Happy New Year everyone! I hope wherever you are that 2012 has gotten off to a good start. Some people are forecasting that this is the year the world ends, so let’s hope we all go out on a high note! Personally I think we’ll all be here this time next year, and with that in mind I’ve started a new photography project today.
I know a few of you enjoy this blog more for the pictures than my writing. With that in mind I hope some of you will want to check out a new photographic journal I’ll be working on this year called 366 pictures.
Each day I will endeavor to publish one photograph that I take on that day. The pictures will then be published at 366pictures.com where visitors to the site will be able to leave comments in the same way you can here.
Given that I am still travelling, I’m not entirely sure where I’ll be as we go into 2012. Right now I am in New Zealand, but I am scheduled to return to Australia in March in time for the first Formula One Grand Prix of the year. After that it’ll be off to Malaysia for round two, but then who knows where I’ll find myself.
Although I’ve wanted to do something like this for a while, the project has come together pretty quickly. Just 4 days ago, while taking a walk with my friend Phil, Kerry-anne, and their almost two year old daughter Grace, I mentioned that it might be a fun and interesting undertaking to chronicle a year in pictures.
As soon as we got back to the house I began working on the site and while it’s not perfect, it’s online now. There are a few kinks in the design that need to be ironed out (mostly surrounding the immensely buggy and technically flawed Internet Explorer web browser), but hopefully those issues will be resolved soon.
I’m still going to be writing my usual blogs here, and yes I will be retrospectively writing about and sharing pictures from ‘North,’ my road-trip around Australia.
So check out 366 pictures and know that, just as here, I love reading all your comments.
Happy New Year everyone!
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Wrote the following comment on Jan 2, 2012 at 5:38 am
Happy New Year Simon!
This seems like a great project. I always complain how I don’t have enough pictures, something like this would certainly fix that. I’m sure yours will be great :)
Wrote the following comment on Jan 2, 2012 at 6:18 am
it is the end
the end of politics as usual
EU in a € mess
Arab spring
USA heading for self destruct (GOP blocking everything and no sign of finding a leader)
Brazil overtaken UK in terms of GDP
Russia has a leader of doubtful legitimacy
Korea (new leader), America owes China $gazillions, Pakistan kept Osama hidden and getting more anti American to the political core
Only good news I hear is that Iran willing to discuss its nuclear ambitions
So photograph some newspaper headlines as they could be big this year
but you probably take no notice of newspapers or politics and will photograph another beach.
Wrote the following comment on Jan 2, 2012 at 1:48 pm
@ James – Wow James, what happened to happy new year? You know though, when you write a list like that I have to say that if anything I am likely to indeed enjoy and take more pictures of beaches!
Wrote the following comment on Jan 2, 2012 at 11:09 pm
so long as you stay in NZ you should be fine. NZ is potentially self sufficient. so you can go to the beach with no worries (and you can stick your head in the sand).
Wrote the following comment on Jan 2, 2012 at 11:12 pm
THE GOOD NEWS IS: Jony Ives is to be knighted.
Wrote the following comment on Jan 2, 2012 at 11:20 pm
Anyways, my list of things going wrong will lead to good things over the next decade, it just might be a bit rough in the meantime. we will look back on 2011 / 2012 and say thats when it all kicked off. Thats is when the vision and values of Star Trek become true https://roddenberryfoundation.org/
Wrote the following comment on Jan 3, 2012 at 12:59 am
@ James – Now James, you are usually the eternal optimist (or so I thought). What has made you feel so gloomy about this new year?
The world is a crappy place at times, I get that. The economic realities are grim at the moment, I get that too. But why sweat the small stuff. The way I see it is that life isn’t about balancing the books, its about finding the stories to fill them.
Maybe in the end I’ll have blown all my money finding beautiful beaches. But if the world is really going to end then perhaps I’m the smart one here, choosing to spend my time enjoy what little of it there is left :-)
Wrote the following comment on Jan 3, 2012 at 1:27 am
I like this idea and I enjoy the art you find in picture. I made comment before when you post about your “bathtub art.” The world is kind on you to find beauty in simple places.
Wrote the following comment on Jan 3, 2012 at 1:45 am
I have about 100 mouths to feed (employees, their families, web designers and other contractors). The UK is hard to business in, the US looks dodgy, I guess I could walk away and and say sod y’all to the banks etc, tell Karen and Josh we got to downsize home, I’m off to join simon on the beach.
I’m on a mission from God. I have to save the world, “Flash, ah ahhh, saviour of the universe’, I’m part of the Gene Roddenberry plan to boldly go, to infinity and beyond etc. So having a global perspective is necessary for my part in making dent in the universe. (in a good way). simples.
Wrote the following comment on Jan 3, 2012 at 4:22 am
Dude, I’m with you on the beaches, lets leave saving the world to James :-)
Wrote the following comment on Jan 3, 2012 at 4:38 am
James, I dont know what it is you do, but it sounds like you run a business and as someone who has been made redundant now 3 times at the grand old age of 33, it’s refreshing to hear a boss speaking about the responsibility of his businesses continued ability to do business, not in terms of share holders and profit, but in terms of the people for whom that business is an integral part of their welbeing.
That said though, as disappointing as its been for me to be laid off, and as difficult as it has made life at times, I didn’t die or fail to eat. I never lost my home or failed to keep up repayments on my car. I just made adjustments, went out less, cut back on the beer, got a bike instead of a gym membership, that kind of stuff.
My career is important to me, but these days I think I’d probably rather throw in the towel and find Simons beach rather than drive myself to an early grave worrying about a business. But then, that’s easy for me to say because I’m not the boss.
I have days where I want to say sod y’all too, and the more I see of the people who have done that and who didn’t sink into the oblivion I was always lead to believe they would sink into, the more I am tempted to do just that.
Wrote the following comment on Jan 4, 2012 at 10:11 am
It sounds to me like James is in actual need of a beach right now :)
I checked the site Simon. Looks good. Works okay on my computer too. Can I get the email subscription thing on it though, like this one?
Wrote the following comment on Jan 4, 2012 at 10:55 am
So the feedback is I’m taking life too seriously.
I see it not as serious (its all made up anyways) but responsibilities: agreements to keep, with banks, staff, customers (doctors, hospitals, scientists, patients), my staff, family, self and God (not the Christian concept of.
I know I have a choice. I don’t have to run my life this way
I’ve set myself up for big stuff and big stuff is more like to work out for people who take responsibility.
I’m nudging 50 and I’m up for making a dent hence all of the above.
Wrote the following comment on Jan 4, 2012 at 8:01 pm
@ James – It’s lucky I’m not a sensitive soul here James, because if you read back you’ve effectively called me a irresponsible, unimportant, ignoramus who has no interest in doing anything but sticking my head in the sand (albeit the sand of a nice beach). :-)
It comes down to choices I guess. You chose (and love) to run your company with all it’s debts and responsibilities. Your rewards for this are evident (to me) though it’s no walk in the park for sure. I chose a different path. I run a company but chose a route that would involve a great deal of freedom with little responsibility or debt.
I do understand your frustration to some extent, but I also happen to know that the reality is, on the whole you’re very happy with the choices you’ve made. Given the chance to do it all over again I bet you would list the things in business you would do different, not the list of places you would like to see. That is just a difference between us BUT it’s also a similarity, we’re both doing something we love, right?
We’re different people James. Maybe you’re changing the world and I’m not, maybe I’m enjoying the world and you’re not? All I know is that when I look around at the rather doomy and gloomy news I try to put it in context with my life and enjoy every day as much as I can while keeping up with the responsibilities I too have.
@ Hannah – You will be able to subscribe to the 366 pictures website. I’m just experimenting with a couple of options there. However, unfortunately you won’t be able to get the picture delivered to your inbox, just the synopsis of the picture and a link to it.
Wrote the following comment on Jan 4, 2012 at 9:33 pm
Sorry for getting bit offensive / righteous in my defence of why maybe “this is the year the world ends”. I’m not worried about those for whom life is a beach, I think I just oversold my alternative perspective after being called “gloomy”. As you know have a life full of wine women and song. Just no beach thats all (I prefer cities because that is where the posh food is).
I vicariously live a bit of my life though you. I can do what I do because you are on the beach on my behalf, and for that I am grateful. If you did not do it then I might start to feel miserable, as it is your life makes me happy.
Wrote the following comment on Jan 5, 2012 at 9:15 am
You did sound a bit ‘glass half full’ there James. But I’m not at all offended. I know you’re a man who enjoys the finer thongs in life. I guess to get back to the original statement about how the world is about to end, and your original list of bad news. That’s all true enough, but you really just listed change, and change is a reality that is essential. Yes they might not be changes we would welcome but they’re no different to other changes that happen through time.
My point is that its not the end of the world. But yes, perhaps you’re right that it’s the end of the world as we know it… and I feel fine! ;-)
Wrote the following comment on Jan 7, 2012 at 1:26 am
Everyone I know who has run a business and treated it very seriously has been dead in their 50’s. I decided a long time ago that wouldn’t happen to me. I, like James like the finer things in life, but I think I’ve found a nice compromise between yours and James lifestyles. I don’t have debt, and my work doesn’t stress me out. I’ve learnt that it’s not really the cost of the meal but who you share it with that counts.
I’ve noticed over the years that your (Simon) fortunes have changed, you now have more money than you’ve ever had, but you’re still the same bloke I hung out with in your bedsit, you’re still a chirpy little fecker :-)
I am certainly a happier man today because of the lessons I have learnt from you, and for that I am truly thankful mate.
Wrote the following comment on Jan 8, 2012 at 7:52 pm
@ Wilvo – Well thanks you for those kind words mate. I too have learned from you.
As for having more money now than ever, I’m not so sure. I think I was earning more when I was on Thor Lasers payroll ;-)
Wrote the following comment on Jan 23, 2012 at 3:47 pm
Righty-o. I’ve just given you a fake award from my blog to yours: https://existimatio.wordpress.com/2012/01/22/a-versatile-blogger/
Are you excited or WHAT?
Wrote the following comment on Feb 22, 2012 at 12:56 pm
You have really great photos…
Wrote the following comment on Feb 22, 2012 at 1:34 pm
Thanks Sasa. You should have a look at http://www.366pictures.com. That photoblog is really coming along well, though it’s taking my time away from here which is a bummer.