Sunday, January 03, 2016

1/52

"A portrait of my youngest children, once a week, every week, in 2016."

Poet: 6am on New Years Day and looking right back at me is the girl who loves so fiercely and challenges me in the wittiest of ways (ISO400, f2.8, 1/640)

Percy: Oh this boy. Seriously, he is the happiest baby I have ever met....excitable, joyous and very mischievous. And that bottom lip...it's always hiding (ISO125, f2.8, 1/250)

I'll take back what I said.

I know, I know, this was all over. I was a bit tired of the project - every week for four years is a lot of photos. But habits are hard to break and honestly, why would I want to break such a good one? 

When I compiled last week's post I realised then and there that it's all worth it. It's worth those weeks in the middle of winter when everyone is sick and taking photos is the last thing I want to do. It's worth finding five minutes to take a photo even if it's at the 11th hour. It's worth running down to the beach to catch the light because...I just left all the chores behind and I'm on the sand with the kids and it wouldn't have happened otherwise.

Just looking at the clearly labelled folder on my desktop and seeing the photos in chronological order makes it all worth it. 

And I hope that when my children grow up they can flick through The 52 Project and relive their childhood. And by doing so perhaps, just perhaps, they'll see how much I adore and love them and that I tried, week in and week out, to capture everything about that moment - the emotion, the gaze, the clothes, the house, the toys, the fingers, the toes, the grimace, the smile, the thoughts. 

As I've said before, I'm documenting their childhood but I'm also capturing my motherhood.

If you feel like you want to jump on this photo bandwagon, please do. The key to completing this project? Just take the photo! And if you do you'll be a much better photographer by the end of the year. Of that I am sure.

So will you?






36 COMMENTS

  1. So thrilled that you will be continuing to do this Jodi.....I've got 2 years and even though I take lots of photos of my kids and family life every week these "one photo by themselves" is so important. Hopefully you can share your photobooks one day and inspire everyone to get the pictures off the hard drive into a book. Happy New Year to you...love the week 1 photos. Regards Kathy A, Brisbane

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  2. Hey Jodie, Happy New Year! I've been religiously following your lovely blog for sometime. This special space has been an important source of inspiration for me to live a simpler life and taking one day at a time. I especially love the 52 project and will be embarking on it this year to capture my 2 year old son, who is growing up far too quickly for my comfort! So glad to see that you've changed your mind and will be doing it again this year too! Take care and looking forward to another year of inspiration! Jen xx

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  3. am so glad to hear you're continuing. i've followed along for two years but had been planning to take photos in earnest this year, so i was bummed to hear last year was your last. excited to capture my children in this way.

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  4. Oh yay! I was only thinking this morning how strange it will be to not link up here each week and look through everyone else's portraits. So happy you changed your mind! X

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  5. So glad you changed your mind! I too was going to forge ahead on my own, but it wouldn't have been the same. X

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  6. Yay!!! And you have the most beautiful children. Percy - every shot of him is stunning.
    And we still have to get those photos of yours into a book... :)
    Ronnie xo

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  7. I absolutely agree with everything you've said in this post. I've been a long-time lurker, but have just come out of the shadows to say hello, and that after years of procrastinating, I've started my own 52 week project as well. I don't have any kids (yet!) but I realised that I was taking tens of thousands of photos for my clients, but hardly had any of my life, my partner, our families, our friends etc. I think it's so important to document, one day when we're older we're going to appreciate it. Especially when our memories need jogging!
    You have a wonderful blog and your photography style is simple, raw and beautiful - I love everything about it. Happy new year!

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  8. Yay yippee and hurrah! I joined in last year for the first time and loved it so much I was keeping going anyway but it will be even better to be joining in along with the lovely community here. Happy New Year!

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  9. This is such a good news! Your portraits are beautiful. I've spent last night making an album of my first year of portraits and it was so moving to see my first baby growing up, remembering every moments, and then his baby brother arriving... I'm getting this album printed for the grandmas and godmother, they'll melt for sure!
    I'm so happy you're going on! I'll try to be a better photographer this year, and be more straight about the "portrait" rule!

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  10. so happy you are carrying on, I love this project

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  11. I am so glad, that you don't stop. I haven't childern yet, but i love the way you take the photos of your childrens. They are so adorable!
    Lots of greetings!

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  12. I am so pleased that you decided to continue!
    I was going to keep going anyway...I love the goal of taking a photos of my kids every week.
    But I really enjoy seeing what you and others do every week...I find it so inspiring!
    Thank you for taking on a fifth year!

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  13. So happy this is back. Thank you!

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  14. So happy you decided to go on!

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  15. Hi Jodie, it was such a lovely surprise to discover that you have changed your mind and are continuing with the 52 project! I discovered your blog & 52 Project just after the birth of my first daughter at the end of 2013 and it felt like serendipitous timing, as I had been pondering how I could document her first year of life and my first year of motherhood.
    After two years of taking the weekly portraits, I had decided to stop for a break before my next baby is born in May this year, but I have been wondering on and off all week if I should reconsider. I felt like my photography style had become a bit stale by the end of 2015, but then perhaps that is all the more reason to continue! To challenge myself as well as continue capturing my daughter. So maybe, just maybe, I might carry on after all!! Thank you for the constant inspiration that you provide through your beautiful photos & words.

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  16. Hi!!! finally joining the project!
    Not sure if i did the link part correct :S
    xoxo

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  17. This is my first time joining in, so my first pictures of my boys are from my phone...next week with my Canon!

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  18. Joining in for the first time. I think this will be such a fun project to take part in because it'll be so lovely to look back on photos of my daughter and see how much she has changed in a year x x

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  19. So pleased! Why break a habit if it's a good one? - so true! x

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  20. :) lovely to read that! well I needed to post a belly picture not to miss the first week, now waiting .... almost 39 weeks. we will see if this belly shot is the last one or not. xo

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  21. So glad you're doing it again. I only discovered you late last year and the project has inspired me to get my camera out and give it a go this year. I hope that my photography improves as the year progresses but I really am excited to be documenting my children.

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  22. Will you do a post soon on how you edit/post process your photos? They are always so beautiful and natural. Many thanks
    Catrin xx

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  23. I have just started a photo project I hope to stick with as consistently as I can throughout 2016 - I'm calling it "Motherhood in Black & White" and while I'm not committing to doing a full 52 posts this year, I will be doing my best! It's to be all B&W photos paired with some musings on motherhood and family life.

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  24. I'm so pleased you're running this again, I wasn't sure I had the stamina to keep up for another year, but I'm inspired to keep going now. I made a photobook of 2014 and when I looked back over it on the weekend I knew I would regret not joining in again. Thankyou for the inspiration! All the best for a wonderful 2016 x

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  25. I just start the project. I call it "52 weeks with my brother". for the past three years I was in college and I think I'm losing my passion for photography so I want to thank you for inspiring me to do this project with this amazing photos :)

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  26. Lovely pictures, I will join you this year too with my boys

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  27. So glad to hear you've decided to continue with this :) I've been joining in for a while as a part of a general Sunday Photo, but my intention this year is to focus more closely on the 52 project aims - and hopefully improve my photography as a result! Maybe I'll even manage to get my 'proper' camera out again - once a week at least... ;)

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  28. Oh I am so happy to read this! I was going to continue the project anyways but it's a lot more fun with you. You are right, I can not believe how my photography skills have improved over the course of just 1 year of joining the 52 project. Also I so so so agree that it will probably be one amazing thing for our kids being able to feel all the love we have and have always had for them looking through these photos. Documenting all these moments has become somewhat of an addiction. I grew up with a sick mom who passed away when I was 14. I don't have much happy memories of my childhood and wish I could find some comforting photographies today. It would have helped me. Thank you Jodi

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  29. Following along...
    Happy 2016!

    http://trifleoflife.blogspot.ca/

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  30. Hi. I'm new to your blog but I have heard about you and this project before. I think this year I'm hoping to incorporate some of your discipline into my own life. I don't have children yet but I do have a desire to capture more memories, to document more of my life and what I'm experiencing on a daily basis. I want to remember more of the big and small moments. I also want to be a better photographer. My grandfather was a photographer so I always feel a special bond to this particular medium. Thanks for all that you do to guide and inspire!

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  31. Oh...I'm so glad! I find your photographs so inspiring...from the colors and light to the simple and lovely life you seem to lead. This project is wonderful. Happy new year!

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  32. Yes! I was hoping it would continue!

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  33. Such beautiful photos and so happy to join in this year :) x

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