Photo-A-Day Challenge

I LOVED this challenge!!!  Photo editing is one of my favorite tasks to do on the computer, and I loved having the starting point of a daily idea from the site Project Life 365.

My Posts can be Found at:
Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7
 #zepslife365photos and #zepsphotoimmersion

In addition to taking a photo for the daily theme, I found myself looking deeper into the meaning of the task, and even trying to be a little abstract in my photos and my ideas.  Reflecting on the picture and justifying its connection would be a great activity for my students.  I would really like to complete this same kind of week-long immersion with my students and really push the reflective aspect of this project.  This would be a great way to introduce design elements, patterns and textures, etc, by giving one challenge per day.  The students could evaluate each other's photos and it could even become a class challenge.  I will definitely use this in the future.

Example of Pattern

 Example of Texture

This is also a great opportunity for photo editing.  Students could be challenged to use editing from apps like BeFunky, Photo Editor, or Tadaa if they are using their smart phones to take pictures.  They could justify why they chose the particular effect to create or enhance the mood or emotion.  I found editing my photos to be part of the fun of the project.

BeFunky

Tadaa

Photo Editor

Finally, it was so easy to work with the smartphone and upload pics right to my Blogger Post using the Blogger App.  Students could work on this at school or at home.  Again, I LOVED this project!!

Blogger App

Photo-A-Day, Day 7

From Project Life 365

re·lay  (rl)

n.

1. An act of passing something along from one person, group, or station to another.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/relayed

Today, my daughter's soccer team won first place in their tournament, and last week they won first place in playoffs for the season.  Very proud mom moment.....and all possible due to the teamwork and hard work of the girls as they strategically "relayed" the ball!!

Photo-A-Day, Day 6

From Project Life 365

In fourth grade she came bouncing over to my classroom, the most outgoing girl in the school, to seek me out to exchange pictures.  Me, the shyest kid, and that was the moment Jessica Prutzman and I became the best of friends.  If anyone who knows me just read me describe myself as shy, they would think I am a liar, but I give Jessica all the credit in the world for pulling me out of my shell (well, before the Bonanno gene kicked in completely) and together we have gone through it all.  Still do.  Ready to celebrate our 40th birthdays in a few months, I am blessed and grateful to have this special person in my life.  LYLAS Prutz!

Photo-A-Day, Day 5

From Project Life 365 

Thought I'd try to throw some emotion into this one...no particular reason, no particular thought, just thinking back to all the times in my life where I had no sense of direction.  We've all had those low points, and those hills to climb, and we know as life moves on that everything serves a purpose.  But when in those low places, we often get lost in ourselves,which is what I wanted to portray here.  

Photo-A-Day, Day 4

From Project Life 365

This question was very appropriate, and sad, for me today, because today I had to say goodbye to the place in my life that always brought me instant "peace"--my grandparents' home.  My photo is of my grandfather's machine shop, which he built on his property when he came home from World War II.  My grandmother always told the story how she saved money for him to buy suits to get a job when he got home, and he took the money and went and bought second-hand lumber to begin his project.  The shop was originally built for my grandfather and his brother, the "racer", to work on their stock cars.  After the stock car phase was over, he began to build his business and his "collection".  My grandfather was a machinist by trade, leaving high school for an apprenticeship at the local textiles.  He was the smartest man I ever knew, and my grandmother the strongest woman.  Having living through the depression, there was nothing they couldn't overcome, and nothing they ever took for granted, including each other.  They were married for 70 years.  Their home, including my grandfather's shop, was my sanctuary.  The place where no matter what was happening, suddenly everything was ok thanks to their welcoming arms and insightful words.  Two years after my grandfather's death (my grandmother 5 years before him), our family finally sold their home, and tomorrow is settlement.  Today, I had to go and say goodbye to my place of "peace".

Photo-A-Day, Day 3

From Project Life 365

Ok, so this is not normally my ride...but it was today.  My car is getting inspected so today I got to use our pickup.  I always feel a little out of my element when I drive my husband's work truck, like I'm pretending to be someone else.  I don't know if it's because I have to step up into it, or all the tools inside (which I am completely clueless about), or just that I feel like if I'm driving it I should be towing a boat (which I wish I was, I once towed a 20 foot boat all the way home from Key West).  Regardless, it was my ride today.

Photo-A-Day, Day 2

From Project Life 365

I chose this pic for two reasons...the chair and the dog.  This chair (one of 4) represents my first upholstery project ever.  After taking out a thousand staples (resulting in many blisters and sore fingers) I picked out this "Line" material and recovered our chairs.  I felt like Martha Stewart (I've always been more a "Tool Time Girl" than Martha).  I was really proud of this project, and found a love for re-purposing--a hobby I plan to spend more time on in the future.  Ok, the dog....this is Sniffy, our 8-year-old Shitzu that my daughter named when she was 3.  Sniffy looks cute, but attacks often.  She attacks us, often.  This is her morning spot--on the "lines", and our morning routine involves her growing at me when it's time to go into her cage.  You can see, she's got the look, she's ready to pounce.  And so the morning begins....Sniffy and the "Lines".

Photo-A-Day, Day 1

Getting Ready to Start my Photo Immersion Project... 

Did some research, and really liked the ideas from Project Life 365.

Every day there is a theme.  Today is Day 1 of my photo challenge, and the theme is #IN_THESE_SHOES.

My first Photo Entry

November 18, 2013

This theme reminded me of how I wear many "hats", but truth is, the shoes are really what defines my life.  I realized this morning there are three phases of my day.  I start my day at 4:30 am (when I grade papers because the house is quiet) in my favorite comfortable footwear.  Then, at 6:00 am, the professional/work shoes go on, and the day begins!  At 4:00 pm, I come home, change into exercise wear with my sneakers, and battle the effects of turning 40 in a few months, and then become super-mom running around to all of the kids activities.  Finally, around 9:00 pm, I cycle back to the comfortable attire and my favorite shoes of the day--the same ones I wake up to, and slow down the pace of life relaxing with my family before we all wake up and do it all over again!