Somehow you guys all tricked me, and here I am back on a Friday again! As you know, I've been in a bit of a funk this summer. Oh, there are lots of reasons, but that funk has extended to behind the lens for me as well. We all go through these cycles in our creative process, regardless of what our creative outlet may be, and in general I don't worry overmuch about it. I try to trust the ride, and know that I'll emerge eventually, hopefully having learned a thing or two. It doesn't make snap after frustrating snap more fun, however!

So I've been casting about for some personal projects to kick start my motivation. I have some ideas that I'm mulling over for the longer haul, but in the meantime, I've joined along with some of my fellow Fuji shooters for a month-long project where we're shooting "No Flowers No Kids." I may have to push myself even further and add a "No Food" caveat. I shoot food more than my kid, sometimes it seems. It's not Fuji-specific, just a way to get us to look a little differently through our lens.

So I tried to finish July with a bang, with a last shot of Cal and some flowers. He was reluctant, but he helped me out anyway, which I always appreciate. Gulp. Wish me luck.

You know what else helps me get out of a photography funk? Perception Collection!

We're back! HA! Christine and I had so much fun with the last go around of #perception_collection, that we just had to do it again. So simple and so fun. Just follow Christine, (she's @plumedpdx ) and me (I'm @laurenkeim) on Instagram and check out each day's prompt. Post your prompt and hashtag it with the prompt name and the hashtag #perception_collection as well. That way we can see the amazing pictures you're taking and everyone else can as well. Truly, the best part is "meeting" everyone from all over the world and seeing how everyone sees the different prompts. I love every minute of it and every photo you guys take.

It's all fun, no pressure, so skip a day or skip a few. Just have some fun and play along. We can't wait to see what you come up with. We'll post some of our favorites at the end. Oh my gosh, we start Monday! Let's have some fun! Happy Weekend, ducks!

Okay, okay. Couple things. It's hard to get good shots in a tight spot. You know this. And I had to wait to post anything until today because my mom is on her way, and we wanted her to be surprised. I should have posted befores. There somewhere around here. I'll look around. Trust me, it was bad. No bath, just a shower. And that shower leaked and the lowest point in it was not the drain. So, ugh. Impossible to clean. The floors were hard to keep clean too, and the vanity was 72 inches long and crammed into a 71 inch space. So, also ugh.

It's better now. We put radiant heat in the floor, a jacuzzi tub and two vanities instead of one long one. We frosted the window. Hee hee. We went from six drawers to four, but it was a good lesson for us. There was a lot that we didn't need. We're each using a sink, so I'm not storing my hair dryer in one of them anymore. Erin will be pleased to hear this, I'm sure.

This project took entirely too long, but that was largely our own fault. Neel demoed the bathroom when Cal left for Richmond back in January, and we just moved back in this weekend. We sat on our hands and waited for our contractor and trust me, it was worth it. He was meticulous and patient and I fell madly in love with him. He listens to NPR while he works. He keeps bees. He grows flowers that attract butterflies. See what I mean?

So I miss having John around, but all in all, we're pleased. The floor is my biggest complaint. It's hard to keep clean, but I'm sure that when it's warming my tootsies in the dead of winter, I won't even mind that. What do you think?

perception collection

revealed {life}