 (1/365)

 

 

Happy New Year!

Ours was a quiet one with us in our beds by 2230 (after many rounds of Sonic Racing on PS4 and many MANY viewings of The Big Bang Theory episodes).

I’m not one to set resolutions or goals as the high failure rate does not inspire confidence. I am however going to attempt a few things.

Firstly, the 365 B&W Photo Challenge I’ve set myself of which this is the first presented photograph. If you’ve missed it, I’m publishing a B&W photo every day for 2022 (or at least every day before the world implodes). I’m still not sure if that photo has to be taken in 2022, but it’s my thing so I guess I can do what I want. Or to put it another way, I have a backup photograph from 2021 I can use if I don’t manage to get a worthy image today.

Secondly, and these do seem to be going in descending order of importance, is I’m going to try and get my blood sugar levels back to a level where my wife doesn’t give me that look. I’m not striving for perfection, as perfection is just a warped state of mind, just back into the “mostly” healthy range. It will take a while for the numbers to drop after the punishment is delivered during the last seven days, but the higher my starting number, the easier it will be to start recording numbers under that. Dropping these numbers will reduce my weight as well making me 17.3% more attractive to my wife. I’ve done the math.

Thirdly, I want to continue taking more photos for myself. 2021 was a good start and I realise that the process of shooting for myself and the images I create are the most enjoyable. I will of course continue to photograph for others at every opportunity and do my best for them, but I want to push my personal work as well.

But most importantly, I want and need to pull my focus back towards family. I have two amazing and fiercely intelligent ladies in the house who both seem to continue to want me to be around. Meaning I need to work on being more around. This means I need to remove some distractions. I don’t suppose I can count the dog as a distraction right?

As for the 365 B&W Project, I’m wanting to ensure I’m not phoning it in and in order to do this, I’m going to shoot to sell. How would people feel about being able to purchase a 4″ x 6″ matted print (in an 8″ x 10″ matte)? Yes, it MUST be a print because a photograph isn’t truly real until you can hold it and I apparently like piling more work upon myself. I’d love you to be able to purchase a one-off print of any image that you love directly from this website?

So far this thought has dominated my conscious thought during this year (and yes, as I’m writing this, I know I’ve been awake for all of an hour but the statement is factual). After mulling over a few options, I’ve decided on the following:

I make each print available once at a cost of ($36.50) including print, signed and numbered matte and postage to anywhere in the world. You see what I did there right?

I’m in no way expecting to retire off this (especially as I am releasing one print per image in the series and therefore limiting my maximum income from this project) but I’d love to produce work that others are moved to obtain. I’m not going down the NFT route as that confuses the stuffing out of me. But it will be first in, best dressed.

I’m already excited at the thought of not simply being able to take a photo of whoever is closest to me, converting it to black and white and saying done. I’d be happy to sell ten prints through the year but if I pull my finger out, who knows?

If you are interested, click here to purchase this limited edition print.

As the Hamilton Calendar comes down and the Coke Calendar goes up in our kitchen, I wish you the best for 2022. Let’s make the best of what may continue the streak we’ve had of some “interesting” years.

Have a great day and I’ll see you in the next post.

Richard

 

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