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Weekly Photo Challenge: Vitamin N

Today is Earth Day, a day to celebrate the beauty of the natural world and remember that it is our duty to take care of this place we inhabit. This week, for me, has been an odd juxtaposition of long days of meetings interspersed with intense periods out in nature. Earlier this week I came across a blog post about a new book by Richard Louv. He’s a local author who is known for writing about the need for kids to have experiences in nature (he wrote Last Child in the Woods). His new book, Vitamin N: The Essential Guide to a Nature-Rich Life includes 500 ways to connect with nature…and it appeared in our classroom, signed by the author shortly before our field trip to the lagoon on Wednesday.

It is affirming to know that others recognize the powerful learning experiences that occur when kids head outside…and it doesn’t take much in the way of materials to make it happen. And I am reminded that heading outside wasn’t just good for my students, it was good for me and for the other adults too.

We watched lizards, found a beehive (a hole in a rock wall), saw an extraordinary display by some great white egrets, spied a fish (at least a foot long), smelled sage, and were treated to a riot of colorful flowers in less than an hour at the lagoon. Students used binoculars and took field notes…and couldn’t wait to research what they had seen when they got back to the classroom.

To practice, the day before we headed out the garden with the same tools (a notebook and binoculars). In addition the dead crow (eeewwww!), we saw ladybugs and other insects.

We uncovered brilliant red strawberries, observed birds perched on fences and wires, and noticed the delicate laces of plants we don’t know the names of.

And of course tall, stately sunflowers always catch my eye…and in this case directed my attention to the gorgeous clouds in the distance.

I haven’t spent much time at the beach lately, but today, after school I rushed home so we could head back out for a low-tide beach walk. Blue skies, gentle breezes, and mid 60’s temperatures created the perfect backdrop for walking and talking and exploring.

Somehow I managed to forget to bring my camera with me–luckily my phone was in my pocket! I noticed the wet cliff walls (even though the tide was low) and wanted to capture the abstract art quality of them, with the natural sandstone textures above them..

In spite of my crazy schedule this week, I managed a substantial dose of Vitamin N! (And I definitely benefited from the time outdoors and from observing the wonders of the natural world!) So this week’s challenge is to give yourself a shot of vitamin N, head outside and explore a bit of nature around you. What captures your attention?

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

Sometimes we need an excuse to treat ourselves to something wonderful–even when our schedules are feeling compressed and hectic. A dose of Vitamin N might be just what you need! Grab your camera and head outdoors…what wonders will you find? Share your discoveries with us and expand nature’s reach through your lens!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Floral

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I’ve noticed flowers everywhere lately! Even the little rain we’ve had lately (and this photo was taken last weekend on a rainy day) has brought out the wildflowers–especially the natives. These bush sunflowers crop up whether or not they are invited. I love the juxtaposition of the warning sign and fence behind the brilliant flowers.

Most of the native flowers seem to come in yellows, so this purple thistle caught my attention. The raucous wild fuzzy head atop the grayish-green prickly stem seems too beautiful to be a weed! (And the more I notice weeds, the more I notice their beauty!)

A walk at the lagoon this week (in preparation for next week’s field trip) brought more wildflowers into view. The hillside was ablaze with orange nasturtiums, bush sunflowers, and these other white and yellow blooms. If you look in the distance you can see the ocean where the lagoon meets the sea.

There were also these spiky white-ish flowers laying close to the ground along the salt marsh. In this shot I managed to catch the bee buried in the blossom. I pulled this in close to make the pollinator even more evident.

I had caught a glimpse of some prickly pear cactus in bloom–but was too far away to take a photo. But as I began to drive away, I noticed prickly pear growing in front of a house along the road. I just had to stop and snap a few pictures.

And my sweet hubby brought me home some flowers from the market this week, a treat to brighten the house. I love arranging them in simple clear vases in the dining room where the afternoon sun creates the perfect lighting.

And who can resist these crazy blooms? Orange and wild, in perfect contrast to the prim and proper red roses.

So what’s floral in your life this week? Grocery store flowers, blossoms from the garden, wildflowers in untended places…or a painting, upholstery, or a new favorite outfit? Take a look around and see what you can 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 #floral for this week and include @nwpianthology in your post.

Be on the lookout for all things floral…I can’t wait to see what you find through your lens!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Along the Way

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I’ve taken lots of photos this week, but most of them are of my precious new grandsons, which means I am not able to post them on social media. But I have taken a few shots along my way here and there this week. Today was a rare southern California rainy day, the perfect day to head out for a trip to an indoor mall–and allow my son and daughter-in-law to have an outing with the baby (getting out of the house is still a challenge). When we arrived back home after a few hours out, I noticed the white roses in the front of their house with raindrops on them. I rushed inside to grab my macro lens and snapped some raindrops on roses (yeah, that song runs through my head whenever I see raindrops on roses!).

I love this view of one perfectly focused raindrop–it’s not a great view of the rose, but the raindrop…

And the Bob Hope airport is a funky retro place. When I arrived on Wednesday, it was unseasonably warm (over 90 degrees)…just to have a 20 degree drop of temperature today along with rain! As I waited for my son, there was something about this sign that caught my eye, especially when planes took off in the background (although I missed those shots!).

At my other son’s house earlier in the week, we took the twins for a walk to the nearby park. As I pushed the stroller I also noticed the enormous trees, brilliant green against the blue sky. And I found this line from a Pablo Neruda poem that captured the feeling I had when I looked at it.

What did the tree learn from the earth to be able to talk with the sky?

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Sometimes when I take a photo and later look at the results, I notice that the focus is not where I intended. In this shot, the flowers in the background were focused, but the ones in the foreground were not…I played around a bit in Vintique to see what I could do with the image. Here is my result.

And as I headed to my car to leave (oh, how hard it is to leave those sweet babies), I noticed this thistle. A weed…prickly…and beautiful, growing along the edge of the yard.

The beauty of carrying a camera at all times (most often, just my phone) is that you can take photos along the way–wherever you are, whenever you have the chance. So this week’s challenge is just that, take photos along your way to here or there, with an eye for something interesting…or maybe even something ordinary in a new way.

You can post your photo alone or along with some words: commentary, a story, a poem…maybe even a song! I love to study the photographs that others’ take and think about how I can use a technique, an angle, or their inspiration to try something new in my own photography. (I love a great mentor text…or mentor photo, in this case!) I share my photography and writing on social media. You can find me on Instagram and Twitter using @kd0602. If you share your photos and writing on social media too, please let me know so I can follow and see what you are doing. To help our Weekly Photo community find each other, use the hashtag #alongtheway for this week and include @nwpianthology in your post.

What will you find this week along the way? I look forward to seeing what you discover!

Weekly Photo Challenge: In Search Of…

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This has been a long week…each day I wake up and think it is Friday. Of course it is the week wedged between parent conferences and spring break. It’s only slightly better because it is cold, making it easier to be at work instead of pining for that beach walk!

With weeks like this I have to make time to take photos–the opportunities do not seem to crop up naturally, I have to go out in search of inspiration. After work last Friday I talked my husband into a quick trip to the beach to watch the sunset (after running a few errands first). It was chilly but clear enough for the sun to be visible and I took a few nice sunset shots. I also found this interesting wind blown tree and found myself ducking behind it to capture it silhouetted against the shore.

And who knew that my search for sunset would lead me to a search for whimsy…I found this interesting, detailed art piece constructed on the top of a trash can near the beach. It makes me wonder about the artist. Was this constructed from found objects on the beach? What’s its story? Why mount it here?

I also found myself in search of beauty this week and I treated myself to some cut tulips at Trader Joe’s on Saturday. I watched and photographed the blooms all week. I love the way the afternoon sun illuminates my dining room table, the perfect setting for photographs of these beauties.

I like the idea of candles but seldom light them, afraid I will forget about them and start a fire. But over the weekend I wanted to create a pretty smell and enjoy the soft glow of the candle flame. So I lit this one for a while, it almost creates an alter like feel on the fireplace mantle.

After an early Easter dinner with family, Geoff and I headed out in search of the sunset. Unfortunately, as we headed away from our house the sun ducked under the thickening clouds. We knew by the time we reached our destination that no sunset would be visible this day. So, we made the best of it. Took some photos, explored the area…and then stopped for a cup of coffee and a walk through the outlet mall. Sometimes quiet time together is a sunset in itself!

I was delighted the other day to find this racetrack chalked near our neighborhood mailboxes. There are some children who live down the street who love to race their skateboards down the hill. I love that they inscribed the word start…a message that resonated with me. Don’t wait, just start rolling! (It’s funny that they drew the pathway down too…I didn’t go far enough down to see if there was a stop or end too.) I only needed the word start!

Somedays you just have to stop on your way home in search of something…energy, inspiration, a change of pace, fresh air… I found myself at a little seaside park in Del Mar watching the waves, the clouds,…and the train go by. It was a perfect pick-me-up during this oh-so-long week.

So, what are you in search of this week? Whimsy? Beauty? Inspiration? Relaxation? Where will you find it…in your backyard? At work? In the sunlight glancing through the window?

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

So take out your camera and start your search…what will you find when go in search of…?

Weekly Photo Challenge: Burst

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Sometimes it seems that life happens in fits and bursts. Things roll along as usual, routines dictate daily activities, and even when life feels busy it still fits into the expected schedule. And then there are the unexpected bursts…of activity, of color, of life itself.

Last week I traveled to Washington, DC for some writing project work. When I arrived it was sunny and warm, beautiful springtime weather. As I walked around capitol hill, bursts of colorful blooms caught my eye. Pinks of all shades contrasted with the white of the stately legislature buildings. You might notice that this is the first burst of spring–bare trees stand in the background, still awaiting their brilliant green dresses of leaves.

When I returned back home on Sunday evening, I knew my week would be filled to overflowing…with parent/student/teacher conferences. I have a love/hate relationship with these meetings. I love talking with parents and supporting students as they share their learning with their families…but conference after conference is exhausting. We end up cramming a full day of teaching into a minimum day schedule, wolfing down some lunch and then settle into afternoons full of these meetings. To help brighten my week I couldn’t resist the daffodil stems at Trader Joe’s…they are like a burst of sunshine!

My schedule was simply too full for my after school walks on the beach, but I did manage to squeeze in a few minutes to stop by the beach on Tuesday just to get a glimpse of the surf. I stopped at a beach that has steep stairs to the shore and as I walked down them I noticed the native bush sunflowers bursting along the railing. They seemed to pose, begging me to take their photo!

To add to my already full week, I had an evening meeting scheduled too. After fighting rush hour traffic, I noticed that I had a few minutes before my meeting and that the sun was getting ready to set so I took a little side trip to find a viewing place. I was treated to a cute little park filled with people, some doing yoga, some with their bikes, others walking dogs, and some just sitting back on benches watching the sun dip into the ocean. My photo captured that burst of activity in silhouette with the sunset in the background.

And I noticed that the tree in my front yard…the one I have documented as #onetree…has had a growth spurt, a burst of bright green leaves. I guess spring is bursting out all over!

I have also been noticing my students interests and learning bursting at the seams. They can’t get enough information about the birds and eggs and feathers and nests we have been learning about. (Our science teacher brought in a collection of nests today for students to get a close look!)

And to end my week I longed for another burst of nature. I talked my husband into a short walk along the beach to watch the sunset after our trip to Costco for some groceries. We wandered down to the rocky jetty and sat for a while as we watched the sun sink lower and lower and the waves rush up higher and higher. I caught this burst of water while I watched.

So…what is bursting in your life this week? Colors? Blossoms? Learning? Or something else entirely? Take a look around and see what you can capture through your lens.

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

Be on the lookout for bursts this week…and share what you find with the rest of us! I can’t wait to see the bursts in your life.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Small

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I’ve been thinking small this week. Not small as in narrow-minded or short-sighted, but appreciating smallness. There’s the tiny hands of my newborn grandsons with their perfect miniature fingernails. (I know, I’m obsessed with these new little people…I just can’t get enough of them!)

And then there’s the funky small Burbank airport where you walk out of your regular sized airplane outdoors onto the tarmac into an old fashioned small terminal building. And then discover that the baggage claim carousel is outdoors!

I’ve also been noticing all the small signs of spring–especially in my backyard. I noticed the small plum tree beginning to bud and bloom.

And the lavender plant is beginning to flower. I love when I lean in, I can see the tiny little flowers that make up the larger blossom.

Arriving in Washington, DC for the National Writing Project (NWP) Spring Meeting, I found myself thinking about how so often I think of myself as a small cog in the huge machine that is our government. It’s easy to think that your voice isn’t important–that someone with a louder voice, a stronger opinion, or a bigger soapbox will take care of providing input to our legislators. But as I walked down those long corridors of the House of Representatives, I realized that it is, in fact, small voices that matter. We can’t leave the government to the loud, to the privileged, to the moneyed.

Our government works best when we participate, even if it feels like my one small voice doesn’t matter. Even monuments look small when you stand back and look from a distance.

But being here, in our nation’s capitol, I can see the ways that each small piece fits into the next–building strong, textured, and layered structures that endure. In some ways I see that the elaborate and ornate architecture of this place is also a metaphor for the feat of social and political engineering that is our government. And like our buildings, if we don’t care for them, pay attention to where they are wearing or have been neglected, government processes break down too. It takes all of us–each a small part of the whole–to keep our elected officials true to their duties, to raise our small voices together so they can be heard over the fray of disillusionment and partisan politics and keep our country true to its beliefs and freedoms.

And like our capitol building, we have to expose the damage and build some scaffolds to reach out and make the improvements. I am reminded that my small voice matters. I can’t sit out the election because I find it unpleasant or because it seems that decisions have already been made (yep–Californians seem so inconsequential in the primary process during presidential elections) and that my one vote doesn’t matter.

So…try thinking small this week…or at least looking small. (I do realize that my small thinking turned into some big realizations!) And remember that small is relative. You might notice something tiny by using your macro lens…or something may simply seem small because it is dwarfed by distance or something even more monumental.

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

Take a look around and notice the small. Share your small, however large, in a photo or two…maybe your small will result in some big new understandings!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Random

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Some weeks it seems that the photos I take are a random assortment of things…and this was definitely one of those weeks. A peek into my camera roll reveals pictures from school like this science lab from last Friday when students were exploring how the visibility of colors change as you plunge deeper into the ocean.

And this week’s lab where students looked closely at taxidermy birds to notice the differences in their beaks. (In both cases I played around with filters to make the context less familiar and obscure the identity of my students.)

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In between those two science labs, life has been busy! Last weekend I traveled to LA to visit my firstborn grandson (you can read more about that here), staying at this funky hotel (actually renovated old fashioned motel) not far from his house. I love the neon sign!

And while I took lots of pictures of my new grandson, I won’t be posting them on social media. So when the baby was sound asleep, I took a walk around the neighborhood exploring through my lens. The dandelions were in bloom…everywhere! I tried to capture the abundance of the puffballs (without laying down on someone else’s lawn!).

And I fell in love with this magnificent tree. The thick branches and sturdy trunk give away its age. I wonder how long it’s been standing there surrounded by sidewalk…

Back at school after a weekend of family, baby, and love, my students were out in the garden building a wooden trellis they designed. They delighted in the opportunity to use “real” tools! Screwdrivers and screws, hammers and nails…they learned the definition of elbow grease!

And after studying two-voices poems (like Fireflies by Paul Fleishman) and learning about bioluminescence (from a parent who is an expert on the subject as a marine biologist), students illustrated their own versions of the poem Fireflies. I couldn’t resist snapping a photo of this darling representation of a firefly by a talented first grader!

And maybe I would have had a more coherent photo week, but Monday I learned my other daughter-in-law would be delivering their twins…who arrived early Wednesday morning (yes, all are healthy and doing well). Needless to say, my mind and attention have been on three grandsons (in 8 days!), checking in on their health and welfare. As a result, my photos have been an odd assortment of photos that I snuck in here and there.

So…what random images tell the story of your week? Or maybe don’t tell a story at all! Check out your camera roll or maybe just take out your phone or camera and snap a few shots.

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

Take a look around and snap a photo or two or dive into your camera roll and pick a few to share with the rest of us. What random photos have you taken recently? I can’t wait to see random through your lens!

Weekly Photo Challenge: One Tree

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We have a quirky tree that grows along the side of our driveway. At one time it was nearly choked to death with ivy growing up its trunk. It has a strange spiky trunk and a few broken branches that jut out in odd directions. But it is that very character that draws my attention to it almost every day. And it makes a perfect frame for varying light and sky conditions. I have tons of photos of this one tree. I took this one earlier in the week when I noticed that it was blooming…and the sun was reflecting off the leaves.

A few days before that I was noticing the sun, bright and summer-like, a very different kind of glow.

We had a foggy morning recently…and I had to stop as I got ready to get in my car to head to work to pull out my phone and capture the mistiness in a photograph. I love the way the morning sun creates an almost silhouette effect

Sometimes this one tree is the perfect frame for the sherbet colors of sunset, with soft and wispy clouds.

Or with the reds and pinks of a clearer sky. (You may also be noticing that the tree wasn’t in bloom for these pictures.)

The moon sometimes peeks through its branches, partially hidden in the milky white clouds.

Gray clouds with just a splash of blue appeared on one of those rare stormy days.

And the white puffballs look so soft you can almost feel them against the brilliant blue of the sky on this day.

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There is just something about the twists and turns of the branches of this one tree that creates interesting angles and draws my eye. It reminds me to look up, to pay attention to the light, to the clouds, to the moon…and more.

So, this week be on the lookout for your one tree (or one building or one hillside or one street corner) and document how it changes in different light, in different weather, at different times of the day or night.

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

Fine your one tree (or one something else) this week and spend some time noticing and documenting. I can’t wait to see what you learn when you pay close attention to your #onetree.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Texture

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Sometimes a change of scenery can be the perfect push to increase creativity. So, instead of heading to the beach, I got on a long sleek train and headed up to Los Angeles. I’ve only ridden a train a few times in my life, but I wanted to explore whether or not the train would be a better option than driving myself through typical weekday LA traffic.

The Surfliner takes a coastal route as it leaves my place, offering spectacular views of the ocean. A young woman sitting across from me on her way to Disneyland informed me that the views end when you can no longer see the ocean. But I kept my eyes peeled for interesting images–and was rewarded by a rich palette of visual textures.

It’s interesting to see what occupies the places near the train tracks. Where the tracks are near the ocean, there are restaurants and homes…and lots of apartments. As we moved more inland, the spaces near the tracks were filled with building goods stacked high. The rough rusted back of this sign made me wonder what it said from the other side and the stacks of yellow-tipped smooth black pipes caught my eye.

After some very slow going because of a freight train with a lopsided load, as we came around a corner, the LA skyline came into view. Short and tall, old and new, metal and painted, my eye was drawn to the arrangements that make up downtown.

As we pulled into Union Station, I caught a glimpse of the sun peeking out from behind the nearby building. The milky clouds, the bright sun, and the dirty train window all create an interesting textural composition.

As we changed course and headed toward Burbank, I noticed all the lines of the electrical towers. Vertical, horizontal, and crisscrossing lines create floating tic-tac-toe boards against the blue and white sky.

And the LA aquaduct came into view. These mostly empty cement riverbeds run through the city bisected with bridges of different types and purposes. In some places you might notice the tags of graffiti artists along the cement sides and ducks floating in the shallow pools.

These iconic palms lined up in rows against the pinks and tangerines of the buildings signaled our approach to the suburbs. And the blue skies became more mottled white as the weather shifted from summer in February to impending rain.

As I waited for the train to take me back home later that evening, shiny wetness reflected the lights of the station. And in the distance you can see my train making its approach.

So take a look around for some visual texture this week. Will you find it in your ordinary outings or will you need to venture out into parts unknown?

You can post your photo alone or along with some words: commentary, a story, a poem…maybe even a song! I love to study the photographs that others’ take and think about how I can use a technique, an angle, or their inspiration to try something new in my own photography. (I love a great mentor text…or mentor photo, in this case!) I share my photography and writing on social media. You can find me on Instagram and Twitter using @kd0602. If you share your photos and writing on social media too, please let me know so I can follow and see what you are doing. To help our Weekly Photo community find each other, use the hashtag #texture for this week and include @nwpianthology in your post.

Keep your eyes peeled for texture this week…it may be created with color, with line, because of the clouds or even a dirty window. I look forward to seeing how texture fills your life…and your lens!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Treasure

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How many photos is too many to take of the beach? That question runs though my mind as I take photo after photo at this place I treasure. Looking through my lens I see the constant change…in light, in tide, in surf, in people, in rocks, in sand, in shells, in surfers, and more.

The unseasonably warm temperatures (80’s in February) and convenient after-work low tides collided to make perfect conditions for walking and taking photos all week long. I found the most unexpected treasures as I walked.

The warm temps created different layers in the sky…and early in the week an almost misty condition. These seagulls seemed to be playing tag, chasing each other into the sun. I love the golden glows in this treasure.

Early in the week the tides were particularly low, exposing large expanses of reef. I walked way out toward the end of this outcropping where the treasures of tide pools were exposed.

Walking north instead of south another day revealed the treasure of tiny shells instead of rocks under my feet. I love the colors and textures of the thousands of shells.

There are lots of varieties of seagulls too. These guys always crack me up…I swear they look like Groucho Marx with their thick eyebrows and funny hairdos. And I caught this guy in quite a pose!

And thanks to my husband and my friend Janis, I can’t walk the beach without noticing the trash that washes onto shore. This was a week for interesting trash…shoes, pvc pipe, electrical cord, and many surfboard fins. I’m kind of a trash snob, I prefer to photograph and pick up the most exotic trash…like this piece of shoe that seems to be turning into its own island! (Thanks #litterati for featuring this one as your Facebook and Twitter photo of the day on Thursday.)

Yesterday as I bent down to photograph this fin, I was in the perfect position to catch the surfer in the background. I can imagine him thinking, “Where did that fin go?” Once photographed, I pick up the trash and carry it to the trashcan (or sometimes take it home–I seem to be starting a surfboard fin collection!).

And I can never resist taking my favorite shot as I head toward the parking lot…one that features the sun setting behind the lifeguard tower, truly a treasure to behold! (Complete with sun flare)

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So where do you find your treasures? Are they revealed as the snow falls? As you dig in the garden? Exposed by the light shining through the window of your house?

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

The beach revealed many treasures for me this week. I can’t wait to see the treasures you find through your lens!