Photography Prompt Challenge

A 52-Week Photography {Prompt} Challenge

Have you ever considered participating in a photography prompt challenge?

Participating in a photography prompt challenge can be an incredibly rewarding experience, offering a host of benefits for both budding and seasoned photographers. These challenges provide a structured and creative framework, sparking inspiration by giving you a specific theme or topic to focus on. This can help break through creative blocks and push you to explore new ideas.

Photography prompt challenges foster a sense of community. Sharing your work with others who are also engaging in the same challenge allows for feedback, encouragement, and the opportunity to connect with fellow enthusiasts. It creates a supportive environment where you can learn from others, exchange tips, and build a network of like-minded individuals.

Moreover, these challenges promote consistent practice, helping to improve your technical skills and artistic vision. The regular commitment to producing images based on different prompts encourages experimentation and growth, leading to a more diverse and developed portfolio over time. Overall, photography prompt challenges are a fun and effective way to enhance your skills, connect with a community, and infuse a fresh sense of creativity into your work.

Week 1: Side Window Light

Every parent knows that look when their child spots something within reach they know they shouldn’t have. He has a toy right next to him but he’d rather play with the plant mister. 🥰 I’m participating in Hobbs Photography’s 52-week {prompt} project to get me to pick up my camera for something other than books. This week’s prompt was side window light and I chose my most difficult subject: a squirmy, unpredictable, unsteady, and fast one year old. With one hand I’m keeping him from falling off the chair and with the other I’m trying to compose a shot. I see a lot of things I would change about the composition, framing, and camera settings. I also see my shortcomings as a photographer. But I suppose that is the point of participating in this project: to practice and get better.

Week 2: Perspective

I took this shot from the perspective of a discarded or lost toy under the sofa.

A 52-Week Photography Challenge | Perspective

Week 3: Faceless

I captured a quintessential father/son moment, or more personally, a photo of Eric teaching Miles about one of his interests, computer engineering.

A 52-Week Photography Challenge | Faceless

Week 4: Senses

Photography primarily utilizes only one of our five senses: sight. This week were prompted to focus on the other four senses and to create an image that evokes hearing, taste, smell, or touch. I found this prompt to be more challenging than the previous three. I didn’t have an immediate idea for what to shoot, instead I took time to brainstorm a list of photos I could take for each of the senses and narrow it down from there. Any guesses which TWO senses I was going for here? (Because I’m nothing if not an overachiever… ha!)

A 52-Week Photography Challenge | Senses

Week 5: Silhouette

I am so proud of this photo. I really made an effort, and asked a lot of my family, and I am relieved it paid off. In addition to a prompt each week, Aimee and Jenna provide a mini-lesson. In this week’s mini-lesson on silhouettes, they mentioned that sunrises and sunsets are GREAT for this kind of photography. The type-A, teacher’s pet in me always wants to get started on the photo right away and submit it as early as possible. This week I had to wait (All. Week. Long.) until the opportunity to get my family out for a sunrise finally rolled around. I really owe Eric for this one - it was cold and it was early - but he and Miles were such good sports.

A 52-Week Photography Challenge | Silhouette

Week 6: Myself

Note: my original submission for this prompt can now be found under the {Self-Reflection} prompt for week 28. I took this photo on August 19 to replace my original submission for this prompt.

I just finished teaching a summer course for Loyola. In what feels like another life, I taught college courses full-time and I really loved my work and my students. My favorite classes to teach were Visual Merchandising, Fashion History, Brand Management and Advertising, and my private, competitive Student Reading Group. I’m really in my element when I’m teaching those courses - I know what I’m doing, I feel confident in the curriculum I’ve created, and I got a lot of positive feedback from students and accolades from the university. It wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns, I actually started my blog because I was disillusioned with the politics in academia and was looking for a creative outlet. But lately I’ve taken on a “new” (I’m 1.5 years in - is that still considered new?) role as a stay-at-home mom where I am decidedly OUT of my element. I don’t know what I’m doing, I often don’t feel confident, and my toddler rarely writes to my boss to tell them what a great job I’m doing. (Who is the boss around here anyway?) It felt good to teach again, to be able to reason with other adults, and feel a sense of confidence and accomplishment. I felt reassured that I was still able to function in a work environment. But it also reminded me that I really love staying home with my son, that hugs and kisses feel better than course reviews, and witnessing my son reach milestones is more rewarding than seeing students master design concepts. For the first time I feel like I’m coming into my own as a SAHM, finding a good balance between being a mom and growing my blog. So here is a picture of me in response to Hobbs Photo and Film {Myself} prompt. Do you see what I see? A centered, satisfied, content mom?

A 52-Week Photography Challenge | Myself

Week 7: Gestures

Yay! 👏 Oh no. 🤦‍♂️

With a 15-month-old, it feels like my world revolves around gestures. How many times have I heard that babies should know 16 gestures by 16 months? Too many to count. What happens if Miles only knows 15 gestures by the time he turns 16 months? Is he doomed for the rest of his life? Sometimes it feels that way. What if he gets that 16th gesture the day AFTER he turns 16 months, is that okay or still doomed? I started a list of gestures Miles knew months ago so that I could keep track of them. That’s when I realized I couldn’t think of 16 gestures to teach him, so I googled what gestures babies should know and I have to admit that some of the gestures that count as one of the 16 hardly seem like gestures to me. Waving, clapping, signing “more” - those make sense. But take “holding an object up” for example. Is that really a gesture? By definition a gesture is “a movement of part of the body, especially a hand or the head, to express an idea or meaning.” I’m pretty sure Miles was holding an object up at 3 months, but what meaning was he trying to express? I think it was just an object in his hand and…

OMG who am I? When did I turn into this person with so many thoughts about gestures? Parenthood is weird. Anyway, this week was not about pushing myself technically or having a perfectly-composed shot. It was just about capturing those sweet gestures that we’re working so hard to develop now but will someday be unremarkable.

Week 8: Out and About

The purpose of this week’s prompt was to get us to take our cameras out when we normally wouldn’t. Rather than sneaking quick shots with our cell phones, we were encouraged to take our time with our cameras - get the settings right, frame up the shot, then shoot.

Oh I feel like this prompt was made for me this week! We’re on vacation in Cabo and I bought a new pancake lens so that I would be encouraged to take my camera around with me. And I did! I took it everywhere with me, much to my husbands embarrassment, I think, which is why my dad is pictured instead of my husband. I also tried to apply some of the previous prompts including: gestures, myself, perspective, and silhouette.

Week 9: Get Close

“If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.”

— Robert Capa

A 52-Week Photography Challenge | Get Close

Week 10: Reflection

Hobbs Photo and Film gave us the {reflection} prompt weeks ago, and I STRUGGLED. Someone in our group submitted this epic photo of kids jumping in a puddle, the reflection was so good and so crisp, I was immediately intimidated. I also felt like I needed to compete with the reflection photo I took of myself. All this pressure was paralyzing and I submitted a photo to the group I was less than thrilled with in an effort to move forward, but the prompt kept plaguing me. I knew I could do better. Fast forward to this week, I’m snapping photos of Miles just for practice when his reflection comes into view in our backyard door. Snap. This photo not only represents the {reflection} prompt, it also captures the love Miles has of watching the “busses” (usually just cars) drive by. And I’m reminded a lot of photography is about patience.

A 52-Week Photography Challenge | Reflection

Week 11: Words

This week we were challenged to use words as inspiration for a photograph: lyrics to a song, a poem, children's book, metaphor, a phrase your grandmother used to always say, etc. Since this week was St. Patrick’s Day, I chose an Irish toast: "My dear friends, they're the best friends, each is loyal, trust-worthy and able. But now it's time for drinking, so lift all of your glasses off the table!" I’d love to find the group of friends sitting on top of this bridge and share this photo of them. They seem so happy, they look like they’re having so much fun. I hope they remember this day for years to come and look back on it fondly.

Week 12: Capturing Motion

My husband and I agree that each stage Miles enters is better than the last. My favorite part about *this* stage is his curiosity. He’s very curious about rocks, he loves to inspect them, pick them up and roll them around in his hand, carry them around with him. Then he spotted this garden bell and was curious about the sounds it made and then the sound a rock made when tapped against it. But mostly this stage is about Miles being on the move - it’s go go go all the time, which is perfect for this week’s prompt to capture motion blur.

A 52-Week Photography Challenge | Capturing Motion

Week 13: Genuine Smile

Some kids play doctor, some kids play teacher. Our son? He plays consultant, like his daddy. And just look at that {genuine smile} from Eric as Miles pretends to talk on the phone. It’s a wonder his first words weren’t “It depends.” IYKYK

A 52-Week Photography Challenge | Genuine Smile

Week 14: Ages and Stages

Thanks to those who voted on which photo I should submit for Hobbs Photo and Film {ages and stages} prompt. There are so many nuances to each stage of life, it’s impossible to capture them all in a single photo but I somehow narrowed it down to four. These two tied for first, and since my husband voted for the swinging shot I decided to let his vote count as the tiebreaker (perk of being Miles’ dad.) But I can just hear Miles saying “up up up” in that second photo.

Week 15: Golden Hour

We caught the tail end of morning {golden hour} on Sunday. I think my photos do a good job of capturing Miles’ personality in beautiful lighting, but in our mini-lesson this week Hobb’s Phot and Film discussed backlight (I tried, but failed…) and lens flare (which I totally forgot to even attempt.) I’ll want to try to capture golden hour again, but in the meantime I’m happy with these photos. I’m impressed we were able to get up, dressed, fed, and out of the house in time to capture golden hour. That by itself is an accomplishment. 😜

A 52-Week Photography Challenge | Golden Hour

Week 16: Artificial Light

And just like that I’m no longer scared of taking photographs with artificial light. This week I learned about the white balance setting in camera that helps adjust to artificial lighting, a feature I’d never used before and hadn’t known existed. It still isn’t my favorite light to photograph in, but so much of life occurs indoors with artificial lighting that this opens up more opportunities for me to capture everyday life that makes up most of our beloved memories. Take this photograph, for example. Miles was home sick with a fever for the first time. He didn’t have much of an appetite but would slowly nibble away at graham crackers. He didn’t have much energy, either, as evidenced by him laying his head down mid bite. It was a tough few days as his little body fought off a virus, but we had some really wonderful mother/son snuggles during that time.

A 52-Week Photography Challenge | Artificial Light

Week 17: Shooting Through

I have fond memories of this classic gumball machine as a kid. It started out in my bedroom, moved to my playroom as I got older, then spent years in my parent’s basement collecting dust. When we were rebuilding after a house fire, I wanted to fill our home with things that brought me joy, things that had history and fond memories, to help make up for all the things we lost. This gumball machine was a non-negotiable, much to the chagrin of my husband. But it has brought smiles to a lot of faces as a quirky and unexpected piece in our dining room. Before they moved away, our neighbor kids would pop in for a gumball and now Miles is looking at it with curiosity. Although he is too young for the gum still, he enjoys the parts that spin and flip open and will often walk by and say “ball!” with enthusiasm.

A 52-Week Photography Challenge | Shooting Through

Week 18: Monochrome

“When you photograph people in color, you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in Black and white, you photograph their souls!”

— Ted Grant

Week 19: Neighbors

The purpose of this week’s prompt was to get out of the house, talk to people, and get to know our neighbors. Talking to people doesn’t come as naturally to some people as it does to others, and I am unfortunately in the group of people it does NOT come naturally to. I could never be a family photographer because the idea of chatting with strangers and directing them how to pose sounds truly awful. I wanted to skip this week, but instead I cheated just a little by asking the neighbors we know best if I could snap some pictures of them at our local farmer’s market. Our sons are about the same age, so we’ve met up a few times for playdates and to attend street festivals together. Still, it felt awkward to text them and ask if I could take their photo and even more awkward to ask if I could share them. Lucky for me, they looked past all of my awkwardness and graciously agreed to let me practice my photography skills on them and share the photos with all of you.

A 52-Week Photography Challenge | Neighbors

Week 20: A Daily Ritual

I make a better cup of coffee than most coffee shops. A bold claim, I know, but it is true. And brewing that perfect cup of coffee is my favorite daily ritual. The aroma awakening the senses. The methodical pour of hot water over freshly ground beans. The anticipation of that first, hot, rich sip. The swirl of cream as it blends with my brew. It's a ritual of mindfulness, setting the tone for the day ahead with warmth and satisfaction.

Here’s what you need to make Ashley’s Perfect Cup of Coffee: a kettle with precision temperature control, a coffee scale, a pour-over glass coffee maker and filters, a coffee grinder with adjustment settings that allow you to tailor the grind to your preferred brew, filtered water, and most importantly, really good coffee beans. We subscribe to the Roaster’s Choice box from Onyx to get a variety.

Could I improve on this ritual? Yes. Every once in awhile I reevaluate what is working and what can be improved without compromising the joy I get from making this pot of coffee each morning for my husband and myself.

A 52-Week Photography Challenge | Daily Ritual

Week 21: Animal Love

When I was in the hospital recovering after giving birth to Miles, a nurse asked if he was our firstborn. I said no, Miles had a big “fur brother” at home. The nurse laughed and said our dog was about to become “just a dog” once Miles got home. Needless to say, she quickly became my least favorite nurse. Huxley will always be my firstborn. His life looks a bit different these days, just as any only child’s life changes once a sibling is introduced. But he’ll never be “just a dog”, whatever that is supposed to mean.

Huxley gets up with us each morning to greet Miles when we get him out of his crib. We have to coax him out of Miles’ room when it is time for Miles to nap; he hates to leave any member of the pack behind. He’s never far when Miles is eating, hoping Miles will toss him some food (which happens more often than we’d like—they’re definitely in cahoots). And Miles adores Huxley—nothing gets him to giggle harder than a kiss from Huxley. When Miles pets Huxley, he says “tull,” which is how he says “gentle” because he knows he should be gentle when petting dogs. Huxley isn’t “just a dog” any more than Miles is “just our son.”

A 52-Week Photography Challenge | Animal Love

Week 22: Panning

This is my ode to Chicago CTA in response to the {panning} prompt from Hobbs Photo and Film. Panning is a skill I hadn’t heard of or practiced before. And it takes A LOT of practice to master. The idea is to set a slow shutter speed and move the camera in time with a moving subject so that the subject is clear and the background is blurred. As you might imagine, getting the subject in focus is tricky. I’m glad I had the opportunity to play with this skill but I’m also glad to move on to the next prompt. 😜

Week 23: Hobbies

A lot of my hobbies are on hiatus as I stay home to care for Miles. He’s at an age where he needs pretty constant monitoring as he’s developed a love of climbing and has an affinity for eating anything he finds on the ground. 🫠 But it appears he’s observing me as well. I caught him “watering” the plants and it occurred to me this is a hobby I’ve been able to maintain through early motherhood. I’ve scaled back the number of houseplants I have and I don’t propagate them as often, but I found it really endearing that Miles picked up on the joy plants bring to our home and is imitating this task.

A 52-Week Photography Challenge | Hobbies

Week 24: Water

Oh my goodness, who knew water was so fun to photograph? My parents were in town this weekend and we all went to the park to let Miles run around and play and explore the splash pad for the first time. He was a little apprehensive at first, but decided he was willing to be brave with Papa nearby. Over the hour or so we were at the park, Miles went from having a death grip on Papa anytime they got close to the splash pad to bravely inching his way closer to the water on his own.

Week 25: Layers

Foreground: Grassy plains; Middle ground: Bison and trees; Background: Mountains and sky

Taken on a family trip to Yellowstone.

A 52-Week Photography Challenge | Layers

Week 26: From Where I Stand

Nothing says summer like a platter of my dad’s smoked meats.

A 52-Week Photography Challenge | From Where I Stand

Week 27: Light

This week were we asked to “photograph light. Watch how it hits the wall or floor, notice how it dances through the trees. Notice it everywhere you go. What direction does it come from? What is the source? Describe it.”

The light in this photograph, taken at the Kohl Children’s Museum, is natural daylight coming in through the large picture window. It is bright but casts soft shadows, as the sunlight filters through the trees, creating a dappled pattern of light and shadow on the ground outside as well as on the window sill where Miles is playing. I think the light gives a warm and inviting atmosphere to the scene. The combination of direct and reflected light creates a gentle, serene ambiance.

Shortly after this photo was taken I took him outside to play with the children he was watching.

Week 28: Self-Reflection

NOTE: This photo was originally submitted for the {Myself} prompt in week 6. But then this week we were tasked to take a self-reflection photo specifically inspired by Vivian Maier (were Jenna and Aimee inspired by my photo??) So rather than taking another Vivian Maier-inspired photograph I went back and took a new photo for the {myself} prompt.

I was initially inspired by Vivian Maier, a self-taught street photographer whose photographs were discovered in an auction of her Chicago storage unit. Her life story and the story of her work receiving recognition posthumously fascinates me. If you’re not familiar with her work, check out the documentary Finding Vivian Maier. The idea of photographing myself in a window reflection comes from her - she was a master at it. To make it my own, I wanted to photograph a retail store window to reflect on my past life working in and teaching fashion; I also wanted to include my family to reflect my current life as a wife and mom.

This is my most ambitious photo yet. My goals were butting up HARD against my photography skills. Taking photos in a window reflection is not easy, I bow down to Vivian Maier and what she was able to accomplish *on film!* But I don’t hate what I accomplished. Considering how much I struggled with lighting and camera settings, I think the photo(s) turned out pretty damn good.

A 52-Week Photography Challenge | Self-Reflection

Week 29: Take a Darn Photo!

This prompt made me laugh because when I received it I was 3 weeks behind on my photos. Also this week, my mom asked me to take new headshots of her for her blog, Our Good Life. I would normally make excuses about how I’m not a professional and would worry that the photos were up to par, instead I took the darn photo and we had a lot of fun together!

A 52-Week Photography Challenge | Take the Darn Photo

Week 30: Siblinghood

#HuxleyHasty was never a fan of children. He’d hide behind our legs if a child tried to pet him, he gave strollers a very wide berth, and he’d try to cross the street if a child was heading towards him on the sidewalk. Once a friend of mine brought her newborn baby to our house and Huxley hid behind the sofa and scurried away anytime the infant cooed. But on the first day we brought Miles home from the NICU, Huxley gave him a sniffy inspection and deemed Miles a member of the pack. Some days Huxley merely tolerates Miles but other days you can really see the {sibling} love.

A 52-Week Photography Challenge | Siblinghood

Week 31: Get Low and Look Up

I don’t often get to see Miles from this perspective since he’s so little, but lately he’s taken to climbing on our coffee table and he’s just so pleased with himself when he’s up there. HE is seeing the world from a new perspective and he’s delighted by it. Let this be a reminder to all of us to delight in new perspectives from time to time.

A 52-Week Photography Challenge | Get Low & Look Up

Week 32: Better than Smile and Say Cheese

One of the best lessons I’ve learned from Aimee and Jenna of Hobbs Photo and Film is that there are better photos than the “Smile and Say Cheese” photo. Here’s what they say about it, “…let’s not just get hung up on smiling as the ‘best’ expression. Variety is the spice of life. A genuine smile is amazing, but when you think about humans you love, often there’s so many other ways you remember them. The way they stand, how they look when they’re thinking, when they crack a joke, when they’re confused, irritated.”

This weekend we attended the Chicago Air and Water Show and I loved watching my husband share his love of aviation with our son. There weren’t a lot of cheesy grins this weekend, but we saw more authentic expressions of awe, wonder, concentration, interest, and sometimes apprehension. I can just see our son’s little brain trying to take it all in. I’ll forever cherish these better-than-smile-and-say-cheese photos and I have Aimee and Jenna to thank for not wasting my time trying to pose these two for an inauthentic cheesy grin shot and instead spending our time just enjoying and experiencing the show.

A 52-Week Photography Challenge | Better than Smile and Say Cheese

Week 33: Family Time

Family time isn’t just about big events; it’s in the quiet, everyday moments that seem unremarkable yet mean everything. These are the memories that last. Like how when we return home from a walk, Miles likes to sit on the front stoop and “shoot the shit.” He reminds me of a Grandpa sitting on his front porch talking about the weather. Miles will babble endlessly and I desperately want to know what he’s saying - and I desperately hope these front stoop chats continue when Miles is fluent in English.

A 52-Week Photography Challenge | Family Time

Week 34: Double Exposure

My Little Chicagoan

Week 35: End of Summer

Don’t sunflowers know how to say goodbye in the most beautiful way?

Week 36: All in the Details

There’s something irresistibly sweet about the sight of toddler toes peeking out from under a sofa. Those tiny, curious feet—just barely visible—tell a story of exploration and wonder. Maybe they’re hiding during a game of peekaboo or simply enjoying the secret world beneath the furniture. The way their toes curl, the soft roundness of their little feet, and how they stick out with such innocence make it a moment worth savoring. It’s a perfect snapshot of childhood, where even the smallest details exude charm and adventure, and life’s most endearing memories hide in plain sight.

Week 37: What do I find interesting?

What I find interesting is capturing the beauty in everyday moments that often go unnoticed. It’s the little things that tell the story of a life well-lived—like the cozy comfort of sick-day snuggles with Dad and Penguin. These moments are fleeting but full of warmth, and photography allows me to preserve them, showing how even the simplest details weave together to create something truly beautiful.

What makes them even more special is that they often happen in quiet, private moments, unlikely to be snapped by a professional family photographer, making them uniquely personal treasures that only I can capture.

Week 38: Love

Miles started hugging and kissing us goodnight and it is my favorite thing in the world. He’ll squeeze tighter if I try to let go before he’s ready.

Week 39: Direct Light

First time apple picking with my little guy this weekend. Watching him explore, pick his own apples, and enjoy the fall breeze was even better than I imagined (and I had high hopes going into this!) He loved searching through the trees, and his excitement with each apple was contagious. We came home with 27 apples, 6 apple cider donuts, 1 cup of apple cider, and countless memories.

Week 40: Colour

There’s a French concept called “griffe,” which literally translates to “claw,” but more precisely refers to a personal signature—a selection of favorite cafés, shops, parks, and the paths that connect them. I first came across the term in The Most Beautiful Walk in the World by John Baxter, just before my visit to Paris in 2014. The idea has stuck with me ever since, and I recently realized that I’ve been creating my own griffe in Chicago since having Miles. We’ve carved out our favorite kid-friendly restaurants, cafés that can accomodate a stroller, parks, and playgrounds, often strolling the familiar routes that tie them together. For the {colour} prompt I found inspiration in the first colors of fall as they appear along our griffe.

Week 41: Environmental Portrait

This week we were prompted to take an {Environmental Portrait} and asked to think about our subject in terms of where they spend time, particular spaces that come to mind, or perhaps a specific time of day, certain clothing, expressions or body language. I thought about taking an environmental portrait of my husband in his home office, but I remembered I did that for the {genuine smile} prompt, plus my husband is very hard to pin down when the light is good. ha! Since I spend all day with Miles, he ended up being my subject once again.

We spend a lot of time at parks; they are a great way to let Miles run loose and burn that never-ending toddler energy. Yet, I’ve only taken two prompt photos {ages and stages} and {water} at a park and neither one really showcased the environment. We usually find ourselves at a park in the morning in hopes that Miles will wear himself out and have a good long nap. Admittedly, I didn’t give his clothing a lot of thought when I dressed him this morning, but I do love how the colors pop against the green of the trees and the slide. His expression is authentic Miles, we have the whole playground at our disposal but it is splashing in the puddles that brings him the most joy.

Week 42: Before I Get Out of Bed

Does anyone else feel like one leg out of the covers creates the perfect temperature balance?

Week 43: Frame within a Frame

I feel like I’m always peeking through various frames in order to keep an eye on Miles when we go to the playground.

Week 44: Someone Was Here

Week 45: A Three Photo Series

Miles had a special moment with the sea turtle at Branson Aquarium over the weekend. I imagine their exchange went something like this:

Miles pressed his tiny hand against the cool glass, his wide eyes locking with the sea turtle’s calm, ancient gaze. “Hi, big turtle! What’s your name?” he asked, his voice muffled through the barrier. The turtle swam closer, tilting its head as if considering the question. “I’m Miles! Do you like apples? I had apples today.” The turtle paused, blowing a gentle bubble as if to reply, “I prefer seaweed salads, but thanks for asking.” Miles giggled, “I like swimming too! Can you do a big splash?” The turtle responded with a graceful flip of its flipper, gliding effortlessly through the water, up and over Miles’ head. In that moment, toddler and turtle seemed to understand each other perfectly—a shared wonder for the world around them.

We named the real turtle (and Miles’ souvenir turtle) Sheldon.

Week 46: Something Extra

This week we were tasked with taking a portrait with a little “something extra” - a unique detail—often unplanned—that makes a portrait stand out and creates a moment worth capturing.

I took a portrait of my son with a runny nose. While not traditionally picture-perfect, it beautifully encapsulates the essence of toddlerhood: raw, unfiltered, and full of fleeting, messy moments. That small imperfection became the unique detail that made the portrait feel authentic and timeless, a genuine snapshot of this stage in his life.

Week 47: Conceptual Self Portrait

The effort my parents put into making Christmas magical went largely unnoticed until I became the magic-maker for Miles. Shoutout to all the Magic makers this holiday season.

Week 48: Shadow Play

For this prompt, I found myself captivated by the way shadows stretch, shift, and transform the ordinary into something extraordinary. I spent more time than ever watching Miles' shadow dance alongside him, noticing how my husband's shadow echoed his movements, and pausing to admire the crisp lines cast by a playful set of steps. I've never spent so much time looking at—really looking at—shadows, and I’m grateful for this year-long prompt project that has pushed me to see the world in new ways. As it nears its end in just a few weeks, I feel a little sad, but mostly thankful for all the moments of beauty it’s helped me uncover—hidden in plain sight, like shadows themselves.

Week 49: Shoot Wide

Coming soon…

Week 50: Touch

Although this prompt was technically for touch between two people, there is nothing that Miles wants to touch more than the Christmas tree. ‘Tis the season! :)

Week 51: A Closer Look at Colour