Another year, another 365 photos. The Photo x Day project continues to be a delightful oversimplification of a great big life. Once again, I find myself reflecting on these little snapshots throughout the year. 2023 felt like a nod to the golden years of my twenties – living in different areas, climbing, taking photos – all while still managing to retain some semblance of a normal life. Despite the routine of daily life, this project serves as a pleasant reminder that I’m usually embracing new opportunities and experiences, shaping each year into a memorable journey.
I’ve curated my top ten photos from 2023 and thought I’d share them as a new way to recap the year. I chose them because of the feelings they bring to mind when I look at them, not because they’re the best photos from the year. As always, they are just tiny snapshots that tell a deeper story and paint a broader picture — one that only I have the great privilege to know.
#1. Day 070: March 11, 2023
The year began in Las Vegas, NV, as my partner and I decided to trade winters in Colorado for the warmer desert weather. It was great. We settled into a new routine for almost three months while we continued to work and climb. I have so many wonderful photos from our time in Vegas, but this iPhone photo from our last morning in town captured it all.
#2. Day 083: March 24, 2023
This photo reminded me of the general feeling I had when we returned to Colorado. I seem to remember feeling stuck and a little down. I fell back into my old routines of running errands between trying to find work, which ate away at my creative energy. Transitions are always tough, especially when the positive momentum from our time in the desert had come to a halt.
#3. Day 130: May 10, 2023
In May we returned to Céüse for a month-long climbing trip. After spending a few weeks here in 2022, my partner and I immediately began scheming our return. I was excited and a little terrified to dedicate myself to climbing the limestone cliffs for nearly four weeks. I also decided to give myself a bit of a creative break and only packed a little Sony rx100 to take with me up to the cliffs. Just enough to capture my Photo a Day.
#4. Day 151: May 31, 2023
I found so much joy in becoming an aunt this year and this photo unequivocally wins my vote for “favorite photo of the year.” My sister and I drove to Annecy to file some paperwork for this little girl’s life in France. Afterward, we dipped her toes in the turquoise water and her joy mirrored my own as I pressed the shutter button.
#5. Day 169: June 18, 2023
Flying days were abundant in 2023 – for work, weddings, and personal trips. I chose this photo for my top ten because I vividly remember the feeling I had when I took it. I was unbearably tired, emotionally drained, and yet quite happy and even content to sit on the tarmac and watch the sunset. I was back in Colorado, and this time I felt relieved to be home.
#6. Day 193: July 12, 2023
I feel so incredibly lucky to have such a strong community of friends. One of the highlights of returning to Colorado was falling right back into backyard dinners with our people (who hopefully forgave us for disappearing for almost 7 months).
#7. Day 213: August 1, 2023
One of my largest projects this year was a three-month contract with the Boulder County Farmer’s Market. I got to work with 15 different vendors, which consisted of beekeepers, organic farmers, livestock owners, pie makers, peach orchards, etc. I was elated to work on a local project; one where I could sleep in my bed every night and one that gave me such a unique introduction to all of our local farms and producers. I met so many wonderful people in my community and had an absolute blast getting to shoot something different.
#8. Day 261: September 18, 2023
I just remember September as a particularly nice month, probably because my partner and I decided to get engaged on a nice day at one of our favorite crags. There was no grand gesture, no ring, and neither of us knew it was going to happen. It just did and we were both pretty happy about it.
#9. Day 328: November 24, 2023
I felt like I hadn’t even finished unpacking from our 7-month “winter trip” before we started talking about our plans to skip winter again. I wasn’t ready to leave home, but the desert sun started to sound pretty good as the days started getting shorter and colder. With a little luck, we found another renter for our home in Colorado giving us the freedom to set our sights on yet another winter migration. We set off for Central Oregon at the beginning of November to visit family and climb at Smith Rock. It was great. We had a lot of quality time with my partner’s family, and I accomplished some climbing goals.
#10. Day 357: December 23, 2023
My grandmother is 96 years old and walks with a walker, and my niece is 1 year old and walks with a walker. Life is pretty miraculous, and so is the passing of time. I love this photo so much, for so many reasons.
There are so many treasures within the Photo x Day, and that’s why I love this project so much. Some days are just capturing the mundane, some days are photographing adventures, and some days are beautiful moments that make me tear up. Together, they form an incredible visual journal of my life over the last eight years.
On to Year Nine.