The Photo A Day Challenge

[mopar_guy]

What happens if I am trying to get a photo of my dog with my 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 Pacemaker Speed Graphic with a Graphic 23 rollholder loaded with Portra 160NC and some GE #5B flashbulbs. Would that be a "real" photo? What happens if I forget to pull the dark slide? I am not going to worry about the small stuff and I am just going to soldier on.

 

[markbarendt]

What happens if I am trying to get a photo of my dog with my 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 Pacemaker Speed Graphic with a Graphic 23 rollholder loaded with Portra 160NC and some GE #5B flashbulbs. Would that be a "real" photo? What happens if I forget to pull the dark slide? I am not going to worry about the small stuff and I am just going to soldier on.

Soldier on.

 

[Ken Nadvornick]

If people are going to accept this challenge, I think that it should be a point of honor that they make a post announcing that they are bowing out of the project, after they miss a day. It should be interesting to watch the field narrow as time goes by.

Meaning no disrespect Charles, but precisely why would failure by the participants in an exercise in which you will not be participating be so "interesting to watch" for you?

And why do you think that your personal definition of failure for this exercise should be the applicable protocol against which those who do participate should measure their individual successes?

Just curious...

Ken

 

[Chazzy]

Meaning no disrespect Charles, but precisely why would failure by the participants in an exercise in which you will not be participating be so "interesting to watch" for you?

And why do you think that your personal definition of failure for this exercise should be the applicable protocol against which those who do participate should measure their individual successes?

Just curious...

Ken

Look, if the participants don't actually have to make a photo a day, then it's no longer the "Photo a Day Challenge." It's as simple as that. And I'm interested in the outcome because I doubt that anyone will make it to December 31st on that basis. I know that I couldn't do it for sure. Some days are just not photography days, and it wouldn't be right simply to recapitulate a photo which I had taken earlier in the year.

 

[Ken Nadvornick]

Look, if the participants don't actually have to make a photo a day, then it's no longer the "Photo a Day Challenge." It's as simple as that. And I'm interested in the outcome because I doubt that anyone will make it to December 31st on that basis. I know that I couldn't do it for sure. Some days are just not photography days, and it wouldn't be right simply to recapitulate a photo which I had taken earlier in the year.

Curiously, I found occassion to use the following quote in another thread recently. In my opinion it is as applicable here as it was there:

"It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things." --Teddy Roosevelt

For the record, I began the challenge yesterday, and have not yet missed a day.

Best of luck to you, Charles.

Ken

 

[Chazzy]

Curiously, I found occassion to use the following quote in another thread recently. In my opinion it is as applicable here as it was there:

"It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things." --Teddy Roosevelt

For the record, I began the challenge yesterday, and have not yet missed a day.

Best of luck to you, Charles.

Ken

And good luck to all the participants. They're going to need it, and I hope that any who honestly, truthfully and with integrity make a photo a day will get proper recognition at the end of the year.

 

[lorirfrommontana]

Well, I've made it 2 days! Today was tough. The picture that I really thought would turn out good was way overexposed. I could spend more time printing and probably get a decent print but I don't like to work too hard trying to print a bad negative! I did try some available light portraits of my youngest and one turned out OK although it was underexposed. I posted it though. I'm using this as a learning experience. I plan to look back at the end of the year and be able to see my improvement. My main trouble is I can't wait to see the pictures I took for the day and have to go develop them right away! I rolled some 10 exposure rolls just for this reason! It sure blows through the film fast but at least this was expired fomapan and was cheap! This is really stretching me to not only see things as they would be in a black & white photo but also to stop and take the pictures! I'm taking my camera to work with me tomorrow and will stop and take those pictures in the morning light on the way home from work. I can take the frontage road!

 

[KWhitmore]

Triple-dog dare? I really can't resist that...

 

[lorirfrommontana]

Triple-dog dare? I really can't resist that...

 

[2F/2F]

I don't need no stinkin' Internet to get me to take a photo a day.

 

[mopar_guy]

Weeeell, c#&p! I hope that Kodak can make more film. I am going to run out of 120 black and white film before spring arrives.

At least I will have enough paper. Looks like I'll be ordering from Photographers Formulary too!:rolleyes:

 

[markbarendt]

I don't need no stinkin' Internet to get me to take a photo a day.

That's good.

The internet can suck up a lot of time that could be used composing.

There are a few of us that need a triple-dog-dare now and again to sort out our priorities.

 

[2F/2F]

A triple dog dare might work on me.....except I have three cats...and they aren't allowed in this project.

 

[Rob Skeoch]

I hope everyone's having fun.
First day I shot two frames.

Second day three frames from the local waterfall... fell twice on the ice with the backpack of gear. It was -11.

Three more today. Mostly correcting what turned out to be a problem from the first day shoot.

I've processed one from the first day then decided my chemistry was too old so mixed up a fresh batch.

Processed two frames today... after debating over the development time I forgot to start the clock. Also flooded the kitchen when the washer overflowed.

Hope to get some printing done tomorrow.

-rob

 

[markbarendt]

I'm on track for about 7300 shots for the year at the rate I'm going so far. I'm sure things will slow down during the work week.

 

[Ken Nadvornick]

Just returned from a couple hours out with my camera. I have a modest working theme. I'm putting together a very simple DIY web page for publishing. Logistics will probably limit processing to once every weekend or two. I want to keep everything extremely simple, as a year is a long time. I'm looking to do two subjects each day in order to publish one. I got that today.

My problem has always been letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. If there's not already a pretty good chance of success, I can sometimes talk myself out of even trying. I think this comes from using my fully restored Calumet C1 8x10, which can be like packing for a 19th century photo safari.

For this exercise I've started out with a pedestrian Canon QL-17 rangefinder loaded with Ilford HP5+, and an ancient Sekonic L-398 Studio Deluxe light meter. (Even though the camera's meter works perfectly.) Everything fits into a very small camera bag which I can carry with me every day.

Once freed from the mental "safari" constraints of prerequired perfection, I can now see literally gazillions of possible subjects. So in my case this exercise is already beginning to bear fruit.

Ken

 

[David William White]

I'm doing good so far. I've been using up spare rolls of Tri-X, and managing to deliver something the same day. Today I mixed up a tank of D-76 to use and rolled some short rolls of Eastman Plus-X to simplify & streamline the process & hopefully stay on schedule. I'm sure out of this regimen I'll find negatives to circle back on for a more careful, measured print.

 

[Laurent]

As I expected, today has been tougher, since my vacations were over. Anyway, I found my 4th subject (I like shooting details, and a padlock on a rusted door was just fine !). But I start to understand how hard it will be to find these 365 shots (even if my yearly average is much higher !).

For results, there are still 32 days to go...

 

[mopar_guy]

Progress report:

So far I have shot a few color or B&W negs each day and I have shot a few Kodachromes each day. I will be trying for a print a day and a Kodachrome slide a day.

 

[MattKing]

I've made it this far with shots taken each day. Nothing developed so far, though.

This is tough - today at 3:00 p.m. my meter reading was EV 6 for EI 100 - I was hand-holding at 1/15 second!

Matt

 

[Laurent]

I also started a Blog on this... at least to keep track for my self. I also try to record (using the save voice recorder I use for notes on the field in LF) my feelings, facts of the day etc... (worthy facts of the day are mainly River Loire's level, temperature, weather...)

 

[David William White]

I've set up a minimal blog for my photographs as well.

 

[lorirfrommontana]

I've managed to get an acceptable shot each day. Yesterday was tough. I worked a 12 hour night shift. As I was driving home the light started to get good. I knew what I was going to shoot. I got there and it clouded over. Oh well! I found some interesting dried flowers in the snow covered garden that seemed interesting. I'm now off for 4 days so a shot a day will be less trying!

 

[Laurent]

Today's shot was easier... it's very cold here (at least for the place : -10C in the night, still -4 now) and sunny. I wandered along the river until I found interesting patterns on the ice that formed on the "shore". I'm working from home for today, this sure helps (that and a bicycle !).

 

[mopar_guy]

Nobody posted today

If this is a photo a day then somebody better post every day. I know that all of you other guys have quit already.