Every morning for the past 500 days, I’ve shared my morning coffee with my friends and contacts on Instagram. It’s become a bit of a ritual for me now, one that I’ve added into my regular morning routine. I get up. I make coffee. I head into the garden with my dog Major close behind. There have been over 100 good mornings where Major has been my part of my supporting cast. Since he’s such a good model, I feel like he should be featured more! Apparently my viewers think so too, as my photos with Major usually generate the most comments, “likes,” and views on both Flickr and Instagram.
When I started out taking my Good Morning Coffee shots, I had no intention of turning them into a long-term project. I’d taken From Where I Stand photos before and was greatly inspired by Adriana (aka. Smallroots)’s I Am Here project, but it wasn’t until winning an iPod Touch and joining Instagram that I became more intrigued with the concept. I loved the immediacy of looking down in that exact moment in time and sharing my position. This is very grounding if you’ve never tried it.
I am also an avid gardener, and after winning the ipod touch, would get up first thing in the morning to enjoy my coffee, check my email and enjoy some beauty on instagram. About a week into shooting with the ipod touch I took my first Good Morning Coffee shot. Because this was how I was spending my mornings, setting my cup down and including it in the picture seemed natural.
It captured the beauty of the moment…my mornings in the garden preparing for the day, drinking out of my favorite coffee mugs (i love them!) and wishing my friends “Good Morning”. Without the cup, there would be no shot. 365 days later, I recreated that first shot using my iPhone 4S.
Within a week of shooting the series, I was smitten. I loved the challenge of finding a new composition to showcase my coffee cup…my good morning moment…within the same general timeframe and place every day.
The last comment I received on the first shot I posted was to hashtag my photo #fromwhereistand and a whole new world opened up. Two weeks later, after posting my first Good Morning Coffee shot to flickr, I started getting requests to form a group. A week later, using my first blog post as a Mortal Muse, the Flickr Group was born.
One of my favorite things about the series is that it follows my garden through the seasons almost like a diary.
And of course, on the days when i’m on-the-go or out-of-town, that’s recorded too.
So far I’ve taken Good Morning Coffee shots in 6 states, 4 countries and on 3 continents!
Since I’m a creature of habit at home, the constant of my shoes is all about being me and sharing an authentic slice of my life. In the summer months, you’ll find me mostly wearing my Tevas (I’ve got three pairs in the same style). And when it gets cold, I’m usually cozied up in comfy Uggs slippers (I’ve got two pairs) or boots. There are a total of 16 different pairs of sandals, shoes and boots represented across the 500 days! Hmmm, maybe it’s time to consider some new shoes!
One of my favorite things about this project has been getting to share it with friends and including guest appearances. If you happen to be in Philadelphia, consider having coffee with me and join me in my Good Morning Coffee shot!
Oh, and let’s not forget our furry guest features either! There are 5 friendly dogs and one cuddly kitty that have joined me to date.
I don’t know how long I’ll be taking my morning coffee shots, but in the back of my head is the number 1,000. If that turns out to be the case, then it looks like I’m halfway there! So many things have happened in the past 500 days, I can only imagine where I’ll be another year and a half later. Around this time last year, I was contacted by Photojojo about featuring my project on their blog! (It was thrilling!) Who knows when another opportunity to share my project will come my way.
In the 500 days that I’ve been doing this, there have only been 3 coffee casualties. Two caused by canine friends and one tipped on an uneven surface in the garden
I hope you’ve enjoyed learning more about my Good Morning Coffee series today, and perhaps are moved to create your own series of shots. I’d love for you to join me and share your From Where I Stand photos in our group. I also take pictures From Where I Soak, but that’s a whole other story! Are you currently working on a fun project? Share your links and stories in a comment today. We’d love to see them!
ps. I’ll tell you a little secret, there are actually two cups of tea in the coffee shot mix. Can you guess which ones they are?
wow, this is so good!
Thank you Justine!
Awesome!
thanks Lynne!
I absolutely love your series! Such a great project!
Thank You Rosie! I’m glad you like it 🙂
I love following you on Flickr and seeing all of these, what a great project!
Thank you Pam! I appreciate the flickr love 🙂
That’s so awesome, Holly! Congrats! I love hearing the whole story on how you got started (and I really love your garden!). Here’s to 500 more!
Thank You Kendra!
Love this idea, what really good experience to look back on this. Just awesome Holly
Thanks Barbara! I appreciate your kind words.
Congratulations on 500! I always look forward to seeing them on Instagram. When you’re late posting I get a little worried! These are really a fun thing to do! Thanks for creating such a fun way to connect with everyone!
xo,
Linda
thanks linda! you’re so kind! when i’m late, i usually get sidetracked looking at other IG pictures and forget to post right away! xo
Holly, so much happiness here! A huge congratulations! And when we can do one together please? xox
thanks kirsten, its a deal, next time i’m in london we’re going to do one in your kitchen 😉
Hooray! (I spy my postalpix 🙂 ) Congratulations, and here’s to 500 more!
This is really great! I am very interested in the things we tether ourselves to in the midst of change, what we hold fast to through the seasons of our life. This project really captures that.
Thank you Elizabeth! I agree, one of my favorite things has been not only watching the transformation of my surroundings but also how i view them.
I love this, Holly! What a great way to be able to look back on the past year +. Congratulations on 500!
Congrats, Holly! Now that is commitment. Good for you for sticking with it. I would have to say that my favorites are with Major. xo
What a milestone, Holly, congratulations!
My timing isn’t right to always right to catch them, but i love seeing your mornings when they pop up on ig or flickr, and when you travel it’s especially fun. I play this little game of where in the world is soupatraveler with them. xo
So awesome, Holly!!
I have loved waking up to you all these days!
Fun project, Holly!!!
I Love that you do this.
I have come to look forward to it, and seeing it all together is just wow!
Love the seasons.
xo
What an amazing series. I love it. Stick with it, I’d love to see more mornings.
Love this look back! I think my fav is the one with the hose and your hand in the coffee reflection. The composition is just perfect!! Keep up the great work! xo
love it holly! you are amazing lady!!
Hi Holly. These are magical, I just love them. Great inspiration. What app’ do you use to get those wonderful colours?
Congrats Holly! I love this series and look forward to your greetings every morning. One of my favorite photos is this one of you and I, http://iamhereproject.blogspot.com/2011/10/no-91.html, such a fun memory for me,can’t wait to do it again!
Wishing to see many more photos and excited to see what your next 500 brings!
I love seeing your morning shots, and I’ve loved watching your garden in the seasons. And I’m quite impressed with 500 days. (I can’t do prompts for a week much less 500 days.) Looking forward to 500 more.
Congrats Holly! I have loved following along with you, your coffee cup and Major!
This is a wonderful story! And so funny that you can ‘analyze’ them, what shoes you have in your collection, what you’ve harvested in your garden in 500 days. It’s an awesome achievement. One cup of tea is mine. 😀 The other one must also be among your guest appearances. Is Justine in one shot, or Xanthe? (Knowing how much tea is loved by the English). xoxoxo
I am so in love with this post that I have no words. OK, one word…AWESOME!
I love seeing these all together like this, alongside with your thoughts on the project. I tend not to comment on instagram photos, since I don’t have instagram (probably a sour grapes thing, I admit it), so when they are brought together like this, it gives me a chance to really soak in the experience.
I enjoyed so much reading the story behind your good morning coffee shots that I love so much to see in my IG feed, Holly! and look forward to seeing where this series will lead you xo
I love your coffee shots! I “found” you on Instagram and have loved following you and learning the story behind the photos. Congratulations on the 500th shot. Can’t wait to see the next 500!
I love that you did the math on how many of this and that are in the shots! It’s so fun to go back and look through the pictures. And of course, I’m looking forward to seeing all the rest that come.