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Weekly Photo Challenge: Up and Down

It’s been a crazy week. We had bright, sunny warm skies on Monday, the sugar high of Valentine’s Day on Tuesday, and as we head into a week off from school (our district calls it Family Week), a storm brewed all day with high winds and expectations of lots of rainfall.

Like the kids, I was excited this morning–after school I was heading off to the airport to catch a flight to see my twin grandsons. But those hopes were dashed when the text came through saying my flight had been canceled. Ugh! I’m feeling the roller coaster of the ups and downs of the week. One look up at the palm trees bordering the school playground made clear why the planes were grounded. The winds are scary today! (But I’m still disappointed that I’m at home for an extra day instead of playing with my sweet babies!)

That view (today right after lunch) makes it hard to believe that this was my view on a walk after school on Wednesday. Blue skies with a pelican in flight…and the greens that we have because of all the rainfall we’ve had this winter. I didn’t even need a jacket as I walked along the shore.

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Looking down as I walk is a requirement when the tides toss the rocks onto shore. There have been huge piles to navigate lately. I couldn’t resist a shot of this seagull “on the rocks” who was clearly unconcerned about me and my camera. He let me get quite close!

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And the sun made our work with cyanotypes possible this week. The kids were excited to experiment with photo-sensitve paper, creating a “sun print” by laying objects on the treated paper and then wearing plastic gloves (a highlight!) to rinse the chemicals away after exposing it to the sun. They learned a lot from their first iteration using natural objects that improved their outcomes with iteration number two. I love the intersections of science and art!

Looking down on my way into my office at UCSD meant this found still life caught my eye. I love the juxtaposition of the pine cone and the dandelion laying on the grass.

I chuckled as I looked up as I headed out of Starbucks with my coffee to notice this dog in the driver’s seat of the car. You never know who you will find driving theses days!

So, this is the week to consider your ups and downs. Look up–what do you see? Look down, what’s there? Or maybe consider mood as your filter for ups and downs rather than a literal glance in the up or down direction.

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

Look up, look down–snap, click, post! Can’t wait to see what you find.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Natural

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One of the things I love most about heading out into the world with my camera is the power it has to help me pay attention to the beauty and the details around me. It’s been wet around here this week–rainy again. As I pulled into a parking place at the university this week, I noticed the leaf debris on the ground as a result of all that rain and was drawn to the natural beauty of the eucalyptus leaves. It was a welcome relief after the hassle of trying to find a parking place!

As the storm moved out, the moon became visible winking above the clouds. I stopped on my way home to find a place high enough to look above the buildings and houses to capture the moon in all its natural brilliance. I was particularly drawn the blues and greens in this shot looking east.

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The moon reminded me that I was also likely to find some low tides–and I was rewarded as I headed to the beach for an afternoon walk. But, while the weather report promised a warming trend, the beach areas were shrouded in fog. (We could watch it wafting in around ten in the morning from the classroom!) But there is something peaceful about walking wrapped in clouds, visibility limited, breathing in the benefits of the damp natural air. It’s like walking in a black and white film, with everything in shades of gray.

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And even as I walked, I could feel the sun penetrating the thick blanket of fog, creating a natural shine reflecting on the water. The low tide reveals so many interesting rock formations–the beach is new each time I walk!

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As I walked again after work yesterday (such a great way to end the work week!), I noticed this sea plant tossed up onto the rocks. Up close the fog doesn’t wash the colors away–you can see the bright red of the plant against the multi-colored sea rocks…a natural still life!

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I’ve been seeing a great white egret over the last couple of weeks. Yesterday, I spied a distinctive white bird in a different part of my walk. I stepped carefully across the natural carpet of algae to get close. I noticed that this white bird was different. Instead of a yellow beak–this one was black…and its feet were bright yellow! A little research led me to its name–a snowy egret! It let me get quite close and snap some shots before it flew off to another part of the beach.

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So, head out with your camera and let what’s natural guide your lens. Of course, you get to decide on the definition and parameters of natural for yourself!

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

What will you find when you focus your lens on the natural? I look forward to seeing what you find.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Out of the Ordinary

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When people think of southern California, images often include sunshine, palm trees and sandy beaches. And while some of that is certainly true, it is also a place that is within easy reach of snowy mountaintops and deserts known for extreme heat and unusual beauty.

Even our usual palms were looking out of the ordinary earlier this week as they stood shrouded in dense fog, turning the sky from its predictable blue to shades of gray. I stopped on my way to work to snap this foggy image with my phone.

Just days earlier we had trekked to the top of our local mountains for a hike in the snow. We weren’t entirely sure we would find snow–it had stormed the previous week, but had been warm and sunny during the week. But our luck held out and we found plenty of snow…and a few other out of the ordinary photo opportunities like this metal watering hole with ice floating in it.

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And this large metal ball-shaped thing. I have no idea what it is or what purpose it serves beyond piquing my curiosity!

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A low tide walk on the beach revealed some out of the ordinary artifacts too. It’s not common to find an entire clam or oyster shell positioned on its hinge in the sand. You can even spy a bit of algae growing on it!

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The classroom is often ripe for out of the ordinary possibilities. Today our friend Janis came to share her passion for taking photos of trash she finds on the beach with our students. She brought bins of color-sorted plastic debris for students to use to create still life arrangements to photograph as part of our study of photography and photographers. The kids loved playing with the trash and created some beautiful and thought-provoking art.

Yesterday we headed out with our devices to try something new photographically. I loved watching students lay down under the play structure to photograph the polka dots they noticed when looking up and the delight on the face of a third grade boy when he managed to shoot down the baseball bat holder and capture the image of the spider in his shot. I noticed this rake hanging on the fence by the dog park…getting close created an out of the ordinary view.

I took a quick beach walk after school today to clear my head and welcome the weekend. The sky was filled with clouds that created interesting textures and colors. But my eye was drawn to the flock of tiny seabirds who moved in unison with the waves. When I got low and focused on them, all the color seemed to drain out of the scene, taking me back to a time of black and white. This out of the ordinary scene is unfiltered and unedited.

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So, head out with your lens and see what you can find that strikes you as out of the ordinary. Perhaps it will be a new vantage on something you see every day or maybe you will turn your head and see something you’ve not noticed before.

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

Take a look around…what will you find when you look for the out of the ordinary?

Weekly Photo Challenge: Weather or Not..

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We returned to school, deep in winter. Flurries of white (paper) mounded as students began their study of snow and inquiry into how to cut hexagonal snowflakes from a square piece of paper. Outside was cold by San Diego standards with students mostly in long pants and surfers in their full wetsuits.

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Weather is rare in these parts. We hear stories of snow and ice across the country and across the state, but here weather changes are subtle. Clouds change the looks of our mostly blue skies, creating opportunities for dramatic photo images.

More common for us is the grayness of fog. Sometimes it’s just the grayness of cloudy skies that obscure the sun. Monochromatic landscapes emerge from the grayness, like these birds in flight near the shore. I am struck by how much this one looks like a painting with the hints of sunset in the background.

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Our oft-promised rain actually materialized this week, giving us a full day cooped up inside the classroom. At UCSD, the fog rolled in with the rain, painting the world white as the sky crouched low to the ground. (And what is better than a polka-dot umbrella to brighten a gray landscape?)

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Arriving home later that evening after a late meeting, the half moon beckoned, daring me to try to photograph it. The result, better than I had hoped (no editing or filter here)…with the palms across the street appearing in the dark photo.

And after the rain, yesterday dawned bright. To cap off the workweek, I headed to the beach for a walk on the beach to clear my head and breathe deeply. I was treated with creamy sun-kissed waves washing up on the shore as the tide crept to its peak. I was reminded of a poem we had studied in class with our students about “bubble and froth.”

“Life is mostly froth and bubble,
Two things stand like stone.
Kindness in another’s trouble,
Courage in your own.”
― Adam Lindsay Gordon

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When I looked up, I noticed the moon again, this time in full daylight. This is the blue sky I am used to, punctuated by the palms on the cliffs above the beach. Sometimes it’s about the weather…and sometimes not.

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So, what will you find when you consider the weather…or not? How does weather impact your choices in photography? Do you choose subjects differently? With weather (or a lack of weather) as your muse, what will you find?

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

How will the weather impact your photography this week? And weather or not it does, be sure to share some of your images!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Best of 2016

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The year is winding down, we can count the hours until the ball drops and 2017 enters. That also makes it a perfect time for reflection…and a bit of curation of this year’s photos. Instagram is helping folks out this year…creating a #2016bestnine collection based on the number of likes your photos got. Interestingly, my best nine according to Instagram did not make my best five I had culled to share here. Don’t get me wrong, I like these photos and I’m excited that they are not all beach photos! There are two images from UCSD, one from Atlanta and one from Tucson…and even one that I stopped my car and took a photo on a street near my neighborhood.

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I actually picked these photos for another reason…as my contribution to Bonnie’s annual year end video compilation (I’ll add the link once she publishes it on her blog). She asked for photos and captions to represent myself. I have found tremendous peace in nature this year, noticing the beauty and experiencing the wonders of the natural world. I love this moss covered branch that I spotted on a walk around the reservoir when visiting my grandsons in the Bay Area earlier this fall.

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“Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.” John Muir

Many of my photos evoke connections to my precious grandsons…three 10 month old boys, sons of my two sons. (You can read about my anticipation of their births here.) I take many photos of them, but none will appear on social media because of my sons’ request that I not post. But I carry them in my mind and heart constantly. When I saw this “found heart” on a prickly pear cactus, I loved the idea of the spines protecting the heart from danger. I’m not sure I have those prickly spines protecting my heart–but I know that I will do anything to protect those sweet boys! (I had them in my arms this week–and am already missing them terribly!)

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I love the ordinariness and simplicity of the dandelion. I’ve taken many photos and written many posts focused on them. This particular dandelion caught my attention as I walked out my front door to head to work one morning. Instead of seeing them as weeds, I think of dandelions as wishes–and possibility. They seem to be an icon of childhood, a symbol of nature’s playfulness.

And it wouldn’t be a best of collection for me without a beach photo…or three! I love the beach all the time, but it is special in the fall and winter when the crowds fall away and the sun’s angles change with shorter days and longer nights. There is a sense of silence amongst the sounds of crashing waves, gusting winds, and calls of birds.

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“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.” Ansel Adams

And there is nothing like a photographic mentor. Studying Adams’ photos helped me figure out how to create the contrast needed for this black and white view of a walk I take regularly. I like the way the lack of color creates a mood just right for the concept of silence.

I do find myself looking at the sky as I walk the beach. There is something about the clouds and the birds that draw my attention. It’s hard to get good photos of birds in flight with my iPhone and even with my Sony since I seldom have the zoom lens on (too limiting for everyday). I do love the crispness of this pelican–even at a distance as it swoops over the waves. It also reminds me of all the photos I am not able to take, which helps me realize that there is more to photography than the photos I take. I see so much more when I’m walking with my camera.

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But there is nothing quite as special as the beach at sunset. This image is from Halloween–my husband’s birthday–and the romantic and peaceful walk we took before heading out to dinner to celebrate him. The colors were spectacular as the sun sunk into the Pacific…and the reflection on the wet sand creates the perfect mirror image. Ahhhh…

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So, take a little time and find your best of 2016 images. You might look back through the whole year…or just the past few months. If you haven’t taken many photos this year, you might just head out with your camera and take a best of today to get yourself started!

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 #bestof2016 for this week and include @nwpianthology in your post.

Share your favorite images this week and create your own #bestof2016. I look forward to seeing the best of 2016 through your lens!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Light

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During these short days, light becomes a focus. And many of the winter holidays include light as an aspect of celebration. There’s something about light that brings out the reflective qualities–those caused by the light, and those internal reflections provoked by the magic of light. As a photographer, light has become an obsession for me. I notice it, but don’t always master all I need to know and do to create the shots I envision.

We’ve had stormy weather here this past week, bringing some much needed rain to our parched earth. I love the period after the storm (or between storm cells) when the sunlight peeks through the dark clouds creating a magical sky view.

Sometimes light becomes quite literal. I noticed these industrial lights when we were at Home Depot picking a Christmas tree. Even though it was mid-day, the light was on. I couldn’t help noticing the brilliant green of the leaves behind it and the bright blue sky.

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With the tree home, we set to work decorating. Sorting out the string of lights is just the kind of job the cats love to help with (Jack is just outside this shot). I like the way the lights glow and reflect on the wood floor.

It was nice to take a break from the cleaning and decorating and shopping for a dinner out with my hubby. As we waited for our pizza at a local brewery, I noticed the lights reflecting off the window. I like the way the inside and outside come together–it was a perfect way to spend a rainy evening.

With a short reprieve before the next rain storm hits later tonight, I squeezed a quick walk on the beach into my schedule. It was as empty on the beach as the roads and stores were full today. I appreciated the quiet of the rush of the waves and the wind in my face as the light played with the clouds and water. This is where I come to think–and to not think.

If you look closely, you can see the pelican. It was soaring and diving, obviously enjoying a pre-storm lunch.

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So, take a look for light in your life. You might find it in holiday celebrations, in nature, or maybe just in a quiet moment of reflection.

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

Share the light in your life this week–literal or metaphoric–I know I am looking forward to light through your eyes, and your lens!

Weekly Photo Challenge: By the Numbers

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It seems that this time of year is all about the numbers. There’s the constant countdown of shopping days, days til the new year, and as a teacher, days until our winter break. Today was that day, the last day of school before the break…and it was a rare rainy day. A day that resulted in a canceled assembly (ours take place outdoors), canceled recesses, indoor lunch (we do not have a cafeteria), and canceled cardio club (a school-wide running club)–which meant that on the last day before a two week break, the kids were in the classroom all day long! Luckily, we had the novelty factor to help us out and we really do need the rain. I can count the rainy days we’re had on one hand! Here’s the view from the library window where we went for a change of pace to read a story.

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I’ve been noticing numbers in other places this week too. A walk at the beach early in the week had me look up and notice this 2 groups of 2 arrangement of pelicans and palm trees. I had fun playing around with the image to layer in some color too.

I also found these three seagulls hanging out in the silvery gray light of a late fall sunset. I’m always excited when reflections are crisp against the shiny shore–it is all about the light!

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And the Christmas lights are in full effect in my neighborhood–and the number of lightbulbs seem uncountable! My neighbor consistently puts on quite a display, with hundreds of lights on display (quite a contrast to my undecorated abode!). I always have fun trying to capture the colors of the light in the darkness–this is the view from my front yard. (Night photography is still a pretty steep learning curve for me!)

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This shot, taken with my iPhone, features one light and one moon as the focal points. I love the Hopper-esque quality of the light in the image. (Think Nighthawks)

And then there’s that tractor making trip after trip, carrying sand from the shore to build up a protective berm along the high tide line. I am continually fascinated when I spot a tractor on the beach…always at low tide, counting the minutes ticking away as the water inevitably rises.

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So, how might your view change if you look by the numbers this week? What are you counting? What is involved in your countdown to the holidays or the new year? What numbers emerge for you?

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

Start counting…or multiplying or subtracting. What will you see when you look at your world by the numbers?

Weekly Photo Challenge: Down to the Ground

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This week’s challenge intersects with #digiwrimo, popping up with leadership from #clmooc-ers, encouraging some collaborative digital play. Last year we created a collaborative photo album called Our Eyes on the Sky, which turned out to be a world tour through skies. To switch it up this year, the theme is Down to the Ground and we’re hoping to create another around the world tour!

With the ground theme in mind, I have also had my eyes to the ground. The tide has been low this week–right after school, so I have had walking opportunities before heading home. With the tide way out, nature’s textures become evident, rippling the sand as the water pools around it.

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Walking at low tide means that rocks and shells are revealed…and my favorite, tiny pieces of tumbled glass. I have found many treasures this week by keeping my eyes to the ground. Here’s my haul from Wednesday.

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Even though dogs are not allowed on the beach, at this time of year it’s not unusual to see a dog or two. (I guess the rules are less stringent in the off season) I noticed these paw prints as I walked the other day.

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I love the light as the sun is setting, and yesterday was no exception. I caught this golden glow with a solitary seagull silhouetted as the sun sunk into the sea. I love the sense of stillness and solitude that comes with walks on the beach–especially in the off season in the early evening. It is really the perfect antidote to everyday stresses.

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Today as I walked, I noticed the seagulls gathered, basking in the warmth of the setting sun. As people walked near, they began to fly–high enough to feel safe, but not high at all. They simply skimmed the ground, flying less than a foot from the surface of the sand. I always love when I can catch the wings in a perfect flying formation (and the shadow is a bonus!).

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And believe it or not, I don’t spend my life at the beach. I spend most of every day in my classroom surrounded by children. In preparation for a field trip next week, we headed to our school library to practice taking inspiration from our surroundings…and the words we found on book spines. I found this student sprawled on the ground, focused on writing, inspired by her surroundings! I can’t wait to head off to the Children’s Museum to see how play and art will inspire our students’ writing!

My grandsons (can you believe they are 9 months old already?) will arrive at my house right after Christmas…I can’t wait! In preparation (and because the car can’t hold all the equipment the twins will need), baby things are arriving. Phil and Jack (our cats) moved right into this huge box that held a couple of pack and plays.

So, this is your week to get down the ground and explore those things that are low and close to the earth (or the floor). You are welcome to share in the usual ways…and feel free to add your image to our collaborative photo album (you can find the link above).

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

So look down…and all around. What will you find when your eyes are down to the ground?

Weekly Photo Challenge: Gratitude

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Taking time to appreciate all the blessings in my life should be a daily practice…and in many ways it is. But Thanksgiving is also a time to push that pause button and take time to express gratitude in more visible and public ways.

I am grateful for so many people…and at this time of year, particularly for my NWP colleagues who stimulate my thinking and push me out of my comfort zone. This year I was lucky enough to wake up in Atlanta, GA and experience the sun rising (3 hours earlier than at home) from the window of my hotel room. I’m still thinking about so much that was generated by sessions, conversations, and interactions at the National Writing Project Annual Meeting.

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I am grateful that I live in a place where protest is a way to express your point of view, your displeasure, and a way to call others to action. I love this art piece on display at the Civil and Human Rights Museum in Atlanta made entirely of string, bringing attention to the Dakota Access Pipeline.

And later that same day, I also watched a moving mass of people chanting and marching to express their “love trumps hate” message.

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I’m grateful for friends who are willing to spontaneously board a ferris wheel walking back from dinner, feeding my photography habit with beautiful views of the city punctuated with snippets of conversation that bring us closer together as we rotate high in the sky.

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I’m grateful for the luxury of coffee and wandering my own city…just because we can. I know that walking brings me peace and creates space for thinking and I’m grateful for my husband who willingly walks miles and miles with me, sometimes in complete silence.

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I’m grateful for access to beautiful beaches to wander and wonder at nature’s masterpieces. I love catching nuances in light, creating unexpected effects like this photo of three seagulls.

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And the opportunity to get up close and personal with a great white egret as it fishes in the pools at low tide.

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I’m grateful for local businesses and eateries that bring the quaintness and culture to our community. We’ll probably have to head out again on #shopsmallsaturday–not that anything could keep us away from places like Juanitas Taco Shop in Leucadia!

I’m grateful for my expanding family–even when I don’t get to spend Thanksgiving with them! I desperately missed my three baby grandsons on their first Thanksgiving (and their moms and dads too). But I am grateful for the perfect hike in the Torrey Pines State Reserve…and later dinner with my husband, parents, sister, and nephew (even though we have yet to find a restaurant that serves anything close to the yumminess of my husband’s cooking). I felt like finding this heart-shaped cactus fruit was a talisman of the love and bounty I experience. I hope sharing it brings those same feelings to you too.

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Gratitude…my heart is full. Even when things feel hard, a quick flip though my photos reminds me of so much I have to be grateful for. Why not take a few minutes and either flip through your photos or head out and take a few that express some of your gratitude during this season of reflection?

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

Take a break from holiday shopping (is it that time already?) or from your everyday routines and take some time to express your gratitude through photos. What are you grateful for?

Weekly Photo Challenge: Time

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Time: a precious commodity, one that there is never enough of…unless you are waiting for something, and then it slows to a crawl!

Time has been on my mind all week. We started with the time change from daylights savings time to standard time. It should feel like a treat as we have the opportunity to “fall back” and gain the hour that we gave up in the spring. But with the time change comes early dark, with the setting sun before 5pm each day.

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And along with early dark comes more opportunities to notice the wonders of the night sky…even while doing errands like running to Trader Joe’s for groceries.

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Or walking out the door in the afternoon and noticing the sun dipping below the palms in the distance (and playing with some apps to magnify the effect).

This is also the time of year when time seems to get swallowed up…by assessments and report card writing and parent/student/teacher conference after conference. And inevitably, I get sick. Add to it the elections and the divisive politics–the outcome makes me feel voiceless. Predictably, being sick at this time results in laryngitis. I’m sure there is a message there from my body!

The weather is also confused and decided to take a turn back to summer. With coastal temps in the 80s and 90s,it sure doesn’t feel like Thanksgiving and the winter holidays are right around the corner! There was this stray leaf on the sidewalk…reminding me of the time of the year in spite of the heat!

I’m glad I also took some time to play and headed to LA for the Veteran’s Day holiday to spend time with my son, daughter-in-law, and grandson. A trip to the LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) was just what the doctor ordered! I love these fluorescent lights as art…

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And even though I haven’t seen a single one of Guillermo del Toro movies, I enjoyed the exhibit of his creative processes and monsters that were larger than life. A great way to spend time away from work and politics.

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So, consider the way(s) time is being played out in your life this week. How are you spending your time? Is time flying or crawling? How will you represent the elusiveness of time in a photo (or a series of 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 #time for this week and include @nwpianthology in your post.

How will you represent time this week? Will you take a literal approach and photograph clocks (now I’m starting to want to create a collection of clock photos!) or show time in other ways? Grab your camera…I can’t wait to see time through your lens!