Members of the Craic Youth Theatre Julie Dickson and Ellen McGrath in rehearsal for “Sleeping Beauty” at the Craic Theatre Coalisland Co Tyrone

I have decided that I will try to post a photo each day for 2012 as part of the 366 challenge. I’ve missed a day already but it’s a leap year so I’ll try and do the full year. The pictures will be quite random. This is St James’ Church  in The Moy County Tyrone

Coming into to land on The Newry Canal

I almost nailed this picture. The camera had been set up for an indoor shot when I wandered outside for a walk along the canal. Didn’t have time to reset when I spotted the swan coming into to land. The ISO was too high so the bird’s wings are over exposed but its not bad. Perfection is just an excuse away!

Spring has sprung at last 2011

In the park in Leamington Spa. We were on a visit at the weekend to meet with friends and had a great day wandering around Leamington a Spa town in central Warwickshire England.

As part of course project for Belfast Exposed I was asked to do some street portraits of people I’d never met before. This is Jony and he from East Timor and is a factory worker in Dungannon.

With two days of the New Year already done and the festivities tapering off it’s traditionally the time when we are invited to make our resolutions for 2011. I’ve done this many times over the years swearing I would stick to the resolutions this time around come hell or high water and at that moment I might have even believed this. Last year was no exception. I got my first iphone before Christmas last year and while getting to know the various apps on this remarkable piece of technology I used the notes app to make a list of things I wanted to do in 2010. To reinforce the importance of this list I emailed it to myself to keep me reminded. The list had nine items on it the ninth one stating that I must refer to the list everyday. I didn’t.  The others were equally divided between things I needed to do to improve my health, go to gym, go to bed before 11pm each night, buy a new bike etc and things I needed to do to improve my work including finishing a number of projects that had been left half finished. I came across the list the other day and discovered that I had failed to achieve or maintain any of the goals set. True I joined the Gym and for a number of months on and off over the year I did make use of it but by late October I drifted away and haven’t gone back since. That’s the thing about regular exercise it’s a waste of time if it’s not regular. The jobs I wanted to finish remain largely unfinished. My office at home is still in a big enough of a mess as to be too embarrassing to bring anyone into it. I wanted to take more photos and really get to grips with all aspects of digital photography and hone whatever limited skills I have. Again I feel I have fallen short. So, the only thing I really achieved last year by making a new years resolution list is to compound that sense of falling short in other words failure and disappointment. I’m taking a new tack this year. To hell with lists and resolutions. To hell with imposing long or medium term goals and objectives. If I do have a resolution it’s that I will have no resolutions and simply take it a day at a time and see how that works.