52Frames Wabi-Sabi Weekly Photo Challenge

As usual, my husband and I rarely agree on which photo to use for the 52Frames weekly photo challenge. This week was no different. The challenge subject this week was “wabi-sabi” - an unfamiliar term. I guess it means finding something old that doesn’t look so hot, but upon closer inspection, capturing an image that makes it look beautiful. The first place I think of is Old Town Alexandria for old things. The town was created in the late 1700’s and there are a lot of unique architectural and other elements that would represent this challenge nicely. So we took our morning walk and I was on the lookout for rusty things and close up renderings. I got up and down so many times my knees literally gave out and I even fell over - luckily nothing happened. After walking up and down several streets we headed to the waterfront where I thought there were some novel ideas for the subject. When we got home my husband preferred the old dock with all the accumulated junk around it. To me, it looked awful and nothing he could say would change my mind. I was torn over a few images but ended up using the close up photo of the front steps in front of a residence on Royal Street. The fall leaves and overall color were really quite striking - although I’m not sure it meets the challenge. It was the only image we both could agree would be a second choice. I really liked the old shutters and the reflection of the tree in the window, and the old cobblestone streets with the light casting on it just so. One never knows what works, but it’s the process that makes it most interesting.