Windows, New York, New York

We asked contributor Phillip March Jones to share the process and inspiration behind his daily photo project, Pictures Take You Places.

Seeing is everything. But it takes practice.

Modern Antiquity, Atlanta, Georgia

La Plage, Trouville, France

For the past couple of years I have been traveling almost constantly for various projects in the United States and abroad. As a result, I am often away from the studio and distracted from the kind of intense focus required and afforded therein. These circumstances have led me to rethink my artistic practice and even the way I interact with the world. The newfound freedom of a portable studio has forced me to develop exercises to keep my eye and mind focused and has led to several new bodies of work, including the creation of a daily photo project titled Pictures Take You Places.

Wallflower, Los Angeles, California

Choices, Atlanta, Georgia

Strand, New York, New York

Ms. Phillips’  Flowers, Hale County, Alabama

 Abandoned Warehouse, Atlanta, Georgia

Nearly two years ago, I began maintaining a daily photo blog as a way to keep my eye trained and active. The rules were simple: I would seek out one moment each day and photograph it with the one camera I always have with me – my phone. The blog aspect of the practice was a fortunate accident. I have never been especially tech-savvy but needed a way to organize the photographs I was taking and a friend suggested I sign up for a Tumblr account. At times it has been difficult to maintain the practice, especially when I am not traveling, because I never want to force an image into existence. It is true, however, that limitations often help produce the best results, and the simple rule of one photo per day, regardless of location or itinerary, has helped to sharpen my eye.

Chantier, Santa Monica, California

Art and Nature, Atlanta, Georgia

Wink, Wink, Smile, Paris, France

Girls, Atlanta, Georgia

Avery’s Burden, Asheville, North Carolina

People are rarely the subject of these photographs and this is not a travel diary. Instead, I am seeking to capture moments where the light is just about to change or where reality seems a little less real. These photographs are also very much about symmetry, geometry, and giving a certain order to an otherwise random and disordered world. The forced practice has helped me sort through the visual chaos of everyday life to select individual moments that are representative of that life and time spent. On the rare occasion that I revisit previous images on the site I am immediately taken back to the place where the image was made, and my memories of that moment are palpable. Indeed, this project has enabled me to construct a new framework and structure for my own personal memories, a daily visual reminder of individual moments lived, floating around in cyberspace.

Therapy, Lexington, Kentucky

 Landscape, Atlanta, Georgia

Motel, Tennessee

Wrong Way, Atlanta, Georgia

All images are courtesy of Phillip March Jones.