Printing 365 + HP Printer Giveaway

 Goals  2 Responses »
Feb 062009
 

I didn’t update you when January ended as to how Project365 is going. (You know, since January ended on a weekend and, to boot, the day before the Super Bowl. I was otherwise occupied.) The report is that it is going well (which you know if you follow the photoblog)! I haven’t missed a day. I have, once, scrambled at the last minute to take a picture but it turned out all right in the end. I have also, once, taken a picture of something really boring because I knew I wouldn’t have time to take another picture all day. While I know I’ll have more variety (read: pictures of more than just TheBrothers) when spring rolls around, I did manage to capture quite a few shots of our winter landscape as well this past month.

To document my journey through Project365, I make monthly collages. Take a look at January’s collage.

See? Lots of snow! There are various ways to go about making a collage.

1. Big Huge Labs has a mosaic maker. If you’re using flickr, making your collage is exceptionally easy. I tag all of my Project365 photos with “project365 month year” so that when I go to make a collage, I just enter my email address, the tag I want it to find, click go and it throws them into a collage for me.You do have to select how many pictures you want or it will pull the default of two. You then can save it directly to your flickr photostream with one click!

2. Picnik now also has a collage maker but it is for premium members (which, of course, I am one). It works just like Big Huge Labs in that you select how many pictures you want, enter the flickr tag and it does the work for you. I am always careful to select print quality so I can print them as well. You can then add text right in the Picnik editor which is why I now prefer this method over the previous one. Picnik then lets you save your creation to your computer, flickr and even photobucket, Picasa, Facebook and others.

3. You can kick it “old” school and do it the long way with Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro or any other photo editing software. You’d just create a new blank canvas and crop each of your pictures to the same size, putting each onto the canvas. This, of course, gives you the most creative leeway. And I’d really rather do it this way. But I don’t have enough time to myself as it is, folks!

Anyway, once you get it created and saved, you can print it off. Put it on your fridge and show off your artwork along with your kids! And, in fact, I want to help you do just that!

I’m giving away an HP Photosmart (C6380) wireless printer over on the review blog. That’s right! One of you will be able to print your Project365 mosaics (or whatever you so desire) from the comfort of your couch. Head on over to the review blog for a chance to win this awesome offering from HP and BlogHer. (And, while you’re at it, hit up BlogHer’s giveaway for an extra chance. But go to mine first because I said so.)

Two Weeks of Project365: Needing Inspiration

 Goals, Photography  10 Responses »
Jan 152009
 

As you may (or may not) remember, one of my goals for the year was to complete Project365. To catch everyone up to speed, that just means that I want to be sure to take one picture on every single day in 2009. Two weeks into the project, I’m doing well. See?

It is both easy and difficult to take pictures in January. Easy because it’s the first month of the year, the first month of the resolution. It is fresh in my mind and easy to stay motivated. Difficult because it is January. The lighting is far from perfect. Due to the fact that it is currently three degrees outside, we can’t even go out today for some fun in the snow pictures. And so, it’s a constant battle.

I click through pictures once a day on the Project365 group. Sometimes it helps. Sometimes I just get jealous. I get jealous of people who have nice weather right now. I get jealous of people with nicer cameras. With better indoor lighting. With hardwood floors (that may be a house thing and not a picture thing). But I’m always inspired to take more and better shots. And to get new flooring.

I’m hoping to start forming some themes. You know, pictures for days in a row (or a whole week, depending) that kind of go together. And, really, something more than, “My kids are cute.” I mean, my kids are cute. My kids are awesome. Sometimes they’re hard to capture on camera because they move so quickly. And, to be honest, a large portion of my Project365 shots will feature TheBrothers. But I want a little bit more. A little bit of variety. I suppose this will be easier when we aren’t snowed in (seven inches of snow, everything is closed/cancelled).

And so, in short, while I did want to update you with my progress (which can always be followed over at the photoblog), I wanted to ask a simple question: what are your favorite photoblogs? I need some inspiration. I already have some but I apparently need more. Even better, if you have a photoblog, share it. Or, if you don’t and you simply have a best shot, hit me with that as well.

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