A year in photos

 

Once again I haven’t picked up a camera this year, but holy wow have I given my iPhone a good work out. This year has been surprising and full and hard and very short. I finally started dating again and met some interesting — and not so interesting! — men. I made some wonderful new gal pals. I uncovered parts of myself I’d known were there but this was the year they came out to play. A CAT MOVED IN WITH ME. My nephews thrived and blossomed and bloomed. I got to spend time with my auntie visiting from Australia. I did a lot of work and had periods of not doing very much work at all. Allergies kicked my arse severely for most of the year. I said the words “I’m so tired” about a billion times. I got a LOT of new tattoos. I meditated most mornings until my mornings got hijacked by a furry mistress. I cried with my Polish friend when the Brexit result was announced. I did the best I could every day. It’s all we can ever do, amiright?

 

A year in photos

The year in photos

 

It’s been a full year. A heavy year filled with the stuff of life that can’t be avoided. It’s been a year of feeling all the feelings, over and over, and I’ve reached the end of it completely emptied. There has been joy and there has been grief. I almost didn’t put this post together as I’m so ready to get on with 2017, but I treasure all the other round-ups and traditions are important, aren’t they. My iPhone has continued to be my most used camera and I haven’t shot a single frame of film this year, which only saddens me a little. It’s been more important to be fully present to every day, and the photos and film clips I’ve captured have been enough. Photography will forever be like meditation for me and it honestly doesn’t matter what camera I use — all that matters is that my eyes are open.

 

A year in photos
A year in photos
A year in photos
A year in photos
A year in photos
A year in photos
A year in photos
A year in photos
A year in photos
A year in photos
A year in photos
A year in photos
A year in photos

A month of remembering

December Reflections: A Month of Remembering | SusannahConway.com

 

I’ve been running community photo projects for quite a while now and I love each of them for different reasons. The August Break started it all in 2010 and I love how it gives me permission to slow down in August and enjoy taking photos just for the sheer pleasure of looking and seeing. April Love is my newest baby and for the last two years it’s been filling my heart to overflowing, both from the tender sharing in the commmunity and the generosity of the invited contributors (whose words have been gathered into ebooks in the Inspiration Library if you’d like to download them).

But if I had to pick a favourite I would choose December Reflections. There’s something extra cosy about the community that gathers around this one. Perhaps it’s because we’re all in that end-of-year headspace and feeling reflective. The holiday season can often feel overwhelming so DR gives us a chance to weave some mindfulness and calm into our days in the run up to 2017.

The idea behind December Reflections is simple: you take a photograph (and share it if you wish) every day in December while reflecting back over the year. I’ve provided a list of daily prompts with a mix of things to photograph — for example: light, circles, “on the table” — and things to ponder. The “ponder prompts” are an extra invitation to pause for a moment and consider some of your favourite bits of 2016. Share your treasured photos from the year alongside your thoughts. Dig further into the prompts privately in your journal. You may feel moved to create paintings or doodles, collages or poems. December Reflections started as a photo project but feel free to take it in any direction that calls to you!

 

A Month of Remembering with December Reflections | SusannahConway.com

 

There are several ways we can gather together as a community:

1. Share your photos on Instagram using the #DecemberReflections2016 hashtag

2. Add your photos to the December Reflections 2016 Facebook group

3. Add your blog to our blog roll on this page so we can all find new blogs to read

We officially start on December 1st but feel free to join in at any time! You can use any camera to take your photos. You could shoot every day or every other day or just on weekends. You can share your photos or simply enjoy taking them without sharing. You can follow along with the prompts or just do your own thing. You can do the prompts that appeal to you and ignore the rest.

Anything goes, loves! Enjoy! xo

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