The small but mighty 365 Picture Today team of four has worked hard this year to keep monthly e-books, daily photo prompt emails, blog posts and Instagram daily picks coming your way. We nave managed, but it is not always easy in the midst of jobs and daily life. We are believers in the more the merrier. So, we have added three new members to our team. Beginning with the 2021 prompts, you will see some new perspectives in the daily prompts.
Though they are new to our team, the faces and photos of Danette Badger, Diane Russon, and Lysle Barnby are not unfamiliar to anyone who has been a part of the 365 Picture Today community. They have all regularly shared photos of their families, hometowns, and most importantly, the amazing and beautiful people that they are. That said, we have asked Danette, Diane, and Lysle to share a little bit about themselves.
Meet Danette
The compliment people give me most is that I am an extremely organized person. Honestly, that sounds horribly boring and truly makes me think of how much work it actually takes to be so organized (even though I do know it is a compliment). Thankfully, I have a family who is willing to help me. My very best friend, Michael, who I've been married to for 14 years ~ my twin boys, Gavin and Blake, who are 13 ~ and my baby girl, Evette, who is 10. We live a very quiet life in central MN with our dog, Luna, and our cat, Husky. When we aren't at home, we are at Tae Kwon Do classes where my hubby is close to his 3rd degree black belt, and my three munchkins are currently all red belts ~ just one test away from black belt. We also love camping, four-wheeling, playing at the lake, bike rides, hiking, basically anything that has to do with the outdoors.
Meet Diane
I live in Ottawa with my partner Brian. I don’t have any children but I do have the most adorable grandson! I worked for the Correctional Service of Canada for 33 years before retiring almost 4 years ago. I worked in a prison for almost all of my career and my last position before retiring was Warden of the Psychiatric Facility. Retirement is such a refreshing change!
Meet Lysle
I am blessed to live in two homes. One is in Calgary, Alberta and the other is a small cabin on Shuswap Lake in British Columbia. I’ve been married to Ron for 38 years. We lived in Australia, Yemen and Cyprus before setting back in Canada. We have three children and two grandchildren.
I love the outdoors and sporting activities. I am an Ironman, a 2 time Boston marathon finisher and a gran Fondo bike enthusiast. My current joy is hiking and I’ve summited Kilimanjaro, Telescope Peak and hiked rim to rim in the Grand Canyon as well as numerous trails in my beloved Canadian Rockies.
We asked our new team members to share some thoughts about their photo a day journey.
Danette says, I have been taking a photo a day since 2014 (with a hiccup in 2015 when I tried to do my own thing and failed miserably). I did the math and by 12/31/20 I will have taken 2,483 photos with the 365 community! For me, those organization skills really come in handy for a project such as taking a photo every single day. My biggest takeaway from my own journey through a 365 is to make the prompts fit into my life. In other words, I don't let the prompts stress me out... My process is to read the email before I get out of bed, take that little word and think on it throughout the day and just wait for the photo opportunity to present itself. Sometimes that means I do a play on words to make it work, sometimes that means I re-create a missed opportunity, sometimes that means I take a photo completely off prompt to better document my day, and on the rare occasion I find myself with some time, I really plan out an idea. I also have a family who is very invested in my project as well and always ask me what my prompt is for the day and give suggestions and ideas too. I have a full-time job (billing specialist) so I am not fortunate enough to spend a lot of time on my photos most days and find that the spur of the moment opportunities suit me better.
Diane says, I have been doing a 365 project for the past 3 years. I took up photography more seriously upon retiring but I found that I lacked creative juices. I couldn’t think of ideas of what to photograph, so having a prompt a day helped to inspire me to pick up my camera every day. I have also learned a lot of new techniques along the way.
This community is one of the most awesome group of folks I have ever met. My advice to anyone new is don’t be afraid to post your photos. This is your project and we want to see your photos and get a glimpse into your daily life. Don’t compare yourself to others, we all have different journeys. This is such a welcoming group and your photos will get a lot of love regardless of you skill level as a photographer. Join in!
Lysle says, I started taking a photo a day and writing my own prompts with two friends in 2014 in order that we could connect daily. I discovered Capture Your 365 in 2017 and have been taking a photo a day with 365 Picture Today since it began in January 2020. I am so thankful for this group! I have learned so very much and the daily prompts make me try harder, be more creative, have the courage to try new skills, and, most importantly, practice those skills every single day!
My advice to new members is to open your heart and your mind to the prompts; everything can be photographed! Use your imagination, study the photos of others, and always remember that the pictures you take are for you! Being a part of this community will give you courage to try to learn new skills in photography, to learn about yourself through the process, and to share with an amazing group of people from around the world.
These are our newest team member’s thoughts on what they hope to offer to this community.
Danette: As a new team member with 365 Picture Today, I hope to just make it known to the community that YOUR photo of the day is important - even if it's not as perfect as you hoped. I consider the style of my own 365 project to be just capturing what my busy family life looks like - and all the in between stuff - as messy and imperfect as that it is. Following prompts is a great way for me to slow down; it forces me to be patient, and helps me to notice things that would otherwise go undetected. When you look back and see all the memories you have captured, you'll never regret any of the photos you took - only the ones you didn't. I am honored to have been chosen to work alongside these EXTREMELY talented and beautiful ladies on the team and EVERYONE in this community! I can't wait to see what 2021 brings to us all!
Diane: I have been inspired by this group. I have received a lot of help from the team members and if I can give back in any way, that is what I’m here for. Retirement has given me an opportunity to take on new challenges and this one just spoke to me. I hope I can do it justice!
Lysle: I hope to add my sense of joy and humour to the group. I like to think of myself as an “idea person”. I like to think a little bit “outside the box” with a little bit of creative flair. I’d like to help prove that everything is photographable in an interesting manner! I’m honoured to be given the chance to work with this amazing community. I feel like I have made friends with the world!
Please join us in welcoming our new team members! Feel free to reach out to them and offer a little 365 Picture Today love and encouragement!