Photo of the Day

For a long time, as soon as I could remember basically, I’ve been obsessed with remembering. I am a hoarder. I’ve learned more and more not to hoard physical things but it is not easy to let go of memories. We all seem to have an instinctive need to prove that we exist. By hoarding it is a way of having evidence of your own being. We all have trouble letting go. We wrap ourselves up in the idea that we are what we think, see, experience, and feel. When I was at University I started to take a photo everyday – it was almost as if it was to prove that I was alive everyday and here is my evidence. Back then I only had film so I didn’t take too many photos – they had to precious. Now I have digital and I have trouble erasing anything – like a blurry photo of pavement is important.

So I have decided to try again at taking a photo everyday but this time the challenge is not to prove that I am alive and then hoard that memory but to just live and use the camera as a way to seeing, to being present, and really looking at what is around me. The real challenge is then to pick just one and not hoard my memories. They are not who I am, but they are where I’ve been. I am no longer afraid to lose my identification with my memories and also I feel brave enough to share them.

To say I’m indecisive is the understatement of the year. I have five photos out of the thirty odd pictures I took and I’m having trouble deciding which one to post. (Not including the one I took of my dog – but I know I'm biased and accused of only taking corgi pictures.) So after much humming and hawing here is my photo of the day:

April 10 2008, 12:34, Norwich, Dover Street.