Most days I turn to my camera for inspiration, for relaxation, for opportunities for creativity.  It’s flexible and convenient and I find ways to fit picture taking into even the busiest days.  Except when I don’t.  Those days are rare, but this last week was one of those weeks.  I did turn to my camera, but with less frequency and less inspiration…and I ended up with some odds and ends.

Like the afternoon that I wandered about my yard looking for something I wanted to take a picture of.  Actually, I was probably avoiding the pile of work I needed to do…but I did find inspiration…in the light and color of the faucet on the rain barrel on the side of my house.  One of those odds and ends…

It has been tricky going directly from the end of my school year on Monday to the first day of the Summer Institute on Tuesday.  I missed having a day or a few to take a few deep breaths and reset my brain for summer learning.  I noticed this table and umbrella with the solar panels fueling a charging station while walking to the room where we hold the SI the other day.  I like that the UCSD triton is visible in the background.  I’ll have to try out the charging station one of these days.  Another of my odds and ends.

During my teaching demo I asked the teachers in the room to play and reminded them that robust and long-lasting learning comes from play and playfulness.  There’s nothing like an index card with a piece of tissue paper and some colored markers to encourage a bit of play.  Here’s a couple of creations.  (The photos are mine, the creations belong to others.)

A trip to the airport late at night to pick up my husband…right in the middle of the week…brought me face to face with this sculpture of travelers.  Hands full, facing forward, waiting in line…it takes some seriousness to navigates the perils of travel.  The airport was surprisingly full, and ripe for people watching, as the hour approached midnight.  Another shot to add to my odds and ends collection.

One of the highlights of the Summer Institute (SI) is the opportunity (or pressure) to write…and to share that writing for feedback in Writing Response Groups.  As I was working with my group, this view of the long corridor caught my attention, reminding me that thinking and writing and teaching–at its best–requires that we explore the corridors of our minds, making connections, taking twists and turns, opening doors that we might not even have known existed.

So…what odds and ends have you collected this week?  Even when you are at your busiest and it seems that an interesting photo is impossible, pause for just a moment and snap one of those odds and ends.

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 #oddsandends for this week and include @nwpianthology in your post.

Take a moment and snap some of those odds and ends this week.  The advantage of that camera in your pocket or purse (you know, your phone!) is that it is always with you.  Pull it out and see what you can see.  Be sure to share with us!