Category Archives: Weekly Photo Challenge

Shades of Gray

It’s not what you think…this isn’t about the book or the movie. Instead, this is about winter and all the grays I’ve been seeing lately.

I’ve noticed icy grays…not here at home, but while I was in Chicago and the temperatures hovered between negative numbers and teens I noticed icicles hanging from the bumpers of cars in the parking lot while I was taking a brisk stroll around the hotel where I stayed.

And after some adventures in the airport, I found myself in a window seat in the last row of the plane. On the positive side, I was able to take photos throughout the flight, including this one as we began to taxi to take off for the flight to San Francisco.

So much of the country we traversed from high in the sky was covered with snow. At one point when I looked out I noticed this snowy map, with roads and rivers etched into the landscape below.

I came back home to much more reasonable temperatures and headed off to Los Angeles to spend the day with my son. (You saw some pictures on this post) The historic Bradbury building offered a glimpse of some different gray…with lots of ornate metalwork including this amazing working elevator.

As we headed out of the downtown area, we traveled through this tunnel. And because I wasn’t driving, I got to take a photo and capture the gray textures illuminated by the row of lights.

From up on Mulholland Drive, the entire city skyline including the Hollywood sign were on display. Unfortunately, the day was gray and hazy, making the skyline a shadow in the distance.

And back at home, I made my way back to the beach. It wasn’t cold…sweatshirt and bare feet weather…but it was gray. I’ve been a bit obsessed with seagulls lately, and found myself taking shot after shot. This one captures the shades of gray visible on the beach this week.

So, for this week, as we head toward the end of February, look for shades of gray. Will you find them outside or inside? The result of weather, the color of metal, or on the feathers of a local bird?

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

So go out in search of gray…all the shades you can find! Let’s reclaim those shades of gray and capture images that reflect the range of grays that we see. I’m looking forward to seeing all the shades of gray in your life…through your lens!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Spirited

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Summer has burst into the middle of winter this week in San Diego. (Sorry east coast and mid-west friends…I know your weather has been brutally cold!) Blue skies, warm sun, and lengthening days have put many in great spirits. And this warming trend has people reaching for their summer wardrobe…flip flops are back in evidence, along with sundresses, tank tops, and the ever-present shorts. You can see some confusion about the seasons in the ways kids are dressing this week. I watched a second grader on the playground the other morning in his shorts and t-shirt…and thick gloves and ugg boots! His mother, who was watching him nearby, said he insisted on the gloves, and had even worn them to sleep overnight!

A week ago, our third graders club at school hosted a school-wide spirit day: Sports and Hobby Day. And students came to schools dressed in their favorite sports gear or somehow showing their interests through their attire. One of my students showed her artistic flair through her hair-do, sporting paintbrushes extending from her ponytail.

Later that same day, we headed out for an opportunity to engage in a popular new skill game that our students have become obsessed with. Kendama is a wooden skill toy from Japan—a ball on a string attached to a carefully crafted wooden handle. Since not all the students had Kendamas, my teaching partner asked students to gather in triads with the goal of having the Kendama owners share what they have learned so far and give those without Kendama a chance to try out this game. It was Ms. Esther’s last day with us before she flew back home to Australia, and at 85 Esther is a most enthusiastic learner! (She had shared her skydiving DVD with us before lunch.) It was such a spirited exchange to watch this second grader teach Ms. Esther how to use the Kendama…and then to watch her joy at trying! (He coached me too—this is not an easy game!)

With a kitchen remodel underway, my cats have spent their days cooped up in our upstairs bathroom. So when we get home at the end of the day, they are quite ready to come out and explore the house. In some ways they seem to be getting more exercise than usual (they are 16 year old cats)…seeming energetic and spirited in the evening. After all that running up and down and exploring every nook and cranny of new in the kitchen, I love that I caught this big wide spirited yawn of Jack with Phil resting in the background!

Over the weekend, we headed off to the beach for a low tide walk…my first in bare feet in a while. These boys caught my eye…both because of the brilliant green of the wetsuit and because they were so animated and playful. I just love their spirited energy!

And with my telephoto lens in place, I explored taking pictures of seabirds. The light was just right for capturing reflection in the wet sand and there was enough light for colors to be brilliant. I love the spirited mood of this seagull caught in mid strut!

Yesterday was the warmest day all week. 85 degrees at the beach! At the end of the work day, before the sun began to set, I headed to the beach just to see what was going on. There were lots of people on the beach…engaged in lots of spirited play. I was nearly beaned by a flying object as I watched waves instead of people playing while walking on the beach! My eye was drawn to this red bucket…and the spirited mood of summer on this February afternoon.

So, even if it is not summer in February where you are, where do you see spirited activity? Go out in search of that energy of spirit, in nature, with your pets, in the cold, in the warm… (And you may see some “colder” looking photos from me next week…I just arrived in chilly Chicago!)

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

So go out in search of spirited…it might just raise your spirits! Can’t wait to see what spirited looks like through your lens.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Reach

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February has been a whirlwind and we are less than a week into it! I’ve been across the state…and across the county, lucky enough to squeeze in a few minutes to appreciate my surroundings.

Yesterday I spent the day at the San Diego Natural History Museum as part of the Intersections project my writing project is involved in. After a full day spent observing a class in action on a field trip, my teaching partner and I headed off to a local cafe to do some planning for our upcoming focus on community with our class. And as we walked we noticed the cherry trees in bloom. When I headed back to my car to head off to another meeting, I took a few minutes to snap a few shots. I love this one of the tree reaching up toward the warm February sun.

Using the macro feature on my camera, I reached as high as I could to snap some close ups of the buds. When I got home, I decided to play around with a new app called Waterlogue that transforms photos into watercolor paintings. It was fun to experiment with the changes that the watercolor effect made to the photo using this app.

Over the weekend I had been at UC Davis with my California Writing Project colleagues and a group from our local writing project learning about Connected Learning. And part of our connecting was some playful photography. In this photo you can see a photo of my colleague taking a photo of another colleague…and me taking a photo of the two of them, and all of us reaching up.

After work on Tuesday, feeling a bit stressed by the demands of the month so far…and a kitchen remodel in full swing, I decided to stop by the beach. And as I parked, I noticed that the tide was low–and I had thrown my tennies into the car with me when I left home that morning. So I headed out for a walk with the seagulls. At one point as I almost reached this group of seagulls, they took flight, soaring and swooping, dipping and turning. And I snapped and snapped trying to capture the energy and beauty of the moment.

And I can feel my students reaching too. In their rolling systems lab they had to work in groups of five to complete a number of tasks, rotating the jobs with each trial. Coordinating their efforts and coordinating their actions was challenging. Making the stopwatch work, lifting the starting line, measuring distance, lining up wheels…and getting along in the process kept them reaching. Luckily, they will get another try…and an opportunity to reach again.

So this week’s challenge is about reaching…up, out, beyond… To help, to learn, to explore, to lend a helping hand. Where are you reaching right now?

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

So reach out…and take some photographs. What are you reaching for? Show us through your lens!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Perspective

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I love when I can see the world in a new way, from a new perspective. Sometimes those opportunities pop up when I least expect them…like sitting in the window seat on my flight home from Seattle a couple of weeks ago. I’m an aisle sitter…but when I fly with my husband, I tend to sit in the middle seat to sit next to him (and it’s easy to get him to move if I need to get up and wander around!). But on this day, I decided to take the risk and sit by the window, hoping the middle seat would remain empty. And what an opportunity that happened to be…as we took off and gained altitude, I could see the top of a mountain rising above the clouds. And even when I heard the ding signaling that we had reached 10,000 feet, that mountain was clearly higher. As we continued to climb and came closer to the mountain…Mount Rainier…I was able to take this shot.

Earlier during my trip to the rainforest, I came across the world’s biggest spruce. While I’m not sure how those determinations are made, it was a very large tree. And looking up definitely gave me the perspective of big!

A trip I took early in January enabled me to take a surprise snow hike. And on that hike I came across this sled, clearly broken and lodged between these trees. I hope there were no injuries involved with the abandoned sled, but I can imagine the perspective of landing head first, upside down among the branches!

Over the weekend, after an inspiring leadership group meeting with our local writing project, my husband and I headed off to make a final decision on granite for our kitchen countertops (we’re deep in a kitchen remodel!) and choose flooring. Once those stressful decisions were made, we headed downtown for an early dinner…and a lovely gelato just as the sun was beginning to dip low in the sky. I like this urban perspective, watching the sun set beyond the street and traffic.

And each day when I get home from work, the cats and I explore the changes to the kitchen. At first the perspective was dramatic, tearing out cabinets and counters, appliances and more. Lately it has been more subtle as new drywall appears…and you can see Jack going in and between for a closer look!

At the beach on Sunday I played with my telephoto lens. It was fun to zoom in on birds and surfers and waves and planes and more. I could capture images of seagulls and other birds that they don’t stand for when I have to come close. I like this perspective of the seagull…looking out to sea. And I love his little knock knees!

Yesterday took me out of my classroom to the university to work with a group of teachers exploring what “Smart Tech Use for Equity” means in their classrooms. As part of our work we created paper bag “bricks” that included our hopes for our students, our strengths as educators, our fears, potential barriers, and ways we might create a bridge to climb over those barriers. We worked together to create a bridge to scale those barriers. It was fun to hear folks describe this structure as a bridge…to possibilities for our students! (It’s all a matter of perspective!)

So this week’s challenge is all about perspectives. How are you viewing the world this week? Any new perspectives? From above, below? Through the eyes of a bird, a cat, another animal? What other images of perspective can you find?

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

What’s your perspective on perspective? I’m looking forward to seeing perspective through your lens!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Growing

Weekly Photo Challenge: Outside

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I don’t always think about the rhythms of my life…until they are disrupted. I’m now into my second week back to work after two weeks off, and my schedule is off. I usually write this weekly challenge on Thursdays in the afternoon after I get home from work. But last Thursday I woke in the early hours of morning, and was on the road to the airport before the sun began to stir. A long day of travel with a meeting sandwiched between pushed the challenge to the back burner…

After that refreshing winter break and lots of time exploring, I have felt cooped up, confined by my calendar and my schedule, not creating spaces to get myself outdoors to feel the sun on my shoulders and the breeze on my face. I love my work and my students, but I do need to remember to make time and space for inspiration and fresh air for myself too.

I’m reminded of the animals I saw at the zoo not long ago. Confined, but somehow seeming to find space to stretch out. This polar bear seemed to find rolling in the dirt comforting…like creating a disguise—a mask of sorts—to wear as people peered in through the viewing windows.

This young panda seemed to make an exercise course of his enclosure as he lumbered in around the trees, in nonstop motion. It was hard to get a sharp photo because of the motion…but then this guy was not there for my photographic pleasure, this is the life he lives and because he lives and breathes and lumbers, we still have pandas among us.

Looking back at my time in our local backcountry, with the lake framed by snowcapped mountains, fills me with energy and wonder and reminds me that I have to make more opportunities to get outside the ordinary of my life. This winter wonderland is far from my everyday experiences!

A trek to the nearby beach to capture images of these common folks—the seagulls—has the potential to change my day, improve my mood, and inspire my thinking. I see seagulls every day, and often think of them as pests (especially when they are stealing my students’ snacks!), but when I take the time to watch them in their environment, they fill me with wonder at their adaptations and quirky posturing.

Even a simple stop along the side of road to appreciate the colors of the sky can be a treat. I still need to remind myself to pull over and take the few minutes to look and snap a few shots on a regular basis!

I’ve yet to master nighttime photography, but was mesmerized by the long train going by on our way home from the airport the other night…and by the colorful warning lights. You can’t really see the train, but the red lights sure stand out!

So this week I looked back at the inspiration I get from being outside…either physically or maybe just outside my ordinary routine. So head outside…physically or mentally and catch some images that inspire you, or offer you a break from your usual routines.

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

What does outside mean in your life? You can venture near or far…take the prompt literally or use it as a metaphor. I can’t wait to take a peek outside through your lens!

New Year, New Eyes

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There’s lots of cliches about the New Year…resolution making, retrospectives on the year that passed, champagne at midnight, polar bear plunges on New Year’s day, and so many more.

And somehow, there is something about a new number for the year that encourages the idea of fresh starts, new habits…and maybe a new way of seeing the world. I got ready for my new year by heading up to our local mountains for a rare…and wonderful snowy day. You might remember last week that I said it never snows where I live. Well, that is still true, it didn’t snow in most of San Diego…but we did get enough snow in the mountains and surrounding foothills to create a winter wonderland.

For someone who seldom sees snow, this was a treat! The world looks entirely different when covered in a layer of white.

Even the familiar…dandelions and native plants take on new dimensions against a snowy backdrop.

And we couldn’t resist the urge to build a snowman…even if it was a miniature version!

I love the way snow creates a quiet space, there is a sense of a hush and opportunity for reflection and introspection.

Maybe that’s what the cows were thinking (although this was later in the day after lots of snow had melted…and at a lower elevation)!

I’m sure I’m not going to be able to depend on snow to give me new eyes to view my life this year. But maybe a ride high above the ground will help…like in these skyfari buckets at the zoo!

But mostly, I know, I will need to stay on the lookout for new ways to see what is most familiar to me. I couldn’t resist this shot of three seagulls as I walked to the parking lot at our local beach…seeing with new eyes in the new year!

What will you see this year as you look with new eyes?

Weekly Photo Challenge: Winter Warmth

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I’ve been looking longingly at all the winter snow photos this last week or so–those gorgeous scenes of glistening whiteness. I can imagine the hush and the magical quality only snow can bring. (I know, there is always a downside…the cold, the shoveling, the need to bundle to go outdoors…)

Winter, in these parts means no snow…ever. Some will quickly contradict me and recount the snowfall of ’68 or the one in ’96. But honestly, a few rogue snowflakes that melt upon contact don’t really count as a snowfall, they were just teasers of what might be…

So, for me, winter comes in distinctive San Diego style. Most Christmases are sunny and reasonably warm. Temperatures in the 60s are usual during the day…it cools off quickly when the sun sets. On the first day of winter, I caught this glimpse of the warmth in a black and white reflection of the sun on the beach at low tide.

And at sunset, a little further up the road, I caught the warmth of the sun behind the pelicans as they soared along the air currents before darkness enveloped this longest night.

And I got a new camera for Christmas, actually my husband and I got it for each other, after years of taking all of my photos with my iPhone. (The two photos above were taken with my iPhone.) So today, we headed out to experiment with this new toy. Of course the beach is one of my favorite places to go for photo inspiration. Because it was high tide, we didn’t get to walk the beach, but I did catch this seagull in flight. I love the brilliant blues of the unedited shot–you can see a glimpse of the warmth of the sun on the wings of the bird.

And playing around as I was climbing back up the wooden stairway access to the beach, I happened to catch my husband in a game of peekaboo as I snapped a shot looking up toward the warmth of the sun through the wooden structure.

Using the macro end of the zoom lens, I took some shots of flowers I found near the beach. I love the way this daisy glows in the warmth of the sun. The play of sun and shadow seems just right with these colors.

And my husband pointed out yesterday that he managed to keep one of the potted poinsettias we bought last year alive all year…and sure enough, there it was, still in the pot in our backyard with its bracts turning red! Poinsettias grow well here–in fact, Encinitas is known for the Ecke Poinsettias that produce the majority of poinsettias that are sold each year. We’re always planning to to plant them in the yard after the holidays…maybe this year, after this success, we will! I grew up not far from here with a large poinsettia plant in our backyard that grew as tall as our garage before my mom hacked them back down each year after the blooming season.

So this week I am borrowing the weekly photo challenge prompt from the Daily Post and inviting folks at the NWP iAnthology and and those who follow my blog to share their images of winter warmth.

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

Where do you find the warmth in the winter? On the glistening of sunshine on snow? The crackling warmth of a roaring fire? Hands cupped around a warm mug of coffee? A hug of a loved one? Go out and snap those images of winter warmth…can’t wait to see the warmth through your lens!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Celebrate

Weekly Photo Challenge: Wet

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Here in Southern California we’re in the third year of drought conditions…and our normal rainfall is only ten inches annually, so you know it’s dry. So when we get a forecast of rain, it’s an event! Yesterday we were hearing the news of the storm that hit Northern California and watched the clouds begin to gather on our own horizon. I love the drama of the clouds yesterday afternoon along the coast with the lifeguard tower in the foreground.

As promised, rain arrived this morning. The morning commute was quite an adventure with dark clouds and rain making it look almost like nighttime at 7:00am! My windshield wipers raced and my tires created plumes of water as I drove through the rain pooling in large puddles in the street.

And in spite of the leaky roof in my classroom and a rainy day schedule with kids spending their recesses and lunch in the classroom, we had a great day. And we so need the rain! Lucky for all of us, we were able to head outdoors for Friday afternoon Cardio Club…into the sunshine with blue skies in evidence!

After school I couldn’t resist heading toward the beach to take a few pictures of the clouds and sun along the coast. This view is looking south near the mouth of the lagoon.

And even though it hadn’t rained in a few hours, when I arrived at home and opened my car door my eye was drawn to the raindrops on the clover-like grass growing in my lawn. These truly precious wet jewels glistened in the afternoon sun against the green of the grass.

Where do you find the wet in your world? (And I’d love to learn some techniques to take better photos of rain!) It could be on your dishes as you wash them, trickling down that festive holiday cocktail, in your pet’s water bowl, or outside…in your yard, community or the natural spaces around you.

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

So follow the water and find where it pools…what does wet look like through your lens?