So it’s been over one year since I registered my WordPress site. And what a year it is has been. I started my blog predominantly as a way to share my photography and find other photographers like me who are keen to learn and share. I was very lucky to find the Photography 101 Course from Blogging U just at the same time as when I joined. It was in that course that I found my community, met some wonderful people, and started to really develop my skills in photography.
I joined Lucile’s Photo101 Rehab Clinic after Photography101 ended and Lucile has become one of my closest friends. I have been able to continue to interact with and contribute to the clinic with a couple of regular features:
- Image Reboot – where I share my process for rescuing a photo or editing in an extreme way to create a cool image. This feature is part of Lucile’s Clinic.
- PhotoRehab Cover Makeover – Lucile and I started a weekly challenge to create a new cover for an existing book or movie or CD, even once for a chocolate bar!
Three other challenges have become very important to me:
- 3 of the Best – a feature with PerelinColors, where I share 3 of my favourite things in Australia (bridges, animals, desserts, etc).
- Cardinal Guzman‘s The Changing Seasons – this challenge takes me to Southbank Parklands in Brisbane city once per month, where I stroll for a few hours with my camera and capture the sights and people and culture of my city. I have grown to absolutely love doing this challenge and can’t wait each month to see what’s new or to find some new corner previously uncovered. With my impending move to Melbourne, I may not get another chance to do another shoot, but I will certainly go there when I come back to visit.
- Andy‘s Dark Side Thursday is the other feature that I has given me something. A while ago, I wrote a story on a plane. Now I write many stories on airplanes. The first one in particular was quite a dark story – a first person account of a death. A couple of weeks after I wrote it, Andy introduced his Dark Side Thursday challenge and I shared my story and then my dark writing side was unleashed. I have discovered a love of writing (a part of me that had lain dormant for years) and I love to share it as well. I was so nervous that first time, but it has been really well received and everyone has been very supportive. I’m loving it.
In celebration of the last 12 months, I’d like to highlight some of my most popular posts.
My top posts are these ones below, and they are all from The Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge. If you click the photo, you will be taken to that post. The Weekly Photo Challenges tend to get the most traffic and these are the 6 posts that have received the most likes. I would highly recommend joining the weekly photo challenge and diving in to see all of the other posts each week, there are some amazing people out there!!
My blog wouldn’t be what it is without the support of you guys, my readers and friends. This community of people continues to inspire me and amaze me and I am thankful for finding you and for all of your support, comments and discussions. Here are some of my posts that have sparked the most comments, which is what I love most – interaction!
This last shot highlights one of my favourite experiences from the blogging community, where Lucile, Justine and I met at Justine’s home in London – what a wonderful experience to be with such kind, generous and beautiful friends. I am blessed to have met them. I’ve also been lucky enough to meet Michelle from ThisMelbourneLife – we’ve shared some fabulous Melbourne coffee and spirited conversations and I’m looking forward to more of those in the future.
Some stats to finish off. I don’t really ever look at the stats, but I was sent a notification when I hit 300 posts so I took a look and was surprised at the numbers. I’ve posted 342 posts, had 29,221 views, 9,514 comments, 5,547 visitors, and have an amazing 809 readers following along with me on this journey.
Much love to you all.
xoxoxoxox desleyjane
Musings of a Frequent Flying Scientist 
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