I joined 52 Frames this year, hoping to spark creativity and learn more about the craft! I started with a lot of energy, but the prompts became increasingly complex, and I quickly lost my creative spark. After taking a break during my vacation, I decided not to continue. 

Here is what the website says:

“52Frames offers a guided weekly photography challenge designed to help you improve your skills. 52Frames has a single mission: to transform you into a truly exceptional photographer. We believe that the recipe for creating awesome photographers is actually pretty simple. We call them the 3 C’s: Consistency, Community and Creativity.”

So, with some disappointment, here are the last photos I contributed to the challenge. 

Week 27 – Frame within a Frame

“Tiny Buddha & friend”

For today’s photo shoot, I brought a flat rock to my fence and placed Tiny Buddha and his elephant friend on it, so they are peeking through the lattice, which acts as a frame and leading lines for the bonus.

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Week 28 – In the Style of…

“Beaver Dam”

I have several marshlands in my small corner of the world and have tried to emulate Clyde Butcher’s work here. The beaver dam in the foreground is a bonus, as it is a new addition to this spot since I visited earlier this year. 

I’m a big fan of Clyde Butcher’s work. He specializes in large-format black-and-white landscape photos, mainly highlighting the beauty of the Florida Everglades. I especially love the vast skies in many of his images. He is also a passionate supporter and conservationist committed to safeguarding natural places. 

I was fortunate to meet him at his gallery a few years ago; what a kind and generous man.

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Week 29 – Something New

“Bookcase still life & Playing with the camera”

I chose still life because it’s new to me, and I find it hard to create the look I want. 

A few months ago, I bought a new camera that came with an app for my phone. This app lets me use my iPhone to take photos remotely. This week, I decided to try it out since it’s a dark, cloudy morning, and using a tripod and remote shutter will help me take a clear, sharp picture. 

The good part is that I can see how my photo looks on my phone and change settings without having to move back and forth to my camera. I can also make small changes to some basic settings and set a timer. 

The only drawback is that if I don’t have good WiFi or cell service, it can be slow and may disconnect. Since I live in the countryside, this can be a problem, but it’s manageable.

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Week 30 – Unusual Crop

“Zombie Apocalypse”

The sun dipped behind a cloud, and suddenly it looked quite spooky. The building looks like it, too, is trying to escape, like it is leaning away from impending doom. Usually, I would straighten the image, but it works for today’s assignment. 

I adjusted the brightness and desaturated some of the colours to give it a vintage feel, but it turned out a little more foreboding.

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Week 31 – Colour Temperature

“Good morning!”

When considering colour temperature in photography, my mind immediately goes to taking photos during ‘golden hour.’ I love capturing sunrise and sunset scenes. Today’s image is from my backyard, showcasing sunflares and the golden light that enhances the tall grasses, as well as the dried-out grass in the distance. (We are still experiencing a severe drought here.) 

For this week’s Extra Challenge of Mixed White Balance, I experimented with the colour tones separately—on the right, I adjusted slightly more towards yellow, and on the left, where the trees are still in shadow, I made a slight adjustment to the blue tones.

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Week 32 – Macro

“Widow Skimmer”

I don’t have any special ‘macro’ gear, but I took my telephoto lens for a walk by the millpond to see what I could spot. At this time of year, dragonflies are everywhere, and I got lucky. 

I cropped the image and then used Luminar Neo’s Supersharp filter. I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. 

Google tells me this is a ‘Widow Skimmer,’ one of the group of dragonflies known as king skimmers.

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Week 33 – Abandoned

“Forgotten Past”

This neglected building, once the hospital at Camp Picton, stands as a testament to its forgotten past. The grass is thigh-high, and trees have encroached on the gap left by a collapsed wall. The roof is riddled with holes, and the interior is home to an array of creatures that have made it their own. 

*(Canadian Forces Base Picton (CFB Picton) was a military installation located in Picton, Ontario. The base was active from the Second World War to 1969 and served the Royal Air Force, the Royal Canadian Air Force, and the Canadian Army. Today, the site functions as Base31.)

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Week 34 – Low Key 

“Elsie”

On this dreary, rain-soaked morning, Elsie is slowly emerging from the enveloping darkness, her silhouette gradually becoming visible against the misty backdrop. 

For the extra challenge (one light source), the soft early morning light from the window.

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Week 35 – Reflections

“Picton Harbour”

The early morning conditions were nearly perfect for a reflection photo. A deep blue sky, dotted with fluffy clouds, added interest, while a gentle breeze created delicate ripples on the water.

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Week 36 – Shoot from Above

“Looking down on the Black River”

Standing on tippy-toes, I took this shot from the Black River Bridge. It was a difficult task, as I am almost too short to see over the railing. I love this view of the Black River slowly meandering out to Lake Ontario in the distance. 

I have a fear of heights, so this was a tough assignment.

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Week 37 – Out of Place

“Where’s the water?”

The creek that usually runs through our yard is dry because of the drought we’re experiencing. Mama Duck and her little ones seem ‘out of place’ without their watery home.

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Week 38 – One Light Source

“Star Gazing”

Hey there! This week, I’ve got a little helper named Mr. Sock Monkey. As the days grow shorter, I hung some twinkling “star lights” in my window for cozy evening lighting. And guess what? Mr. Sock Monkey thought it was the perfect spot for a little stargazing adventure! 

I really like the soft light from the starlights and the reflection from the blinds behind them.

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There you have it. I enjoyed some of the prompts immensely, but many of them were just beyond my technical knowledge and ability. I felt pressured, and the creativity died. I couldn’t see continuing to the end if I am not enjoying the process. Life is too short for that!

Thank you for visiting!

Connie