A Month In Review - The Alphabet in February with the 365 community
During the month of February, our 365 Community started off with an A and ended with a Z! What we all discovered was something so amazing. We came together and saw the world in a new and simply beautiful way.
SUSAN BOURGERIE
Spontaneous thoughts on how ABC February was for me!
To preface these comments I want to tell you that I had literally not picked up my camera in the year 2021! And actually had shot very little except for iPhone photos since the pandemic began in March. I actually had considered selling all my gear and just buying the latest iPhone as my only photographic tool. Somehow I came across the Gather Academy, I think because I had taken a class from Katherine Clemons a couple of years ago on Creative Live, and then got on her email list so I knew she was there now. I was thinking perhaps a class from her art Gather would jump start me, but I decided to be realistic and not commit to anything too time intensive! So I signed up for the 365 option, and after watching for a week or so I thought I would try the February daily theme and see if there was really a future for me and my camera! As we approach the end of the February ABC theme I have posted every day (except yesterday’s photo which I’m posting as soon as I finish this!) I feel re-energized, more trusting that I have some creative self that will emerge, and the interest I felt in learning and practicing photography as a hobby has definitely returned after being absent for over a year.
I give a lot of credit to the type of community that you all have created on the Gather network. I had tried a 365 online program before and wasn’t successful, and I think it had everything to do with the large size of the group and the absence of any feedback on what was posted. The Gather 365 network facilitators and members are personally welcoming, non-judgmental and encouraging of all efforts! Very supportive!
And having a prompt as concrete and simple as ABC made re-engaging with a daily practice time with my camera much easier. Even though the winter and the pandemic meant that I was limited, for the most part, to inside my apartment it wasn’t that difficult to find a subject! The simplicity of ABC made it simple enough to overcome whatever resistance I had to getting the gear out and once that happened my energy for photography returned as I began re-learning what I knew, observing what I shot, and trying new things out. It became a bit of a game - was really fun! I was able to shift focus from producing a good image to have a good time playing with my equipment and seeing what would come of it. If a day came when I was rushed for time I gave myself permission to use the iPhone only, or to post a “good-enough” image, not needing to work something to perfection.
I feel unblocked and ready for the next challenge. In fact, I’ve already started the Photoshop for Beginners workshop. Your group has been so, so important and I’m full of gratitude!
Warmest wishes as you keep on creating!
Susan
Lisa Edney
The Alphabet challenge was so much fun this month. I found the constraints of finding something tied to a letter a huge creativity boost. The constraint allowed me to shot things I'd never captured before. I started the challenge with a literal translation but was inspired and grew throughout the month, branching out to think more abstractly with each letter.
My 365 project is at www.instagram.com/princesslisaedney
Kim Jarchow
Sometimes, when taking on a 365 Photo Project, it is nice to have some sort of theme or prompt to help spur ideas on what to photograph. During the month of February, the daily prompt was a letter from the alphabet and I really enjoyed it. It was great to have something specific to help point me in the direction for what to photograph that day. The first thing I did was make a list. I listed all the letters of the alphabet and then thought of words for each letter that might be an idea for either the subject of the image or an overall idea. Some letters were much easier to come up with ideas than others: “C” - candy, coffee, chocolate, caramel, cocoa, circles cupcakes - just to name a few, but for “U” - umbrella, unique, us, unicorn (I struggled with this letter). My photography usually revolves around people, but this month’s theme found me photographing a lot more still life and flat lay (often revolving around food). I really enjoyed setting up and styling these images and playing with color and design. I could see myself using this ABC prompt again on my own just to help ignite new ideas for my photographs.
Uyen Bien
Yes, the Alphabet Project was a fun challenge for me! It was harder than I thought. In the perfect world, I would easily come up with ideas, and go out to shoot everyday for the specific theme on the specific day. However, my world was nowhere near perfect. Between family and work, I barely had anytime at all. I was struggling to find subjects to shoot. So, instead of shooting everyday, I made myself go somewhere on my days off for a little photoshoot adventure. Lucky me, my husband was very supportive. He was my scout, my chauffeur and my bag-carrier. Of course, places that I could go to were very limited at this time due to the pandemic and the weather. As a result, sometimes, I had to make do with my "not yet running away" models: the cats, as well as things around the house. Then, each night, after things had settled down, I edited 1 photo at a time. You see, I got very creative. If the photo didn't fit the theme literally, I would make it fit figuratively. They were not my best work but I did try my best with what I had. I appreciate all of your kind comments which encourage me not to give up and try harder. I appreciate our hosts who come up with these fun challenges to keep me wanting to get off my comfy couch and do something creative. And for the last day of the Alphabet Theme, I come up with this one: 2021-Still In Quarantine!
My Instagram handle: @uyenbien
Karin Forde Whittemore
I hope that all is well with you today. So for your blog, from my perspective, this was such a fun month.
I sometimes resist assignments when i have actually that, an assignment instead of being able to shoot my own thing. That being said, I so enjoyed the prompts this month with letters from the alphabet.
I found that there were things that i had never thought about photographing before. This project gave me just that opportunity.
Some of these images were things like a head of lettuce, a kettle, a paperback, a rubber band ball and q tips in a jar. Some of the images really surprised me. Other shots were things around my home that i walk by everyday and just hadn’t thought about capturing such as my rocking horse and camera collection.
During this time of Covid and winter and being inside or at least around my property, the alphabet opened up a really fun month of shooting for me. It felt like a very creative place to be.
Thank you April!
Blessings to you,
Karin karinfordewhittemore on Facebook and karney01989 on instagram
Trina Holt
I started the 365 project with Gather Academy to get back to shooting. I had stepped away for several years and decided 2021 would be the year for me to jump back in. During January, I was so thrilled to be shooting again that inspiration was not an issue. As the end of January drew nearer, so did my gusto. Enter the February Alphabet prompts!! Wow!! Everyday I woke up with excitement and curiosity as to what I would capture. I would go to bed thinking “C, what begins with C?” It became a topic of family conversation. I loved having a direction with which to focus my creativity. During February, I became a grandparent for the first time. Whenever I was with baby Bella, I had fun finding ways to include her in my alphabet. My favorite was U for unclothed.
Thanks for creating such a fun, creative and supportive environment at Gather Academy!!
On instagram as trinaholtphotography
