Category Archives: Weekly Photo Challenge

Weekly Photo Challenge: Organic

In a place where clear blue skies are the norm, clouds are a novelty. Puffy white clouds catch my eye, drawing it upward. There is something about the organic nature of these floating shapes that captures my imagination. I find myself taking photo after photo, like this one of the clouds reflected in the windows of the buildings at our local university.

Or this one that makes if feel as if you are walking on clouds.

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I know that clear skies create perfect sunsets, but there is something about clouds that give dimension and the unexpectedness of organic designs to the colors and reflections of the setting sun. Halloween is my husband’s birthday, and this year also included a perfect low tide for a sunset beach walk punctuated with organic streaks and shine.

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And when the sky isn’t enough, there are many organic treasures revealed by the sea. With low tides all week, the ocean revealed rocks covered in these organic skeletons. I’m not sure exactly what they are, but I love the textures.

And I always feel rich when I come across a sand dollar, especially one that is mostly whole. I love the simple design, almost like a delicate pencil sketch.

And then there is the human form, organically represented in these clay skulls arranged in alters celebrating ancestors in honor of Dia de los muertos found in our meeting room at UCSD last weekend.

My students are currently fascinated with rocks and minerals as we’ve dived deeply into the study of geology. Today’s “museum” featured a specimen from each student and created an organic opportunity for some interesting informational writing (I plan to feature some of that writing in a future post). Here’s one of nature’s organic beauties.

So look up, look around, maybe even catch a reflection of something organic. What’s catching your eye because of it’s organic quality?

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

Head out with your camera in search of organic…will you represent it through the natural world? Express an organic idea? Explore the intersection of organic and geometric? Take the prompt wherever it leads you and share your photos with us!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Shine

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This week I’m borrowing the prompt from the folks over at the Daily Post since so many of my photos this week fit their theme: shine.

I had such a busy weekend last weekend–happily playing with my twin 7 month old grandsons. We purposely took a late flight back to maximize the precious time we have with them, getting home near midnight on Sunday. That meant that the alarm on Monday morning came sooner than I would have liked. Surprisingly, I had plenty of energy at work and set out for a beach walk afterward.

The tide was low after work this week, creating perfect conditions for long walks. Monday was cloudy–we’d had misty conditions during the school day. Not enough to keep the kids in, but enough to wet the ground and make us feel a bit soggy outdoors. When I arrived at the beach, I could see the shine of the sun in the distance, reflecting on the water, almost like there was a portal above.

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Further down the beach, I came across an algae covered reef, exposed by the very low tide. I started thinking about the way the algae creates the fall colors that others usually see in the foliage of trees–this really is fall on the beach–browns and oranges along with the blues of the sky reflecting in the shine of the water.

As the week warmed up, the sun made itself more prominent. You can see its shine peeking through as I leaned in to capture this shot of the tree roots. I was thinking about how they remind me of feet and toes in the sand.

I noticed that the sun and light kept changing this week. The days are getting shorter, affecting the trajectory of the sun, making the shine feel more diffuse and muted. This shot reminds of the light of those “endless summer” surfing posters. Maybe when you can walk on the beach barefoot and in a sleeveless top in the fall, it is endless summer (if you look closely at the surfer, you’ll see he’s in trunks rather than a wetsuit)!

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I love it when light shines in a way that creates a mirror-like reflection. You can see this seabird has a colorful reflection in the wet sand.

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Things felt a bit less shiny when I spied this seagull with the plastic baggie. The amount of plastic that ends up in and near the beach is staggering, even when people make an effort to reduce their use and pick up trash. The beach I walk is pretty clean…and even though I got close enough to take the photo, this bird was not letting me get a hold of his treasure!

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Yesterday’s walk was near sunset–that magical time when the light shines softly, creating a wonderful glow. I noticed this surfer sitting on her board watching her friend head into the water. I like the way the sun shines on her face, while everything else has a soft glow.

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By the time I got back to where I began my walk, the sun was just about down, replacing the bright shine with an orange glow. And I was lucky enough to catch a green flash in the moment the sun set into the ocean…confirmed by the cheers that went up by the other sunset watchers!

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So, where are things shining in your life this week? What shine catches your eye? Although my examples of shine are from outdoors, I can imagine plenty of shine indoors as well.

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

Thanks Nancy Thanki and the folks at Daily Post for the inspiration this week…and feel free to share your shine with them too! I’m looking forward to seeing all the shine that catches your eye this week.

Weekly Photo Challenge: #whyiwrite

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Next week, on October 20^th, we have the opportunity to celebrate the beauty and power of writing through the National Day on Writing–an initiative supported by NCTE and the National Writing Project. For me, writing and photography have much in common. They are ways to compose my understanding of the world.

Sometimes it is all about paying attention to the world around me, leaning in, and looking my surroundings in the eye. It might result in the magic of an image of a seagull looking closely…at me! I find myself wondering about how it feels to float on an air current, about the social life of seagulls, about where seagulls sleep and nest. And that gets me thinking about my life and dreams and how to keep them aloft.

Both writing and photography help me appreciate my world and experiences more deeply. Documenting the beauty around me keeps me paying attention to the subtle changes in seasons, moods, colors, weather, and more. They force me out of my usual routines as I pull off the freeway on my way home to spend a few minutes gazing at the vibrant oranges of the setting sun. I slow down and breathe…and am grateful for the life I have.

I write with words and pictures to play. Just like the perfect word can transform an idea in an essay, a filter or app can transform an image in a photo. My latest favorite app has been Prisma, it applies some formula from art (like the Scream by Munsch) that recolors your photograph in interesting ways. I used it the other day on this photo of a lifeguard tower…and I love the results!

My camera and pen help me see the ordinary in new ways. Even though I see this tree in my front yard several times a day every day, through the lens of my camera I notice the blue of the sky, the lone blossom (blooming in the wrong season), the moon or the sun peeking through… The opportunity to re-vision the ordinary changes my perspective and opens up new possibilities.

Documenting learning is another reason why I write and photograph. I love to capture my students at work, and it’s especially helpful to have that documentation to help me recall the details for blog posts or articles. This week my students were designing structures out of marshmallows and toothpicks to withstand an earthquake. After testing their design on a Jello earthquake, they tried additional iterations based on the feedback from the test.

Composing gets me to pay attention to framing, light, structure…all of those choices I make as I write and photograph. I find myself looking for the way light plays with color…and I love the way the late afternoon sun shines on my dining room table. I find myself buying flowers for the table just to watch the sun play with them in the afternoon.

The word photography means writing with light…and I do love to write with light! When I head out with my camera I search for images that provoke my thinking, that please my eye, that inspire me to write and share. I also study my own images in order to improve them, to understand better the angles and light and framing that “work” and those that aren’t quite what I hoped for. I do go back to familiar places again and again with camera in hand, to revise and re-envision, to gain understanding and make meaning of the world I inhabit.

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So, why do you write…with light, with pencil, on the computer, with paint or yarn or fabric (or in any other media)?

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

Explore your own reasons for writing (with light) and share them with us this week as we join in with others celebrating the National Day on Writing. I can’t wait to see #whyiwrite through your lens!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Texture

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Life is full of texture, the sense of depth and variation that makes it seem as if our eyes can feel the smoothness, the roughness, and the differences in surfaces that we usually notice with our fingertips.

Tonight’s sunset is a perfect example. Driving home from the Digital Media and Learning Conference (DML), I couldn’t help but notice the ways the setting sun interacted with the clouds along the coast. Luckily, the rest area right off the freeway overlooks the ocean, so a quick stop when I was almost home allowed me to catch the sunset up close and personal–the perfect opportunity to enjoy the texture of the colors of the sun and the clouds as it dipped into the sea.

Other days, the texture is apparent in the lack of color. This week was filled with low tides at times that corresponded with the end of my work day. As I walked and watched the seabirds frolic and eat along the exposed shore, my camera captured the texture of the silvery waves, bird silhouettes, and shadows, turning the photo to black and white without the use of a filter.

Last weekend the light was just right to capture the glassy smoothness of the clouds reflected on the wet sand. This photo feels smooth and shiny, like I could turn the photo over and the same image would be visible.

While in Los Angeles visiting with my grandson, I found texture in lights. I was surprised to find a chandelier hanging in the middle of a street. The layers of wires and lights create a feeling of texture–I imagine what this would look like lit up in the dark!

Nearby, at the Museum of Neon Art, I watched these lights in constant movement, creating a texture and depth that the still photo just can’t capture. I love the idea that light also creates texture.

And then there’s pomegranates. Smooth on the outside, unless you look into the star-shaped end. I love the way the macro lens allows me to see the filaments where the fruit once bloomed.

Today marks the day that I learned to knit–at a digital media conference–as a way of learning about math! In less than 40 minutes I learned how to use knitting needles to create this swatch of a yarn textile. I can’t wait to bring this back to my students!

Drought resistant plants often have an interesting texture. This tiny bloom was surrounded by the kinds of leaves that preserve moisture and are common in southern California. The actual bloom is probably the size of my pinky fingernail!

So, take a look around. What texture do your eyes detect? What looks smooth? What looks bumpy or rough? Do colors create texture? What textures do you find in an absence of color?

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

Where will you find texture? Head out and investigate the textures we usually notice with our fingertips…what textures will your eyes “feel?” Be sure to snap a few photos and share the textures you notice through your lens.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Signs

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I’ve been noticing signs lately. Not those metaphorical signs like falling leaves or the proliferation of pumpkin flavored foods and drinks in the local Trader Joe’s (although I’ve seen those too), but actual signs that give information in one way or another.

I love these vintage-style signs that many communities in San Diego have. Yesterday I happened by the Carlsbad sign right after sunset, while the sky was still pink and yet the lights of the sign were visible. I took this one through the car window (and no, I wasn’t driving!).

Not far from this sign I also saw a sign specifically for walkers. This struck me as unusual since so many of our signs are geared to automobile traffic.

And I was surprised by the kindness meters I came across the other day that seem to be encouraging passersby to donate to charity. I wonder how effective these are…most of us don’t really love to “feed” a parking meter!

I was struck by the warning sign I see everyday down the street near the mailboxes. After an excruciatingly hot day (100 degrees on the coast!) on Monday, this warning seemed so tame in comparison!

I love to play around with ways to frame signs, trying to create interesting and unexpected compositions. In this one you can see the sign on the restaurant peeking out behind this robust succulent.

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In Tucson in August, we ducked into the macaroni and cheese dive for a quick bite before we headed to the airport. I liked the backwards view of the signage painted on the window.

And who can resist a neon sign? I was lucky enough to come across this one at night when it was brilliantly lit.

I started to think about what makes a sign a sign. Are they always word dependent? Or is it about the message the viewer takes away? I’m not sure if this is a light fixture or a bug zapper, but it certainly caught my interest in a local taco shop. Do the skate/surf stickers qualify as signage?

So, this is your week to be on the lookout for signs. What signs do you come across as you go about your day? Which ones have you stopped noticing become they have become commonplace? Which grab your attention day after day after day? Which will you notice only because you are now looking for signs?

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

Start looking for signs…and snap a shot or two to share with the rest of us. What will catch your attention…I can’t wait to see signs through your lens!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Finding Fall

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Today is the first day of fall…according to the calendar. Seasons aren’t prima donnas in these parts. They don’t demand a lot of attention. In fact, seasons are subtle, making their entry is small, sometimes overlooked ways.

A predicted heatwave over the weekend never materialized on the coast. When we headed to the beach for walk late Sunday afternoon, instead of heat we were greeted with damp, gray mist. It was warm, but not your picture perfect beach weather. That didn’t bother the seabirds though. They were out enjoying the low tide and the emptiness of the beach now that the tourists have mostly left town (for now). I couldn’t resist this little fellow with its foot in action and its crisp reflection visible on the sand.

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I like the mood the fogginess brings to the beach. It brings the world in a bit closer and adds that fall-like mystery. I wasn’t feeling like I do in the summer, escaping from the heat and relishing the sun on my shoulders. Instead, I was noticing the cool and reveling in the emptiness of the wide open space in front of me.

Surprisingly, Tuesday brought rain! (Remember, average rainfall for us is about 10 inches annually…and we’ve been in a severe drought for several years now.) The sky was beautiful in the morning, with the dark blue skies and thick layers of clouds. It was definitely a sign that we would have a rare weather episode!

It did end up raining a good part of Tuesday and into Wednesday morning. We were loving sandals and skirts and sleeveless tops in the warm, balmy rain. Our students showed up in rain boots and jackets–I guess you deal with being too warm when you have so few opportunities to sport your rain wear!

A trip into the backyard yesterday afternoon had me thinking about fall! I noticed the unusual pools of water filled with the seed pods that fall from the tree.

And the brilliant red of the Japanese maple shouting at me to pay attention to the impending change of season.

I’ve never noticed these seed pods before but I love the gold, tan, and black–neutrals that remind me of fall.

And I’m noticing the light changing as the days get shorter. The lowering sun was making this dandelion glow. I decided to mess around with it in prisma to see what effects I might get. I like the way this one captures the glow and the textures of the plant.

So, what will you notice when you set out to find fall? Maybe you’ll find the traditional colorful leaves dressing the trees in brilliant colors or maybe like those of us in these parts, you’ll have to pay closer attention and look for more subtle seasonal changes. Or maybe you’ll find fall indoors, or through the food you eat, or in some other way!

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

Grab your camera and head out in search of fall. Don’t feel confined to iconic images of fall foliage–embrace what you find! What does fall look like when you look for subtle, often overlooked evidence? I’m looking forward to seeing what you capture when finding fall through your lens!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Fighting the Blahs

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Some weeks my photography feels uninspired. I simply don’t have the opportunities to get out and find the inspiration that bring photos to life for me. But I’m determined to keep up my practice of taking daily photos…so out of the blahs, here’s a few shots that keep me going.

Scouting out some local hiking places meant an excursion into a nearby place we hadn’t previously explored. I love our native plants for many reasons–their drought tolerance, their earthy smells, and their resilience. But they aren’t always beautiful in that ornate, photo-ready way. I do love the old oaks in our area, especially when the sun shines through them.

A closer look at one of the smaller coast live oaks revealed acorns! I love this one that reminds me of Halloween candy corn!

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If you pay close attention, you will also notice the insect life around. Swallowtail butterflies are pretty common in the area…and this guy even sat still long enough for this portrait.

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And I couldn’t resist this web built into the corner of the fencing along a portion of the trail. I love the way that it is tucked into the corner, creating a lacy effect. I didn’t see a spider…and this looks like it may have abandoned.

It was disturbing to see these dead palm trees in the distance. We learned that they have been intentionally poisoned as part of an effort to restore this preserve area to its native state. The palms are an invasive species and removing them will bring back native plants…and the ecosystem that native birds and other animals need to support them.

And a trip to the local mall offers an antidote to the blahs. There’s a lot of construction going on as the mall is updated to better accommodate the growth in the area. The cranes particularly caught my eye…along with the way the sunlight was streaming down towards them.

So…how might you use photography to fight the blahs…or adjust your eye to fight the photography blahs? You might have to force yourself to start snapping and trust that something interesting will come up. I try hard to remind myself to take at least one photo every day–even when I don’t feel inspired! (Hence the construction photo!)

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

Head out with your camera and take some shots…you’re bound to find something interesting and that will help with fighting the blahs. And in the process, you might learn something about the place you live, the people around you, or even about yourself and the way you look at photos! Fight your blahs this week…and share a few shots with us!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Best of Summer

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With Labor Day right around the summer, it’s time to step back, reflect, and curate some of those summer gems!

Some of my favorite images from the summer come from our trip to the Pacific Northwest, outside of Seattle. There’s this wonderful town called Sequim that boasts a lighthouse accessible only at low tide. And even though we didn’t time our visit to allow for the (long) walk the lighthouse and back, my zoom lens let me capture this view from a distance. I’m in love the with monochromatic effect featuring all the shades of blue.

And this is the same area where we glimpsed several bald eagles. These magnificent birds were not easy to photograph, but I fell in love with this one perched on a piling recognizable by its distinctive white head.

Back at home I continued my practice of taking regular walks on the beach. This hasn’t been a particularly warm summer–in fact there were many days when the marine layer kept the sky gray all day. I noticed this seagull on one of my walks with its head tucked in. Since the day was already so gray, I played around with black and white making the seagull and the shadow even more the focal point of the photo.

Living in a place that others travel to creates opportunities for “happening” upon special events like the Switchfoot Bro-Am surfing contest and concert at our local beach. We enjoyed exploring the exhibits on the beach, listening to the opening band of young teens, and watching the surfers paddle out to compete. We were even lucky enough to watch a local favorite, Rob Machado, in action!

I love it when I’m fortunate enough to capture the quirkiness of beach life in an interesting photo. I noticed these wetsuits laying up along the seawall as I walked not long ago. When I saw them I couldn’t help thinking of snakes, leaving their empty skin behind when they shed. I like that you can see the flatness of the wetsuits against the depth of the stairs. I took this picture as I walked one direction, and when I walked back passing this place again, they were gone. Sometimes it’s all about timing!

And no set of “best of” photos would be complete without a food shot. My favorite of the summer is this shot of Geoff’s homemade beignets and cafe au lait…a wonderful treat of a breakfast on a lazy summer weekend! The overhead shot captures the contrast of light and dark–perfectly fried southern “doughnuts” awash in powdered sugar, yum!

I ended my summer with some work in Tucson, AZ and managed to squeeze in a few photos before and after the long days of work. The University of Arizona campus is an interesting one and the building I was in had many interesting architectural features. I captured this unedited image of the endless corridor with brick walls.

And who can resist the natural beauty of our National Parks? We discovered that Tucson is home to Saguaro National Park, a place where the majestic Saguaro cactus grows abundantly. I loved seeing these tall cacti up close, I’ve read many books and taught many children about these unique and special plants. The monsoonal rain clouds and setting sun create the perfect backdrop for Saguaro silhouettes.

So, here’s an invitation to take a walk down memory lane and relive a bit of your summer. Take some time to curate your summer photos and pick one or two (or more) to share as your gallery of “Best of Summer” photos.

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 #bestofsummer16 for this week and include @nwpianthology in your post.

And if you haven’t yet taken those summer photos yet–no problem! Head out with your camera and get snapping…don’t forget to share your best of with the rest of us!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Night

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Night is a challenge for me as a photographer. I have a tendency not to be out taking pictures at night…and when I am, I realize the challenges that night photography poses. Last night, on a flight to Tucson I had the opportunity to sit in a window seat. I realize that I often fly during the day, so once I was seated my eye was drawn to the lights against the dark of the night sky. And as I snapped photos of San Diego from the air, I noticed the moon, nearly full, casting a glow on the water below.

And every time I try to take night photos, I realize how slowly the shutter closes in low light. And the slowness means that it’s easy to create blurs, even with the slightest of movement. So from a plane, blurs become quite prominent. I love the fun abstraction of this image taken as we landed in Tucson.

So of course, when I saw this one, I had to try another as we taxied toward our gate.

Before that, up in the air, I was treated to an amazing light show. I watched an electric storm light up the clouds like fireworks in the distance. Since I wasn’t able to get a photograph because of the darkness, I decided to try my hand at some video. And while it isn’t perfect, you do get to see the beauty of the lightening lighting up the sky. I know I should figure out how to strip the sound of the aircraft and add some music or something…maybe one of you can give me suggestions for how to best do that!

Once we flew away from the storm, the lights of the city began to appear in the distance. And as we got closer and began to fly lower, my picture was less blurry and abstract. I also suspect that the plane’s light, that seems to come on at a certain altitude, helped give more light to my lens to make the shutter speed a bit faster.

After renting a car and heading out of the airport, I just had to take a photo of the iconic saguaro cacti, especially when I noticed the full moon behind them. My husband was nice enough to pull over so I could get out to take a few pictures of these magnificent plants.

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So, try out a little night photography this week. What happens when the light is low? What light will you capture when the sky is dark? You don’t need an airplane for this exploration, you can try looking out the window of your house…or maybe even standing outside looking in!

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

So head out into the dark of night with your camera (or phone) in your hand. What will you find with night as your lens? I can’t wait to see what you find!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Climb

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I live at sea level so you wouldn’t think I would have much opportunity to climb, but as I’ve been noticing this week, there is elevation all around.

To even get to the beach there is always a climb–usually down to get to the shore and then the challenging climb back up. This ramp is a familiar one for me as it leads to the parking lot at the beach I frequent most. And it’s a steep one! (I always think of it as a good cardio routine as I trek up and down.) I took this picture on a day I was noticing light and shadow and the ways that they played with the railings and the plants growing nearby.

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On an early morning walk earlier this week I felt lucky to see the sun burning through the clouds and peeking over the houses as it climbed higher in the sky after plenty of summer gloom along the coast. I know there is a rule of photography about not shooting into the sun, but I kinda like the effect…so I keep doing it!

Kites climb high along the beach too with plenty of breeze to keep them aloft. I’m consistently surprised to find that it is adults who fly kites…although they sometimes have a child alongside helping them out!

Seabirds are fascinating to watch and I see most of them scurrying along the shore in search of food with their long beaks. But pelicans fit into a class all their own. These huge birds are graceful flyers who climb to great heights and also go low, barely skimming the surface of the waves. They dive into the sea scooping fish into their bucket-like beak and then climb into the sky with amazing speed and strength. My photos don’t even begin to capture all that I see as watch these magnificent birds.

And then there are the stairs all along the cliffs. Some seem to start and end nowhere, relics of a time when they were the access to the beach. But mostly these interesting staircases are symbols of exclusive beach access from the multimillion dollar homes perched on the edge of the cliffs. This steep staircase, with a gate at the bottom seemed to climb right into the sun when I noticed it yesterday.

And these cement steps seem to anticipate the rise and fall of the sand and water as they currently sit far above the ground. I wonder if they came before or after the wooden stairs?

So what does it look like to climb where you are? Are there stairs or mountainsides? The sun or moon climbing into the sky? Does it involve birds, or children, or something else?

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

Take a look around for something to climb or take a look at something that’s climbing. Be sure to share your climb with the rest of us!