Winters can be especially difficult for me to stay creative so I have decided to participate in a 52 week photo challenge.  I am following @igersfortwayne on Instagram and following their weekly suggestions. Week one: FRESH

I must confess that i used a photo that I had already taken for this one. 

 WEEK 2: BLACK AND WHITE

Now, it would be too easy to just take a photo and turn it black and white.  I wanted to use black and white elements and keep the photo color.  I just loved the way this turned out! 

WEEK 3: PATTERN

Any building or row of similar items will create a pattern just because they are the same shape all in a line.  I decided I wanted to create a pattern of shadows.  My beautiful son, Sam, was kind enough to allow me to use his face. I painted these circles onto a pane of glass (I took the glass out of a painting on my wall) and shone a light thru it to create these shadows.  It took a few tries and changes in the circles but I think it turned out to look really cool! 

I'll keep adding each week as the year progresses.  Really looking forward to keeping up with it!

WEEK 4: WINTER

Usually the last week of January in Indiana is a good option for getting snowy winter photos.  This week it has been a little cool, very windy and more like late fall than winter.  So, I created a winter scene in my favorite room in my house to use for photos: my library.  

I decided to have this as my scene and to put some white fabric on the floor to imitate snow. 

Penny, one of my cats, was very helpful as I worked out the details.  When my friend arrived to be my model, the sun was getting low in the afternoon sky so we had to move quickly.  She was so excited to help me and we had just so much fun!!

I had made a little shot list to help me keep my mind on the ideas I wanted to try.  Sometimes I get caught up in the fun of the shoot and I forget some ideas then later, after everything is done, I'll remember the things I didn't do and be disappointed.  Experience has served me well!

I am really loving the dark background and the lovely effect of natural light so we moved across the room where I had that already set up. 

Just too fun.  I am so happy with the results.  Looking forward to finding out what the next week will be!

WEEK 5: WARMTH

This one is a bit challenging.  What is warmth?  I keep thinking of home, comfort, reading, tea, a fire in the fireplace.  

My favorite tea mug in my dining room at home.  It makes me smile when I see this photo. 

My library.  My FAVORITE room in my home.  

To me, this is warm and inviting. 

WEEK 6: TEXTURE

Looking around my home to find items that have interesting texture led me to textiles. 

Like this pillow, or this pillow:

But I also really loved this flower that is in with my art books in my 3rd floor studio/art room.  

Oh, I do love this room.  

WEEK 7: RED

My favorite fruit, at least it must be since I eat apples just about every day.

WEEK 8: Symmetry

I had so many great ideas for this week.  And then as I started to actually work on them, things were just not turning out the way I wanted.  I still had a great time working on it and sketching my ideas and all that.  So, first I submit a photo that i actually took a few years ago but it is perfect for this.  

Lakeside Park in Fort Wayne, Indiana is so beautiful. 

Anyway, my other ideas were more odd and I needed some identical twins.  I asked a few people and couldn't find some twins for my photo so I asked my lovely friend, Iris, if she would pretend to be 2 people in a photo.  I believe she nailed it! 

I tried another version, both were somewhat inspired by Diane Arbus, a fantastic photographer who was well known in the 1960's.  

WEEK 9: ISOLATION  

I really was not inspired by this one but that is why I am doing this challenge.  I took this photo in West Virginia in July 2011 and it came to mind with this topic.  

And this little isolated place, also.