three-hundred-and-sixty-five.
So my 365 ends today. Wow.
This year has been an interesting year to say the least. I have grown as a person, in my faith, and in my photography. Though I'm not always sure about the last one. It has been a hard year of learning and of pushing myself to the limits. Especially when it comes to taking pictures in the cold haha :) I started this project on a whim -- three times, and only the third time have I actually stuck with it. I started with only my dad's old Panasonic and a very limited knowledge of Picnik (woot to all my fellow Picnikers out there!). Now I have my very own DSLR and still use Picnik, though Picnik Premium now. Throughout the 365 days I've learned of focusing (manual focus was a tough one haha), levitations, lighting, the wonders of Golden Hour, trying new things, bokeh, and so so much more. I got my first explore ever during this year - and I realized in time that it didn't matter to me anymore. I found a love for typography, though I never seem to be able to use it right, and for a while I existed only for the glorious light of the setting sun. I found many inspiring photographers on flickr, and found that astonishingly enough I was starting to inspire others. I realized my love for a boy I would never be able to have. I got closer to my best friend than I have ever been to anyone before. I experienced just how boring homeschooling really is. I planned my life ahead and realized that I wanted to make photography a permanent part of my life. This summer I conquered my fears and rode a horse again. I also got my first photo in a magazine during this project. I read thousands upon thousands of pages during these 365 days, and looked at hundreds of photographs. This year has been a blur of fading memories, some sharper than others. To write down my entire year would take too long, so I am going to wrap up now. Though this project was a lot harder than I expected, it was so worth it and I would not trade it for anything. I don't know where this road called life will take me, but I'm willing to keep going and see where it ends. I can't promise that I will ever do a 365 again, or that I won't do it. But probably not for a while. I might do a 52 week project sometime this year though, I'll see. And I promise to keep posting photos anyways :) Wow I wrote a lot more than I intended to haha, but then again, that's how it usually goes at the end of a 365.
And now to the important part. Thank you, thank you, thank you a million times over to anyone who has commented, favorited, or even looked at my pictures. To anyone who has said a kind word to me and encouraged me when I needed it. To those who supported me throughout this journey. Thank you to Amelia who was so kind as to buy me a Pro account. And of course thank you for mom and dad for accepting and supporting my passion for photography (though it did take a while for you to realize that this wasn't just some short-lived phase I was going through) and for buying me Kenny. Thank you. It means the world to me, and I couldn't have gotten anywhere without any of you guys.
And yes, I do realize that a week is missing from my 365, but that's life, and if I tried to substitute that week and put new pictures in the empty spaces then it just wouldn't be the same. And it just seems right. Every single one of these photos is a small part of me, and I feel like if you had all of the pieces, you could capture me in them. It might seems silly, but it's how I feel right now.
This is not the end.
This is just the beginning.