52 weeks project recap

since we are almost to the end January, I figured I better share the results of my 2013 52 weeks project with you:

I made it through all 52 weeks! and I actually ended up with 53 photos... I'll explain why in a minute.

the simple twine + mini clothespin display I started last January has finally filled up! if you remember, I hung the twine using tiny 3M sticky hooks. I added a few more strands as the year went on.

for a while, I was hanging all of my instax photos here... but I've moved the extra photos elsewhere in the apartment for now.

41// Guang Fu Road
42// dragon archway
43// one of my park writing spots
44// red door + lion knocker
45// plum blossom pavillon
46// the gardens by our lake
47// a striped selfie

48// dragons + power lines
49// roadway gate [more dragons]
50// the egg sculpture
51// Big City Christmas tree
52a// New Year's on the roof - me
52b// New Year's on the roof - Husband

that's right... week 52 has 2 photos. I actually thought I had completed the project, but on December 31st I realized [just in time] that I needed one more. Husband had just come home from school and the sun was setting, so we ran up to the roof to catch the last of the light. there were 2 exposures left on my camera. it only seemed right that we should each have an "end of 2013" photo.

I love this wall so much... every time I see it, I smile. 2013 was an amazing year, and I'm so lucky I can reflect on those memories every day just by walking into my office.

not every picture turned out perfect, and I learned a lot about working with instant film. I definitely think I would attempt this again as another 52 weeks project. but for now, my instax camera will just be for fun.

this year I've decided to tackle a weekly self-portrait. [all of your comments about self-portraits made me really want to try it again!] I may not be sharing them all on the blog, or even telling you that they are part of my project when I post them... but they'll be there. [hint: check out the last photo!]

have you ever done a photo project? are you working on one this year?

see the rest of my 52 weeks posts here:

weeks 1 to 14

weeks 15 to 24

weeks 25 to 40

DIY photo wall display // 52 weeks project

back in 2011 I completed my first 52 weeks project: one photo a week, for one whole year.

I knew I wanted to work on another photo project after we moved to Taiwan, but I wanted to give myself some time to get settled before starting. my 2011 project was self portraits, and this time I settled on a new challenge: instant film. just before New Year's [regular, not Chinese] I purchased an instax mini instant camera. since then I've been snapping at least one photo per week.

the first five weeks were easy... the excitement of a new project, traveling to Thailand and the Philippines and being surrounded by beautiful beaches. I actually brought a whole extra roll of film which I shot in Thailand.

then we came home. and it rained. and I struggled a little to find things to shoot and at one point considered giving up and only using the instax for "fun things". but I didn't quit. yesterday I shot week #14. which means I am already 1/4 though the year! and I decided it was about time to share. so I slapped up my weekly shots on my chalkboard wall with some washi tape to show them off.

  1// Guan Gong at the statue garden
  2// our backyard
  3// ferris wheel in Bangkok
  4// Railay beach
  5// Husband and I in Boracay
  6// rice paddy outside the Kalibo airport
  7// spring arrives in Taiwan
  8// a walk in the park
  9// mini temple gazebo at the lake
10// my chevron wall
11// gouache ampersand artwork
12// earth hour in Hong Kong
13// big bowl of produce from the market
14// Lady in the grass

I really love the chalkboard / washi tape display. but usually I use my chalkboard for other things, so I have been keeping my project photos up on a different wall. I wanted a way to display my instax photos that was easily re-arrangeable and that could be added to as I took more.

all it took was twine, tiny clothespins, and 3M hooks.

since I've used up this much space already [only 1/4 through the year] I've been thinking of adding another display similar to this elsewhere in our home. I could dedicate the wall in the office to the photos from my project, and mix the other instax shots with prints from my holga, regular 3 x 5s, and maybe some instagrams.

working with film has definitely been a challenge for me. I've grown so used to the world of digital photography that I don't always stop and think before I shoot. but using the instant photos for my project has helped me to be more thoughtful with what I shoot, and to be more accepting of the imperfections.