This week I’m feeling really excited about 3191: Evenings. I’m hoping to hold it in my hands really soon. I thought it would be fun to look back at some of the evening images that I didn’t choose for the blog. I know that people are often curious how we chose what to photograph each day and why we chose the images we did. I tried not to spend more than 5-10 minutes a day shooting images for 3191. Usually, I would shoot 4-5 images from which to choose. There were days when I shot a lot more—sometimes for fun, sometimes out of frustration. It was just a gut feeling that led me to choose each image each day. They weren’t always the most perfectly composed or technically astute, but they were somehow always the one. That’s part of the magic of 3191.
All of my out-takes are on the left. My images that were posted are on the right.
January 14, 2024 (at top): This was our very first day. I headed outside right at 5 pm—the time that we had agreed upon as the start of evening—it was dark and rainy and cold. I remember feeling quite insecure about the project and taking photos without natural light. These are two views of the tangled wires, foliage and street lamp in front of our house.
January 30, 2008: OK, this one was never really a contender for 3191, but it gives you an idea of the chaos that was usually going on in the background (this is our dining room/fort-building area).
September 2, 2008: There was the most amazing late-summer glow and dappled light this evening. I am happy that this images was the one because it became the front cover of 3191:Evenings.
November 3, 2008: I had just arrived with MAV in Maine and was spending my first night in her apartment. As thrilled as I was to be there, I just couldn’t get comfortable photographing things that I had seen through her lens so many times. I felt like an impostor!
December 25, 2008: A magical, snowy Christmas day. We were coming home from visiting friends. I loved the Christmas tree photo, but chose something less obvious which ended up being the perfect companion to MAV’s image.
January 15, 2024 (our last day): Sometimes it’s just hard to figure out how to say goodbye.
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Don’t forget that pre-orders for 3191: Evenings will close in just one more week (September 18)! Make sure you get your signed copy. I will be traveling the 3191 miles to Maine in two weeks to sign them all!