Tag Archives: photo-a-day

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The New Year arrives soon…and with it, often a list of things we plan to do to improve our health, appearance, productivity, attitude, and more. And, if you’re like me, you are still striving to improve your photography, paying attention the details that take ordinary photographs and make them something special. Sometimes I lament that I don’t travel to exotic places where I could try my hand at perfect snowflake photos or capture the colorful beauty of an outdoor market in Asia. And while travel remains on my to-do list, this month’s challenge is about seeing the familiar as though you were a stranger—seeing everything as new or at least with new eyes.

Anyone who follows my blog knows that I spend lots of time at the beach. And sometimes it starts to look so familiar that I can’t even imagine finding something new to focus my lens on. But just last week as I walked near the shore at high tide, I tried framing a shot of the empty lifeguard tower in some new ways. And as I was shooting, I noticed that I could see surfers in the shot. I tried some different ways of shooting and came up with this one with the surfer visible to the left of the tower.

I found this locked box on another day. And it took a few shots to figure out how to see the detail (notice the raised letters), but in my opinion, it is the seagull that I caught in the background that makes this shot interesting.

That same evening, we had stayed out for the sunset. And I took a number of shots with the silhouette of the lifeguard tower in the background, or a palm tree, or another tree. But this construction crane caught my attention and I loved the juxtaposition of it with the tree with the sunset in the background—the sunset not as exclusively nature’s beauty, but also a backdrop for construction equipment.

Sometimes my own front lawn turns from the ordinary grass into a fairy land. These little mushrooms almost look like a couple in love as they snuggle in the grass.

And if you keep your eyes open (or in this case, start searching for your missing cat), you might overcome the familiar. This shot was actually taken by my husband with his iPhone…and I love the image of our cat, Phil, nestled among the Christmas presents.

Sometimes a walk is just the inspiration I need to look with fresh eyes. I’m always trying to catch interesting photos of the train that runs through town…and I nearly always miss it. This time, as I was out walking, I caught not only the train, but also this runner going in the opposite direction.

As i walked through our local botanical garden, I noticed this fig tree…with no leaves, but with figs in abundance. I couldn’t resist this shot looking up into the blue sky.

And even the succulents that are so prevalent around here can look interesting depending on the photograph. For this one, I leaned in closely and played around with the rule of thirds. I love the color in this unedited shot.

So your #sdawpphotovoices challenge for January 2015 is to overcome the familiar in your life to find great photos wherever you happen to be. Here’s some prompt possibilities to help you vary your view:

1. inside

2. outside

3. home

4. neighborhood

5. work

6. pets

7. signs

8. transportation

9. light

10. people

11. plants

12. animals

13. place

14. buildings

15. kitchen

16. weather

17. night

18. day

19. hands

20. eyes

21. apparel

22. reflection

23. surprise

24. feet

25. fences

26. machine

27. technology

28. everyday

29. unexpected

30. interior

31. exterior

So start the new year by overcoming the familiar and challenge yourself to see your everyday life in new ways. Post a photo each day with the hashtag #sdawpphotovoices to Twitter, Instagram, Flicker, Google+ and/or Facebook (the more the better!), so that we can all enjoy the posts. If you would like to expand your exploration, write the story that the photo tells, compose a blog post about a photo, a week’s worth of photos, write a photo essay, or make a video or slideshow. You are invited to create a pingback by linking to this url or post your blog address in the comment section. It’s fun for me to see what others are doing with the same prompts I am using!

The new year doesn’t have to be about lofty goals, you can start the year out right by simply vowing to see the world around you anew! You can capture your view in a single photo or in a series. You can post every day, once a week, or even sporadically throughout the month…whatever works in your life. You can post your pictures in the order of the prompts or post the one you find on the day you find it. You get to make your own rules…after all, this is your opportunity to overcome the familiar! Be sure to share and tag your photos with #sdawpphotovoices so we can find them!

So go out and start looking! How will you overcome the familiar in your photographs? I’m looking forward to seeing the world in new ways through your lens!

A Gift a Day: December’s Photo-a-Day Challenge

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While it often seems that December is all about shopping and buying, the spirit of the winter holidays is about giving. I often think about photography as a gift to myself…it allows me to explore, to see the world anew, to get outside and interact with nature, time for reflection and relaxation, and more. And I can also see that each image could also be a gift to others, an opportunity to enjoy a view through my lens.

There are so many gifts that are intangible, you simply can’t go to the store to buy them. And yet, through a photograph you can get a glimpse of the possibilities. I can think of many who would appreciate the gift of abundance. I couldn’t resist this shot of the shelves at the Filippi’s Pizza Restaurant in Little Italy today.

And I know that I appreciated this gift of creativity from an artist who created this lighted sculpture that I found in front of the Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

Sometimes the gift is spending time with others who love doing what you love. These surfers caught an occasional wave and seemed to spend lots of time hanging out together in the water on their boards.

The gift of exploration is one that I treasure. Something as simple as finding pieces of sea glass as I walk on the beach is a wonderful pleasure…and quite a gift. Each tiny shard feels like a jewel mined from the sea.

I often find the gift of design in historic architecture, in those buildings that somehow withstand years of weather and use and still maintain their grace and beauty. I found this building in Alexandria, VA.

And these in silhouette on the mall in our nation’s capitol.

Sometimes it is the symmetry, somewhere in the image, that catches my eye and draws my interest. These train tracks seem to point the way to the heart of downtown San Diego.

Time to play is another gift I wish for myself and others. Children spinning on a carousel as the sun sets

or adults sailing off cliffs high above the Pacific, play creates an attitude of possibility and offers relief from life’s stresses.

And nature’s gifts are innumerable…whether it be watching geese in the tidal basin with the Jefferson Memorial in the background

or lifeguard towers gathered together to winter on the beach, there is so much beauty, peace and joy in these sights.

This month’s #sdawpphotovoices challenge is to gift the world with a photo a day. To help you cast your photo net wide, here is a list of prompts to get your creative juices flowing.

1. Abundance

2. Light

3. Peace

4. Laughter

5. Symmetry

6. Courage

7. Generosity

8. Compassion

9. Silence

10. Time

11. Hope

12. Trust

13. Vision

14. Curiosity

15. Health

16. Patience

17. Gratitude

18. Creativity

19. Relaxation

20. Music

21. Design

22. Reflection

23. Empathy

24. Nature

25. Family

26. Food

27. Life

28. Community

29. Solitude

30. Place

31. Energy

So be on the lookout this month for images that represents gifts you would like to give to the world or to people you know and love. Post a photo each day with the hashtag #sdawpphotovoices to Twitter, Instagram, Flicker, Google+ and/or Facebook (the more the better!), so that we can all enjoy the posts. If you would like to expand your gifts, write the story that the photo tells, compose a blog post about a photo, a week’s worth of photos, write a photo essay, or make a video or slideshow. You are invited to create a pingback by linking to this url or post your blog address in the comment section. It’s fun for me to see what others are doing with the same prompts I am using!

Instead of fighting the crowds at the mall this month (or maybe just in addition to those trips to the mall), keep your eye tuned for possible gifts through images. You can capture a gift in a single photo or in a series. (You might even try a 5-image story as a gift.) You can post every day, once a week, or even sporadically throughout the month…whatever works in your life. You can post your pictures in the order of the prompts or post the one you find on the day you find it. You get to make your own rules…after all, they are your gifts to give! Be sure to share and tag your photos with #sdawpphotovoices so we can find them! So go out and explore, what gifts would you give through your photography? I can’t wait see the gifts you find and present through your lens!

Beyond Paint by Number: October’s Photo-a-Day Challenge

Get Creative! September’s Photo-a-Day Challenge

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September is one of those limbo months. Summer is ending, schools are beginning, we are beginning to get hints of fall. And where I live the weather is warm, often warmer than we have experienced during the “official” summer months, confusing our bodies and senses.

It’s that time of the year when you might find yourself in the creative doldrums as you move from summer vacation mode back into work and family routines. So that means that September is the perfect month for a creativity focused photo-a-day challenge!

This month’s list is meant to encourage experimentation and challenge you to break out of some of those routines that have become uninspiring and maybe a bit monotonous. Each prompt this month asks you to try a specific technique, a particular subject, or to break a rule of photography or try a rule of photography. For example, it’s common as photographers to shoot with the sun over your shoulder to light your subject and ensure that the color is good. But sometimes, it is perfect to shoot into the sun–especially if you want to capture a silhouette like this photo of the lifeguard tower. (And I was lucky enough to snap just as the lifeguard walked into my shot!)

It’s not unusual to take photos of your food, but perhaps it is less usual to try to create a shot that showcases the food as though it is an advertisement. I’m not sure this photo is that quality, but I do love the color of this unedited shot–especially of the mango salsa.

Sometimes it is the difference in positioning yourself or your lens that creates a new way of seeing your subject. You might try shooting from above like in this shot of the subway train in Pasadena. (And you might try going from color to black and white for added effect!)

Or in this case, climbing up a ladder and shooting up in a tight space to capture a glimpse of the light in this lighthouse.

Sometimes I get stuck taking shots of things that stand still. So sometimes the creativity comes from trying to capture action as it happens. Here’s a sandpiper (and his shadow) just as he lifts off!

I’m still experimenting with taking photos of weather…and there isn’t a whole lot of weather to experiment with in my parts. I was excited about seeing this family in their yellow slickers walking toward me on a rainy day in Yellowstone.

And who doesn’t love a photo of flowers? I particularly like this shot where the large poppy in the foreground is crisp and the others are slightly out of focus.

And water is always a source of inspiration for me. I have to work at creating something new and different from my photos of the ocean, but this shot of the top of the waterfall was a novelty for me.

So September’s challenge is to inspire your creativity by pushing yourself to try different subjects, different techniques, different angles and more. And to help you stretch creatively, here are some prompts—one per day—to push you out of your ordinary routines.

1. get low

2. shoot into the sun or create a silhouette (or both!)

3. create a photo that is stunning in black and white

4. shoot something ordinary in a new and interesting way

5. make something ugly look beautiful

6. create a self portrait

7. take a photo of traffic

8. make people your centerpiece (strangers if you dare!)

9. shoot from above

10. use the rule of thirds

11. find a natural frame (a branch, a bridge, or ???)

12. shoot on a angle, what happens if you make it extreme?

13. photograph your pet (or someone else’s)

14. photograph water in a new way

15. capture movement

16. photograph an abstract pattern

17. shoot from an unusual angle

18. what’s interesting about windows?

19. where do you find reflection?

20. make your subject off center

21. capture emotion

22. where do you find texture?

23. take a shot of the weather

24. what’s interest about clouds today?

25. something old

26. something new

27. focus on light

28. flowers

29. take a shot of food–would it work in an advertisement?

30. feet

Once you stretch your creativity and take that shot (or many shots), post a photo each day with the hashtag #sdawpphotovoices to Twitter, Instagram, Flicker, Google+ and/or Facebook (the more the better!), so that we can all enjoy the posts. If you are game for some more playfulness, compose a blog post about a photo, a week’s worth of photos, write a photo essay, make a video or slideshow or try a learning walk! You are invited to create a pingback by linking to this url or post your blog address in the comment section. It’s fun for me to see what others are doing with the same prompts I am using!

So stretch yourself this month and feed those creative urges! You can post every day, once a week, or even sporadically throughout the month…whatever works in your life. You can play this game by posting your pictures in the order of the prompts or post the one you find on the day you find it. You get to make your own rules! Be sure to share and tag your photos with #sdawpphotovoices so we can find them! So go out and get creative! I can’t wait for you to share what you are seeing through your lens!

In Search of the Unexpected: August’s Photo-a-Day Challenge

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August means deep summer; those warm, sun-drenched days when energy wanes and you look forward to a light summer read and cool drink, preferably in front of a water source. It’s easy to stop noticing and see each day as a replica of the one before, sameness after sameness lulling your senses into summer-time hibernation.

There’s nothing like a camera lens to wake up the senses…especially if you are on the lookout for the unexpected. Sometimes it is the sound that first captures your attention…this military helicopter came unusually low to the ground as I walked on the beach, swooping in close to the cliffs along the shoreline. Military helicopters are usual—but so close we could wave at the pilot and he waved back is unexpected!

At the zoo, it was the unexpected color—or lack of color—that attracted my attention. Baby flamingos are fluffy and gray, in great contrast to their vibrant elders. These guys almost look like they were photoshopped to black and white.

Hiking can bring it’s share of the unexpected as well. Climbing to the top of Mt. Woodson we found some natural beauty, along with a forest of communication towers!

And on another hike, this phone booth sat along the trail…I guess you never know when you might need to make a call! (I didn’t check to see if it was in working condition.)

Where I live, we seldom find the unexpected in the weather. Night and morning low clouds with afternoon sunshine is almost a mantra for forecasters. So the unexpected rain the other morning created quite a stir at the restaurant while we breakfasted. Lightening flashed and thunder boomed…and the raindrops poured from the sky. Walking across the street to the car had me walking in ankle deep runoff!

At UCSD, I had walked by this metal tree many times…there are a few as part of an art collection there. But until a few weeks ago, I had not noticed the contrast between the organic shape of the metal tree and the angular lines of the distinctive architecture of the library behind it. The unexpected similarities and differences made me pause when I saw it from this new angle.

It was a gathering crowd that drew my attention as I walked down the beach yesterday. A surf class? A party? No…a dead shark with a not-so-dead octopus slithering out of its mouth. The crowd moved in, fascinated by the close up view of this creature. I found myself equally interested in the people in the crowd, the ways their bodies leaned in. And notice the mom holding onto her boys…

And my macro lens can always be depended on to help me see unexpected beauty. I’ve been watching the dandelions in my yard (there are only two or three) and photographing the different stages of their growth. Between the yellow flower and the iconic fluff ball stage, there is a stage where the dandelion looks dead. But through my macro lens, I was able to capture the hint of what was yet to come.

So August’s challenge is to look for the unexpected as you enjoy the last of the long light and warm days (at least in the northern hemisphere). And to help you look, here are some prompts—one per day—to focus your attention and spur your thinking.

1. People

2. Place

3. Nature

4. Plants

5. Animals

6. Horizon

7. Food

8. Transportation

9. Light

10. Home

11. Smell

12. Sound

13. Garden

14. Inside

15. Thing

16. Drink

17. Sky

18. Outside

19. Neighborhood

20. Weather

21. Early

22. Texture

23. Words

24. Interaction

25. Walk

26. Arrangement

27. Trash (#Litterati)

28. Architecture

29. Close up (Macro)

30. Landscape

31. Pleasure

Once you find the unexpected and capture a photo of it, post a photo each day with the hashtag #sdawpphotovoices to Twitter, Instagram, Flicker, Google+ and/or Facebook (the more the better!), so that we can all enjoy the posts. If you are game for some more playfulness, compose a blog post about a photo, a week’s worth of photos, write a photo essay, make a video or slideshow or try a learning walk! You are invited to create a pingback by linking to this url or post your blog address in the comment section. It’s fun for me to see what others are doing with the same prompts I am using!

With summer in full swing, it’s the perfect time for some playfulness and experimentation…look for the unexpected in your world–let it surprise you, delight you, maybe even horrify you! You can post every day, once a week, or even sporadically throughout the month…whatever works in your life. You can play this game by posting your pictures in the order of the prompts or post the one you find on the day you find it. You get to make your own rules! Be sure to share and tag your photos with #sdawpphotovoices so we can find them!

Love to Play: February’s Photo-a-Day Challenge

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Since making play my word for the year, I find myself looking for opportunities to incorporate more play in the ordinariness of my everyday life. How can I be more playful on my commute to work? How can vacuuming and doing the dishes be more like play? How can grant writing and lesson planning play with ideas I’ve always wanted to try?

So, playing around with the theme of love in honor of Valentine’s Day, (right smack in the middle of February), let’s put some love into playing with some photography techniques! (Thanks, Janis, for the suggestion!)

So for February’s #sdawpphotovoices photo-a-day challenge, we’ll focus on a different aspect of photography each week.

After you shoot, post a photo each day with the hashtag #sdawpphotovoices to Twitter, Instagram, Flicker, Google+ and/or Facebook (the more the better!), so that we can all enjoy the posts. If you are game for some more playfulness, compose a blog post about a photo, a week’s worth of photos, write a photo essay, make a video or slideshow or try a learning walk! (More about learning walks here and here) You are invited to create a pingback by linking to this url or post your blog address in the comment section. It’s fun for me to see what others are doing with the same prompts I am using!

Week 1: Playing with Composition

1. Simplify the scene—move in closer to remove distracting details

2. Rule of thirds (or simply avoid the middle)–what happens when you frame your subject off center?

3. Use leading lines—frame your shot by letting the natural lines (fences, roads, walls…) direct the viewer’s eye

4. Use diagonals—shift the angle, tilt your camera…

5. Check your background—what’s behind your subject? Experiment with finding a background that works with your subject

6. Fill the frame—zoom in or step closer to fill the frame with your subject

7. Break the rules—experiment with your own compositional style

Leading lines

Week 2: Playing with Light

8. Shoot into the light to create a silhouette

9. Capture a shadow

10. Find the light in a dark setting

11. Make light the centerpiece of the photo

12. Experiment with light and dark in one photo

13. Include a reflection (water is useful here!)

14. Try something new with light (either natural light or some other light source)

Reflection

Week 3: Playing with Perspective

15. Get low

16. Shoot from above

17. Create an optical illusion

18. Play with negative space

19. Get close

20. Try a wide angle effect

21. What other perspective have you tried?

Looking Up

Week 4: Playing with Genre

22. Architecture

23. Black and White

24. Children

25. Landscape

26. Macro

27. Nature

28. Street photography

Architecture

Our goal is to play, share with each other, and learn from each other as we shoot our own photos and study the photos others shoot. Each week includes seven suggestions for exploring the technique. You are welcome to follow them in order, mix them up, or exchange them for a technique you want to try on. You can post every day, once a week, or even sporadically throughout the month…whatever works in your life. Be sure to share and tag your photos with #sdawpphotovoices so we can find them!

Taking Action in 2014: January’s Photo-a-Day Challenge

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Happy New Year! The New Year is typically a time for resolutions and goals—generally aimed at improving your health or your life. Unfortunately, they are also easily abandoned and left unrealized. So maybe instead of focusing on weight loss or exercise or one of those other hard to realize goals, we can take some inspiration from Martin Luther King, Jr., whose birthday we celebrate this month, and focus on action each day instead.

So for January we have a list of verbs…one for each letter of the alphabet and five more thrown in…to inspire action through photography. As always, you are welcome to interpret the prompts in whatever way inspires your creativity and pushes your photographic eye. Maybe the action is captured by the photograph. Or maybe the verb reflects the actions you use to prepare your photo—with filters and editing, camera lenses or photographic techniques. This might be the month to explore light and shadow, the rule of thirds, and a variety of angles. (Let us know if you’ve tried a specific technique so we can all learn from you!)

After you shoot, post a photo each day with the hashtag #sdawpphotovoices to Twitter, Instagram, Flicker, Google+ and/or Facebook (the more the better!), so that we can all enjoy the posts. If you are game for some extra action, compose a blog post about a photo, a week’s worth of photos, write a photo essay, or try a learning walk! (More about learning walks here and here) You are invited to create a pingback by linking to this url or post your blog address in the comment section. It’s fun for me to see what others are doing with the same prompts I am using!

Here’s the list:

1. analyze

2. build

3. create

4. climb

5. dash

6. examine

7. focus

8. generate

9. help

10. innovate

11. jumble

12. kick

13. lick

14. mentor

15. make

16. nudge

17. organize

18. peek

19. program

20. question

21. resolve

22. renovate

23. submit

24. teach

25. understand

26. utilize

27. vouch

28. write

29. eXamine

30. yearn

31. zip

Let’s make an impact in 2014! Have fun, be creative, explore the limits of your photography…January is the perfect time to follow through with what you have been meaning to do for a while. You can post every day, once a week, or even sporadically throughout the month…whatever works in your life. Be sure to share and tag your photos with #sdawpphotovoices so we can find them!

And here’s a photo to inspire you to get started!

‘Tis the Season: December’s Photo-a-Day Challenge

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Short days, long nights, decorations, parties, presents, shopping, vacation, lights, food, family, and friends… December is full of fun, frenzy, tradition, and celebration. No matter your religious beliefs, December is filled with signs of the season–whatever that season means to you.

Let’s take this month to interpret the season in ways that make the most sense for us as photographers. Here’s a list of 31 seasonal prompts to be used in whatever ways stir your creative urges. You can use the prompts daily in the order they are displayed…or you can pick one to use all month, you can mix and match them, combine them, focus a week on one or two…it is totally up to you!

Be sure to post a photo each day with the hashtag #sdawpphotovoices to Twitter, Instagram, Flicker, Google+ and/or Facebook (the more the merrier!), so that we can all enjoy the posts. If you are feeling daring, you might compose a blog post about a photo…about a week’s worth of photos…create a photo essay…the possibilities are endless! Be sure to link back here to create a pingback by linking to this url…or post your blog address in the comments (or create your entire response in the comment section). It’s fun to see what others do!

Here’s the list to get you started:

1. green

2. deal

3. gift

4. garland

5. candle

6. bargain

7. decorate

8. poinsettia

9. feast

10. red

11. Santa

12. hearth

13. tradition

14. elf

15. tree

16. present

17. holiday

18. star

19. festive

20. frosty

21. winter

22. candy

23. celebrate

24. bells

25. wreath

26. fruitcake

27. retrospective

28. light

29. party

30. parade

31. new

Have fun, be creative, explore the limits of your photography…after all, 2013 is nearly over! You can post every day, once a week…or sporadically throughout the month, whatever works in your life. Be sure to share…and to tag your photos so we can all find them!

I hope you’ll join me as your photos help you express your experiences of the season!

Thinking Through My Lens

Tag Archives: photo-a-day

Energize Your Leap Year: February’s Photo-a-Day Challenge

Connecting to Learn and Grow: March’s Photo-a-Day Challenge

Overcoming the Familiar: January 2015 Photo-a-Day Challenge

A Gift a Day: December’s Photo-a-Day Challenge

Beyond Paint by Number: October’s Photo-a-Day Challenge

Get Creative! September’s Photo-a-Day Challenge

In Search of the Unexpected: August’s Photo-a-Day Challenge

Love to Play: February’s Photo-a-Day Challenge

Taking Action in 2014: January’s Photo-a-Day Challenge

‘Tis the Season: December’s Photo-a-Day Challenge