“The only journey is the one within.” ~ Rainer Maria Rilke
This weekend is the 600th Sinful Sunday. When I started the meme back in 2011 I could never have predicted that it would turn into such a great project. As I wrote on the Sinful Sunday post this week of all the projects I have done over the years it is the one I am most proud of and love the most.
The community of bloggers who have joined in over the years have always been amazing and it has been an inspiration and a privilege to be part of that community.
However for me Sinful Sunday has been a personal journey too. One that has spanned the whole 11 and half years of its existence. I have joined in every single week that the meme has been running which means this is my 600th Sinful Sunday post. That means 600 self portrait images from the arty to the down right pornographic. Every single one has been a journey into me, my body, my sexual self, me as a photographer and me as the model. I have learned so much about all of those aspects of me and I continue to do so.
I was 39 when I started Sinful Sunday. I am 50 now. Sometimes looking back at some of those changes, particularly the physical aspect can be challenging. Age is not kind to the body but also looking back I also feel pride at how my relationship with my body has changed. How I am more accepting of it, more comfortable in it than I ever was back then but also how I have grown and developed as a photographer.
I had absolutely no idea what I was doing back then. I was using a little point and shoot camera which I would balance in various places and run into the shot. Eventually I added a remote control trigger and a tripod and eventually a DSLR camera which really did change everything but even now, I feel like I am only just starting out as a self portrait photographer. There are many images here I am hugely proud of and I definitely have some favourites but I also feel that I have not taken anything like my best picture yet and oddly I hope I don’t ever feel that I have, because then what would be the point of carrying on. So I plan to keep exploring, experimenting and challenging myself to keep taking my best picture but most of all to keep enjoying it.
And that has been the best thing about those 600 weeks, the enjoyment and the joy in my own work but in sharing it with others and seeing them explore and create their own journeys too.
I took this image a few weeks ago with this post in mind. I knew I wanted to do something special outdoors to celebrate. Taking self portraits out in the world has become my thing and so it seemed right to honour week 600 with an outdoor image. I knew the woods I wanted to go to but the rest, how to create something different, or special, that was missing but then one day out walking we found this mirror which someone had set out with their bins. I carried it all the way home and a couple of weeks later carried it into the woods with me.
The result was 4 images that I liked but this one stood out and felt like the perfect one for this week. It’s weird and spooky. I think it has a haunting witch like quality to it that feels very powerful to me right now. I could never have imaged taking a shot like this 600 weeks ago but here we are and I am proud of myself.
8 comments
What a fantastic achievement Molly to reach 600 weeks of Sinful Sunday and what an image to use for 600.
I started on week 500 and I’m so glad I joined in, It’s been fun seeing other peoples images and like yourself I see the journey I came on in which has given me a lot of confidence in myself and pushed me to be creative and just overall better with shots I take (50+ of them so far).
Here’s to many many more years of Sinful Sunday, many more of your awesome images and to others joining in too, myself hopefully included for a while to come.
An amazing journey, thank you so much for running this for us for all this time, Molly. Your pictures are never short of stunning and this is no exception.
Congratulations on such an amazing achievement … I posted my first Sinful in February 2013 and haven’t missed many since, BUT always log-in to browse and enjoy EVERY Sunday.
And this is a gorgeous, sexy, photo to celebrate your 600th with.
Beautiful !!!
Xxx – K
600 weeks – what an achievement Molly!
And what a fantastic image – you look amazing in it and I love that you are such a confident photographer that you are willing to leave so much “empty” space. It makes your part in that space so much more powerful.
I won’t repeat what I said in my own post, but what an achievement for you and such a gift for all of us.
Molly this photo is just incredible. It belongs in an art gallery somewhere.
600 posts is such an achievement, and what you have done in bringing this community together in this way is the MOST wonderful thing. I am so glad to be a part of it.
Molly, this is so incredible. The achievement of 600 weeks of Sinful Sunday is beyond words. And this photo is absolutely spectacular, you’re celebrating 600 in the most magical way. You are the queen of the forest witches guarding the portal to a magical world and I want to step through!
You know I’m a big fan of your creepy images and this one and this one has a The Ring feel to it.
And I can’t end my comment without saying thank you, I have no idea how many weeks I’ve joined in for and they have *mostly* been fun but you’ve definitely pushed me to try new things. I just wish my body confidence had improved, instead it’s at rock bottom but we can’t have it all so onwards and upwards.