Week 2: Project52

This week Estill County saw their first snowfall :) There is something so magical about being out in a snowstorm at night, no sounds, and the air is so still.  It always makes me smile.  So, here is my Week 2 Project52 submission.  Enjoy!

Week 1: Project52

For the people in Estill County the year started off with a big BANG.  On January 2 people literally thought the world was ending.  Facebook went NUTS with stories and theories over what the fireball in the sky could be.  Ideas ran from the high school had been bombed to the methane gas at the landfill had caught and exploded.  No one could pinpoint exactly where the fire was originating from or what could be the cause.  The night sky had lit up like daytime and flames and smoke could be seen as far away as Lexington.  Within minutes the Estill County 911 had received more than 150 phone calls.  In the end it was determined that a Columbia Gas line had exploded on Spout Springs road and several families had to be evacuated.  There were dozens of dozens of photos posted on Facebook and on the LEX18 news site that night, and this is my contribution.  This was about 1 hour after the initial explosion, and taken from my front porch.  For full details on this news story, please visit http://www.lex18.com/news/estill-co-gas-explosion-lights-up-sky/.  Here is a link to a video of the fire: http://www.lex18.com/videoplayer/?video_id=21795&categories=170.

Intro to Project52

I am so amazed by all the wonderful, dedicated, organized people out there that can take on the challenge of a 365 photo project.  That is the commitment to take and share 1 photo a day for an entire year.  I love to see all the creative things that people can do and the wonderful stories behind the photos.  I am crazy over the fact that it reminds me, as a photographer, that it is OK to not always have portrait quality perfect shots every time, and that sometimes the snapshots and outtakes mean more in the end.  

I would LOVE to take on that project! But I know myself, and I am way too easily distracted for something of that scale.  So in the spirit of things I am doing Project52.  I will post a new photo on the blog every Friday, and a bit of a story behind it.  It won't always be a technically great photo, and at times may be a cell phone pic.  And that is ok! The point is to slow down and focus on the memories, not just the lighting, aperture settings, shutter speeds and things like that.  

I would like to invite you along with me in 2012, to share this journey.  If you would like to join in and share your photos too, that would be fantastic! I will post them here, and in an album on my Blissful Planet Facebook page.  Make sure if you send me a picture you state that you allow Blissful Planet to publish your photos on the blog and Facebook.  Send them to me in jpeg format to blissfulplanetphoto@gmail.com before 3 on Friday of the week it was taken, along with the statement of release and a short story of the photo (where it was taken, who the people are, why is this special to you, etc).    You can jump in anytime! And you don't have to submit a photo every week if you don't want, 52 is just a personal challenge to myself.