365 + 1* Film Project
May 1, 2019 to April 30, 2020
The challenge: using a dedicated film camera take one picture per day for a whole year. I used a Canon AE-1, with a 50mm lens, and HP5+ film shot at 200 ASA, and developed in D-23.
*Because this project included a leap day, February 29, 2020 there were actually 366 days in this year.
365Film Project
My biggest concern on day 1 of this project was doubting my dedication to finish it. I wanted to prove I could finish this, but I didn't completely believe in myself. Reaching the finish line on projects has always been a challenge for me. I connected with William Hurt's character Nick Carlton from the 1983 movie "TheBig Chill," when he proclaimed: "I am not hung up on the completion thing."
Ultimately, not only would I reach the finish line, but this project would profoundly change how I saw and interacted with the world and chart a new course for my creativity.
On day 1, I was excited about using this project to expand the boundaries of my comfort zone. I have always been more comfortable taking pictures of things than people, but ironically, my people images were some of my favorites. This is a comfort zone that I wanted to expand, so I boldly proclaimed that I would only take pictures of people, preferably strangers.
By day 2, I was already having doubts, especially about my goal of only photographing people. May 2 was a grey and dreary day, and by 3 pm, I realized that my quest for someone to take a picture of was dragging me down. I also realized that this goal was self-imposed and that I could self un-impose it. So, I changed the goal to take pictures of strangers for at least 100 days.
Little did I know that the last 6 weeks of the project would see us in lockdown, quarantining because of Covid-19. It definitely affected my ability to photograph people. In the end, I would capture images of strangers on 74 days. And I did push my comfort zone, especially whenI was able to have conversations with and photograph a group of clowns and a Trump supporter (on two separate days).
About six weeks into the project, I realized it had changed how I saw the world around me. Imagine waking up each morning knowing that at some point during the day, the universe would provide you with a human interaction or little moment of beauty that you would feel compelled to capture. All you needed to do was be aware of your surroundings and be open and receptive. There is a popular buzzword for this; it is called being present.
And as it turns out, this feeling of presence is potent stuff. So much so that a few weeks after the project ended, I felt a deep sense of loss as my connectedness started to slip away. As I reflected on the experience, I realized that part of what created this sense of connection was the limited resource that is film. Taking away the ability to shoot as many digital images as I wanted, hoping for a good one, made me a much more keen observer of the world around me.
To regain my feeling of presence, I returned to shooting film and sold all of my digital gear. Vowing to always have a film camera with me, I bought a Konica Hexar AF and a shoulder bag to carry it in. In 2021, I had the opportunity to test my theory that shooting film can change how you see and interact with the world around you. I traveled west with my fellow photographer and step-father Richard Russell for 10 days of camping in some of the most beautiful parks in the southwest. I chose to not bring a digital camera; instead, I used my Graflex Speed Graphic 4x5 camera. The film for this camera is quite expensive, and I only had 16 color shots and about 45 black and white shots for the entire trip.
This trip confirmed my theory. I felt alive and present, and I captured some amazing images. To this day, I try to only use film for my creative photography.
The Beginning,
May 1, 2019
I was introduced to this project concept by Amy Eklund, one of my former photography students, and a really gifted photographer.
I teetered on the brink of starting this for months. My hesitation came from a long established pattern of starting things and not finishing them. I finally decided to start on May 1, 2019 for lack of a better date.
And I guess that May 1st isn’t a bad date. Historically it has been celebrated as May Day, a day of rebirth and celebration. Gone are the traditions of just 50 years ago, when as a child I remember making May Day baskets in school and then filling them with spring flowers and leaving them on the doorstep of friends and family. I even vaguely remember celebrating around the May pole at one point.
So the project is this: using a dedicated film camera shoot one and only one picture a day with it for a while year. My goals are to challenge myself to:
1) Stick with it.
2) Push my comfort zones.
3) Photograph only people, preferably complete strangers.
I chose the Canon AE-1 because it was the model of my first SLR back in the late 70’s, and I have quite a few of them kicking around. Knowing that this project might change me in some way I decided to bookend it with self portraits, and later would add a half way self portrait.
May 2, 2019 - 365 Film Project - Day # 2
Doubts Already
It is day 2 of my 365 project and I have already decided to adjust my expectations. I initially thought I would only shoot pictures of people, preferably strangers. The reason for this was that I din’t feel comfortable taking pictures of people, but yet, the images that I captured of strangers were some of my favorite images.
May 2 was gray and dreary and as the day progressed the pressure to find a new person to photograph was pushing me into a funk. I also felt like I had, true to my nature, gone way too big with the new person every day for a year thing.
Around 3:00 or so I realized how this self imposed rule was affecting me and decided that that wasn’t going to help me feel more creative. So I relaxed a bit and modified my goals to try to photograph a stranger on at least 100 of the days of this project.
May 4, 2019 - 365 Film Project - Day # 4
Clowns Are Outside Of My Comfort Zone
A significant part of this 365 project is pushing my comfort zone, especially when it comes to photographing people. And one type of person that I am really uncomfortable with is clowns. Like many people, Stephen King’s book “It” ruined them for me, and I never saw them the same afterwards.
May 4th is our annual Blossomtime Parade in Saint Joseph, and I knew there would be clowns so I set out to see if I could take their picture for the project. Of course they agreed, after all, these are people who spend a lot of time and energy on their craft and are comfortable being the center of focus, why wouldn’t they want to document it?
After I took their picture I shared my fear of clowns with them and how that fear related to the 365 Project. They then went into a rather lengthy but rational explanation that the clown in “It” was actually an alien insect, and that was what I was afraid of, not clowns.
It didn’t work, they still freak me out. But I did come away with a greater appreciation for the clown business and the importance of the COAI (Clowns of America International) in maintaining and promoting the high standards of the clown business. What a great way to capture my first strangers for this project.
Process Notes
Failed/Missed Shots
Shooting only one shot per day with a film camera is going to fail occasionally. I lost a string of days in July because the camera had slipped into manual mode. Failed shots will not be made up, they will be noted at the end of each month.
Missed shots are those days when I wasn't feeling well or just waited too long to take my shot. These shots will be banked and reshot on another day, also noted at the end of each month.
Process and Post Editing
Each month is shot on a 36 exposure roll of Ilford HP5+ and developed in D23 developer. The negatives are then scanned using an Epson V700 Film Scanner.
Post editing is limited to changes that could be made in a traditional darkroom, specifically cropping, brightness, and contrast.
Strangers
My goal is to meet 100 strangers during the 365 days of this project. Or, more precisely, meet strangers on 100 of the days of this project. If I meet a group of strangers on a given day, that only counts as 1 stranger.