If you’re a social media nut then you’ve probably seen a multitude of challenges given out by friends. I’m talking about that one person from your old high school that you haven’t heard from in years, tagging you in a “make money now”, “30 days of me”, “or sometimes asking you to drop a bucket of ice water over your head to help cure a disease that you didn’t know about until the world went crazy over it.
Puberty was good for Freddie from iCarly
I got tagged in one of these posts labeled the “5 day photo challenge”. With all honesty, I usually don’t pay attention to these posts and if I do get tagged, I pray that they won’t notice my absence and use the excuse “oh, I haven’t been on my social media in a couple weeks” (total lies). I’m on the border line of calling myself a photographer, since I just have a pretty nice camera and take some decent shots on it, but I still enjoy it. Not for the spotlight or even to get some spending money out of it, but for the fun of viewing the world through a lens. I figured the challenge would help me extend from my usual comfort level of portrait photography, and expand my photographer way of thinking into something without models or ideas weeks ahead of time.
The rules were simple, you chose the photo theme yourself. The whole point is to share a photo you took everyday, share why you chose the photo, and nominate someone new each day for 5 days. Intriguing, right? I even tagged someone each day of the challenge, yet knowing that none of them would follow through. I knew they would either be annoyed or inspired by the tag, but that wasn’t something that could bother me. I was on a photo hunt and it was a new day.
Here’s what I would consider my 5 days of photography inspiration:
Day 1/5 [Autumn Leaves]
The idea for this photo was an obvious choice for me. I don’t know if you guys have noticed, but Utah has a lot of mountains and scenery, especially in the fall. Being the typical “white girl” while holding my pumpkin spice latte, i’m going to tell you that fall is my favorite season. For obvious reasons, there’s the fashion, the Utah menstrual cycle of changing temperature, but especially the leaves. If you guys haven’t taken a chance to step outside and turn your head to see the multicolored giants around us, you should really consider getting out more often.
Day 2/5 [Season of Love]
I took this photo last minute at the end of the day while I was being the videographer for my friends wedding. As many of you know, fall may be the season of neutral colors and pumpkin spice everything, it’s also the season of weddings. If you’re the one getting married, already married, or in that special relationship that could lead to this joyous occasion, it’s probably on your list of reasons to love fall. But as for the rest of us, it’s a love/hate experience. It’s like watching “The Notebook” while having some intimate time with your friends Ben & Jerry Double Baked, even though you’re completely over your last break up from 6 months ago. Or so you thought. Either way, weddings can still be fun for the single percentage at the party. There’s dancing, music, old friends, and some side eye flirting with the groomsmen/bridesmaids. It’s a night for you to daydream and to try new things. I took this photo of one of the bridesmaids with her bouquet because I thought it best showed the love/hate relationship that someone experiences at a wedding, with the symbol of love through roses but the curse of being the bridesmaid forever.
Day 3/5 [You Can Have Manhattan]
I was born and raised in Utah and just like any teenager born and raised in the “bubble”, I wanted to leave. Anywhere seemed better than here, and I’m sure that applies to anyone raised in one location for their entire lives. It wasn’t until I got out of high school and moved about 40 miles south of the city, that I realized how much I actually missed it. True, it was only 40 miles away, but if you know Utah well you know that 40 miles south of the city is almost a completely different place. I named the photo “You Can Have Manhattan” because of the love I feel for the city I live in now. I’ve been lucky enough to visit Manhattan multiple times, experiencing both the tourist and native side of it. But in the end, I realized it was just a big, crowded, smelly city. Don’t get me wrong, Manhattan is still a magical city that no other place can compare, but my heart will forever stay in SLC.
Day 4/5 [We Are Friends]
I took this photo as almost a thank you to all my amazing friends. I’m a huge fan of hosting and cooking, so I tend to have a dinner party whenever I get the chance. I really think it’s important to keep those important to you close and to make sure to let them know how important they are to you… through food. Let’s be honest, besides money, would you rather get a new pair of socks or a home cooked meal for a gift? Let someone you care about know how much they mean to you today. See? I can be inspiring, right?
Day 5/5 [Word of God]
This was my last photo of the challenge, and my favorite from the week overall. The quote in the photo is from one of my own poems I had written that same day. The poem was about a hike I had recently taken and how the view at the top hit me. I felt like I could see the entire state of Utah, seeing the small, quaint city on my left, the highway and small towns of Utah to my right, and the Great Salt Lake directly in front of me. The feeling was amazing, and even though the poem was too long to share in this photo, I felt these lines best described the feeling as a whole.
Fun fact: the “coffee stain” that I added to the papers are actually Nutella that I put on the bottom of a coffee mug. My house doesn’t have any coffee in it and I felt like the stain would add the perfect effect. Sure, you can probably tell that it’s definitely some sort of chocolatey residue and not coffee, but it’s the thought that counts, right?
That’s it for my 5 day photo challenge. Whether I inspired you, annoyed you, or bored you to death, I still got a great experience out of it and loved every day doing it. I learned more about myself as a photographer and how to create new ideas and art.
For this challenge, I tag all of you that are reading. Take a chance and do it! Whether you’re a photographer, a writer, or an accountant, you have artistic taste inside of you that you should share with your friends and family, whether they want to see it or not.
[ORIGINAL POST ON SALTROADS.COM]