SoFoBoMo - 2009 Beginning

I kicked off my SoFoBoMo project on May 1st. I decided to get started early in hopes of getting one project done and move on to a second. Of course it's easy to make plans, but the procrastinator in me always wants to come out.

My project is to photograph a local park, Prairie Wolf Park in Gaines Charter Township, just south of Grand Rapids, Michigan. A type of park called a passive park, it's been left pretty much in the state the township received it. There is a paved trail through parts of it as well as a sitting area, but trails in the rest of the park have just been mowed.

It was difficult to get going yesterday when I first got to the park, it had been a somewhat busy day at work. Wandering around the park and losing myself in the camera helped. Since I only have a rough idea of what I want to do, I scouted several areas once again to see what had changed since the last time. I love early spring, when the greenery starts to come out. The colors are so amazing before the plants start to dry out a bit and turn slightly brown. The early spring flowers are out and of course the birds have seemingly cranked up their activity.

I really don't know if I will use any of the photos I took yesterday. I still haven't really decided a direction my project is going to take. Reading other blogs of the participants, I know that a lot have specific plans and are using this as an artistic voyage of discovery. While I can appreciate that, I really don't work that way. I tend to be a more left brain type of person, and I'm going to let the project guide itself. I'll probably end up with a bunch of pretty photos and a more documentary style of book, but I'm good with that.

My plan is to spend an hour a day at the park. I realize that that is too optimistic, but if I can do that 5 days a week for the next three weeks I'll be happy. More updates later.