365 Day Photography Challenge – January

January has been and gone and do you know what that means? New annual projects and challenges have begun!

I am obsessed with yearly challenges/projects/quests. Give me something to follow and aim towards and I am there. I have always enjoyed having a project on the go, but the true love for them began when I started the Goodreads Reading Challenge a few years ago.

My challenges for 2019 are as so:

1. Read 50 books (via Goodreads). I didn’t quite reach it last year but am determined to do so in 2019!
2. Go on a nature walk at least once a month. Read more about this one here.
3. Complete the first year in the ‘One Line a Day’ 5 Year Memory Book. I was given this journal as part of a Secret Santa present and having already completed January’s, I know that this is going to be an amazing one to finish! It also ties in nicely with the next project..
4. Finish the ‘Photo a Day’ 365 Day Challenge. Which brings me nicely on to today’s post.

I have been wanting to do a 365 day photography challenge for a while now but have always chickened out last minute, putting it down to being too busy or it being too time consuming. But this year, I simply though “sod it, I’m doing it!”. 

For those that don’t know, the ‘Photo a Day’ Challenge is pretty much as it reads. The aim is to take one photo every day, for the whole year. It allows you to look back at the year in image form, as well as to help grow photography skills.

I am now pleased to report that I have successfully completed January – hurrah! To help me keep track, I have been sharing the images to the Instagram stories of my personal account. But I am also going to share them in monthly posts; starting with, you guessed it, January!

1st – New Year’s Day at Ullswater, Lake District.

2nd – Waking up to this view for the last time.

3rd – Back to work.

4th – Mani Friday’s.

5th – Pt. 1: 8 mile morning walk in the countryside with Mum.

5th – Pt. 2: Cake, hot chocolate and January catch up with my lovely friend, Caz.

6th – First ever homemade fish pie!

7th – New book day: ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas‘ by John Boyne.
Dave and I are visiting Krakow, Poland, with some friends in March and are planning a trip to Auschwitz. Because of this, I have been wanting to learn more on the concentration camps and will be using various books – fiction and non-fiction – over the next couple of months to do so. ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ was a brilliant, however, completely heart-breaking novel! I definitely don’t think I’ll ever get over the ending. A must-read for everyone!

8th – Late night Lake District photo-editing.

9th – Dobby has finally arrived and so, my ‘Harry Potter’ Pop! Vinyl collection has begun! Thank you to Dave for my belated Christmas present.

10th – Study, study, study.

11th – Evening with my Mum and her partner and cuddles with the cutest cat ever, Bobz.

12th – Welsh day trip to support Nick and his chums in taking on the World Mountain Bike Chariot Racing Championships…they came third!

13th – How every Sunday morning should start: a cuppa and book (‘Thirteen Reasons Why’ by Jay Asher) in bed.
A thought-provoking read, looking at teen suicide. And now I’m looking forward to watching the Netflix series.

14th – New book day: ‘Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban’ by J.K. Rowling.
A re-read, but great none the less! The third in the series is definitely my favourite, I love that it is the start of a more mature and darker side of ‘Harry Potter’.

15th – The office Orchids looking beautiful (meaning I haven’t killed them…yay!).

16th – New Pop! additions.

17th – Work, work, work, work, work. And now I bet you have Rhianna stuck in your head…my bad!

18th – Another January work week finished. So, it was time to relax with Dave and Pepper.

19th – Hill views during the Leckhampton Loop trek with Nikki and Pepper.

20th – Misty Sunday strolls up Bredon Hill with Dave and Pepper.

21st – Revision in full swing for my (hopefully!) last AAT Level 3 exam.

22nd – A frosty start.

23rd – Opened the curtains to a slight dusting!

24th – New book day: ‘The Tattooist of Auschwitz’ by Heather Morris.
This book moved me in ways I wasn’t expecting. I was completely taken up with the story and thought it was an excellent read.

25th – Candle lit Friday night.

26th – Essential study aids consisting of a honeycomb brownie from The Sandwich Box and a cup of Chai tea.

27th – Dinner: Salmon and chorizo with pesto potatoes and peas (adaption of The Pool’s recipe).

28th – Good morning Cheltenham.

29th – New book day: ‘Good Me Bad Me‘ by Ali Land.
I enjoyed this book, it was intense and had me pretty gripped throughout most. However, I finished it feeling a little deflated, as if something was missing or hadn’t been fully explained. A good novel nonetheless though.

30th – The awesome ice patterns on our spare bedroom’s window.

31st – A night off to revel in the moment of not having to revise for the next few weeks… And relaaax!

There you have it. My January, all wrapped up in photo-form.

I’m looking forward to seeing what the rest of this year will bring! Are you doing the ‘Photo a Day’ Challenge this year or have done it in the past? If so, let me know in the comments below. And any tips you may have would also be greatly appreciated.