You might have guessed by now that I not only took a blogcation this past week, but I also took a much needed vacation…or “holiday” as those of you in Europe might say. In the interest of safety, I thought it best not to make that type of announcement on my blog…you know since it has a tendency to scream, “My house is empty…please rob me!” All that said, for the past week, my husband and I have been in London and Paris. We had an incredible time and I’ve taken tons of photos, but I think I’m ready back to get back to a normal week.
Of course getting back to normal is going to be challenging. 1) I have tons of photos to process (including those from my newborn session taken before our trip). 2) During our trip, my computer screen cracked – it looks as if someone took a baseball bat to the center of it. I somehow managed to edit a few photos, but today will be spent transferring my files and programs over to a new machine (if only I could afford to get a Mac with all new software – geesh). However, before we get into this week’s hunt, I do want to thank you all for being so kind to my guest posters this week – I have read all of your comments throughout the week and you guys are the best. I also apologize to anyone I may have missed during last week’s Scavenger Hunt – I know I wasn’t able to visit everyone and I sincerely apologize. Anyways…rather than respond to the hundreds of messages that have been left behind, I’ll just say THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
If you’ve been participating in the Scavenger Hunt each week, I hope this week’s items inspired you. If you’re new to the Scavenger Hunt…WELCOME! Next week’s items are sponsored by Paper Heart Camera, Danielle and Shay.
The rules are simple:
- Anyone can participate.
- You’re encouraged to take five new photos this week for the challenge. Creativity is also encouraged!
- If you get stumped, you may use one photo from your archive (although I’m not too strict about it – I do my best to take fresh shots).
- Link up here on Sunday (or Tuesday at the latest) – you can use the button above.
- Leave comments for at least five entries around yours (we have so many new participants each week, this is the only way I know to be inclusive).
- Have fun!
Without further discussion…here are my interpretations this week:
1. Bokeh
This photo was actually taken during the last day of our vacation – at Harrods. Before leaving, everyone told us that we had to visit Harrods. I was quick to tell them that this was not a shopping trip, but we found some time in our schedule. Now, we did not buy anything from the designer levels…but we did find the gift shop and Christmas room. Oh happy day! I couldn’t resist pulling out my camera for a few Christmas bokeh shots.2. Process of Elimination
We went on quite a few walking tours during our trip. This particular photo was taken at London Towers. I was completely enthralled by all of the windows. In many cases, I had to avoid other tourists or adjust my angle to get the shot…but by removing these distractions, the focus is right where I want it.
3. Remember
Today is not only my first full day back in the States, but it’s also the ten-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in New York City and Washington D.C. I don’t have a photo to represent remembering 9/11, but I do have a photo of the Catacombs in Paris, France. The catacombs are an underground burial ground for over six million people.
4. Statues 
I could literally show you dozens…maybe a hundred statue photos from our trip, but for some reason this particular photo taken on the backside of St. Paul’s Cathedral really stands out for me. 5. Flying Higher 
On Monday, I had the opportunity to meet up with Muse Kirstin at The London Eye. What an incredible view…and the pictures! I only thought I had a decent shot of the car ahead of us until I saw Kirstin’s shot: click HERE. Where was I? What were your interpretations of the items this week? I can’t wait to check them out. Be sure to load your pictures on your blog (or your Flickr photostream) and link up at the bottom of this post. Feel free to grab a button to display on your blog along with your scavenger hunt items. The linky will be open until Tuesday night at midnight (EST). If you didn’t participate this week, but want to participate next week, here are your items (these can also be found at the bottom of my blog each week):
- Street Photography
- From a Distance (Paper Heart Camera prompt)
- Sunday (Danielle’s suggestion)
- Liquid (Danielle’s suggestion)
- Behind (Shay’s suggestion)
Again, thank you to Paper Heart Camera, Danielle and Shay for so many great scavenger hunt items. I’ve actually got several weeks worth of prompts waiting in my inbox, but if you’d like to contribute items to the list, just send me an email with your suggestions (I can better keep track of them this way…and we’ve got some great prompts coming up in future weeks). Each week, I will select one reader’s prompt list, add those items to what is currently on tap and give the selected reader a shout out on my blog during Scavenger Hunt Sunday. Also, be sure to come back tomorrow for Shoot and Edit: Part 1, Week 36. The prompt/theme is “Night Photography.” Happy Shooting!
