Focus on Life 2014 - Week One: The Minimalist Photograph

I was so happy when Sally, from The Studio Sublime, continued in 2014 with her wonderful photography challenge, Focus on Life.

 

 

 

I have to say I was quite pleased that I managed to photograph and post for every single one of the 52 weekly photo prompts in 2013.  This was a challenge that truly made me stop and think about my surroundings and the things going on in my life each week and I thoroughly enjoyed the entire journey last year, along with all the wonderful and caring people I 'met' along the way.

 

So, when I saw the information for the 2014 Focus on Life Photography Challenge, I signed up immediately!

Sally's changing things up a bit and will be focusing on a specific subject each month, with weekly prompts pertinent to that subject, for us to post each week or just keep to ourselves if we choose to go that route instead.  She's also giving us tips, techniques and photo recipes through out the year so we can better our picture taking skills as well.  

 

Pretty cool stuff, eh?

Sally mentioned this week that:

 

Every year we approach the new year with high expectations of changing your lives.  We jump in with both feet and the water quickly splashes over our heads,  we begin to feel overwhelmed.  Before we know it the water subsides carrying our expectations in its ripples and waves.  We reach, we grasp, but everything becomes out of reach.  We sink.  Our progress stops in its tracks and with head hanging low we feel like we have completely failed. 

NOT THIS YEAR!

Let's change the view.  This year let's focus on entering 2014 by first tiptoeing into the lapping water, testing the strength of the waves.  Let's give ourselves a better chance to succeed, to feel good about ourselves, let's allow ourselves to reach our fullest potential.  Let's use the minimalist's approach, strip down to bare bones and chose one or two goals to pour our energy into for 2014!  Let's scale back the world around us and focus our viewfinder on one subject and snap the shutter.

 

Week One: The Minimalist Photograph - capture an image using a single subject

 

I was out for a walk and discovered this single leaf laying in my path that captured my attention and thought it would be perfect for this week's prompt. But once I got back home, I noticed that the shadow behind it and the concrete it was laying on completely distracted from it's minimalistic simplicity.

 

So instead, I captured one of my 'loves'.

 

Click to enlarge photo :-)

 

 

Isn't she a beauty?

 

Feel free to check out all the links below and see what Single Subjects the other players captured in their Minimalist Photograph this week!

 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and The Single Pearl!

Cheers,

~Shel~