JK Keller

FAQs & Comments (page 1 of 2)

I’d like to respond to many of the questions and comments I’ve received via eMail concerning the Daily Photo Project (approximately ordered from most to least frequent). If you feel as though I’m not answering something adequately, you can eMail me at website@c71123.com with your other queries.

Update! 2003 July 13

I have added a second page of questions and answers, due to all the new queries.

Questions & Comments

Answers

- Why?
- why you are taking your photos every day?
- I am just wondering what gave you this idea?

The whole project began out of spite. I had just purchased a digital camera (Nikon CoolPix 900), and it was rather expensive. My girlfriend asked me why I bought it and what I was going to do with it. I explained. She asked me if I was "going to use it every day", with sarcastic inflection. I told her yes, and resolved to do so. The project began there.

* Apparently this story is untrue. Michelle explained to me the other day that I had wanted to do this with a Polaroid prior to the digital camera, but couldn't justify the expense of doing so at the time.

- I wonder what's the meaning of this?
- IS there a point or reason?
- Nice pictures but eh with what vision?
- I think that's why you're doing this? To see the change?

Initially, I thought of the project focusing on the differences that one can see in the self from day to day. Same person, different personas. As the project grew and grew, it became more about the process of the whole. I began to look at the long-term changes that occur parallel to the short term changes. These changes will become more and more apparent as the project ages 20-30+ years. Now I'm looking towards the end. It's a morbid proposition, but something that must be faced.

- Smile.
- why dont you smile?
- my friend wants you to smile in a photo
- You have the makings for a GREAT smile...where is it?
- :)

I don't smile for this project because I want the images to be as 'subtly objective' as possible. I like to be able to extract a specific feeling from what should be an expressionless face. There are days when you can see a lot from the way the muscles are situated in the face. Granted, it is next to impossible to see these things when the images are so small, but trust that they are there.

I would suggest that you try Supporting the Daily Photo Project.

- Bara att håret växte och att du skaffat linser nu?!
- ¿por que has puesto tantas fotos?
- Wer ist der hübsche Mensch?
- je voulais savoir quel age tu avais??

I am the byproduct of the American education system. As a result, I only understand English. I regret this fact every day.

Unfortunately, Babelfish only goes so far when translating text.

Thanks to the help of various visitors, I now know all of these questions. Much appreciated.

- i had that idea a couple of months ago too, but didnt do it.
- its like something i would do
- I had the same idea sime weeks ago, but my webcam went broken...
- I did the same with a tree in front of my house but lost the data in a crash! Did not have the courage to start up again!
- I was planning to do something like that for a long time. But PLANNING and actualy DOING something are two very different things.

The last one says it best.

As Michelle says, "The more you do, the more you get done."

- i want to do the same!! i must follow you!
- i want to do this to record for my children what i looked like every day.
- I had a idea to photog. my twins on a monthly basis since birth, they are now 6, too late to start? what are your thoughts
- If I copy you and build my own site, will I be crampin' your style?

Go for it! It's never too late to start anything.

Since the internet's an enormous space, I doubt I'll be cramped. In fact, here's a link to other obsessive photo projects.

- Have you ever created an animated GIF or QT movie of all the images?
- Here is an animation I threw together real quick
- its 571 frames of your head it translated into 2megs
- Hey man, can i use u'r pics to do a flash-film-evolution?

Yes, I have created a time-lapse animation of all the images. I've done it twice, using the original full-size photos, and output the result to video. The result was nice, but took much too much time, as I meticulously aligned the eyes in each image, so there would be a focal point. Why don't I have a smaller version on the site? Because I can't afford to serve out that much traffic. Plus, I only like the idea of the animation as an end result, and this project hasn't ended.

As far as using the images to create your own animation...Go for it. Just don't send it to me. I've received enough, and they do me no good. I have the full-size images, and don't need an animation of the web images.

Update (2006 Oct 01): I put together an animation of the project because a lot of the issues I had before no longer apply. I also plan to update it once a year with the latest batch of photos. It's available on the main project page in a variety of formats.

- WHO ARE YOU?
- Who's that guy?
- Whats your name?
- And isn't your name Mike? You look like Mike.

Jonathan Keller

- Who had the time to take so many pictures of you?

Uh, I did.

- WHERE ARE YOU?

Steel Town Motor City, USA

- How are you?

Doin' fine, thanks.

- How old are you?
- How old were you when did you start? We tip you were 17. Is it right?

Started the project at age 22. Currently 31. Although my birthday happens every year...hint, hint.

- How long is this going to go on??
- did you intend for this to go on this long?
- Hope you live forever!

The project will continue until the day I die. Only then will it be complete, and worth its true value. Hopefully the completion date is far off, but you never know, right? Unfortunately, I won't ever see it finished. It's really a heckuva Catch-22 I've set up for myself.

- i dont want to count.... how many days is this?
- i was to lazy to count: when did you start this project?
- How many are they?

I don't want to count either. I started the project on 1998 October 01. During the period between 1999 September 29, and 2000 May 25, I was unable to continue with the project. Today is...do the math.

I suppose since I'm a web dork, I should write a little script to automatically count the number of photos. I'll get on that tomorrow.

- You look so much like my cousin, Allen.
- Sometimes you are similar Richard Gere, sometimes Gerad Depardiu and sometimes you look like Dustin Hoffman.
- Mullet makes you look a little like the actor who played Chris on Northern Exposure...
- you look like a Ted Bundy/Chester Molester type.
- You look kinda like Charles Bronson.
- The photos of you with the shorter hair do makes you look like a relative of the film actor Chris Cooper. When your hair is longer you look like the film actress Amanda Plummer.
- The third row, second picture you remind me of my boyfriend. Scary looks like you guys are twins.

As you can see, I'm a pretty average-looking fella. This leads to me looking like a lot of different folk. It also leaves me looking like no one in particular.

Once, in a bagel shop in Brooklyn, I was accosted by a woman. She stated that I looked "exactly like a perfect mix of three of her best friends." I told her that I had no idea how to respond to such a statement. She agreed, and I bought my bagel.

- you've been quite a nerd on the first pictures, tough ;)
- fucking nerd,fucking,fucking,fucking
- u r a fucking idiot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- get a life u loser!

This list could really go on much longer than these 4, but you get the idea. Passion of any sorts is amazing.

- do you have nothing better to do?
- have u got many spare time ?
- U were boring, right?

No, I don't have anything better to do. No, I am not bored. The amount of time I devote to this project is minimal, to be honest. 1 minute a day to snap the day's photo, and 30 minutes every 10-12 days to get the photos from the camera to the site.

- Need a hair cut , maybee !!!
- Oh yeah, and your hair looked cooler when it was long, I think.
- I definitely prefer you with shorter hair & no mustache
- I like you better with longer hair.

I'm sure my hair will start fading soon. At least I still have options.

- And some other shirts, maybee !!!!!!
- what is that your favorite orange shirts???
- You must really like your red shirt :)
- Ur best color to wear is white.
- do you own any plaid or striped shirts.....dont look like you get laid much, maybe you need plaid or striped shirt

Contrary to popular belief, I do own more than 3 shirts. In fact, I own 3 red shirts that are exactly the same, as well as a number of plain, white t-shirts. Now, that doesn't mean I don't wear the same clothes 2 (or more) days in a row, but it's not quite as bad it seems. I just don't care enough. If you have a serious problem with the lack of diversity in my wardrobe, I'd gladly accept clothing donations. I wear a medium to large shirt.

- How do you make your photos, just holding cam in your hands and taking picture?
- Was your project shot with film or digital?
- Do you have an automatic program or something, that snaps you up daily and pushes the pic to the web??
- I want to make a project like yours, can you give me some tips? how do you take a pictures of yourself? do you using tripod or somthing? are you use some manage system to upload the pictures every day?

Because I chose the Nikon CoolPix 900 as my digital camera, I am able to hold the camera out in front of me to take the image. I am able to see the LCD screen as I snap the photo, which allows me to frame the image correctly. After about 10-12 photos, I copy them to my computer and rename them. I set up an action in Photoshop that resizes, sharpens, and saves the web version of the photos. Then I upload them via FTP and change the PHP document to accommodate the new images. That's it.

- you take your photos at the same time/hour every day???
- when do you take the pictures?

I don't have a specific time that I take the photo each day. Usually it's in the evening.

- were those one per day or just a mad session?
- wondered if some of the pics are fakes ?
- are each and all unique photos ?

It's called the Daily Photo Project, and wouldn't really be much of a project if it was all false, would it?

- maybe u also have a webcam?

I do have one, but it's sitting in a box somewhere.

- are you serious?
- Are you crazy????
- are you weird or just really funny?

Uh...I cannot respond to this.

- Do you get a lot of e-mail asking you the same question?

Yes, which is why I made this FAQ & C page.

- Why aren't there any photos from 1999-09-29 to 2000-05-26 ?

I was in Antarctica, working as a janitor. I didn't know if they would have appropriate computer facilities to continue the project. There was a weight limit for the amount of stuff we could bring down with us. Also, after being on the Ice, I had planned to backpack around New Zealand for 6 weeks. I thought it was best to abandon the hassle of trying to work out all the technical details with regards to my digital camera. I do regret not working out a satisfactory alternate solution though. Never again.

- By the way, in Antarctida, did you go with an organized trip or something? Or did u do it on your own?
- How long did you stay there? 4 months? All year? What was your job? I've been thinking about going for such a long time. Is there an age limit?

I went to Antarctica to work for Antarctic Support Associates, a contractor that was in charge of employing the support staff for the United States' Antarctic Program. I applied for a janitor position, which I received, for the summer 1999-2000 season. I was there from October through February, about 5 months. I believe you must be at least 18 years old. Raytheon Polar Services is currently in charge of employment, if you're interested.

- But only half your page loads.....is that on purpose or accidentally?
- Infortunaltely the shots 2001-01-11 and following are not shown (broken link)

The Daily Photo Project is starting to get large. Some browser/computer/ISP configurations can't seem to handle the load. Sorry, but it's the nature of the beast.

- if you want to answer, i'm interested, what does your site's strange name mean?
- Why c71123.com ?

When I was 5 years old, my father asked me to remember the numbers of three cows that needed to be bred (he was a professional artificial inseminator). The numbers were 7, 11, & 23. Being the math/number dork that I was at that age, I set out to remember those numbers for as long as I possibly could. I hope to have them with me until I die.

- what do you do?
- what do you do for a living?

I'm an aspiring artist. I do freelance interactive design to make money.

- do you get alot of girlfriends with this?
- Well are you on line looking for a gal?

No.

- I love your project but I prefer to see your cock...
- you could have more if you take pictures of some other parts of you body

That's helpful.

- I like you
- will you be my friend?

Uhhh...

- do you have a significant other? What do they think?

I do, and she likes the project, but thinks I obsess over it too much. I would have to agree.

- Are you gay or are you just really bored.

Huh, I never knew homosexuality was a cure for boredom.

- but I am sure you have already received a LOOOOOT of mails from gay guys..., don't you?

I really can't be sure of that one. I must have missed the eMail header information that lists a person's sexual orientation.

- Have you ever heard of the Antichrist?

This question was from a woman who thought I was a 38 year-old gay writer (who I happen to have designed a website for). She delivered me from my homosexual lifestyle after asking the question. Seriously, what century is this?

- people ive showed love it, is that ok?

Yes, but call me if the condition persists.

- are you happy??

I believe I have a healthy balance of happy, sad, angry, excited, scared, insightful, etc. days.

- are u tired ya?

I spend a good deal of time awake. That leads to being tired a lot of the time.

- like in "Smoke" with H.Keitel

So I've heard. I have yet to see this movie, and am thinking more and more about never seeing it.

- MY FRANK'S HAIR??

Some of it.

- Have you ever looked at one of those pics and say that's not what i look like?

Every day.

- Let me ask you...did you find yourself in any of these photos?

The longer I continue, the less I feel like the project represents me as an individual.

- is this a new "wheres wAldo?"

I wish. I'd be traveling a lot more!

- Have others copied off of your site?

None that I've seen, but apparently some people want to copy it (see #6, above).

- You're not a serial killer are you?

Heavens No! But I've read a couple books about serial killers. Seen quite a few movies as well.

- BUT HOW DO YOU KEEP A STRAIGHT FACE?

It gets easier as time goes on.

- My friend Hermann says he took the first picture of you...Is that true?

Hermann is a liar. I've taken every photo. I'd watch your personal belongings, because he's probably a thief as well.

- Can I ask 1 more question?
- How do I contact the daily photo guy?

Yes. eMail me website@c71123.com

Although you should check out the latest batch of questions and answers, first.

Is this the end of page 1?
Where is page 2?

You better believe it!
Right here, my dear: FAQs & Comments (Page 2 of 2).