Take a Tour of My Home: A Year Long Photography Project
Photography is a powerful medium. Photos can tell us about significant values, it reflects a legacy and story of a time and space, it is visual communication, it is artistic, and complex. My year long photography project encompasses some, if not all of these key characteristics of photography. The year long project began with a desire to capture my home and its surroundings. Over time, day-by-day, photo-by-photo, the allure, history, and nature of this setting was captured. There was no deliberate decision or bias to convey certain subjects and not others through the pictures, rather the desire was to merely capture scenes, memorable images, and an overall account of the natural environment at The Point. For example, the ocean, people, landscape, hiking trails, and animals.
The Pointe is a quaint, seaside community. It is nestled in the Orange Coast of California. The town is situated beachside along the pristine Pacific Ocean, between magnificent cliffs and headlands. Residents have nicknamed it the “California Riviera”. The town was established during the 1920s along state route 1, between Los Angeles and San Diego. Kite-flying, boat races, golf, and surfing drew crowds and residents to the promontory. Actor James Cagney was drawn here to open a movie theater. The Pointe is bold, panoramic, and truly alluring.
Cooking and entertaining is an opportunity to share with family and friends. Growing up I learned the basics of good cooking, baking, entertaining, gardening, and entrepreneurship. The Pointe in the location and Viven is Spanish for living life. And living in this fabled locale serves as a delicious bakery and idea-factory.
A synthesis of the photos for the entire year long project led to a rediscovery of some of the areas of my neighborhood and a sharing of an appreciation with others for the power of nature. As my distant relative Emerson observed, “Nature is a setting that fits equally well a comic or a mourning piece. In good health, the air is a cordial of incredible virtue. Crossing a bare common, in snow puddles, at twilight, under a clouded sky, without having in my thoughts any occurrence of special good fortune, I have enjoyed a perfect exhilaration.” (“Nature”)
Photography can liberate and inspire others. You do not have to be a professional photographer to start a photography project of your own. I do have a lot of experience with cameras and photography, yet am not a master photographer. It takes time, education, reading books (such as The Complete Practical Guide to Digital and Classic Photography by John Freeman), experience, and practice. If you embark on your own project you will learn about a variety of views, topics, angles, lighting, and more. The process and result of my year long project is a treasure. Some of the photos reveal the beauty of The Point, others tell the evocative and moody story of the seasons, while other photos capture the gorgeous sunsets, vistas, and sunrays.
See photos from my home by month:
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