Category Archives: Weekly Photo Challenge

Weekly Photo Challenge: Unexpected

Enjoy taking photos? Love to share them with others? Welcome to this week’s photo challenge! (I post a new challenge every week…check in each week and join the fun!)

As I go through my daily life, there are lots of things, places, and people I see every day. And while they are not the same from day to day, they are quite often as I expect. But this week as I looked through my pictures to decide on the weekly challenge, I realized that instead of seeing what I usually see, this week I had opportunities to catch glimpses of the unexpected.

On Sunday I headed off to the lagoon for a walk. My husband usually pushes for the gym, but I am much happier out walking in nature than on the treadmill. The lagoon is filled with native plants and there were lots of lizards scurrying about in the mild sun. I’m used to seeing plants that thrive in a low water environment like the prickly pear cactus. But it was unexpected to see these cactus in full bloom! And what beauty these scaly, spiny plants displayed.

After work on Monday I was trying to convince myself to head the gym (you might notice a theme here–the exercise habit is a hard one for me to establish consistency with!) when I remembered that the tide would be low at the time I was leaving. I rolled up my pant legs and walked along the shore, convincing myself that this would count as exercise. As I left the beach to drive home, I took a look in my mirror and was hypnotized by the beauty of the ocean in the mirror. While this photo doesn’t quite do it justice…you get the idea of my feelings of the unexpected.

Tuesday I had a few minutes before an appointment, so parked and decided to squeeze a quick photo walk and an iced coffee into my schedule. I took photos of some interesting buildings, a mineral water place (unexpected, but not a great photo!), and then I noticed this beautifully painted fire hydrant.

Last night I had a late meeting at school, an information night for my multiage program. We’ve also had a heat wave, complete with scary Santa Ana winds, so when I headed out the door to head home it was still quite warm. I teach in a place where when I walk out my classroom door and head down the hall I have an amazing view of the ocean. But yesterday as I headed toward my car, the sky was painted in oranges and reds as the flaming sun dipped into the Pacific Ocean, creating this gorgeous and unexpected sunset.

And today my students reached the point in a project we are doing that they got to plan and construct the circuits that would light up their art design and writing. I knew the circuits would be tricky for little hands, and while optimistic, I wasn’t sure how successful they would be, at least on their first try with these materials. The first, “It worked!” was both unexpected and amazing…and gives me confidence that this project is within reach for my young students.

So this week’s photo challenge is to pay attention as you go through your daily life and be on the lookout for the unexpected. Or you might look through older photographs with an eye for the unexpected. Post either the photo alone or along with writing inspired by the photo. I also invite you to use others’ photos as inspiration for your own writing and photography. I often use another photographer’s image as “mentor text” for my own photography, trying to capture some element in my own way.

I like to share my images and writing on social media…and I invite you to share yours widely too. (You might consider Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Google+) Use the hashtag #unexpected and include @nwpianthology to make it easy for us to find and enjoy. You can find me on Twitter and Instagram @kd0602. I’d love to follow you if you share your handle.

You can also share your photos and writing by linking to this blog post or sharing in the comment section below. Be on the lookout for the unexpected…who knows what this week’s challenge will bring!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Rule of Thirds

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Enjoy taking photos? Love to share them with others? Welcome to this week’s photo challenge! (I post a new challenge every week…check in each week and join the fun!)

Taking and posting a photo every day is the perfect opportunity for me to not only pay attention to interesting things in the world, but also to work on my skills as a photographer and to improve my craft. There’s lots of factors that influence the outcome of a photo including lighting, angles, backgrounds…and composition. One photography technique that I find helpful is the rule of thirds. (Here’s a short video that explains the technique.) Here are a few examples that I think follow the rule of thirds.

When I headed out to work this morning, this dandelion along the curb near my house shouted for my attention. (Yeah, I know, dandelions are becoming a obsession for me!) I actually took a couple of shots, but I like this one where the dandelion sits along the right third of the photo with my neighbor’s house along the upper horizon.

Last week I was out in my backyard with my macro lens investigating the new growth. I noticed this shrub budding and moved in close. Both the lighting and the green of the bud lay along the lines of thirds, creating an interesting composition.

This odd rusty pipe-like structure at the beach attracted my attention. I shot it from different angles and perspectives, but like this image the best.

And a few weeks ago I was down at Mission Bay watching my nephew’s crew team rowing. I like the way the light lays in the left hand upper third of the photo. I think one of the reasons I enjoy playing with the rule of thirds is because it offers so many options…and produces interesting results.

So this week’s photo challenge is to play around with composition using the rule of thirds. Try one image a few different ways and then post the image you like best. Or sort through some photos you’ve taken recently and see if you can find one that fits the rule of thirds. Any subject you find interesting will work for this week’s challenge. Post either the photo alone or along with writing inspired by the photo. I also invite you to use others’ photos as inspiration for your own writing and photography. I often use another photographer’s image as “mentor text” for my own photography, trying to capture some element in my own way.

I like to share my images and writing on social media…and I invite you to share yours widely too. (You might consider Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Google+) Use the hashtag #ruleofthirds and include @nwpianthology to make it easy for us to find and enjoy. You can find me on Twitter and Instagram @kd0602. I’d love to follow you if you share your handle.

You can also share your photos and writing by linking to this blog post or sharing in the comment section below. Have fun playing with the rule of thirds–I can’t wait to see your compositions!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Small

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Enjoy taking photos? Love to share them with others? Welcome to this week’s photo challenge! (I post a new challenge every week…check in each week and join the fun!)

Small things are often underestimated in our biggest, strongest, fastest focused world. Too often, small gets overlooked or trivialized as merely cute. And yet, when you look closely, small can reveal so much more.

I was out with my macro lens in my backyard yesterday and noticed these tiny weed buds neighboring up to a potted plant. I love the gentle curve of its stem, like a dancer in motion rising from its leafy brethren below.

And then there’s the energy and inquisitiveness that comes through this small hand…the hand of a child who just discovered this bean growing in the school garden. She was excited to taste this morsel, exploring the bounty students planted and nurtured.

And how often do we dismiss or turn in disgust from these small, slimy creatures? I came across this slug on my sidewalk as I ventured out to take a peek at the moon the other night. I nearly missed the small brown creature…or worse, nearly stepped on it!

And sometimes something small is revealed by something larger. This hearty, healthy dandelion emerged from a small crack between the sidewalk and wall. Weeds don’t need much space to grow–they grow where they can, making use of small, often unused spaces.

So this week’s photo challenge is to look for and capture small. Interpret small in ways that work in your context. Small might mean smaller than your palm, or small in relation to something larger than life. Use a macro lens, lean in closely, or maybe even pose your small next to something large. Post either the photo alone or along with writing inspired by the photo. I also invite you to use others’ photos as inspiration for your own writing and photography. I often use another photographer’s image as “mentor text” for my own photography, trying to capture some element in my own way.

I like to share my images and writing on social media…and I invite you to share yours widely too. (You might consider Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Google+) Use the hashtag #small and include @nwpianthology to make it easy for us to find and enjoy. You can find me on Twitter and Instagram @kd0602. I’d love to follow you if you share your handle.

You can also share your photos and writing by linking to this blog post or sharing in the comment section below. I’m looking forward to seeing small through your lens!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Water

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Here’s the week 12 Weekly Photo Challenge prompt for the NWP iAnthology!

Water: essential to life, powerful, relaxing…devastating in excess and in scarcity. It’s a source of entertainment, a source of beauty, a source of energy, and so much more. My go-to image of water almost always has to do with the ocean–probably a side effect of living not too far from the sea. So I had to look further to capture a variety of water images.

Here is one of water flowing down some chutes at a local water conservation garden. I like that this image captures movement and energy.

And here’s another with some movement captured looking into a koi pond not far from my son’s house in the Bay Area. I like the way the bubbles sit on the surface of the water as the colorful fish swim by underneath.

And here is another view of water…where the water isn’t even visible! This is a water tower at a nearby golf course. You can’t actually see the water, but the sight of the tower suggests water. I do wonder if this is the source of water for keeping the golf course green and lush.

And then there is that rare form of water for me…rain. I captured this shot during my morning playground duty on a rainy morning a week or so ago. I love that wetness is not a reason to keep our students in! (You’ll notice it’s wet, but it isn’t actually raining at the time of the photo.)

And of course, I can’t resist one ocean picture! Here is a shot of a surfer riding a wave in Ocean Beach. I took this photo from my vantage on the pier, looking down onto the surfers below. I got a series of shots of this guy…he got quite a ride!

So this week’s photo challenge is to find images of water in any form. They can be natural bodies of water: rivers, streams, puddles. It can be water from a sprinkler, a tap, your pet’s water bowl…you decide! Post either the photo alone or along with writing inspired by the photo. I also invite you to use others’ photos as inspiration for your own writing and photography. I often use another photographer’s image as “mentor text” for my own photography, trying to capture some element in my own way.

I like to share my images and writing on social media…and I invite you to share yours widely too. (You might consider Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Google+) Use the hashtag #water and include @nwpianthology to make it easy for us to find and enjoy. You can find me on Twitter and Instagram @kd0602. I’d love to follow you if you share your handle.

You can also share your photos and writing by linking to this blog post or sharing in the comment section below. Can’t wait to see the watery world through your lens!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Rebel

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Here’s the week 12 Weekly Photo Challenge prompt for the NWP iAnthology!

Although I know that the official definition of rebel has to do with opposition to authority, particularly a government or ruler, I am drawn to small instances of rebellion (yeah, I know, I do take some liberties with language!). When I saw this red bloom amid a sea of yellow blossoms my first thought was…a rebel! One who defies authority and asserts individuality.

Which then reminded me of this photo I snapped of one of my third graders a couple of weeks ago who arrived at school in the morning in this pink fedora. It immediately became a symbol for me…of play and playfulness, and rebellion! I like these small pushes against the status quo and the expectations of how everyone should behave (or dress).

And then, if you follow my blog at all (www.thinkingthroughmylens.wordpress.com), you know that I have had a recent obsession with weeds and a previous fascination with dandelions. When I looked at this image (from my front lawn), I again saw a rebel in the form of a dandelion standing tall above the grass.

So this week’s photo challenge is to find images that represent your concept of a rebel. Small rebellions are great–or even just some push against the status quo as represented by an image. Post either the photo alone or along with writing inspired by the photo. I also invite you to use others’ photos as inspiration for your own writing and photography. I often use another photographer’s image as “mentor text” for my own photography, trying to capture some element in my own way.

I like to share my images and writing on social media…and I invite you to share yours widely too. (You might consider Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Google+) Use the hashtag #rebel and include @nwpianthology to make it easy for us to find and enjoy. You can find me on Twitter and Instagram @kd0602. I’d love to follow you if you share your handle.

You can also share your photos and writing by linking to this blog post or sharing in the comment section below. Maybe we’ll start a movement as we uncover rebels in our midst!

Weekly Photo Challenge 12: Skyline

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Here’s the week 12 Weekly Photo Challenge prompt for the NWP iAnthology! (Here are weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 if you want to look back or go back and participate.)

Skylines, those often recognizable cityscapes of famous places–some we’ve never visited–that hold prominent places in movie vistas and famous photos…but wait! We see skylines all the time! This week I happen to be in our nation’s capitol…Washington DC…with many beautiful skyline views, like this one of the Capitol building.

But you don’t have to be in Washington DC or a big city to see a skyline. Here’s one I see almost daily… Palm trees swaying with the Pacific in the background.

Or you might recognize this one if you follow me on Instagram… This funny tree is often featured in pictures I take of the clouds, sun, or moon…right in front of my house.

Not long ago I spent the day in Los Angeles with my son and happened upon this view of downtown LA from afar.

So this week’s photo challenge is to share photos of skylines that you know intimately or have experienced in your travels. They might be famous and recognizable to the world…or they might only be familiar to those in your neck of the world. Post either the photo alone or along with writing inspired by the photo. I also invite you to use others’ photos as inspiration for your own writing and photography. I often use another photographer’s image as “mentor text” for my own photography, trying to capture some element in my own way.

I like to share my images and writing on social media…and I invite you to share yours widely too. (You might consider Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Google+) Use the hashtag #skyline and include @nwpianthology to make it easy for us to find and enjoy. You can find me on Twitter and Instagram @kd0602. I’d love to follow you if you share your handle.

You can also share your photos and writing by linking to this blog post or sharing in the comment section below. I can’t wait to see the skylines that define important places in your life!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Furry Friends

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Here’s the week 11 Weekly Photo Challenge prompt for the NWP iAnthology! (Here are weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 if you want to look back or go back and participate.)

Children and animals always make great photography subjects. They are somewhat compliant…and they almost always look great in a photo! I’ve noticed, though, that as I’ve taken more photos and learned more techniques to improve my photography craft that my pictures of animals (particularly my cats Phil and Jack) have improved and I’ve captured more interesting pictures.

Lately I’ve shot a few photos of my furry friends as they seek the light. Here’s one of Phil. I love the expression in his eyes and the way the light crosses his face.

And just a few days ago I caught both Phil and jack cuddled into the small square of sun on the floor.

This one of Jack is a distance shot…something I don’t do much of in my photography. I have a tendency to move in close when I take a photograph.

And sometimes I like to play with editing apps to create something different than the usual realistic shot. I worked hard to get a shot of Jack meowing (he yells loudly for his food). I didn’t get the great open mouth, but I like the fun colors here. This filter is in the tadaa app and is called lucy.

So this week’s photo challenge is to share photos of your furry friends. Those furry friends might be those family members who live at your house, wildlife from the yard or the zoo or the farm, or some random animal you see when you are out and about. You get to decide what constitutes furry and friend! Post either the photo alone or along with writing inspired by the photo. I also invite you to use others’ photos as inspiration for your own writing and photography. I often use another photographer’s image as “mentor text” for my own photography, trying to capture some element in my own way.

I like to share my images and writing on social media…and I invite you to share yours widely too. (You might consider Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Google+) Use the hashtag #furryfriend and include @nwpianthology to make it easy for us to find and enjoy. You can find me on Twitter and Instagram @kd0602. I’d love to follow you if you share your handle.

You can also share your photos and writing by linking to this blog post or sharing in the comment section below. I am excited to meet your furry friends through your lens!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Spring

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Here’s the week 10 Weekly Photo Challenge prompt for the NWP iAnthology! (Here are weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 if you want to look back.)

It seems like spring is a tumultuous time of the year, the seasons shifting erratically–not quite sure whether to let go the grip of winter or to emerge into the growth of spring. Even in sunny San Diego, I’m not sure whether to head out in flip flops and a sweatshirt or to pull on my boots and cozy jacket…and sometimes I need both on the same day! But whether it has arrived or not, it seems that we yearn for spring as March progresses. St. Patrick’s day is right around the corner with its show of green and by the end of next week spring will be official.

I find myself wanting to capture images of spring lately. I couldn’t resist buying some daffodils at Trader Joes and then using my macro lens to look closely at the emerging bud.

I did the same with the shamrock plant, focusing in on the small white flowers that decorate the beautiful three-leafed plant.

But I was reminded that it isn’t all buds and blossoms when I walked on the beach and came across this lobster trap tossed up against the rocks in the storm last week. Strong waves wrestled with the anchored traps…as well as the kelp plants holding tight to rocks on the ocean floor, ripping them from their moorings and rearranging the beach.

So this week’s photo challenge is to share photos that conjure spring. It can capture the emerging life or the harshness of winter’s end…or something I haven’t even thought of yet! Post either the photo alone or along with writing inspired by the photo. I also invite you to use others’ photos as inspiration for your own writing and photography. I often use another photographer’s image as “mentor text” for my own photography, trying to capture some element in my own way.

I like to share my images and writing on social media…and I invite you to share yours widely too. (You might consider Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Google+) Use the hashtag #spring and include @nwpianthology to make it easy for us to find and enjoy. You can find me on Twitter and Instagram @kd0602. I’d love to follow you if you share your handle.

You can also share your photos and writing by linking to this blog post or sharing in the comment section below. I am excited to see how you represent spring through your lens!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Round

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Here’s the week 9 Weekly Photo Challenge prompt for the NWP iAnthology! (Here are weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 if you want to look back.)

I just realized that today is Thursday…and I haven’t yet thought about a weekly prompt. I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to attend the DML 2014 conference (Digital Media and Learning) conference in Boston today through Saturday, but it means being off my usual schedule and out of my time zone! It seems like last week’s prompt might have felt like too much of a stretch…which tells me that maybe I needed to offer some more varied examples to create more pathways for you all to find your way and your own interpretation.

So this week I am heading in a different direction and inviting you to find images of round. It might be as deceptively simple as a single raindrop on a dandelion plant.

Or maybe the circle of a hula hoop or the sphere of a basketball on the cart that students use for recess play.

Or maybe even the flat, rounded paddles of the prickly pear cactus.

So this week’s photo challenge is to share a photo that is round is some way. It might just have a hint of roundness or it could be completely spherical…or anything in between. Share a photo (or several) that pictures round in some way. Post either the photo alone or along with writing inspired by the photo. I also invite you to use others’ photos as inspiration for your own writing and photography. I often use another photographer’s image as “mentor text” for my own photography, trying to capture some element in my own way.

I like to share my images and writing on social media…and I invite you to share yours widely too. (You might consider Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Google+) Use the hashtag #round and include @nwpianthology to make it easy for us to find and enjoy. You can find me on Twitter and Instagram @kd0602. I’d love to follow you if you share your handle.

You can also share your photos and writing by linking to this blog post or sharing in the comment section below. I am excited to see how you represent round through your lens!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Culture

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Here’s the week 8 Weekly Photo Challenge prompt for the NWP iAnthology! (Here are weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 if you want to look back.)

If we’re lucky, there are places in our communities where cultural experiences take place. That word culture has lots of different meanings depending on your frame of reference. But commonly, culture has to do with access to music, art, and other learning opportunities.

In San Diego we are lucky to have Balboa Park, a beautiful urban park right in the downtown area. It has many museums, our world famous zoo, a botanical garden and lily pond, international houses, a theatre, an organ pavilion, gardens, a world class restaurant, lots and lots of walking and hiking trails and so much more. It was the site of the Panama-California Exposition in 1915, and is about to celebrate its centennial anniversary.

This iconic fountain is a favorite place for people to meet, to relax, to cool off, to people watch, and to enjoy the outdoors. Even on a rainy day like today (hooray for rain!), you can sense the beauty and specialness of this place. And for me Balboa Park is a cultural experience–whether I am exploring the museums or simply people watching, this is a place where culture is alive and well.

So this week’s photo challenge is to share a photo that represents culture to you. What image stirs up a cultural experience or helps you explore your own culture? Share a photo (or several) that pictures culture in some way. Post either the photo alone or along with writing inspired by the photo. I also invite you to use others’ photos as inspiration for your own writing and photography. I often use another photographer’s image as “mentor text” for my own photography, trying to capture some element in my own way.

I like to share my images and writing on social media…and I invite you to share yours widely too. (You might consider Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Google+) Use the hashtag #culture and include @nwpianthology to make it easy for us to find and enjoy. You can find me on Twitter and Instagram @kd0602. I’d love to follow you if you share your handle.

You can also share your photos and writing by linking to this blog post or sharing in the comment section below. I am excited to see how you represent culture through your lens!