Unbroken Chain

Well, this is it. I finally hit the 4 year mark. I really never expected to get here without missing any days but, allowing for a few back blips, here I am at the end of an unbroken chain of images.

I had given a little thought to how I might depict this moment, and being decidedly non-creative I couldn't' really come up with anything much. In the end I decided on this image as it shows four layers, four connections - things that blip has given me. Layers of meaning, vision, skill and expertise. Connections to my camera, the world around me and to other blippers.

It is also the hands of four students - and students are a central part of my life. Can you pick Farmergirl's son T's hand? Nah me neither, but I know it is one of them!

On past blipaversaries I've talked about how photography has helped me see things differently etc etc. But this year I want to talk about the years themselves.

My first year was the year of the first Christchurch earthquake - my first blip was on the 5th September 2010, the day after the earthquake. I had bought my camera on the 3rd from Ken's Cameras and by the next morning the building no longer existed. As far as blipping went it was the 'fun' year. The one where I was learning so much about photography. It was also the 'auto' year. The one where I was too scared of the buttons and dials to do more than press the shutter button.

My second year was the 'experimental' year. The one where I was starting to get an idea of what I might be able to do by using all those extra buttons and things. It was also the year of my burgeoning love affair with birds. The year I bought 'big daddy' - my 500 mm lens. All the better to capture the birds with. And it was the 'travel' year - the one where I did a lot of driving and flying to find new and different things to photograph. Blip wise it was the 'bit of a struggle to stick at it' year.

My third year was the 'macro' year - I really discovered what 'close up' photography was and the fun I could have with that 60 mm lens that I bought. It was the 'manual' year, when I realised that I was no longer using auto at all but actually understood the camera and had a developing idea of what it could do for me. It was also the 'short of time' year - when things got so busy at work. Blip wise it was the 'panic blip' year - I wasn't as focused on getting that photo each day so it became more of an effort in the evenings to think of something to take a photo of.

My fourth one has been my toughest blip year, but it has also been my 'saviour'' year. Seven weeks into this blip year my only child was killed. Initially I didn't blip - there didn't seem much point and there really wasn't anything I could say anyway. But I very quickly realised that perhaps blip could help me with the journey that was ahead of me. And it has done. So I guess this year has also been my 'sanity' year - on those days that my emotions have become too hard to face, I've been able to push them aside and go in search of a blip. So this year has been my 'crutch' year - blip has certainly made this year a little easier at times.

I wonder what my fifth year will be?

I won't even start to list my thank yous here. The list would/could go on for miles. Suffice it to say, thank you to every blipper who has taken part in my journal, every blipper whose journals I have enjoyed and everyone at blip central who do such a sterling job of keeping us blip addicts going.