Michelle Schwartz

Last year I found a group on Flickr that was called 365 Days. The idea was to sign up and post a self-portrait of yourself to the group every day for a year. I tried to complete the challenge, but I only made it a few months before I started feeling guilty of rampant narcissism. I also ran out of ideas for photos. After self-portraits at the dentist, on the train, at work, and watching TV, I decided to move on. These are a few examples from the project.

Photos taken with a Digital Rebel XT.

“Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not” January 15, 2007
This photo was inspired by the cover of an Arctic Monkeys album that I spotted in a magazine. It ended up looking nothing like the source material, but it sure got me a lot of compliments on my hat.

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“Low Saturation” April 14, 2007
The 365 days project came at a good time, as I had just bought myself a 50mm lens, a remote shutter release, and a tripod. This photo was a result of me playing with my new equipment.

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“Brooklyn Represent” February 7, 2007
When I wasn’t using the tripod, I had to take the photo by just holding the camera up with one arm, a method that my friend dismissively termed “MySpace Photography.” If I had a MySpace account, this would be my profile photo. I was trying to look tough in my new hat. As the hat was given to me by my mother, I’m not sure whether I’m pulling off the tough thing very successfully.

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“Snow Day” January 19, 2007
This was my favorite shot from my several months of impromptu photo shoots. Early morning, going to work in the freezing cold, this photo perfectly captures the start to a miserable day.

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