The 365 Project {2021} | Maine Family, Childrens, and Lifestyle Photographer

I had to giggle the other day, reading a Facebook memory from back in 2015. I decided to do a “52 Weekends” project, taking a photo of my own life once a week for a year. In the post, I commented that I “could never pull off a 365 day project,” but a 52 weekend seemed do-able. Well, six years later and now four 365 day projects later, I think I can safely say I have definitely proven myself wrong on that one. I remember so badly just wanting to make it through that first project in 2017, and missing it like crazy when I took a year off in 2018. When I started up again in 2019, the intention was to maybe try to do the project every other year, but at the end of the past three years, my family and I have sat and watched our entire year unfold to music on our tv screen, well, I just can’t imagine not doing this for myself and for them every single year.

My 2021 project was my most challenging to date, and I think we can all agree that 2021 as a whole was probably one of the most challenging to date. I am usually pretty preachy about staying on top of 365 projects so you don’t fall behind or miss a day, and in the spirit of 2021 and I admittedly, got behind. I never stopped shooting though, and even though I found myself on January 1st with three months left to edit instead of a shiny slideshow ready to rock on New Year’s Day, in some ways, it made the big reveal even more emotional. Out of my four years of this project, this was the one I only hoped I could complete – not the one I knew I could. But I did, and the pride that comes with completing a major project in the middle of one of the most chaotic years literally in history, is pretty big.

2021 was hard, but it brought good moments too. My niece Madeleine was born, and along with her birth came our first trip out of state in over a year to visit her in Connecticut. We entered spring with shots in our arms, allowing us to feel safe to take a road trip to Disney World for my 40th birthday, visiting cousins in Georgia, and stopping for our first visit to DC on the way home. In June, my husband, having just lost over 90lbs, completed his first Triathlon at Sebago Lake, a major accomplishment for him following a tragedy in the same water last summer (he claimed he needed to go back and kick that lake where it hurts – and he did). Summer was crazy – with difficult weather, and many, many client sessions (you’ll notice the excessive flower and scenic shots in those months as I scrambled to get my photo every day). September took us to NYC to celebrate Molly’s 11th birthday – a trip that was extra appreciated after being put into quarantine two days before her actual birthday. We saw Hamilton, we soaked up the city, and she discovered her new favorite place to be. Fall brought more crazy, with quarantines, sessions, and Covid numbers all over the place,  and finally we wrapped up the year with a quiet holiday at home with family, and New Year’s Eve at “up home” in eastern Maine where Jim and I were raised.

I’ll continue my project in 2022, and probably beyond, and I am so grateful to Jim and Molly especially for allowing me to have my camera with me and in their faces on a regular basis. There’s nothing better than knowing when we are old, and she is grown, that Molly will have these memories of her childhood captured, and the generations down the line will know what life looked like during these crazy times.

Below is a link to my 365 {2021} slideshow (best viewed in HD 1080p). You can see all of the photos here.

There were 365 days in 2021. These are ours. Thank you all for your support of this project year after year. ❤️