The Idea
In 2005 I began a photographic project which came to dominate my time and changed the way I looked at the world.
The rules of the project were;
1) Take a photo every day, for an entire year
2) It’s a self portrait, so I must be in the picture…in some way
3) It’s a self portrait, so I must press the shutter
4) The photograph must be a genuine, non computer manipulated, image
5) Be creative
Having to find a fresh image each day required me to be open to new possibilities, to my changing surroundings, and to explore many interesting ideas. It taught me to perceive light; shadows; reflections; and objects, in far more intense and collaborative way.
It was this challenge to be more aware, which was the ultimate aim of the project.
It also provided a rich and fertile ground for coincidence to take place. Particularly when using the timer, as this seemed to allow more space for chance and fate to arise in the moment.
Alongside this was the concept of Anatta, the Buddhist principle of No Self, the idea that any belief in a separate 'self' is an illusion. Using Self Portraiture to think about this concept seemed somehow both paradoxical and appropriate.
Perhaps the most challenging aspect was the requirement to create something everyday regardless of my physical or inner space. And of course not to forget to take the photograph! (There was one very close call.)
I was extremely happy with the results even from the very first week. This engendered a pressure not to fail the project; cheat on the requirements; or let the standard slip. To achieve this I estimate that I took somewhere between 15,000 to 17,000 photos in the course of the year! Some days I'd be happy with the first shot, but often I'd take 20, 30, perhaps 40, before finding the one I was happy with, or which captured the idea best. Some, long, days I took well over a hundred.
I would choose the favourite each day and give this a title. There were a lot of second, third or fourth favourites of the day which all had to be excluded from the project. Some with great reluctance. However, as you'll see I found some very interesting ways to include some of them!
A year later I arrived with the 365 photos of the final project.
I hope that you enjoy the photographs ... and please read Your Challenge to try this for yourself!