As soon as I learned this month's photo blogging challenge theme was "Oh the Places You've Been", I thought of the children's book "The Places You'll Go". Since everywhere we went this month was pretty close to home, what better way to liven things up than with a tip of the hat to Dr. Seuss...
Winter, like any other time of year, is a great season for being out and about in Canmore. The amazing mountain scenery enhances any outdoor activity, whether pond skating, cross-country skiing, fat biking, snowshoeing or simply (Nordic) walking. Heading out on familiar trails, time after time, could be boring. But by choosing to observe the changing of seasons and search out previously unnoticed details, it's possible to enjoy the same trails season after season, and year after year…
You'd think making five photographs for this month's theme would be straightforward. Plain, uncomplicated images should be simple to create. Instead, this month's challenge turned into an extended lesson on a basic tenet of composition: keep working the scene until your framing leaves out anything extraneous. This meant trying multiple angles, heights and distances before finally pressing the shutter button. It also prompted me to turn away from majestic mountain landscapes and search out singular details of nature.
What's not to love about February? It provides an extra day every four years. The sunrise comes a little earlier each morning and the sun goes down a little later each evening, providing precious extra minutes of daylight. The birthstone for February is amethyst, which is purple - an awecome colour! And for many in North America, February brings the first three day weekend of the year.
The Photo Blogging Challenge is itself a threefold exercise in self expression: 1) articulation of thoughts through writing/blogging; 2) portrayal of feelings and views through photographs; and 3) declaration of belonging, to the community of PBC participants. The beginning of the month was a good time to reflect on the ways I express myself, such as cooking, gardening and photography. As the month progressed, events like the January 21st Women's March and more widespread airport demonstrations in the US prompted me to think more broadly about the concept of self-expression. I am grateful that I have the right to hold opinions and share information and ideas through any media. I wish that for the world.