I started 2010 with a 365 photograph a day project not at all sure I could find something to photograph every day, or that I would really make the effort every day. Each day had to be more than a snapshot it had to be a thoughtful photograph, a small work of art, produced every day.
The beauty of the project was that it required me to have my camera in my hands every single day, honing my photographic eye and forcing me to look at the world for visual opportunities.
The project evolved to include works of photographic art - some days it was a photograph taken that day and other days it was a photographic composition or digital painting based on a photograph.
I’ve continued the project, and 2014 marked my fourth year of the 365 project. If you’re counting, that's four years and 1,461 photographs (one of the years was a leap year).
This is a small wrap-up of 2014. Following are some of the highlights of my work for the year, but certainly not all of my work.
"Mirrored Past" was shot on an abandoned dairy farm in Loudoun County, Virginia. Shooting from an angle into the mirror allowed me to catch the room, it's emptiness, and is an attempt to see into the farm's past. It was also my first piece to be juried into an exhibit at the Torpedo Factory's Art League Gallery.
"Christmas Rose," marks the beginning of my exploration of transforming photographs into digital works of art. I shot the winter rose in the snow and used digital paint brushes and textures to create the work.
In 2014, I continued working with still-life images. I love the challenge of composing a scene and then capturing the story with a photograph. "Peach on a Windowsill" is one such composition, it speaks of summer to me.
"Roses in the Attic" were photographed in the attic bedroom of a friend's house. She has a beautiful home and always welcomes me with love and warmth. The roses were from her garden. The photograph was processed as a black and white image to preserve it's timelessness.
In 2014 I traveled to France for the first time. It was glorious, a beautiful country and wonderful people. I attended a digital painting class, we went out into the French country side to make photographs and then we used those photographs as a base for our paintings."Le plus beaux monsier" is my first digital painting, I think he's a lovely rooster.
In addition to France I returned to the Outer Banks of North Carolina for my annual trip to Hatteras Island. This photograph, "Bode Lighthouse," was taken during an approaching storm.
I returned to New Mexico, as I must return to New Mexico, to restore my soul. To paraphrase Georgia O'Keefe, I can finally breathe when I set foot on the ground in New Mexico. "Red Truck Reflection," was shot during a quick visit to Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs. It combines two loves, the incredible scenery and skies of New Mexico with my old truck obsession.
This photograph, "Bicycle," was shot on a Santa Fe back porch. It's not your usual New Mexico image.
Local East Coast trips included a visit to Charlottesville and Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello. "Jefferson's Chair" was shot in a garden pavilion overlooking the terraced vegetable garden and the mountains.
This photograph, "Waiting for the Train," was taken at the Western Maryland Railway Station in Cumberland, Maryland. This was taken with an iPhone.
Finally, last but not least, I chose one photograph from the many I took during 2014 in Washington, DC. "A Capitol Day" was one of those happy "accidents" that sometimes happen. I was set up to shoot the Capitol down the sidewalk when a bicyclist came up along my side. I began shooting to try to catch him in the frame. This catch made a capital day for me.
And so it was, 2014. Stay tuned for 2015.
If you would like to see my work on a daily basis, as well as other projects I undertake, please follow me on Facebook at tART - Photography and Art by Terry Rowe, https://www.facebook.com/tarrowe. If you'd like to purchase a print of any of my images please contact me or visit my website, http:/terryrowe.photography
