Project 365

Recently, I attended my nephew's Christening. I figured I would bring my Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2, be fancy, and take fancy pictures...

Right.

I haven't really used this camera since... Honestly, I don't know when. It only crossed my mind to use it because I had just used it to take photos for my work's website. That day, I realized that I really am not all that familiar with my beloved camera. Other than knowing how to maneuver through the controls/settings (ISO, shutter speed, aperture- Yes, I know what they are for...) and the "auto" functions, I don't know which settings to use, and which combinations work best for certain "conditions." I was so bummed that I stopped using the camera, and I just let my sisters take photos with their cameras for the rest of the day. However, I did make a resolution with myself that I was going to be a great photographer... or at least familiarize myself with all of my cameras.

As soon as I got home, I started going through the internet (Flickr forums, Pinterest, photography blogs), looking for tips on photography and on using the GF2. There were a lot of information, and I was, of course, overwhelmed. But there was one thing that kept popping up in every one of these sites... The key is to practice - just keep taking pictures! That is the only way I am going to learn and get better. I already know the basics, the next step is to just do it.

Of course, I didn't "do it." I just kept visiting these sites. I kept reading, learning, and looking at the pretty pictures others have taken. I was very jealous of their skills, but I wasn't as motivated as I thought I was going to be. I needed to challenge myself... The way I challenged myself to do the 52 Week Challenge. So far, I am doing really well with that, so I needed to do something similar... That's when Project 365 came up.

Project 365 is a challenge to take one photo a day for a year. From what I have learned, people do this for various reasons. Two of the more common ones are: 1.) to document their lives, sort of like a daily photo diary, 2.) and/or so they can improve their photography skills, which is the main reason I will be doing this project.

Can I really do this? I like think that I can, but realistically speaking, I probably will fail. Fail, in the sense that I will miss some days... To be successful in doing this, one should always have his camera on hand, which I probably won't. I have my Canon PowerShot Elph 330 HS and the camera on my phone, but I really want to complete this project using just my GF2, which I know I won't always be carrying. I have already failed before even starting. :/

I really, really want to do this... 

Okay, I am going to do this, but with a few different rules.

Since I wanted to do this as a personal project, and I have no intention of sharing my photos on the Project 365 website anyway, I figured I am allowed to bend the rules a little. Here are my own rules:

1. I will do my best to take a photo a day. - Life happens, so I may miss a day or two. If this happens, I have to "make it up" by taking two or three photos a day until I am caught up.

2. I will use my GF2 as much as possible. - There will be days I have to use a different camera. When this happens, I can "make it up" by posting a photo taken with my GF2 in addition to the one taken with another camera. This will force me to still use the GF2, since the main reason I am doing this is to familiarize myself with it.

3. I can take and post the same photo or similar photos of the same subject, as long as it is not from the same "session" or photo shoot. - I know one of the main rules of Project 365 is that one cannot take the same/similar shot of the same subject, or something like that. I understand the logic behind this; it forces one to be creative. But my reason for wanting to be able to "retake" a shot is so I can improve my skills. I want to be able to compare and see how much better I have taken the picture the second or third time around. I mean, how else am I going to learn? I am not planning on doing this all the time, but I want to be able to.

4. I will do my best to post a blog a day, to update the project. - But like I said, life happens. So when I can't, I will either combine the photos in one blog post, or post the photos separately based on the day they were taken, and backdate the post. I will most likely be doing the latter. It just makes it look neater and more organized that way. :P

I know that making my own rules is really not doing the actual Project 365, but like I said before, I want to do this to hone better photography skills. If I set it so that I will just fail, how is that motivating myself to be better? I am not in competition with anyone else but myself, and that's the best kind!

Okay, enough blogging... Let's start taking pictures!

xx,
Pamela

The "Abby" Beanie

Another "Ruffled" Beanie.

This is just like The "Serene" Beanie but with a pom pom. This is called The "Abby" beanie, well, because I visualize someone named "Abby" wearing it. LOL.

Again, the "ruffled" part of the beanie is made using a basic cable stitch.

xx,
Pamela

The 52 Week Money Challenge (Weeks 39 & 40 Update)

Week 39 - April 04, 2014
Week 40 - April 11, 2014

Current Savings : $820

(Image courtesy of: www.savingeveryday.net) - I'm just adding the red check marks as I go along.

xx,
Pamela

Got Change?

 
Years ago, I found coins/loose change valuable. They were useful for tolls, vending machines, parking meters, etc. But now, I have an E-ZPass account, and most of these machines take bills or debit/credit cards. While I do love being able to pay in the exact amount, right down to the last cent, most of the time I'm in a rush so it's just easier to hand whole bills over and take the change. Over time, coins became more of a nuisance, just items that weigh my bag down since I tend accumulate a lot of them. But as of late, I have fallen in love with them again.

A couple of years ago, I purchased this electronic coin bank that adds up your coins as you put them in it. I, of course, put it to good use- when I would remember. But about a month and a half ago, I  decided to clean, and by doing so, I came across loose change I've left (forgotten) in wallets, bags, and drawers. I decided to put them in my coin bank, and I actually filled that little sucker up in no time. So what did I do next? A trip to the nearest Coinstar machine? No. I went to my bank.

During one of my trips to my bank, I noticed that they had installed one of those coin counting machines, which was great because I do not have the time to sit there and roll coins. The other great thing is they do not take a percentage of my money since I have an account with them- Coinstar does. I walked away from the machine $158.48 richer. :)

Moral of the story? A penny is still money. LOL.

But seriously, ever since that day, the value of these coins have increased in my eyes again. I even pick coins up when I see them on the ground! I also almost always pay in bills most of the time, just so I can get change back. The change then goes straight into my coin bank. I am saving without really trying, and I can't wait to make that trip to my bank's coin machine again. :)

The next time, you find yourself belittling those coins, just remember that they can easily turn into $158.48. So save them or give them to me! LOL.

xx,
Pamela

The "Serene" Beanie

 This particular (blue) beanie was knitted over a year ago, I just never got around to taking pictures until about a month and a half ago. I call this beanie "Serene" because the first person I ever made this beanie for (besides myself) was my co-worker whose middle name is Serine. I knitted hers about three to four months ago- hers was a maroon colored one, which I wish I took a picture of. :/

I used a cable needle to achieve the "ruffled" design. Honestly, it was a straight forward basic cable stitch pattern- very easy to do!

Anyway, I am still not over how the How I Met Your Mother series ended. I would rant about it here, but that will just get me more upset. Just search #HIMYMFinale on Twitter, all the negative reviews you read will pretty much sum up how I feel. It's like the Sookie Stackhouse novels debacle again! Ugh. I can't... I just can't.

xx,
Pamela