Welcome to Life Images by Jill

Welcome to Life Images by Jill.........Stepping into the light and bringing together the images and stories of our world. I am a photographer, writer and multi-media artist.
Focussing mainly on Western Australia and Australia, I am seeking to preserve images and memories of the beautiful world in which we live and the people in it.

Welcome!

Welcome!
PLEASE CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO GO TO MY RED BUBBLE STORE.

Monday 30 November 2015

Lost your mojo? Want to learn something new? Take on a project.

Do you ever feel that you have lost your mojo for a pursuit that you love and you need a boost to rekindle your passion, or you would like to try something new?  I think it has happened to many of us.  Do you have a yearning to learn something new? Try something different? It could be the beginning of a wonderful new path in your life towards a passion you don't even realise you have yet. Be open and take a chance. And don't let me hear you say you are too old! never! 

A project can be a great way to start.  Recently our photography group ran a fun 12x12 project. The task was to photograph 12 set topics in a 12 hour period over a particular weekend.  The topics were: 


1. moving subject, with background blur
2. repetitive shape (must be edited to black and white)
3. let's eat
4. things that float
5. sports action
6. 3 (Three)
7. minimalist
8. human hand/s
9. creepy crawlies
10. closer than a metre
11. makes my heart sing
12. my most amazing photo


 

Here are my images. Some of them I just did in my garden, some took a bit of planning, like the moving subject, others just happened, like the breakfast for "let's eat" - we had planned to have breakfast in a cafe so it was easy! 



 For my most amazing photo I had a play around in my garden, rotating the camera as I clicked the shutter button. I don't know if it is amazing, but it was just a bit of fun really and I like the effect. 



I have also this year taken part in a 52x2 challenge. Regular readers to my blog might remember I completed a 365 challenge in 2014. You can see the results by clicking on "Project 365" tab at the top of my blog. At times it certainly was a challenge a times to continue and complete the project but I found that after taking photos every day for a year I found it hard it stop. 

The Western Australian Photographic Federation are running a continual 52x2 project for members. The object is to take 2 photos per week - one colour and one mono. I don't do a lot of mono photography, so I thought this might be a good way to delve into mono photography. 
By way of definition, mono is not necessarily black and white, it can be shades of one colour.  This can be achieved by changing the image to black and white and then going to the "split toning" tab in Lightroom.

I have used split toning with this agapanthus. Here is black and white, and below is split toning shades of green. 





So anyway, December is now here and I only have 4 weeks of my 52 x 2 project left. Here are my November's pics.
As you can see 2 of the images were also in my 12x12 project.


This blue one above here is  the Australian Chamber Orchestra audio-visual interactive installation currently on at the Bunbury Regional Art Galleries until 17th January. It's fabulous. There is a key pad so you can bring the different instruments in and out of the orchestral pieces. They encourage you to have a play!

Once this year is over I think I will take a break from projects....maybe...or maybe not....
These 2 photos are part of a personal project "in a jar" - placing objects into a square, round mouthed jar, and taking a photo. Here you can see daisies and drinking straws. I have put the jar on a piece of perspex with a light underneath in a box so the light shines up through the jar.


Never think you are too old. Experiment and have fun! Be open and in the moment to see and seize opportunities and try new ideas.

There are some great summer school classes out there on a huge range of topics. Check out what is happening in your region. Summer School if a great way to try different things over a morning, day or weekend, or you could studying externally if there is nothing happening in your area. Here is a couple of links in Western Australia - 
 Bunbury Summer School
University of WA Extension - summer school 

And a couple of blogs which might start you  thinking....
Lifestyle Fifty
50 Shades of Age 
Starts at Sixty 

And me? I need to spark up my food photography mojo so I've just enrolled in an on-line food photography course with internationally published & acclaimed food photographer - Penny De Los Santos (I love her work - PennyDeLosSantos) - over at Creative Live - Creative Live

Click on the link to see what is available, some classes are even free! (and no I am not sponsored to promote them). You might like to make a cooling drink to sip while you consider your options. 

Penny said at the beginning of her class "self assign your dream assignment, create your own projects, and have the courage every day to keep trying". 



Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope I have given you some inspiration to rekindle your passions by starting a new project. Have you got a project going on at the moment? Perhaps you would like to tell us about it.  I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week.

I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!


Mosaic Monday
Travel Photo Mondays

Lifestyle Fifty Monday Linkup 
Our World Tuesday

Through My Lens 
Image-in-ing
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global
Worth Casing Wednesday
What's It Wednesday
Travel Photo Thursday

The Weekly Postcard

26 comments:

  1. Hellio Jill, I always love your photos and posts. Your challenge sounds interesting and fun! Sometimes we all need a boost to try something new. Thanks for sharing, have a happy new week!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ooooo ... what delightful photos. And I loved, loved your 'amazing' photo. What great projects to join in with. I'm hoping that 2016 will be the year for me to up the blogging/writing/photographing experience for me. Finally have the time and energy.

    Wishing you a beautiful day and week ahead. Thanks so much for sharing your gift of beauty with us.
    Brenda

    ReplyDelete
  3. Once again, such beautiful images Jill. I especially like the black and white shots :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Such a cool challenge. I may try it. Your photos for your challenge were fun and interesting and gave me thought as to varying subjects. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Your projects sound interesting. I've been doing a photo a day thing on instagram but have fallen off the boat over the last few weeks. I keep thinking of doing a course but haven't decided. Your 12 hour project certainly ended up with a variety of photos. Love looking at what you've been doing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. don't beat yourself up about "falling off the boat" - just take it up again when you are ready. It is your project. Just have fun!

      Delete
  6. As always your photos are spectacular. I particularly like the one where you moved the camera to give a blurred effect in your garden and thought it would look great blown up as a canvas to have mounted on a wall. Projects take a lot of commitment and effort - you've done really well sticking to them. Thank you so much for the lovely link too :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love the effect where you spun your camera -- I'm going to have to try that!
    Great shots as always, Jill.
    Thanks for sharing at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2015/11/sparkling-crystal.html

    ReplyDelete
  8. Your photography projects have fascinating results Jill and continually learning keeps the brain active. Unfortunately your favourite photo had a dizzying effect on me but I love how you played with the agapanthus and I like to capture snails too. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Very inspiring post Jill.
    I would like to try some of the photo art works done here.
    Loved the composition of each of them.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I like doing challenges. My favourite photos of the above are the enamel cup and biscuits, the last vase of flowers, the rubber ducky, closer than a metre and makes my heart sing. Lots of favourites :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Jill,
    I don't think I've visited your blog before. I love the idea of photography projects to get your mojo back and to develop skills further. I did a project 366 back in 2012. It was liberating but at the same time, very stressful! I decided that if I ever did one again, it wouldn't be a daily task but perhaps a weekly one which would be more achievable.
    Great post and very inspiring!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. certainly the 52x2 project has been a lot less stressful than the 365 project Liz. Thanks for visiting.

      Delete
  12. Sometime you do need to re-boot yourself don't you? I am thinking it may be time. . .just haven't focused on how to do it or what I want to do! Great post - love the photos, Jill!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I think the idea of projects is a wonderful idea. Your photographs are inspiring and beautifully taken. Recently, I took up 2 challenges, one is a weekly scavenger photographic hunt to fulfil certain words and the second this monthly one with 12 random words however on this one, I challenged myself to write a story around the words. Today's post is the second one I have done. I hope you will pop in and have a look and read at it. Have a wonderful CHRISTMAS. See you next month.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love taking on new projects. I recently participated in a photo challenges on Instagram and enjoyed it immensely. You are incredibly gifted at doing these photo challenges Jill. I don't know how you do it! Naturally I think that this is great advice for us more mature ladies to keep the old brain active and to keep challenging ourselves. Thank you so much for the mention too. I haven't been writing too much lately as I've been on holidays. But there will be some Tassie posts coming up shortly.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thank you for sharing the link. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog and yes time to start or do something new!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Photo projects are such fun...they bring out such creativity and get us out of our comfort zones....fabulous photos.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Beautiful images and such fun projects!

    ReplyDelete
  18. You are making all of us who are in the cold jealous!
    http://travelingbugwiththreeboys-kelleyn.blogspot.com/2015/12/cold-corner-view.html

    ReplyDelete
  19. Lovely shots. And that blurry leaf one IS amazing!!!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Lovely captures Jill which really inspire me to get out there & try different mediums of photography.
    My favourite pic is the floating slice of lemon in a glass ... you captured the Splash !!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Oh you are just too creatively talented!!! I like the image of the flowers that you called amazing photograph and when we get new Spring growth, I may have to have fun. I had to giggle a bit though, for many of my images look kind of like that, just because I will click the shutter while moving and forget to turn it off. I hope your weekend is very Happy~

    ReplyDelete
  22. Some fantastic colors, shapes and patterns here. I agree, new projects are the best - I always get distracted by shiny new things - if only finishing things was as easy as getting started :)

    ReplyDelete

I hope you have enjoyed your visit to my blog. Thank you for stopping by and for taking the time to comment. I read and very much appreciate every comment and love hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return.