Photo Challenge: New

This year I have the goal to stretch my horizons including improving my photography skills.  Any new skill takes time, practice, learning, commitment, inspiration and to be good, some love.  I want  photographs for my posts that convey a clear, beautiful story about taking care of ourselves and the planet.

To set a motivating discipline, my new course of intention this year takes me to The Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge New.  The following is the assignment description:

“Use your photo this week to show us something new-to-you for 2015. It could be a photo that tells us something about your dreams: a place you hope to travel. Something that represents a new goal you’d like to reach — the house you’re saving up for, the gates of a school you’d like to attend, the cover of a magazine you’d love to publish in. Highlight a new person in your life, and all the possibility that relationships contain. Or keep things lower-key, with an image of a favorite gift you received, an inspiring book you just started reading, your new puppy, or the hiking trail you hope to master.” ~ The Daily Post

This week in Minnesota north country it is cold, very cold. It is currently -9 degrees, not wind chill, just regular below zero temperature.   It’s not going above zero all day.   Because each weekly challenge has a deadline date and it won’t be warm anytime soon, I had to take a shot regardless of conditions. I know I could have taken an interior photo but it was breathtaking (literally) outside.  Instead of bundling up and being brave in the elements, I opened the sliding glass door, stuck my hand and camera out to snap this new dawn, new day morning sky.

Unedited.  Uncropped.  We are our own worst critic and everyone has to start somewhere.  Although my comfort zone did not stretch other than going public with this shot, I’m sure that I will become more courageous as time goes on and my skills will improve with the photo challenges.  In my eternally optimistic attitude I tell myself that this photo is a starting place to show improvement in the year from the start to finish. Time and photography will provide the answer and I look forward to the challenge this year.

If you are looking for inspiration to try something new, check out The Daily Post Events page that includes more options beyond photography.  Think about stretching your horizons for the opportunity to grow and learn. What is New-to-you this year?

© COPYRIGHT 2015, Eco Elements, LLC, Vicki Persons. All rights reserved.