One photo a day - for 20 years

[sue_frantz]

Photographer Noah Kalina took a photo of himself every day for 20 years. He put them all together into an 8-minute video. When he started this project on January 11, 2000, he was 19.5 years old. When this video ends on January 11, 2020, he was 39.5 years old. That’s 240 months in 480 seconds—one month every two seconds.

If you play it at double speed, it will only take four minutes to show—one month every second. Once the recording starts to play, click the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the recording to change your playback speed. 

Video Link : 2563

I have been thinking about this video since I first saw it. We watch people age all the time, but to watch it happen so quickly is… I’m not sure what. Jarring? Compelling? Both?

This video could be a nice lead-in to your coverage of adulthood. Encourage your students to jot down their reactions as they watch. Afterwards, invite students to share their reactions in pairs/small groups or with the class as a whole.

Kalina was born in early July, 1980. The first photo we have of him is in early January, 2000. As a rough starting point (within a few weeks), Kalina is about 19.5 years old in the first photo. In the development chapter, as you move from emerging adulthood to middle adulthood, use these video times to jump ahead in the recording.

Approximate Age	Video Time
19.5	0:00:02
20	0:00:14
21	0:00:38
22	0:01:02
23	0:01:26
24	0:01:50
25	0:02:14
26	0:02:38
27	0:03:02
28	0:03:26
29	0:03:50
30	0:04:14
31	0:04:38
32	0:05:02
33	0:05:26
34	0:05:50
35	0:06:14
36	0:06:38
37	0:07:02
38	0:07:26
39	0:07:50
39.5	0:08:02

Kalina has also compiled the photos into a collage. It’s difficult to see individual photos, but taken in its entirety, it’s just as compelling as the recording.