Photo - A - Day

At the ICE Conference on February 28th, I went to a session titled, "Photo-A-Day Challenge: Building 21st Century Skills Through Photography," led by Kristin Brynteson from NIU (my alma matter - twice!).

I decided to try it for the month of March - I needed that push! I'm going to use the site she suggested. (Silly me - I should have used the site for March of 2014, but I found the one for 2012 first! Ah, well.)

What I've learned by going through this process...
  * It's not for me.
          I can see how other people (students and adults alike) can get into this - if they share on a DAILY basis. Instagram, Twitter, or some other form of social media could really make this challenge interesting, more fun, and definitely more challenging and more rewarding. It would also be a better learning opportunity, as you can see what others have posted and learn from them!
   * I don't like assignments.
          I love photography - but I don't like someone else determining what shot I should get. It DID, however, make me keep my eyes open for items that fit the bill. For instance, when looking for "an animal" on 3/24, even though I didn't have my camera ready (I was really relaxing), I did make note of all the animals we saw that day on our ride. On the day for "funny," I recognized more of what was funny in the day, but wouldn't be able to capture any of it unless I had the shutter open at all times.
   * The iPad doesn't take bad photos... well, not too bad.
   * I want to include my husband / soul mate in EVERY photo.
          He is such a huge part of my life, and makes it all it is. He has helped me with many of these photos, and he enjoys (or puts up with?) challenges alongside me.

If I were to try this again...
   * I'd join a group, and post photos daily.
   * I would save all my photos for the month in a Flickr account.
   * I would have my good camera with me at all times.
   * I would use the right month & year!
   * I might make one up WITH students - we could create our own, and post when we're ready.
   *** I'd like to try one per week with students - we could share on a Friday in class, and come up with a new one together for the next week. This is actually an option... The gears are turning now...***

Here are the results, and what I learned for certain photos...

March 1st - UP
* I should do this project with my husband / soul mate, because he thinks of "outside the box" (even as I put them INside a box!)...
* When you take photos of lights through your iPad, it can come out looking black and white! (I did NOT touch up any of these with effects.
(Hubby put up these two new light fixtures just this week.)

March 2nd - FRUIT

* I realized that the seeds are what's important in the fruit. Although difficult to get a photo of the seeds, I was able to focus on the inside of the fruit.

* I'd love to take photos of my favorite fruits, but they're not in season...

March 3rd - YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

* I realized I'm disgusted with the snow and the cold, as this is all I see of our neighborhood these days. I thought about this picture all day, and this is all I could come up with. Probably because we haven't been out and about in our neighborhood since December!

March 4th - BEDSIDE

* This project makes me think about what I value. What do I value enough to take a picture and post on my blog?? My warm socks and slippers.

March 5th - SMILE

* Dexter and his friend in a freshly-made bed always make me smile. My husband is caring and knows that if I see them spooning I'll know the sheets are fresh and I will sleep well... I used BigLens for this blurred background and snowy scene today.

March 6th - 5PM

* I found out that people at ______ (identity protected) are not supposed to have their photo taken! So I learned how to blur out Juan's name. ;-) We go here most Tuesdays or Thursdays... depending on when we go to Jimmy John's instead! Juan is a sweet man who we have small talk with each week. His gentleness came out in this quick shot of him we (luckily) got.

March 7th - SOMETHING YOU WORE

* This week, a group of students showed me their logo for their new band (born in Genius Hour!), and I thought my collar could represent them... "Play It In Reverse" is the band!

March 8th - WINDOW

* My love had my iPad today while I enjoyed EdCamp Iowa!! So... here are two photos he took, plus one of him taking one of the photos! (Thanks Shawn!)

March 9th - RED

* Red. I did not see red today. I saw blue. I saw green. I saw purple... Then, at the end of the day, we had my dad's birthday party... everyone there (except me) was wearing some version of red. I did not have my camera. Ugh. How could I not bring my camera to a birthday party??

March 10th - LOUD

* My love is out of town... so I made tuna jackstraw casserole, because he can't stand the smell... I'm learning that words have multiple meanings - even transcending senses.

March 11th - SOMEONE YOU TALKED TO TODAY

* I miss him.

March 12th - FORK

* I realized a fork symbolizes a choice... I could choose to be sad that my love is out of town, or choose to be happy, as I know he is good and is coming home soon. I chose happy (now I've got to convince myself that I DID choose happy, and act it!)

March 13th - A SIGN

* These two teachers (ELA & Science - 7th grade) are excited about their new plans for the school garden. They both got up from their lunch to look outside at it and point out where they'll make changes. In front of them, on the counter, is the sign... "GROW." This photo is a sign that spring WILL come to us some day, and the garden will flourish once again...

March 14th - CLOUDS

* I like the first two... My love likes the one with the moon. I can't decide, and it's my photo challenge, so they're all here! Clouds with bare trees & the sun, or just clouds and the sun... Or more clouds later in the evening with the moon and the terrain...

March 15th - CAR

* I hate NASCAR, but love my hubby. He was having fun flipping through the channels, and suddenly he started driving (with remote in hand)! He wants to title this one "Left Turn."

March 16th - SUNGLASSES

* We tried to geocache today... haven't been out since October! Found out we still had a geocoin we have to drop off - it's called "Spring." Hmmm... 23 degrees and a biting wind, but we did get out! I wanted the reflection of the coin in my sunglasses (transition lenses - LOVE 'EM), but learned that we can't see much in the iPad when it's sunny out and our glasses switch over to sunglasses! I also learned that I have more wrinkles that stem out from my eyes (besides the crow's feet from smiling)...

March 17th - GREEN

* It's St. Patrick's Day... It should be easy to find "green..." Yet I wanted something different. I went through the day and then came home, looking at myself to see if I should use my own shirt. Nope. Went back through my photos, and realized that this picture from today was green! My first views of it in my last class did not catch the color - I was trying to catch the smoothness and the intricacies of the patterns INSIDE the "ice marble" that the students made.

March 18th - A CORNER OF YOUR HOME

* I love our bookshelves, the sound of a banjo, and light for reading... I was also able to catch a wedding photo of me and my love on the beach. <3

March 19th - FUNNY

* I didn't capture "funny." I live in the moment. By the time I get the iPad out to take a picture, "funny" had escaped...

March 20th - BEFORE / AFTER

* Before... excited, sore, ready. After... Ahhhhhhhh......

March 21st - DELICIOUS

* I didn't want to bring the iPad in to the restaurant. So when the day was done, I took this picture so that I could remember that most everything I eat I think is pretty delicious...

March 22nd - KITCHEN SINK

* I wasn't aware that this was the topic today... so since I took this photo yesterday, really, I thought I'd do "delicious" today! Thanks for the omelette, Love!

March 23rd - MOON

* Oh... my... gosh. How DENSE am I? I looked all over for moons today - everywhere I went! Finally, before I went to sleep, I took this photo of my closet door handle, as it could look like a moon if you stretch your imagination. Then I went to sleep. I dream. A lot. I dreamt about my drink on this night - BLUE MOON! UGH! I could've taken a photo of the orange on the glass!! I'm losing it.

March 24th - AN ANIMAL

* We saw SOOOO many animals today - but I enjoyed them without a camera. Here are two of the turkey vultures resting for the night. Can you see their blotches in the tree? We counted about FIFTY between two different areas. We also saw ten deer tonight on our walk, a hawk flew over our head (we could hear his wings when he took off!), we saw a buffalo, long-horned cattle, sheep, goats, horses, cows... the next day we saw a wild turkey in our path, and llamas, too! :D No camera, but memories galore.

March 25th - BREAKFAST

* We went to the Cracker Barrel for breakfast... love this place. I also love that the chair I asked Bob to sit in came alongside a chair with the state we were in! It had snowed this morning, as well, but the bush (tree) was budding... What is this beautiful flower ready to bloom?

March 26th - KEY

* I took this picture on the 25th, not knowing it was the challenge for today! Remember when all hotel keys used to be like this?

March 27th - YOUR NAME

* My name... Joy. Oh, so many things bring me joy! Here is a collage from what brings me joy today.

March 28th - TRASH

* There were lots of photos I could have taken today. However, it got me thinking that maybe some people wouldn't have the same opinions of trash as I do. Then I thought - "Oh, well, this is MY photo challenge." So... this was the second pink elephant we saw on our way home from Nashville. Tacky. The way it happened, it also says "Whiskey" above it, and "liquor" right on it. Trashy, in my opinion. I took it from the car. Also a bit trashy/tacky.

March 29th - FEET

* We got home from Tennessee, and were able to spend the night in our own bed. Ahhh.... This is me and hot-footed man (sans socks).

March 30th - TOY

* TweetDeck. Need I say more?

March 31st - WHERE YOU RELAX

* Usually my love is resting on this with me, watching "The Big Bang Theory."