Remember that Blogging course I signed up for back in January? (Man, was that 2 months ago?). It was pretty interesting following along with their prompts and suggestions, and I think I gleaned a couple of good ideas from them. I spruced up the blog by changing the template, added some picture links, and started with a couple of “features” – Sabbath Rest and Mondays are for Memories. And, it encouraged me to do the Post-A-Day (self-imposed) challenge last month. I even signed up for their Blogging 201 course, but that turned out to be all about writing poetry. Maybe I’ll tackle that in my next lifetime! But I did sign up for their Photo 101 course that started on March 2nd. Hey, I take lots of pictures – maybe this will be fun! The premise was that you would be instructed to take a photo a day, using a predetermined style or prompt. I’m really glad that all of these ‘courses’ have been free, because I really don’t know who has the time to do all of these things. Please don’t judge me, but I didn’t have the time this past week to go out and actually take the pictures per their instructions. But each of the prompts did bring certain images to mind, so I did a bit of Flickr searching to see what I could find. Here are my assignments and my completed homework for the first 5 days –
Photography 101
Day one – Home – Home is elusive. When we think about this word, we might picture different physical locations. And while home is often found on a map, it can also be less tangible: a loved one, a state of mind.

This is home for me. My loved one looking out our big front window.

Day two – Street – Yesterday, we asked you to interpret home in your own way: you might have posted an image of a house, the countryside, an entire city skyline, or something else entirely. Today, let’s focus on a street. It can be a quiet road blanketed in snow, an alley near your apartment covered with murals, or a busy street where pedestrians weave between cars and motorbikes.

So here is a shot of Seattle that fits the assignment –
But for us a “street” is more likely to look like this –

or maybe like this –

Day three – Water – We have different relationships to and stories about water: how it has saved or defeated us. How it reminds us of family vacations, outdoor adventures, or the hot summers of our childhood. How it might symbolize a place we’ve left behind, or a location we dream to go.

Guess that was a no brainer, right?

Day four – Bliss – What is your idea of bliss? Is it an image of your family, laughing at the dinner table? A state of total relaxation, while lying on the beach? Your latest painting, drying on the canvas?

Bliss: complete happiness, great joy, paradise, or heaven.

Coffee on the cabin yard – you’re not really surprised this is my interpretation of “bliss” are you?
Day five – Solitude & the “Rule of Thirds”
We’re excited about today’s theme, solitude. In addition to thinking about what it means to you, also consider the placement of the subject in your shot. How can you interpret the state of being alone, or a lonely and uninhabited place?

I took this picture in 2008 as we drove through New Mexico, and I have often thought of that solitary house. I haven’t a clue of its story (and I doubt that it follows the “Rule of Thirds”), but I did know I was awfully glad of the opportunity to share it with you all again.

So, now that I’m all caught-up (well, sort of) with my week of assignments, I can take tomorrow off.  And you never know, next week I might even get out the camera!

Don’t forget to spring ahead!