Preparing for Day in the Life 2015

This coming Tuesday, I'll be capturing a day in my life as part of Ali Edwards' Day in the Life documentation project.

It's a fun way to not only document your everyday life, but also to reflect on how you spend your time, what you love about your life and what you might like to change in the near future. 

Nearly every time I document a day in my life, I carve out a few minutes prior to the actual day and brainstorm things I'd like to record in photos and words. For inspiration, I often look at photos and words from past years. (Here's a look at a day in my life in 2013 and a day in my life in 2014. And below, you'll see I've included some older photos.)

Here's what I'm thinking about documenting this year:

1 | MY TIME: I'm planning to track my time in 15 minute increments from the time I get up in the morning until I go to bed. I got this idea from Jessica Turner, the author of The Fringe Hours, and I think it will be a great way to really see where I'm spending my time.

2 | BRIAN'S DAY: Brian will be working overtime at the fire station, so I'm going to ask him to send me a few photos from his day and include those as well.


3 | MUSIC TOGETHER: Noah and I will be attending music class in the morning, and I'm going to bring my phone along with me to capture some of the singing and dancing and smiling and playing.

4 | OUR ANIMALS: It's likely that we'll visit the chickens during the day to check on their food supply and water, and I want to try to capture Noah interacting with them. We'll also feed the dogs in the morning and evening and give Lucy her insulin. Because the dogs are getting older (Lucy is 11 and Rudy is 9), I'd like to include them in as many shots as I can.


5 | CHRIS YOUNG: CY is supposed to release a new song on Tuesday, and if he does, you can bet I'll be buying it and taking an iTunes screenshot on my iPhone. #IMCOMINOVER

6 | NOAH AT 3: I'd like to take some shots that show which toys Noah loves right now, what he's wearing, what he's reading and what he's watching. I'm also going to jot down a few things that he says. Lastly, I think capturing his shoe size (compared to mine or Brian's) would be fun.

7 | ME: I'm rarely ever in any photos because I'm behind the lens. I definitely want to use the self-timers on my iPhone and DSLR, so I can get in one or two of the shots. (Or maybe I need to invest in a selfie stick? Just kidding.)

8 | CREATIVE CAPTURES: I'm a big fan of reflections (shooting into water or mirrors or metal caps or car doors--you get the idea), and I'd love to snap a few shots like that during the day.  I also love shooting from different angles--getting up high (standing up on a step stool or bucket) or getting down low on the ground and shooting up.







9 | GORGEOUS LIGHT: I'm a total sucker for beautiful light, especially during the magic hour (one hour before sunset), and I'm hopeful I'll be able to sneak outside then to take some shots. 

Beyond that, I want to just live the day with a camera nearby (either my iPhone 5S or Canon 5D Mark III) and see what happens. Sometimes, the best shots are, of course, the spontaneous ones. The ones I never could have imagined or planned ahead of time. 

Also, on Tuesday, I'll be posting a few photos to my Instagram feed (@jharless) in case you want to see pictures in real time. I'll share the rest of the images and words later on next week.

Who wants to join me?! Charge up the batteries in your camera, grab a notebook and a pen, and let's do this.

My Thoughts on Week in the Life 2014

"For what is joy if it goes unrecorded, and what is love if it is not shared."

This quote from last season's final episode of Call the Midwife really resonated with me. So much so, that I paused the DVR, jumped off the treadmill, grabbed a pen and paper, replayed the scene, and jotted it down word for word. I then reread it out loud and thought, Yes, yes, yes!  

I didn't have a clue what I'd do with the quote, but I loved it.  It articulated two things I wholeheartedly believe: 1) That documenting life matters; and 2) That loving others is one of the main reasons we are here on this earth. 

It seemed fitting to share these words today because this coming Monday, I will be recording my joys and loves during Week in the Life, a 7-day documentary project started by one of my favorite scrapbooking gurus, Ali Edwards.
 
If you've been reading my blog for a year or more, you know that this is not my first rodeo. I participated in this project in 2013, 2011, and 2010.

I love looking back at the photos + words from those weeks, reminiscing about what life was like back then, and taking note of all that has changed from then to now. 

This year, though, with everything we have going on, I considered not taking part. But after looking through the photos + words from past years, I've decided to do it. Why? Because I think it's important to document what life looks like for us right now.

No matter how crazy it is.

How imperfect it is.

It's our reality.

It's our story.

And the great thing about this project is that I can make it anything I want it to be. I can choose to make it as big or as small as I want.

This is the attitude I've adopted this year: Something is better than nothing. I'd rather take a handful of photos and scrawl down a few words than have zero photos and no words at the end of the week.

With that said, in an effort not to get overwhelmed, I'm going to focus strictly on shooting and writing next week and leave the rest (the photo processing and blog posts and possible album making) for future weeks (okay, more like months since the holidays are fast approaching).

Here's my game plan:

1. Shoot every day--with both my iPhone 5S and my Canon 5D Mark III.

2. Post at least one photo each day on Instagram. #weekinthelife #weekinthelife2014

3. Jot down some of my thoughts; they can be related (or unrelated) to the photos.

4. Hand the camera over to Brian, so I will be in some of the photos, too. (First, I need to show him how to use back button focusing.) 

Here are my ideas for possible photos:

• A pair of Noah's and Zoey's shoes

• Their favorite toys

• Their potty chairs

• Most requested bedtime books

• Bath time (take the shot sitting on the floor)

• Music Together fun

• Costumes (shots taken during the day for better lighting)

• Zoey and her mom

• Pumpkin carving (with Brian)

• Kids gazing at the jack-o-lanterns in pitch black (may need tripod)

• Baking the pumpkin seeds

• Just Brian and me

I'm sure I'll think of more ideas when I begin shooting with my Canon 5D. I'm pumped to capture our daily routines from behind the lens. To detail on paper the little things happening in our lives. To slow down a little bit and take stock of all that I have--all that I am grateful for.
 
In the meantime, I'll be charging up my camera's batteries and gathering up some paper and a few pens. 

Who's with me? Will you be participating in WITL this year? For more information, check out this post by Ali Edwards.

Happy documenting,