52Frames Road Challenge Instagram Shoutout

Last night as I was scrolling instagram and a notification from 52Frames came across. I follow the 52frames account because I belong to the weekly photo challenge website. Every week the 52Frames instagram account posts three photos a day - for a week - on the subject for that week. Last week the subject was “road.” My photo appeared last night with a lovely shoutout. It was so nice because earlier in the week this same photo was selected as a 52pick on the website. It’s really exhilarating because the pool is over 3000 entries and my camera is my iPhone - not a fancy camera. I just love taking pictures and this is one way to channel my interest on a weekly basis. On the advice of a friend, it started participating during the pandemic and it has kept my husband and I busy trying to find the best place to take photos each week. And since both my husband and I tested positive for Covid almost two weeks ago it has lifted our spirits. We escaped Covid for four years after being extremely careful - only to catch it when no one cares any more. Being over 65 makes it a disease made just for us. We are slowly on the mend and are thankful we escaped the worst of it after just having our last booster about a month ago. So thank you 52Frames for recognizing my road photo this week.I appreciate it more than you can imagine! And congratulations to my fellow framers. It’s such a great way to meet people from all over the world. 

52Frames 52Picks Road Photo Challenge

At the suggestion of our friend in the Midwest I joined the 52Frames photo challenge at the beginning of the pandemic. It has served the best purpose of getting us out of the house to capture a photo every week of a given subject. I have learned a lot about taking photos and using new techniques - even though I am not a photographer. I just love to take pictures and my camera is my iPhone. This week the subject was “road.” We had a great opportunity to capture a woman in black crossing Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the US Capitol Building. My husband really liked this image and he is usually right. And I’m so happy that my picture this week was selected as a top 52 out of over 3,000 entries. I got an email this morning telling me of the good news. The last time my photo was selected was in October, and this one makes the fifth time - a record I am very proud of. I just wish I was physically feeling better since both my husband and I tested positive for COVID last Thursday. It’s been a long week and now I no longer have any taste or smell, along with congestion, cough, and sleepless nights. I am thankful that it is not worse. But after four years of being so careful and having the latest booster just ten days ago, I am feeling rather dejected. So this recognition came at a good time - but I will forever be reminded when it happened. 

52Frames Road Weekly Photo Challenge

The photo challenge this week for 52Frames was “road.” We didn’t know it at the time, but it was one of the last days we would be driving around outside before we both tested positive for Covid on Friday. We had been so careful these last four years and just got another booster vaccine eight days before. Now we are in the twilight zone. Looking back on last week feels like centuries ago. I wanted to see the magnolias that were blooming at the Enid Haupt gardens at the Smithsonian Castle. We found a great parking spot by the Air and Space Museum and started our morning walk there. We headed down Pennsylvania Avenue towards the Capitol and noticed an elegant figure in black. We positioned ourselves in the median of the street by the National Gallery of Art and waited for her to cross the street. That was the image we decided to use. I took a lot of photos of the avenue from inside the National Gallery as well. It’s a great view not only from the second floor, but also from the rooftop where the blue chicken sculpture resides. On our way home there were a lot more options for road pics in our old neighborhood on Capitol Hill. Surprisingly the image we liked didn’t get as much attention on instagram as a few of the others. But I always trust my husband’s artistic judgement - even though it may not coincide with the photo challenge literal subject interpretation. I’m not sure when we will be able to get out this week to take photos for the challenge this week. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom a week ahead of schedule. I really don’t want to miss them.