"Just for Myself," Weekly Photography Assignment for 15 - 21 August 2011

[keithsnell]

Every now and then I think we need to take a break from photographing for everyone else, and spend some time photographing just for ourselves.  I suspect there are a lot of different reasons we photograph.  Some of us probably started photographing to keep a record of our travels, or to record family events.  While others of us photograph because it provides an artistic outlet, or a way to express ourselves that we can't do in words.  For some of us, something that we originally did for pleasure turned into "work" somewhere along the way, and we spend so much time photographing for other people that we rarely get a chance to photograph for ourselves anymore.  

I think it is important to recognize that for many of us, the simple act of creating an image is a way that we can express ourselves without being limited by words.  When we share those images with others we allow them to peek into a corner of our souls.  The process of selecting our subject and composing the image, what we choose to include in the image and what we choose to leave out, all provide insights into how we relate to our world.  And many times it is the process of photographing that brings us pleasure.  The exploration, the appreciation of simple beauty found in everyday scenes, the act of creating something beautiful out of the mundane.

I have a busy week ahead of me, but I am going to try very hard to find time to photograph "just for myself."  I hope you will do the same, and then share those images with us.

Please upload your images into the "Just for Myself" album no-later-than midnight Mountain Time (GMT -07:00 on Sunday, 21 August 2011).  I will look forward to sharing your images.

Keith

[marilyn]

What a great idea, Keith!  I love this this notion of creating space just for ourselves within our individual busy lives. What you describe related to photography also happens to me with writing - sometimes finding time to do personal writing gets pushed aside in order to do the academic writing necessary for my profession. Both are important but "assignments" such as this one are reminders of the imperative to nurture our own photography souls! Thanks!

[RebeccaSnell]

Maybe it is the still relatively new Mom in me, but the photography I find the most joy in is photographing our kids.  And, thus, when it came to photographing ‘just for me’ this week, I could think of nothing better than capturing Evan’s first day of kindergarten. 
Evan woke,  I swear looking a year older   He was so excited about school and was quite the big brother!


We started the morning with a special gift for him – his grade school’s mascot is the beagle – snoopy for those of you familiar with America’s iconic beagle.  So,  I found my beloved stuffed snoopy when I was home this summer and wrapped it up for him – complete with a red and white scarf and hat I once knit for my Snoopy which just by coincidence happens to be his school’s colors!  In addition, I gave him my old bike lock as we hope to bike/walk to school each morning (it’s just over a mile from our home). 


In addition, we let him open his birthday gift from Grandma early (she said he could).  Needless to say, he was even more excited about getting Grandma’s old camera.   He really wanted to take it to school, but he couldn’t.   


We got all ready and were outside ready to take off just on time,  so I had a moment to snatch a picture before we rode/walked to his first day at school.    McKenzie is holding his new bike lock.    (For those who don’t know, we used to walk to preschool with Evan riding his tricycle and I forgot to pick it up one Thursday when I picked him up instead of walking back.    Keith and I photographed a wedding that weekend and I totally forgot about the trike.  When it came time to walk to preschool the next Tuesday, I realized I had left it at the church.  Unfortunately, we did not lock up the trike, it was tucked away under the cover of the ramp to our church’s side door, and the trike had been stolen.  We never have found it again.  So, we will be sure and lock up Evan’s bike every day.   Bummer when you have to do that, but that is our world.  )


We got to school with plenty of time to lock up his bike, get a drink, and go meet one of the kindergarten teachers.  We don’t yet know which teacher he will have as they have the kindergarteners stager their start over three days to get to know the kids and the teachers and they will assign teachers next Monday.   I forgot I had bumped up my ISO for the inside shots and used fill flash and ended up blowing out this picture, but that is the challenge of ‘life’ shots, you don’t get a do-over.  So, I’m happy with this very high key picture of Evan and one of his teachers. 


Evan strode confidently to the kindergarten door off the playground when the morning bell rang.  I actually had to call him back and run up to him to get my hug.  He forgot to hug his Mom, can you imagine?!!   I’ll have you know, I did not cry, and thankfully, we had McKenzie to chatter the whole walk home and keep my mind off my little boy going to school.   Preschool was different as it was only two days a week for a couple of hours per day.  The school now has our little boy more waking hours during the week than we get him!  That is going to take some getting used to. 

On the walk home, McKenzie was all excited as she said, “I don’t have to share the chairs with Evan!!”  They had a tiff early this morning over our child size rocking chairs in the upstairs hall.  Evan wanted to sit on one because McKenzie was playing and had all her dolls on them.  Then she said “I don’t have to share my toys!”   Then, we got home and walked in the house and McKenzie said, “Where’s Evan??”  with such a beautiful worried look on her face.  I just wanted to hug her forever.  I said, ‘remember, he is at school’.  “Oh yeah,” she said.   And, off she went to play.  Oh, she is going to miss him.  I took solace in that wonderful staggering start the kindergarten does and the fact that he will be home all day tomorrow.  I think they do that start for the parents   .   Monday is going to be the really tough ‘true’ first day of school.

So, I realized I love photography to capture all those life moments that zoom by too quickly.  With a photograph, you get to relive them again and again.

[keithsnell]

The last picture made me think of the song "The Future's so Bright I Gotta Wear Shades." 

[marilyn]

What a wonderful capture of this momentous day!  I remember how nervous I was when Alek was allowed to ride off to school on his bike without me.  Little did I know then that feelings of terror would only escalate once he started driving! I love the expressions on both kids' faces and all the family history in words intertwined with the images.

[marilyn]

I just uploaded a slideshow of our trip to YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0TLoUvBScg

Here is the description of how this trip and resulting slideshow serendipitously worked for this assignment:  On our trip to Palm Springs, CA we made time to enjoy the journey, allowing ourselves to stop and take photos, going and coming home.  The first three slides are in the Mojave National Preserve; next the chloride evaporating flats south of Amboy.  Our timing on the return home  was ideal. Near the famous Route 66 the golden hour illuminated the train, the "painted" hills, and the creosote bush. After the sun set, we stalked the harvest moon. The shot of the semi from inside the 'vette, romantically shaped the moon as a heart.  Near Searchlight, we stopped, pulled out tripods and experimented with settings (the one successful moon shot  was at 1/4000 sec; the color is natural.)

[marilyn]

OK, so much for trying YouTube - the photos are too downgraded.....  I guess I'll just upload the images without the cool slideshow.  Stay tuned.

[Michele]

Loved it!  I can't wait to see them a little more close up, however.  Put them in a personal gallery!  I really can't wait, they look beautiful.

[marilyn]

Wow! What a mess I've created.  I'm going to be so glad when Apple gets their iCloud working and web albums, etc. can hopefully be as seamless as they used to be and photos still maintain the detailed information.  So I've uploaded the 11 images that were part of a very cool and short slideshow until I tried to export it!  Unfortunately in uploading the files onto Spirit of Photography the order got screwed up.  I did number them in my personal gallery called Stopping Along the Way.

[keithsnell]

Marilyn asked if I would mind posting her images in forum thread like Rebecca did, so here you are Marilyn.

From Marilyn:  "Here is the description of how this trip and resulting slideshow serendipitously worked for this assignment:  On our trip to Palm Springs, CA we made time to enjoy the journey, allowing ourselves to stop and take photos, going and coming home.  The first three slides are in the Mojave National Preserve; next the chloride evaporating flats south of Amboy.  Our timing on the return home  was ideal. Near the famous Route 66 the golden hour illuminated the train, the "painted" hills, and the creosote bush. After the sun set, we stalked the harvest moon. The shot of the semi from inside the 'vette, romantically shaped the moon as a heart.  Near Searchlight, we stopped, pulled out tripods and experimented with settings (the one successful moon shot  was at 1/4000 sec; the color is natural.)"

'Vette Joshua tree frame



Joshua trees, Mojave National Preserve



House ruins



Chloride flats



Train speeding through the desert



Painted hills



Sunset



Semi and heart moon



Harvest moon near Searchlight

[WriteHeart]

Love seeing everyone's pics and reading your stories. Great job!

[Michele]

Marilyn!  Beautiful!  My favorites are sunset and harvest moon.  Great job!

[RebeccaSnell]

Marilyn,  What a great trip.  I too love the Harvest moon and sunset pictures.  Thanks for sharing with us!  Rebecca