The Time; Watch!

I have to admit I cheated slightly with the choice of 500 - I found a bunch of backblips that threw me off course so I specifically chose this and will update the backlog later.

A snippet of the surprise I received from Blipcentral:

> How did you hear about Blipfoto?
I heard about Blipfoto through a friend in Edinburgh. She had recently started it at the time and thought I might enjoy it too.

> What inspires you to take a picture daily?
It varies.

It started off as learning process; I had gotten my first proper camera where I was learning how to use the manual settings, so I was experimenting quite a bit. Taking photos of the same thing in slightly different angles, with slightly different settings, that sort of thing. There wasn't so much inspiration in that, as it wasn't much beyond trying unusual angles/takes on something, and the persistence of having to take at least one photo a day.

I suppose the most common theme is everyday objects. I'm inspired by seeing the unusual in the ordinary. I think I've taken too many photos of the ground! You'd be amazed at how many things you just walk over/past. A lot of my photos are taken while I was en route to somewhere. It was accidental at first - I'd specifically go out to look for inspiration, but end up taking photos on my way - so I invested in a reasonably decent pocket camera and taken to having it almost always with me - so I don't miss those moments.

Another thing that really inspires me is night and lights. It's the atmosphere it creates. Sometimes the photo is more dramatic than how it looks, other times it feels like it can't do the moment justice. So it's challenging and inspiring at the same time (for me).

In terms of people, I am inspired by my cousin who I roped in onto blipfoto (haobib). I don't think I would've gotten this far with blip if it wasn't for him. He had teased me about missing days and that he'd catch up with me (he started about three months after I did). His photos, although less frequent now, inspire me to continue on. He has a beautiful view of the world (at least, through his photos, haha).

> Did you take a daily picture before joining Blip?

Nope! That's too much effort without an obvious goal.

> Have your photography skills got better?

Definitely. I sometimes flick through my blips from beginning to current (or the other way around) and it's fun to see the progression :)

> Has the view of your environment changed - do you naturally see pictures?

Yes, I'm pretty sure the practice/routine has primed my brain to see the world differently! I've always been quite visually-inclined, I notice details that sometimes sound strange to describe - having a medium to capture & share these moments has made me even more aware of the environment, which I wasn't sure was a good thing at first, but so far so good!

> Please describe your experience of using Blip and taking 500 pictures (This
> will be your quote)

I'd have to quote Mark Twain: "You can't depend on your eyes if your imagination is out of focus." :)

More specifically:
You'd think taking one photo a day wouldn't be difficult, a snapshot is almost instant, but time isn't the issue - it's the capturing of that specific moment in time. 500 blips aren't the only moments of my time, but they are momentous imprints.

> Anything else you'd like to add, please do.

I would encourage any/everyone to start blipping. The one thing that strikes/amazes me is that it is basically what you make it. You don't need to be a pro, or even keen amateur - it's a great outlet for creative process (obviously photography, but also writing), or documentation to share with the world. It's a really friendly community (though granted, largely because of the moderators - which I personally think is a great thing) yet a fun, personal challenge to keep up at the same time.

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Thanks.