And when he could create no more, he cleansed himself to start anew.

365/365
Born of the earth, the air, the water and light,
He found himself white, blank, alone, and empty,
So he began to create a world of himself.
He filled every space with a new story until there was no room left.
And when he could create no more, he cleansed himself to start anew.

I’ve been debating on the proper way to end this project for quite a while. How was I to end this all with just one photo? Then I realized I didn’t have to. I could do what I love the most and create a photo story. Except this time I decided to create something more purposefully autobiographical.

I’ve had a love for photography for many years. I had tried most everything from macro to landscape, from abstract to portraiture, from film to digital. But I eventually started to lose interest; I felt a lack of creativity in what I was doing. I was tired of trying to capture the world around me. Then last summer while wandering around the internet I came upon the work of Alex Stoddard , a 17 year old kid taking self-portraits like I had never knew possible every day for a year. Whereas with most photos I would think ‘Oh this is cool’ and then move on to the next, I instead sat there immobile. I had no idea what to do with myself and yet I felt the need to do something. It’s strange to be able to so easily, pick out a moment that literally changed my life.

I eventually decided I wanted to do a 365 of my own. After procrastinating it out of fear I started on June 2nd, because I had missed the start of the month and didn’t want to wait another 29 days. Unlike most of the days that would follow I had an idea that I wanted to capture in mind when I set out. I wanted to start with a blank slate- a Purification. So I packed up some white clothing and headed to the most interesting place around that I knew, this waterfall half an hour into the mountains. I remember feeling paranoid and awkward changing clothes even though I was in a secluded area. I set up my camera, set the timer, and ran under the freezing cold, pounding water. I knew I would eventually be doing things that were out of my comfort zone and possibly a bit painful in the future, so why not start out with plunging under a waterfall?

From then on I would spend a year and four months creating new characters and stories for myself and others to inhabit. Photography became a form of escape for me. I could run off into the forest or climb a mountain and be alone, away from all the stress, troubles, and monotony of life. I began to see things differently. A tree could be a shelter, a ray of light could contain magic, a piece of cloth could become a cloak, or wings, or the wind. Photography not only helped me discover who I was, but also helped me become the person I’ve always wanted to be.

Now the journey has come to an end. I have returned to the place I started. The waterfall wasn’t as fierce as it was when I started. The extra four months let it slow down, but it is still just as freezing. I have now washed away the accumulation of over a year of creating so that I can begin again. A new chapter awaits.

-I would like to truly thank you all for following me in this project. The response and feedback from you all is without a doubt what has kept me going and pushing harder. While consumed with this project I lost some friends, many of them for the better, but I have gained a family. For those of you who I’ve connected with, thank you for being there for me. For those of you who I haven’t connected with, I hope we can in the future. I don’t plan on disappearing at all. I still have more stories and some more projects to get working on. Well I’ve written probably more than necessary, although I’m sure I’ll continue to think of things I wish I’d said here. So I’ll end this how I started it:

Here’s to a fresh start!

Taken on: September 22, 2012

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Sets appears in: • 365

Groups appears in: • 365 Days Project

Camera: Sony DSLR-A700, f/1.7, 1/60 sec, 50mm (=75mm), ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Sony DSLR-A700
Aperture:	f/1.7
Exposure Time:	0.017 sec (1/60)
Focal Length:	50mm (35mm equivalent: 75mm)
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Manual
Exposure Mode:	Manual
Metering Mode:	Spot
White Balance:	Manual
Light Source:	Cloudy
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop CS5 Windows
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