Nurture Self 365

365 Self Portrait Challenge: Day Three Hundred Sixty Six:

January 13, 2013 in ma365, Photo Challenge, Photography, Self-Portrait | Tags: 365, 365 self portrait, 52 week project, challenge, completion, Photography, techniques | 3 comments

“The little dissatisfaction which every artist feels at the completion of a work forms the germ of a new work.” Berthold Auerbach

I’m done. Day 366 has been posted. My final Self Portrait is a composite of all my 365 Self Portraits. I used a really neat freeware program called Andrea Mosaic to do this. Pretty cool eh??

I can’t really believe I’m finished. There were times throughout the year that I thought I could not take another shot of myself in any way, shape or form! However, with the unfailing support of my fellow 365’ers, and my husband who believed in me every step of the way, I was able to push through those moments and arrive at the finish line.

It’s a great feeling to accomplish this goal that I set for myself.

I am carrying on – but not with the 365 Project, although I will be around to support the “newbies” in the 2013 Challenge.

I am involved in a 52 Week Photography Challenge that focuses on monthly photographic techniques. I’m very excited about it, as not only will I be learning more with each photo I take, but I will encouraging and motivating others along that journey as well. Any one is welcome to join, even if you are participating in the 365. You don’t need a fancy camera or expensive equipment. All you need is an interest in learning more about photography.

I’m excited about where this path will lead . . .

366-365

365 Self Portrait Challenge: Day Three Hundred Sixty Five:

January 12, 2013 in ma365, Photo Challenge, Photography, Self-Portrait | Tags: 365 self portrait, delta, dock, Fraser River, freezing, project, river, self portrait, sunrise | 3 comments

“There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope.” Bern Williams

I am standing here on a dock at 6am in -7 degree Celsius literally freezing my fingers and toes off to capture this amazingly gorgeous shot of the sunrise over the Fraser River Delta. This is what this 365 Project has done for me . . . it has awakened the passion for photography that has been bubbling below the surface for many many years. I’ve always had a camera in my hand to record special moments, but I’ve always wanted to really immerse myself in the craft . . . learn how to really utilize my brain, my vision, and the tools available to me to create amazing and thought provoking images. I’ve had the most fabulous year of learning. I’ve made new friends and connected with some fabulous inspirational photographers.

One more shot to go . . . then what?

365-365

365 Self Portrait Challenge: Day Three Hundred Sixty Four:

January 11, 2013 in ma365, Photo Challenge, Photography, Self-Portrait | Tags: blog, blogging, blogs, culminated, culmination, domain, domains, hosting, installation, installing, internet, mercy, rules, technology, transfer, wits end | Leave a comment

“Computers are like Old Testament gods; lots of rules and no mercy.” Joseph Campbell

Days of frustration have culminated in me asking my husband for help. I have had one issue after another getting my new hosting site set up so I can transfer my WP.com blogs. First I tried manually installing per instructions through Lynda.com. When that resulted in a dead end (unable to connect to my domain, which I did successfully point to my new host) after many phone calls and chats with Support . . . I was at my wits end! What is promoted as an easy and fairly straightforward process is so far from the truth!

This saga is not over yet . . . stay tuned!

364-365

365 Self Portrait Challenge: Day Three Hundred Sixty Three:

January 10, 2013 in ma365, Photo Challenge, Photography, Self-Portrait | Tags: 365 Project, cleaning, hiding, instrumental. invisible, mask, masking, organizing, project | Leave a comment

“The most important kind of freedom is to be what you really are. You trade in your reality for a role. You give up your ability to feel, and in exchange, put on a mask.” Jim Morrison

I was doing a bit of cleaning and organizing today. I came across this mask. It was gifted to me last year on my birthday. I’ve always loved masks . . . the more ornate and fancy the better. I had planned on doing one of my 365 shots with it . . . but never got around to it somehow. This was just a quick shot with my iPhone4.

I have spent years trying to remove the mask of what I think others expect from me. It’s been a long process, and I’m still working on it.

This 365 Project has been quite instrumental in helping me step out from behind the masks I’ve gotten so good at creating over the years. We all have them. Different masks suit different situations . . . help us cope all the different scenarios we face daily. I’m really, really good at hiding. Hiding, both physically and emotionally, protects me from “stuff”. I learned from a very young age that being invisible was the best strategy.

Well, I’m really out of hiding now! I’m out in the open for all to see. What you see is what you get.

I am hiding no more.

363-365

365 Self Portrait Challenge: Day Three Hundred Sixty Two:

January 9, 2013 in ma365, Photo Challenge, Photography, Self-Portrait | Tags: .com, 365, beer, blog, blogs, bottles, cement, consuming, Death Valley, end, ending, george santayana, Ghost Town, host, hosting, old ghost, project, self hosted, wine, wine bottles, word press | Leave a comment

“Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” George Santayana

I’m grabbing this shot from my Las Vegas trip in November. We had driven up to Rhyolite – the old ghost town on the edge of Death Valley. This house is completely built out of bottles and cement. That’s a lot of bottles! I don’t know if they are wine bottles, or beer bottles. I just thought it was an interesting design.

I’ve had a lot going on since we’ve returned home from our two months away. One thing that is consuming my time is that I’ve decided to move my two blogs over from the WP.com format to a self hosted installation. It’s been one issue after another, and I’m still working on it . . . but hopefully I’ll have both Blogs seamlessly working on the new host soon. Meanwhile, there should be no disruption in your ability to access my content on the WP.com platform.

I’m also nearing the end of my 365 Project. I can’t believe that a whole year has gone by, and I have a written and visual record of it. Stay tuned for what’s next . . .

362-365

365 Self Portrait Challenge: Day Three Hundred Sixty One:

January 8, 2013 in ma365, Photo Challenge, Photography, Self-Portrait | Tags: enjoy, fun, happy, kids, play, playful, playfulness, playing, smile, smiling | Leave a comment

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” George Bernard Shaw

Just hanging out with my 4 year old Great Nephew and his little 3 month old sister (the chipmunk cheeks on the right). Actually, my husband is holding the 4 year old over my head so I grabbed this shot with his iPhone5 that was sitting on the table next to me. I then processed it in Photoshop and Topaz Labs DeNoise and Simplify. If you can’t have fun then what’s the point eh?

I hope I’ll always wake up with a smile on my face that I can share with the world.

361-365

365 Self Portrait Challenge: Day Three Hundred Sixty:

January 7, 2013 in ma365, Photo Challenge, Photography, Self-Portrait | Tags: arts, camera, image, images, mirror, Nikon, Nikon D800E, Photography, shooting, shot | Leave a comment

“The Earth is Art, The Photographer is only a Witness ” Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Earth from Above

Just another shot . . . with only six more days to go.

360-365

365 Self Portrait Challenge: Day Three Hundred Fifty Nine:

January 6, 2013 in ma365, Photo Challenge, Photography, Self-Portrait | Tags: bloom, green, hibernate, hibernation, nature, plants, plants and animals, rain, roger miller, shine, Spring, Springtime, storms, stormy, weather, winter, winter slumber, wintertime | Leave a comment

“Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet.” Roger Miller

As much as I love springtime with its renewal and growth – I love wintertime with the rain and cold. We don’t get much snow here, but when it does snow – it’s beautiful. I love that all the plants and animals are in their winter slumber – resting up for the next go-round. It’s raining a lot here at the moment. I know in another month or so I’ll be begging for the sun to shine and the flowers to bloom and the trees to green up.

For now, I’m pretty content as I listen to the rain pouring out of the gutters.

359-365

365 Self Portrait Challenge: Day Three Hundred Fifty Eight:

January 5, 2013 in ma365, Photo Challenge, Photography, Self-Portrait | Tags: cars, city lights, light trails, long exposure, low light, motion blur, Photography, san francisco, shutter speed, treasure Island | 1 comment

“As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being.” Carl Jung

I reached back to November for this shot – taken on Treasure Island with San Francisco in the background. I had one camera on the tripod, and the other in my hands that I was shooting back with. I was a bit surprised when I saw the light trails in the road behind me. I had set the shutter speed slow on purpose – looking for the motion blur. The light trails are a bonus!

358-365

365 Self Portrait Challenge: Day Three Hundred Fifty Seven:

January 4, 2013 in ma365, Photo Challenge, Photography, Self-Portrait | Tags: blood sugars, determined, diabetes, example, good posture, gracefully, Grandkids, health, healthy, healthy eating, healthy habits. exercise, healthy-living, metformin, posture, supplements, vitamins | 1 comment

“I want to get old gracefully. I want to have a good posture. I want to be healthy and be an example to my children.” Sting

These are the supplements I take everyday to help my body stay healthy. I am a Type II Diabetic – well controlled on the minimum dose of Metformin. Diet and exercise have helped me keep my blood sugars in the borderline range over the last several years. I am determined to live as long as I can to enjoy my Grandkids and Great Grandkids, and to travel and check off all the items on my bucket list.

Oh my, I’ve got a lot to do in the next 40 years!