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Weekly Photo Challenge: Close to Home

It’s hard to believe that the summer is coming to a close. And even though I work during the summer, this last week has been filled with those beginning of the school year meetings and classroom preparation. All of that has kept me close to home, squeezing a few photos in here and there, mostly using my trusty phone as camera.

As I checked out our classroom garden bed in front of the classroom, I noticed the native milkweed has started to take off and the tropical milkweed is still going strong. There weren’t any monarchs or caterpillars around, but I did noticed this tiny snail crawling on the plants. (I did play around with prisma a bit, trying to create more color contrast to make the snail “pop.”)

And then of all crazy things, my husband and I decided to go to a concert on a Tuesday night! We are lucky to have this wonderful concert venue in town that is smallish and is outdoors. I caught a glimpse of the sun going down in the distance as we headed to the amphitheater.

It is such a treat to sit outdoors in the comfortable late-summer evening, listening to good music…and even singing along. We saw Melissa Etheridge and Pat Benatar…two great shows in one! It was fun playing around with trying to capture the action, distance, and lighting (this is unedited).

Yesterday, to end my work week, I grabbed my camera (Sony a6000) and headed to the beach for a quick mental health break on my way home. The tide was high, so the beach was narrow, but there were still plenty of people enjoying the water and sand. These sneaky seagulls found an apple…probably someone’s unattended snack and managed to carry it to the water’s edge. They were having quite a party–snatching a bite, keeping an eye out for people and other seagulls, then heading back in for another bite. At one point one of the seagulls picked the whole apple up, spread its wings and moved it down the beach. It was quite a show!

I see this rock pretty regularly as I walk down the beach. D and T must be quite committed to showing their love to have spent the time to carve it so deeply in this sandstone. I do wish they would have considered a way to show their love that didn’t mar the natural beauty of the beach! You can see that my walk was shortened–there was no way to get around that corner ahead without getting wet!

But the short walk was a perfect way to shift from preparing the classroom to coming home to enjoy a weekend of relaxation before the kids arrive on Monday. And I couldn’t resist a shot of the ordinary–the railing along steep ramp up to the parking lot with the puffy white clouds in the blue sky.

So, what are you noticing close to home? What might you capture with that phone in your pocket? What do you see on that daily walk, at the corner park, or even from your car window (not when you are doing the driving!)?

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

You don’t have to venture far this week, what will you discover close to home? I can’t wait to see what you find through your lens!

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!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Infinity

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Some weeks my photos zoom in close, capturing details and vivid colors. This week, however, my lens took the long view–seeming to reach for infinity. Even walking those familiar steps up and down the beach, when I look out I see the infinite horizon, the ocean stretching and reaching as far as the eye can see.

The intricacies of blues and greens that reach up to touch the blues of the sky add to that feeling of infinity. Where does the ocean end and the sky begin?

And I do spend some time looking up, noticing the changing shapes of the clouds, the subtleties of the blues and grays, and the birds soaring above my head.

Today it was a kite that got my attention, spiderman floating in the sky above the beach.

Of course, there is also the seemingly endless supply of people on the beach now that we are in the heart of the summer. (And this was taken late in the day, well past the peak of beach attendance!)

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Infinity isn’t only present on the beach. I noticed the infinite quality of the light as it poured through the leaves of the pepper tree, and the infinite quantity of these tiny leaves that seem to go on forever.

So take a look around, what does infinite look like through your lens? Will you find it in the endless line of traffic or time that seems to go on forever? Will nature show you infinity or can you find it in your kitchen? As always, it’s up to you to interpret infinity 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 #infinity for this week and include @nwpianthology in your post.

Take the long view this week as you look around at the infinite possibilities around you. How will you document what infinity means to you? I can’t wait to find out!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Sound

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I tend to be drawn to silence, those quiet spaces where my mind can wander while my feet move. But it’s summer in San Diego, crowds gather and space becomes a premium. The sounds of the waves are dwarfed by the screams of delight as kids rush into the cool, salty waves, families laughing and talking over chips and sandwiches, and the loudspeaker of the lifeguards reminding swimmers to stay in the zones deemed safe from the dangerous rip currents.

But early in the morning, the quiet remains. The beach is mostly empty, wide open for exploration and introspection. Damp morning air kisses my cheeks as my feet delight in the almost warm summer surf. (I did say almost–probably not warmer than 68 degrees!)

I notice others who revel in the sounds of the morning beach too. A seagull tucks his head as I appreciate the mirror-like effect of the wet sand.

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I wonder about the sounds the surfers hear as they ride the waves. Are their ears filled with the whoosh and roar of waves and water? Or is there an exquisite quiet that happens when the waves wash away sounds from the shore?

And what is the sound of dilemma? Rock or surf or smile? You pick which direction to head!

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I can hear the sounds of conversation in these windows, fun artistic silhouettes I found in these warehouse buildings.

So…take a look around for sounds. Sounds of silence, of delight, of pain, of loneliness, of summer–you decide.

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

Listen with your eyes this week–what sounds do you hear and how will you represent them in your photographs? Be sure to share…I can’t wait to hear your sounds with my eyes!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Appreciating the Ordinary

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Some weeks just don’t lend themselves to extraordinary photography. Now I’m not complaining about my week–it’s been fun and busy, with lots of writing and thinking as we complete week two of our 4-week SDAWP Summer Institute.

Sunsets are not always a sure thing here on the coast–night and morning low clouds can interfere with sun sightings. Last weekend, we decided to risk it and headed to the beach near sunset. We were treated to some pretty orange as the sun dipped low. If you look closely you might noticed the pelicans in the upper left corner flying through the frame.

It’s not unusual to see these flying billboards–banners attached to small planes that buzz the coastline mostly advertising alcoholic beverages. I noticed these two different planes flying by and saw that they would cross paths right overhead. They were not dangerously close, but I’m glad they were paying attention to each other!

We’re pretty fortunate that the beach we frequent is mostly free of garbage in spite of the heavy usage, especially in the summer. Balloon trash is pervasive though. This balloon looks to have been around for awhile–with most of the words worn off. The #Litterati movement (and my friend Janis) reminds us to pick up trash where we find it and dispose of it properly. I love the sky and the sea in this unfiltered photo, there’s something about the clouds and the sea foam of the waves that creates a texture and an echo.

The walk from the parking lot to the building where the SI takes place each day can be both ordinary and interesting. I noticed these two small orange birds as they perched on the sign near the sidewalk where I walk. Using the app Colorsplash, I turned the photo to black and white and then allowed the bird color to remain in my hopes of highlighting them.

I was reminded of the power of nature…even just a tree in a parking lot…to affect my mood. Rachel Carson’s quote captures the jolt of strength and sense of oasis that I experience when I look up through the leaves of the tree.

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature—the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.”
— Rachel Carson

The practice of noticing makes an incredible difference in my life. The photos I take capture only a fraction of what I notice, and noticing helps me appreciate the little things in the ordinariness of my life. So take a look around, how might you view the ordinary in new and more appreciative ways?

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

What will you find when you pause to appreciate the ordinary? I can’t wait to find out!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Spiky

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My week has been a whirlwind…a lovely long weekend in the Pacific Northwest followed by the beginning of the SDAWP Summer Institute. And in spite of the hectic nature of my re-entry into work life, interesting images swirl in my brain.

With a few hours in the morning before our flight back home, we decided to visit the Chihuly Glass Museum in Seattle City Center. I’d heard good things about it, but the experience far exceeded my expectations. The glass sculptures were exquisite! This large spiky piece fits perfectly into the outline of the atrium structure behind it.

And the gardens were a perfect complement to the glass, plants and flowers matched in color and shape to the sculptures they accompanied. I fell in love with these unfamiliar flowers, their spiky petals seemed to attract the bees, creating a buzzing, moving tableau.

And not knowing the name of these flowers, they remind me of artichokes…perhaps a part of the spiky thistle family…that was also a part of my dinner tonight!

But I digress… On the same grounds as the glass museum was the iconic Seattle Space Needle, an interesting spiky structure. I didn’t head up to the top this time, but took a number of pictures from below. This particular picture was taken from afar while riding the ferry from Bainbridge Island into the city.

We also found these whimsical interactive oversized spiky flowers…called Sonic Bloom…near the glass museum. When you walk near them they interact with your presence, creating sounds as you move. But even in silence, they are fun, bright and definitely brought a smile to my face.

So take a look around for the spiky this week.

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

Look up, down and all around in search of spiky. Where will you find protrusions to share? I look forward to seeing what you find!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Leading Lines

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Lines can mean linear–straight lines from here to there and in my life I can be resistant to those neat and tidy pathways. But in photography, sometimes the lines can create interest in an image. I started to look at photos taken this week and noticed a number that highlight the photography technique of leading lines.

Here’s a pretty traditional leading line I noticed in downtown Seattle where the arch and the sidewalk lead your eye down the street…but what I was seeing in the distance was this:

and I’m not so sure that it qualifies as a photo with a leading line. (It is a fun neon sign! Can you imagine a hotel room for 75 cents?!)

As we were looking for the light rail, I caught sight of the train coming along the tracks below. The lines converge and diverge, with the train following a clear line.

I started to notice some lines in nature too. In Seattle these purple flowers are in bloom everywhere. They are made up of tiny blooms and dangle from the branches of bushes (or are they trees?). I’d love to know the name of these beauties.

I chased down this swallowtail as it flitted from bloom to bloom while I walked around the hotel grounds where our resource development retreat was held. Sometimes you just need to get outside to clear your head and take a mental break! It seems that the butterfly creates its own line in the photo.

I liked the way the window created some interesting lines in this image from the restaurant window where we enjoyed some clam chowder and musical entertainment…you can catch a glimpse of the Pike Place Market outside the window.

And the sign itself–which does not include a vertical line, uses horizontal lines to draw your eye across the words.

And today, as we drove from Seattle toward Tacoma and beyond, we crossed this lovely big bridge. Through the passenger window of the car, I was able to capture this view. I love the clouds in the distance…with just a tiny hint of blue toward the top. After leaving a heat wave in southern CA, this weather is almost winter-like with temps in the low 60’s and occasional rainfall.

So, try your hand at leading lines in your photos this week. What lines will you find? Will you capture a traditional vertical line or will you find some other variation?

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

So follow some lines and see where they take you! I can’t wait to see what you find.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Spaces

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I’ve been thinking about creativity and making and the spaces we need to thrive and grow. Watching my baby grandsons as they wake up and stretch from the tips of their toes to the tops of their nearly bald heads reminds me that we need spaces, both physically and mentally to grow and develop.

My cats seek out spaces, even now that they are old. They are particularly partial to spaces with sun where they stretch and curl. Phil even posed, turning his face to me and the sun when I called his name.

I watched a little girl as I walked down the beach today, she came running from behind me at full speed in the shallow surf along the shore. She was small, probably not more than 5 years old. I wondered where the adult in charge was. When I turned back I could see mom in the distance–and the girl kept running.

She seemed so at ease, running with abandon and delight, occasionally looking back to see where mom was. The distance between them was too far for my comfort, so I watched, especially as she got closer to the crowd near the lifeguard tower. Mom did catch up before I left the beach–and she was mad! I guess we have to find the balance in the spaces too.

I do find myself looking up…at the spaces between the earth and space where the birds and the clouds float by. Birds are hard to capture with my camera, especially pelicans that tend to fly higher than my lens can see. I was delighted today when I looked up and snapped these three pelicans in the spaces between the heavens and the palm trees. (Sometimes timing is everything!)

Sometimes you have to make spaces in your life for micro vacations, time for a break from the everydayness and responsibilities of life. Last night we headed to the beach to watch the sun set and put our toes in the sand.

We watched a family with a bunch of balloons as a prop for a photo shoot for their daughter. I have mixed feelings about balloons. They are colorful and festive, floating and bobbing in the breeze. And they are dangerous to the ocean and its inhabitants. I both gasped and clicked when I saw the balloons float free into the expansive spaces of the sky.

As the sun began to set, we walked back up the hill toward the parking lot and sat on some benches to watch the sun in the spaces between the palm tree and the sea.

So where are the spaces in your life? Where do you find inspiration, relaxation, reminders to run free and appreciate the little things?

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

Take a look around for those spaces that allow you to grow, to create or even to breathe and snap that shutter! I can’t wait to see the spaces in your life.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Shine

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Sometimes you meet someone who simply has a spirit that shines. This week we had the opportunity to have Shannon MacMillan, the soccer player, speak to our class about the importance of following your dreams. This talented and humble woman shared her story of hard work and dedication, of following her passions, and of the importance of a mentor to urge you forward. We’re lucky, Shannon lives in the community where I teach and has a son that attends our school…so she was happy to share some time with us. And we’re also lucky to have a successful and talented player remind us that being part of a team means helping each other, that being kind is more important that being good at your sport, and that passions don’t always have to be about sports. She brought her Olympic and World Cup medals and let all of our students hold them and run their fingers over them. She explained she had originally placed her gold medal in a safe deposit box–where it was safe, but not doing anything. Thanks Shannon–your spirit, your message, and your medal all shine!

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We got to watch the spirit of our third graders shine as we scaled the walls of a local climbing gym. We invite our outgoing class of third graders each year to go rock climbing and to dinner as a rite of passage in our class. It’s fun to watch them gain confidence (like they have over the course of three years with us) as they navigate the walls and learn from each other. There’s something symbolic about finding the footholds, navigating new pathways, and cheering each other on. And it’s lots of fun!

And I find myself searching for the shine of the sun on these gloomy June days. After the last day of school on Friday as I headed home I noticed the sun breaking through, bathing the afternoon in its warm glow. This seemed like the perfect beginning to summer…

Although I still have work ahead this summer–work I love…my heart was shining as I boarded a plane this morning to visit my grandsons. And just to make things interesting, I decided to take BART rather than rent a car. It was fun to navigate the system…and frustrating to have to wait for the trains when my arms were aching to cuddle those little boys. The journey was worth it…and I am happily writing this as those little guys sleep nearby.

So…what is shining in your life this week? What makes your heart sing, heals your soul, or brightens your day?

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.

Capture some shine in a photo (or two or three…) and share your shine with the rest of us! What will shine look like through your lens?