Oranges, browns, yellows, reds, greens…the colors of fall are legendary.  Leaves turn, pumpkins grow, candles flicker, and we can see the sunset as we head for home after the work day.  In the midst of all this spectacular and extraordinary display, we live our mostly ordinary lives.  So what do we take photos of?  How do we challenge ourselves to pay attention to the colors and wonders that only October can bring?

Let’s spend October painting what we see through our lens by paying attention to the extraordinariness of the ordinary.  I used the term paint by number to play with that idea of the hum drum ordinary of taking that same uninspiring photo over and over again.  To avoid that burnout of boredom, you’ll need to pay close attention to what your photo might be if you move in a bit closer, frame it a little differently, or look under the rock instead of just at it! I’ve come up with a prompt for each of the numbered days of this month to suggest an idea for you to paint through your lens…by taking a photo.  With the extraordinary of the ordinary in mind, here are a few of my paintings for inspiration…

These red converse hightops highlight the shift to fall…and notice the hat with a splash of orange sitting on the floor under the chair.  (And you might even notice the other kid with the florescent yellow shoes in the distance!)

A walk on some hiking trails last weekend brought the dry and scratchy brush into full view…along with a tiny splash of color provided by the monkey flowers.

I love the warmth and glow of the sun on the cliffs bringing out the oranges and reds that often go unnoticed.

And what do you think of these whimsical pink stripes on the outstretched arms of the reader holding her book just so as her wispy bangs obscure her eyes and brush the side of her face?

Saturday’s amber brew was a perfect match for the locally grown veggies on the pizza…and a great way to view the community outside the window.

Don’t you love all the hues of green this painter made using only the primary colors and a dab or two of white?

And I love the layers of oranges and yellows of this early fall sunset framed by the lifeguard tower.  If you look closely, you can see the people along the edge of the surf enjoying the last days of summer.

So let’s go beyond “paint by number” and explore the extraordinariness of the ordinary.  Here’s a list of prompts to help you look in some new ways…or create your own prompt and share it with the rest of us!

1.  brown

2.  dry

3.  scratchy

4.  wispy

5.  orange

6.  hollow

7.  alive

8.  dark

9.  growing

10.  yellow

11.  thumps

12.  falling

13.  spooky

14.  lit

15.  red

16.  fresh

17.  spicy

18.  morning

19.  crisp

20.  setting

21.  harvest

22.  scary

23.  hue

24.  flicker

25.  outside

26.  under

27.  golden

28.  light

29.  stacked

30.  delicate

31.  glow

Once you go beyond painting by numbers and take that shot, post a photo each day with the hashtag #sdawpphotovoices to Twitter, Instagram, Flicker, Google+ and/or Facebook (the more the better!), so that we can all enjoy the posts.  If you are game for some more playfulness, compose a blog post about a photo, a week’s worth of photos, write a photo essay, make a video or slideshow or try a learning walk! You are invited to create a pingback by linking to this url or post your blog address in the comment section. It’s fun for me to see what others are doing with the same prompts I am using!

So push past the ordinary, beyond paint by numbers and discover the extraordinary in your everyday routines. You can post every day, once a week, or even sporadically throughout the month…whatever works in your life. You can play this game by posting your pictures in the order of the prompts or post the one you find on the day you find it.  You get to make your own rules!  Be sure to share and tag your photos with #sdawpphotovoices so we can find them!  So go out and use you lens to start painting!  I can’t wait for you to share what you are seeing through your lens!