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.

Good Afternoon! Good Morning! Good Morning! Good Morning!

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.

Good Morning!

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.

Good Morning Good Morning!

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.

Good Morning!

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.

Good Morning! Good Morning! Good Morning! Good Morning!

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.

Good Morning!

One of my favorite things about the series is that it follows my garden through the seasons almost like a diary.

Good Morning! Good Morning! Good Morning! Good Morning from Philly!

And of course, on the days when i’m on-the-go or out-of-town, that’s recorded too.

Good Morning!

So far I’ve taken Good Morning Coffee shots in 6 states, 4 countries and on 3 continents!

Good Morning from Botswana! Good Morning!  Good Morning! Good Morning

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!

Good Morning!

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!

Good Morning... Good Morning! Good Morning from Palm Springs!!! Good Morning from LA!

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.

Good Morning from Orange County!

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.

Good Morning! Good afternoon! Good Morning! Good Morning!

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

Good Morning!

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!

Good Morning from Harrisburg! Good Afternoon! Good Morning Good Morning!

Holly ~ Soupatraveler

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?