Shutterbugs and photo-lovin’ friends, welcome to Photo Challenges 2.0. Today I am sharing my snapshots for 2 of the 3 photo challenges I am participating in. The iSpy challenge with my blogging buddy Lysha at A Camera and a Cookbook. Lysha gives us 5 prompts each week and hopes to inspire us to “look for the marvelous in the mundane.” And there’s the Winter Photo Scavenger hunt (WPSH) with Mary Lou and Ellen. Such thoughtful prompts that allow for interpretation in our own ways.
Of course, I continue to participate in Terri’s Sunday Stills series, and share those pictures once a month. You can revisit December’s post, here. But decided all of these photos are too much for a single monthly post. Will be photo challenge pictures over several posts in the coming weeks.
Photo Challenges 2.0
Going to divide this post into sections so you can tell – and I can keep straight – which photos go with which challenge.
iSpy PHOTO CHALLENGE 2021
I combined prompts from 2 weeks of the iSpy challenge for this post.
Week 2
- parts – the playground down the street is usually filled with kids when there isn’t a pandemic. Slowly children are returning to play as our numbers come down. But on the afternoon after the rain, it was eerily empty. Found the lines of the playground equipment interesting.
- hungry – after our walk up McKelligon Canyon Road, we were hungry. Like HUNGRY. Stopped into Brown Bag Deli for sandwiches. Mine was the #9 on white…turkey, ham, cole slaw and Swiss. Worth every point.
- details – the rain on the windshield. Do you detect a theme for this photo post?
- home – snapped this photo and a few others on a rainy afternoon as the sun came out over the eastern slopes of the Franklin Mountains. Played with some Prisma filters on the 3 photos in the collage.
- sky – on the same afternoon that I took the photos above, I noticed the sky in the reflection of a large parking lot puddle.
Week 3
- ordinary day – Saturday mornings we always have family time in bed. PC is to the left of this photo playing Tankville (World of Tanks) on his laptop. I am writing this blog post. And Purrsimmony is beside me, Purrsnickitty at the foot of the bed. Our weekend morning routine.
- favorite – place to hike. Dripping Springs, outside of Las Cruces, New Mexico. About a 30 minute drive from home.
- candle – have just discovered the room-filling throw of Bath and Body Works’ 3-wick candles. This one is eucalyptus mint.
- brings me joy – Ernie the goat. Actually, this could be 100 different things but yesterday’s Ernie-sighting brought me great joy for the remainder of the day. I first noticed Ernie early one morning going across the mountain on my way to substitute teach on the west side of town.
As I think back, that was probably the same year this article was written about similar goat sightings. No one believed me!! But it never occurred to me to look for support online. And I never saw Ern again until about a year ago when I was heading over to Cia-sit. Now I look for Ernie every trip across the mountain. To the extent of practically running off the road!! I saw him yesterday and snapped the first picture. Then my SWEET PRINCE turned the car around. He parked on a closed-to-the-public shoulder of the road so I jumped out to get some photo evidence that Ernie exists. For anyone who might have wondered…I am not totally crazy or delusional. Yet. Click on these photos to see them better.
- black & white – Brown Bag Deli in black and white.
WINTER PHOTO SCAVENGER HUNT (WPSH)
The WPSH runs from 12.01.2020 to 03.21.2021. The only rules: all photos must be your own work and must be taken between those dates.
For review, here is the list of 20 prompts. But remember that up to three of these can be substituted using the alternative prompts at the end of the list if necessary.
- A set of three
- Round and round
- Peek inside ✔️
- Glass
- A treasured item
- Horizontal ✔️
- An opening ✔️
- A sign of the times ✔️
- Weather conditions
- Work in progress
- Measures
- In the distance ✔️
- Something beginning with C
- One of many ✔️
- Something with legs ✔️
- A face ✔️
- Comfort food
- Something you do every day
- Something yellow
- Marking time
Alt A. In pieces
Alt B. Textured
Alt C. Black and white
My Progress
- #6 horizontal – blinds. Whenever I help with the girls, I pose Lucia’s stuffed animals doing something funny for her to discover when she gets ready for bed at night. It is something she loves for me to do. She will say “Gabba, will you make my bed” which really means arrange her bunnies. On this particular morning, I put all of her bunnies in between the blinds with their little cotton tails peeking out the window. I like the horizontal lines in the blinds, and from the sunlight streaming in the window.
The second photo was taken on a walk last weekend. Horizontal lines abound in the bridge and the shadows.
- #14 one of many – acorns. Tiny acorns from what I think is a pin oak tree.
- #15 something with legs – this bench. With its picturesque view of the mountain behind and the heavily used walking path in front. When the bench is being used, it acquires more legs.
- #16 a face – snowman and granddaughter. The first image I shot for this prompt was my neighbor’s snowman decor. And while it was pretty cute, I think you will agree that the face of my 1 year-old granddaughter Camila is even more so. Snapped during breakfast this Friday morning.
Don’t you just love that dirty little mug. That mouth is so kissable. But I don’t get to kiss my babies these days…there’s always a mask between us.
YOUR TURN
What images found your lens in the last weeks? Did you use your phone to capture them or your good camera? I took my good camera out with me on several occasions. The photos of the bench and the acorns were taken with it. We are off for a hike this afternoon. Will try to remember to take my DSLR.
Hope this finds you knee-deep in a delightful weekend. Thank you for spending a little of it here with me for my Photo Challenges 2.0. Enjoy your day!
P.S. Hope you will stop by on Tuesday, 01.26.2021, when my friend Carrie at A Stylish Fit and I kick off our From Texas with Love series. We are asking bloggers from all over the universe to link up an all about you post.
January is a great time to (re)introduce ourselves. Let readers know where you are from, who is in your family, what do you love about where you live, would you prefer to live someplace else? And to share one thing about yourself that makes you unique.
Hugs and kisses,
Michelle
Your photos are wonderful Leslie! You live in a beautiful part of the country.
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you, Michelle. El Paso and far west Texas are an acquired taste for some. But I loved this area from first sight!
Joanne
These are great photos! I really love the black and white horizontal with the bunnies and accompanying story.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you, Joanne. It was one of my faves. And just kind of accidentally ‘good’ photo!
Amy Johnson
You have become quite the photographer!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you!! I am enjoying photography.
jodie filogomo
And you took these all on your phone?? That’s amazing. It makes me want to get a new phone just to have a better camera!!
OXOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Ha, Jodie!! I need a new phone and better camera. But it helps to clean the lens now and then. I forget to do that and my pictures are a whole lot better when I do!
Deb
Great photos! Love the little bunnies peeking out the window.
What a gorgeous close up photo of Camila – that little button nose, adorable!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you, Deb. I have fun hiding the bunnies for Lucia. So enjoyed helping with my babies for a few days.
Donna Connolly
Hi, Leslie – I am a huge fan of your photography. In this collection, the Brown Bag Deli in black and white is my favourite. The arrow is particularly timely (and haunting).
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Not sure why I thought the deli photo would be moving in B&W but I did. And I think it worked out well, thank you. The arrows are a sign of the time, aren’t they. And lines on the floor at the registers. Will we ever be able to remove them?
Kellyann Rohr
I love the idea of looking for the marvelous in the mundane! What a great way to remind us to appreciate the small things.
And how sweet is your little granddaughter’s face? Oh goodness, she is precious!
xo,
Kellyann
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Love that Camila. She is so spicy and snuggly. I thought the idea of looking for the marvelous in the mundane was a great tag line, too. Really enjoying these photo challenges.
Danielle
That puddle picture is awesome! And yes, your picture of Camila is super sweet! I love close up of babies faces. Also, glad you got a picture of the goat!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
I was so excited about getting the goat’s photo. And touched that my husband turned the car around the so I could see the goat and take his picture!!
Dara
I love the restaurant in black and white and of course that cute baby face!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you, Dara. Something about that restaurant shot just seemed like it should be in black and white.
Natasha
I love the lines on the playground photos. I also love the reflection of the blue sky in the puddle. I’m envious as we’ve had A LOT of grey skies this month.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Hey, Natasha, thank you. I have enjoyed our cloudy, rainy days. We have something like 350 sunny days a year so the rainy days are special treats.
kirstin troyer
I need to look up these challenges…they sound awesome.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Come do the photo challenges with us!! Emailed you some info.
Kirstin
I couldn’t find info on the WPSH….I’m guessing since it runs through March you can start anytime correct? And do people typically post at the end of march?
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Hey, come do the WPSH with us. They share photos at the end of each month throughout the challenge. I will check to see if they share tomorrow. You can start anytime for sure.
Lysha
So many great photos. I especially loved the sky pic. Dripping Springs looks gorgeous. Such a different landscape in that area that I’m not used to. The snowman face made me smile and baby eyelashes are always so pretty and long.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you, Lysha. I am having such fun looking for captures to satisfy each week’s photo prompts.
Ellie
Your photos are amazing!! Thanks for sharing!
Iris
Oh, I love Ernie the goat! I don’t have mountain goats, but do have deer, foxes, raccoons, possums, and a variety of other wild animals and I always feel so blessed when I see one. Yes, I even like the squirrels, though my son says they’re just annoying rodents with tails. 🙂
Grace & Peace, Iris
http://www.IrisOriginalsRamblings.com
Leslie Roberts Clingan
I think I am so tickled by Ernie because he is something I spotted years ago and no one believed me!! So it was like a little secret between Ernie and me. And we just don’t have wild animals (that I see) around here. Not even squirrels!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you, Ellie, for the sweet words.
Laura Bambrick
I LOVE that sky photo! That turned out so well! The home photo is really neat too!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you. I loved seeing the world reflected in the puddles. We so rarely have puddles!!