365 Days of Coffee

Care to take a visual tour of one man's First Cup of Coffee for the last 365 Days? DogMilque recently completed a visual diary of his daily coffee ritual.

A photo was taken each day of his first cup of coffee. His commitment to this project, and the creative nature of the photos taken is truly impressive. Here is a sample of some of the photos you will find in his Flickr Album:

As I sat looking at the pictures in his album, I found myself wanting to know more about this coffee loving photog. So I sent DogMilque a few questions which he was gracious enough to answer for my and your enjoyment.

Do you have a favorite drink (latte, cappuccino, etc.)?

At Blue Bottle, a drink called a Gibraltar was conceived when we made a latte in a cupping glass. I love that drink and as far as I know it's only available at a couple of locations. I also love shots and drip coffee for the exposure to coffee flavors.

What prompted you to undertake this project?

The Firstcup series brought together several ideas I had had rolling around in my head. I've been shooting photos for quite a while, but was rather undisciplined in my approach. I wanted to create some kind of project where I would be forced to keep up a series of photos for as long as possible. Though I had a blog, I was thinking that a photoblog would be much easier to maintain. Inspiration always being right in front of you. And of course coffee is an everyday thing for me so it all fit. Coffee+photos+diary=Firstcup.

Were there any points during this endeavor that you considered quitting?

No. Pretty early on I realized it would be a year. You need goals after all. Now that the year has passed, I'm still taking the photos. We'll see. People get into it. My friends and family often "help" and are encouraging.

Were these pictures taken primarily at home or at a favorite coffee shop?

The photos are from everywhere. Lots of home and work shots. Lots of coffee at Bay Area shops. Then there are the travel photos. I have shots from the Northwest and from the South. Photos from all over California. There are pockets where you see I'm only taking pictures at the Blue Bottle kiosk and then there is the month or so when I'm laid up at home with just my press or Melitta. Gets a little monotonous there.

Some of your photos include coffee art, were these designs done by you or other baristas?

Some of the latte art is mine. Some by other baristas.

Looking back at your project, would you do it again if you had the chance? What do you feel you gained from this experience?

Well, I'm still doing it. It's good because it keeps me in tune about what I'm tasting. Cupping notes with pictures. I really enjoy taking these pictures and I guess I'll keep going until it becomes too laborious.

Here are Brotherhood of the Bean we hope you enjoy and continue to grace us with these great pictures for years to come. Thank you for sharing your story with Brotherhood of the Bean.