So another year has passed and 365 images have been taken, processed and uploaded to Instagram and here to my website. Just like my previously successful years all the photos have also been put into a hard copy book for me (yet to be printed) to enjoy as a physical memento of this project. Success for the project, a bit of an ego boost and a hearty pat on the back for me. Yay!
The 2016,2018 and 2019 editions of my 365 projects. Soon there will be five in total with the 2020 and 2021 as well.
After the 2020 project that was so affected by the shutdowns and the pandemic I didn’t want to end my 365 projects on such a downer. With all the hopeful news of various vaccines that came to us at the end of 2020 it looked like 2021 would be the year when we finally came back to normalcy (which in hindsight turned out to be a bit naive on my part), so I wanted to do another happier 365 project. I also felt that making it five completed projects (and therefore five books on the shelf) would be a nice number to end on.
Soon enough this Buc-ee’s in Bastrop, TX, like many stores will be a whole lot more crowded with maskless people!
As I write this at the beginning of February 2022 countries all over are beginning to lift their various restrictions in stores, on public transport, in healthcare and other areas. While we’re not out of the woods yet it seems the worst could actually be behind us this time…although we did say that too late last summer before the “omicron” surge hit us… I’ll choose to be positive and say that yes, this time we’re through the worst! Soon we can all go back to being “normal”…or whatever will constitute “normal” in the future.
One of the last days of 2021 ending over an Austin housing area as my 365 project drew to a close as well.
With that in mind I feel good about this being my last 365 project (at least for some time), because this year was different from 2020. The vaccination that finally came in the summer made it possible to be out and about to a much larger extent, without worrying all the time if that person who got too close or coughed a bit more than usual would be the one that got you in the end, and you could actually see and talk face to face other people…as long as you took certain precautions.
Of course that didn’t take into account the different variants of the virus that would wash over us in the fall and winter, but given that it turned out the Omicron variant, while very contagious, wasn’t as dangerous as the previous ones I guess I lucked out that it was that one that got me in the end!
An image from Circuit of the Americas in Austin and their holiday themed “Peppermint Parkway” event
I must say that ending the 365 project with images from my long-awaited return trip to Austin and my loved ones there…it felt absolutely right! I didn’t take anywhere near as many photos during the trip as I have done in the past, but I am perfectly fine with that. We kept to ourselves (for obvious reasons) and didn’t go to as many photographically interesting places, so the number of shots was pretty low. I have no problems with that whatsoever; sometimes it is much better to just be in a place with people you appreciate and experience that place with them there and then!
This lil twig of a tree is ready for 2022 and so am I. I just don’t know yet what photo projects I’ll do this year.
This new year has felt like a bit of a new experience - not to be on the constant lookout for THE image of the day. I can definitely say that while it was a great challenge for years and great fun to do for that time I don’t miss it right now. In the end it began to feel more like a chore than a challenge and that’s no fun. Much better to end it on a high note and call it a success!