One Day. One Picture. One Year
A positive way of dealing with pandemic pessimism
Let’s be honest, we were all pleased to put 2020 behind us. But when the clock chimed in the new year, there still wasn’t much to be excited about. Deep in the grips of a Pandemic, life itself had become a challenge.
Restrictions and lockdowns continued. No activities or gatherings with friends or family were allowed. Only essential stores open. A curfew was looming. And to boot, Winter had set in. My sanctuary was now my office and classroom. There wasn’t much to look forward to.
It was totally unplanned. I happened to capture my cat mid-yawn on new years’ day and then and there decided that this would be a great positive distraction in all the negativity. I needed something to keep me from going bonkers.
My personal challenge began: to take one picture every day for the whole year and post it to Instagram.
Ever since I was a child, I loved taking photos. I have albums full of really bad ones, snapped in haste with no regard for the subject, the setting or lighting. Nonetheless, they are images of my past and thumbing through them rekindles those captured moments like they were yesterday.
When my kids were small, I religiously took an abundance of photos, mindful of the family on the other side of the world. Instead of slotting my pictures into plastic-sleeved albums, I started scrapbooking, creating pages around them, using pretty papers and embellishments, complete with titles and journaling.
I started paying more attention to detail when I was taking a shot and choosing only worthy ones to showcase on a page. As my passion for ‘scrapping’ grew, it became a very social activity. I went to workshops and met like-minded women at the supply store that I used to frequent.
In 2020, I joined these girlfriends in a May photo-a-day challenge. They had routinely done this at least once a year, but with my personal commitments, I had never been able to participate. Plus, it sounded arduous. What on earth would I take pictures of every single day?
At first, I was intimidated. I felt I needed to capture a fabulous pic daily. Thankfully, Spring was an easy subject, especially when you are coming out of the dead of Winter. A dormant plant coming back to life is an incredible process to watch and document.
After a week or two, even a budding tree seemed a little monotonous. On the days I didn’t have a chance to get out, I started looking at objects in my immediate surroundings and photographing them. Freshly baked cupcakes with bright sprinkles, a glass of my favourite wine beside a glowing candle or my beloved fur babies up to no good — or just looking too darned cute.
The challenge became an obsession. Even after it had finished, I continued to take pictures of random things. I no longer just went for a walk. I scrutinized my neighbourhood, always in search of a cool shot. When October rolled around, we did it all again, this time with the spectacular Fall colours as a primary subject.
I’ve never had a top-notch camera. A Canon Power-shot S50 had been my weapon for years. As the cell phone craze swept through, I found myself using my I phone to take all my pictures mainly because of its convenience and size.
I will confess to being envious of the camera’s my girlfriends have but I couldn’t justify the expense. In October, I was due for a phone upgrade and decided to get the I phone 11 (the 12 was way out of my budget) and am loving the features, especially the portrait and night modes and its’ zoom capabilities.
I am 105 days into this personal quest for 2021 and have only missed one day. I made up for it the next! Most of the time, I have to make a tough decision on which pic to choose, and for others, I am scrambling late at night to fulfil my obligation.
I am thankful to have the two furry babies as backup subjects. If I am lucky to get a great pic early in the day, I hesitate to post it, just in case something better crops up. I find myself more motivated to get out and explore different parts of Montréal to see what I can find, and I continue to look at my surroundings with a more astute eye.
Some of my best shots have been completely unexpected. I was driving home from work one day and just wound down my window to capture a gorgeous sky. Another time, I was in Walmart and was overcome with how deserted it was, as all the non-essential items had been cordoned off. The lines from the overhead lights in a practically empty store perfectly highlighted the bleakness I was feeling and emphasized the reality of our lives these days.
I have ‘cheated’ on three occasions. I took a picture of my television the moment President Biden was officially inaugurated. It was a moment in history that I was witnessing, and nothing better came up that day.
And I will confess to using screenshots to record two very proud moments achieving ‘top stories’ on Vocal. They technically are still photos! Selfies are another possibility and even dead plants, or bare trees can make a great shot.
Obviously, your friends and family are perfect targets and anything to do with nature is a sure bet, but you will be surprised what catches your eye when you start looking closer. I’ve snapped a line of washing flapping in the breeze under a gorgeous blue sky, spotted Kermit the frog up a tree and even a snowed-in toilet waiting to be recycled.
If we ever get out of being under ‘red zone’ restrictions, then I can be more adventurous and travel farther afield to find some more interesting treasures to photograph.
I am not an expert photographer, but I am passionate about it. Since I started the challenge, I have been amazed at the raw beauty that we often overlook in our busy lives. It has changed the way I interact with my environment and given me something to accomplish each day.
It has become my saviour during this time of isolation and despair.
The idea of this or any challenge is to stimulate, stir or move you. Photograph a moment that represents the day, special or not. A sight that sparked something inside you or grasped your attention.
Capture your day in pixels instead of writing a journal. Although both are powerful tools of expression, an image speaks silently for itself.
Take a journey through the eyes of a lens. You’ll be surprised at how rewarding it is.
If you would like to view my 105 + photo’s, feel free to check out my Instagram!
Previously published on Vocal Media
