It’s nearly Springtime here and we’re all suffering from a bit of cabin fever from the cold weather. Once Spring has finally sprung (hopefully next week) and the green grass is back, it’s time to head outside again and start enjoying the warmer days and the gorgeous flowers that start to appear everywhere. It can seem a bit silly to just head out of the house for no real reason, so I thought I’d challenge you to capturing some moments that say “Spring” to you in your part of the world. (If you’re heading into Autumn, you could try this challenge for your season too!)
What you’ll need:
- A Camera or a Camera Phone for taking the photos
- Some Spring Appropriate Clothing (it can really vary, so whatever works depending on the day)
- Some Walking Shoes to keep you comfortable
- Somewhere to Explore (gardens and parks are good places to start, but even your neighbourhood might have something that says Spring to you)
- An Hour of Your Time or more if you wish
- Some Tunes or Some Great Company to keep your spirits high
- A Lighthearted Attitude to the challenge though trying this challenge may prove to improve a bad day
How to:
Pull on your favourite Spring clothes and comfy walking shoes, grab your camera or camera phone and your tunes and head on out to where you’re going to start the challenge. This challenge isn’t about being the quickest or even about being the best, it’s just about you slowing down to enjoy the environment outside and just being in the moment.
Walk around to get used to your surroundings. Take out your camera and look for the things around you that scream “Spring” to you. What colours are they? What memories do they bring back from years past?
Try to take some photos, not only of what you know and love, but stop and look around to see if there’s anything you don’t recognise. Is there a flower you’ve not noticed before, or a tree that you don’t know the name of? Are there children playing or something different that catches your attention? How many different colours are around you?
Remember to keep moving, even at a leisurely pace so you’re seeing and experiencing different things. Is there something quintessentially [insert your town name here] about what you are seeing? If you wanted to introduce someone to your town in just one or two photographs, is there something around you that you would include?
Make sure that the tunes (or your great company) are still making you feel lighthearted and happy, and continue on. If you’re curious, why not take some photos of things you don’t know much about so you can research them later? You don’t have to, of course, but you might find something interesting about why they are where they are. You never know!
Once you feel you’re ready, you can head back home, but before you do remember to take a couple of big breaths in the Spring air and fill your lungs with the fresh air that’s not so bitingly cold as the Winter.
This challenge could be a great one for you to do with your family. Everyone either gets their own camera or their own turn with it, and you can come back and see what everyone took photos of and why it represents “Spring” to them. This is great for days when you all need some time out of the house and could be something new to try together.
What I love about these kinds of challenges is that no two people come up with the same things. It gives us a little chance to express our creativity without it being overwhelming and we don’t have to share it with anyone we don’t want to. It can be quite fun to just head out the door to see what you haven’t really noticed about your neighbourhood before. We miss so much when we’re in a rush, this is the perfect antidote to that.
Will you give this a go? Where’s your favourite place to explore where you live?
If you do try this, I’d love to see a photo or hear about how it went! Tweet me your pics at: @danniellecresp or instagram me at: @dannielle with the hashtag: #styleforahappyhome