A Photo a Week Challenge: Playtime

I had the opportunity to do an extended family photo shoot, and these adorable cousins were having so much fun together. Even though they see each other often, they were so excited when they got together, and their enthusiasm made the whole shoot go off splendidly, even with the chilly weather. Big kudos to their parents and grandparents, who let them be kids and have moments like this, even if some might think they are wasting time (they weren’t, because I loved taking this photo).

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO OF KIDS (OF ANY AGE) BEING KIDS.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
  2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ tag.
  3. Come back here and post a link to your image in the comments for this challenge.
  4. Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.
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A Photo a Week Challenge: Really Big Toys

We were out of town for the US Independence Day holiday, so I’m combining the challenges for this week and next week today. Hurrah!

While visiting our daughter and her guy in Spokane, Washington this weekend, my husband got to check off one of his bucket list items: drive a vintage tractor. Our kids have an amazing property in the area above Spokane of twenty acres of forest. They’ve been clearing some of it for animals (chickens and soon sheep and pigs) and a huge garden (about an acre). We had a blast, and Tyler showed Russell the 1951 tractor and how to run it. He had so much fun.

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO (OR THREE…) FEATURING LARGE TOYS OF ANY KIND.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography. Here’s how it works:

  1. Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
  2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ and “Photo a Week” tags.
  3. Come back here and post a link to your image in the comments for this challenge.
  4. Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.

A Photo a Week Challenge: At Play

Action shots. Action shots can be so tricky. Indoor action shots can be a nightmare. These sweet girls are cousins and bestest buddies. When they are together, they are together. It’s almost impossible to separate them. And they play together so well. You can see it in their faces. I took a few of them playing in the teepee, but finally asked them to pose for me. It was still hard for them to be still for the time it took for me to focus and click. And yes, I adore them.

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO (OR MORE) OF PLAYING.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
  2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ tag.
  3. Come back here and post a link to your image in the comments for this challenge.
  4. Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.

A Photo a Week Challenge: Music

Jed Moss playing the piano

In most countries, culture is infused with music. It is part of history as well as current events. Like other art forms, music not only tells the story of an era, but also helps to shape it. During times of war and conflict, popular music becomes more nationalistic and patriotic. During the Great Depression, popular music not only lifted people up, but also spoke of the struggles of many. When a place is experiencing peace and prosperity, popular music is usually more bubbly and lively. One thing that popular music has always done is shock the older generations. My parents didn’t like our music. Their parents didn’t like their music. And on back throughout the centuries. Johann Sebastian Bach (ah, Bach) was an underpaid, little-recognized chapel meister in Lipzig, Germany for the majority of his professional career. His music wasn’t “discovered” until Felix Mendelssohn conducted a performance of it in 1829 (it was the first performance since Bach’s death in 1750).

I was raised on classical, jazz, and big band, though we all loved the Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel (much to the dismay of my parents).  This picture is of local musician Jed Moss, who is an amazing pianist, all-around artist, and just the nicest guy you could possibly hope to meet. I took this picture of a performance he gave of an incredibly difficult piece (look at all of those notes on that music — shesh!) at my nephew’s Eagle Scout Court of Honor.

So what’s your favorite music?

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO THAT INCLUDES MUSIC IN SOME FORM OR OTHER.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
  2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ and “Photo a Week” tags.
  3. Come back here and post a link to your image in the comments for this challenge.
  4. Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.

A Word a Week: Transport

Elisabeth and the swing

As a child, my favorite form of transportation was seeing how high I could make the neighbor’s swing go. It was a great swing set that was about 20-feet high with heavy chains on the seats so you could really pull hard and get some serious air. Go to any playground and you see the same thing. Kids are always trying to see how high a swing will let them fly.

A Word a Week Photo Challenge: Transport