First published through The Paris News on Jan. 1, 2018. The article can be found on their website at http://theparisnews.com/opinion/article_30e42cd6-eda7-11e7-af7e-533799e1a404.html and was backdated.

Today is the first day of 2018 and here is my obligatory resolution for the new year. My resolution for the year isn’t a typical one. My resolution is to be more proactive in the photography community — more than I have been lately.

Growing up, I loved the camera, not in the sense of having my picture taken — I hated it then — but in taking pictures and freezing a moment in time.

The creator of Kodak, George Eastman, became an idol of mine, not because he was well known for the art of photography, but because he was who created the personal camera back in 1888. He was the reason I was able to get a camera of my own at  a young age.

I enjoyed the mechanics of how the camera worked together with the roll of unexposed film.

I told Chelsea’s brother, Jack, the other day about a pinhole camera I created out of a matchbox, electrical tape, a 35 mm roll of film and an empty roll of film. As I explained the concept to him, we turned to the subject of transforming a room into a camera obscura. I told him about turning a room into a camera so he could understand what was going on inside of the pinhole camera.

Jack started out wanting to make the pinhole camera however, when i told him about the obscura, he became enthralled with the idea of being inside of a camera.

If you like the idea of being inside of, or to better understand a camera, I highly recommend looking into transforming a room into a camera

obscura.

Eastman said, “Light makes photography. Embrace light. Admire it. Love it. But above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography.”

I’ve already taken time and researched a few things to do with my camera, so I’m not mindlessly walking the streets with a lens in hand.

After researching for a few hours at home one night, I came across a handful of project ideas to work on throughout the year.

The list of projects I’ve come up with are:

• 365 photo;

• a day in the life; and

• color.

With the 365 photo project, the plan is to take a photo a day for the entire year. The photo can be whatever — possibly something that was influential from the day. I’m not sure how this one will work out, but I love a challenge.

The day in the life project will focus more on either one day a month, or just one day out of the year. I haven’t decided yet. But, this project I plan to take a photo at least every 30 minute increment throughout the day. If I’m sitting at a desk all day, this will challenge me to look at my desk trinkets a bit differently than usual.

Working with the color project, I’ll focus on capturing a specific color. I’m not sure how I’ll go about executing this one — whether it be the same color throughout the year or when I go on an adventure somewhere new.

I do have a few other projects I’m considering, however I don’t want to disclose those just yet.

Doing these projects, I plan to enter the fair’s creative arts and crafts showcase this year.

I may use a project Chelsea and I are expected to work on together. She brought up making a pinhole camera together. As simple as a pinhole camera is, the outcome is astonishing.

I know the fair’s creative arts and crafts showcase won’t be around until later this year, so I also plan to enter other competitions I come across.

I also plan on taking more meaningful photos.

If you have followed my columns with The Paris News, you may have noticed my weekend adventures. Though I have thoroughly enjoyed writing about my many adventures, I didn’t really document the trips as much as I wish I had.

I traveled to San Antonio with Casey and Cody one weekend after leaving work on a Friday. Casey and I even traveled to Dallas one Saturday afternoon just because we wanted to. When we did, we ate cow brain tacos — I wouldn’t recommend it.

Also when Jeff and I traveled to Dallas in hopes of finding the best burger, I didn’t take a camera.

I did take some photos, but not as many, or the ones I wish I had with each adventure.

Something one of the previous managing editors told me was, “It’s digital pixels. Doesn’t hurt to irritate them often.”

In other words, with a digital camera, it doesn’t hurt to take as many photos as I would like to.

The idea of entering a competition will keep me involved in using my camera. Plus, I don’t mind one bit traveling, hiking and adventuring.