A Word+Photo Challenge.

I seem to have hit a sudden blogging binge.  It has been months since I have blogged regularly and boom, in the middle of February, I'm blogging with gusto again.  And here's why.

About two months ago, I was not taking pictures at all.  Technically I was doing the occasional shoot, and while that's fun, I was not casually shooting everyday objects.  And I realized I missed looking for something pretty or inspiring in the mundane.  I began to brainstorm.  For a month I attempted all sorts of methods that might motivate me, but it really was no use.  Until I had an 'aha' moment after some web surfing.

You see, I love the thesaurus.  Some people are addicted to Pinterest, but I am obsessed with typing in ridiculously long words and clicking through to other words (at least it's educational).  And so, I decided to take my two loves and combine them.

Thesaurus + Photography = epic photo challenge.

I decided to make a list of words and each day, I select one in the morning.  I think about it, mull over the definition and think about photos I could take, mentally arranging things or ideas.  But I don't shoot right away.  And I think this is crucial to my personal photo challenge.  If I shoot right away, I find that I miss out on other opportunities or I misinterpret the word I've selected.  I'm simply taking a photo just to take a photo.  So, I keep thinking.  And thinking. And thinking.  Then when I feel ready, I snap.  Do I always get the right shot?  No.  Sometimes I have redos, but I try not to think about those or do them frequently.  I think this is also equally important in my photo challenge as I tend to be extremely picky about my photography (it's not artistic enough, the lighting seems weird, etc).  Telling myself I have three shots encourages me to focus.

This process has allowed this extremely impatient person to stop and think about a potential photo.  But it has also given me a great appreciation for photography and I have been able to develop new strategies in how I run my photoshoots.  Plus, simply taking photographs reminds me how much I need photography.  Without a creative outlet, I go crazy.  And a crazy Kristin is not always a good thing and I'm excited to share more photos!

Happy Saturday!