Now is the time to look back through your daily photos from the past year.
They each now become not just a single photo on a single day, but rather one page in an almost three hundred and sixty-five page “book” that is your personal story of 2022. Suddenly, when all of your daily photos are seen as part of a whole, they take on new meaning. If you are more of a visual artist than a reader, Think of it like this. Each day has been a single brush stroke on a canvas where the masterpiece is only completed once the last stroke, that last photo of the year, is added.
Though most of us are busy with lots of doing from now until the end of the year, make it a goal to give yourself the gift of some quiet moments sometime between now and the end of the year to look back through your photos. Escape into the story, savor the work of art that they are.
Here are some things to think about as you revisit your photos from 2022:
- Do you notice any themes in your photos? Are there recurring people places or things?
- Is there a particular month that stands out to you as your favorite? Or, as, your least favorite? Why?
- Are there things that are no longer part of your life for which you are grateful to have photos to support your memories?
- Can you see growth in yourself as a photographer? As a human? Jot them down.
- Have you noticed your personal style of photography emerge or change? Can you describe your style?
What is your favorite photo from 2022?
At the end of the year, many photography organizations choose photos of the year. You are the best judge of the photos in your 365 Picture Today collection. As you look back and reminisce, can you choose your own photo of the year? In doing so, consider the story telling and impact of your image. Since this really is not a contest, but rather a personal reflection, what matters is the piece of your story and the impact that your chosen photo has on and to you. To me, storytelling is always the most important factor in looking at any image, mine or those of others. The next thing to consider is creativity and style. The photo that you select as your photo of the year should be one that perhaps pushed your personal creative envelope and/or best exhibits your personal style, assuming you have identified that.
Show us your 2022 Photo of the Year
Of course the technical aspects of any photo are important in conveying meaning and emotion in a photo, but perfect technical elements without a compelling story make for a “flat” photo. Photos that have a strong emotional impact but may have some technical imperfections, to me, will always be stronger images. But again, you are the curator of your photo of the year and the rubric for making that selection is yours to create as well.
We’d love to see your selection for your photo of the year. Please feel free to share it on our community Facebook page and include a short description about why you chose that photo. (Remember that there are still a few days left in this year. It is possible that the best is yet to come so feel free to wait until the end of the month “just in case.”)
Another thing that comes with looking back is expressing gratitude for what has been as well as recognizing that sometimes going forward requires change. That is true for us as individuals as well as for communities.
A Big Thank You to Danette and Joy
As we come to the end of 2022, the 365 Picture Today Creative Team will be undergoing some changes. Danette Badger and Joy Affleck will be stepping down as creative team members. Though we are sad to see them leave, we are grateful for all that they have shared with us as creative team members and with this community as a whole. We are hopeful that they will continue to share their beautiful selves and photos with us. Please feel free to offer both Joy and Danette some love and thanks as they both embrace the changes that the end of this year and the new year bring.
One more thing to think about as this year comes to a close…
Make sure that you sign up for our 2023 group!
You do need to sign up again ( CLICK HERE ).
This year’s registrations will not automatically roll over.
Stay tuned for announcements about what we have in store for 2023.
We are grateful to have shared this year in photos with each and every one of you. You each bring a unique and valued perspective and personality that makes this community the amazingly diverse and supportive group that it is.
On behalf of the entire 365 Picture Today Creative Team, thank you for being you!