Even though January is deep into winter, I always think of it as a time of growth and growing. This is the time when my students flourish and they begin to display their independence and initiative  as learners.  And if you look closely, you can see evidence of growing all around.

Having spent time in the temperate rain forests outside of Seattle last weekend, I saw many evidences of growing all around.  I’m still thinking about these tree that seem to be covered with fur, as the mosses gather and grow.

And I learned about the ways that even dead trees contribute to the growing process of the rain forest.  This tall tree in the center is actually dead…and yet is hosts fungi, mosses, lichens and more, contributing to the life cycle of the forest.  And when it finally falls down it will likely become the fertile nursery for tree seedlings to take root as new trees begin to grow.

And there are also many kinds of mushrooms sprouting all around.  These particular mushroom grow very large and some are quite high on the tree trunks.  (You can catch a glimpse of some others in other posts about the rainforest, here and here and here.)

Even as I moved away from the forest, nearer to the beach where plants seemed dormant, when I looked closely, I could see that they were still growing.

And in addition to noticing plants growing, I am also working to grow my own skills.  I played around a bit with night photography on my trip, trying to figure out how to capture the glow of light in the background of dark…and the rainy weather added some reflective interest and challenge.

This shot was my attempt to capture the shine of the wet streets and the way the light reflected on them.

It was hard to get a picture of this tanker ship, so I was trying to shoot through the chain link fence.  I like the effect of the edges of the fence framing the ship.

As I was getting back in the car, the gas station caught my eye.  I was reminded of Edward Hopper’s paintings of buildings and tried to capture the emptiness and the light in this space.

So this week’s challenge is all about growing…what you notice growing or ways your are growing yourself and your skills.  Take some shots of what growing means to you right now.

You can post your photo alone or along with some words: commentary, a story, a poem…maybe even a song! I love to study the photographs that others’ take and think about how I can use a technique, an angle, or their inspiration to try something new in my own photography. (I love a great mentor text…or mentor photo, in this case!)

I share my photography and writing on social media. You can find me on Instagram and Twitter using @kd0602. If you share your photos and writing on social media too, please let me know so I can follow and see what you are doing. To help our Weekly Photo community find each other, use the hashtag #growing for this week and include @nwpianthology in your post.

What is growing in your life right now?  How can you document it through your lens?  I look forward to seeing what is growing through your lens!