All Challenges November 21, 2022 - November 27, 2022

Week 47: Wabi Sabi!

Extra Challenge: Abandoned Building
Photo Credit: Julie Denton - Week 9: Details (2021)

A tenet of our 52Frames project, is to embrace imperfection. This week, we ask you to seek this beautiful imperfection in the world around you for Wabi Sabi Photography - derived from a Japanese concept that centers around acceptance of imperfection and impermanence, 侘寂 .

To embrace wabi-sabi in everyday life is to slow down, observe, notice and appreciate the overlooked beauty of a reality that is, in so many ways, mundane and imperfect.

In our photography, we can start by getting closer to the shapes, colours, textures and patterns all around us. Stains on an old kitchen pot. Rust on a weathered gate. Muddy footprints on a wet pavement. Wrinkles on a familiar face. Withered branches under a winter sky. Can you look at things like these in much the same way as a glamorous studio posed portrait or a super HDR landscape image? This challenge more than others is about story-telling and appreciation of things that we'd usually not cast a second glance at.

So, keep calm, slow down and share with us something that evokes this sense of appreciation.

Wabi-sabi is about the minor and the hidden, the tentative and the ephemeral: things so subtle and evanescent they are invisible to vulgar eyes.
– Leonard Koren, Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets and Philosophers

This week's sponsor

Revolutionize Your Photos with Luminar Neo

Unlock the power of AI to enhance your photos with Luminar Neo. Fast, easy editing tools and stunning results—transform your images like never before!

-

Tips and Tutorials

TIPS:

  • Textures: Look for textures that call out to you. Light and shadow lend depth, so choose your lighting and/or time of day wisely.
  • Depth Of Field: You don't always need a shallow depth of field. Sometimes, it's the big picture that tells the story.
  • Explore: Walk about in places you don't normally go to - you never know when you'll find hidden photographic treasure.
  • Colors: Consider a color palette that is less vibrant and muted to complement the idea of showing beauty in things we normally don't find beautiful.
  • Shooting Angles: Choose shooting angles and compositions that accentuate the imperfection rather than trying to maneuver to hide them in the scene.

TUTS:

Looking for more inspiration? Check out our previous albums Wabi Sabi (2020), and Old (2019). And as always, The Googles! Oh you sweet Googles.

Extra Challenge: Abandoned Building

Think the Main Challenge alone ain't worthy enough of your photog skillz? Sweet - try adding the EXTRA challenge along with the Main Challenge to showcase your abilities.

This week, we'd like to see Wabi Sabi Photography with an Abandoned Building being part of the composition.

⚠️‼️ Many abandoned locations are dangerous. Please exercise an incredible amount of care and caution if you decide to venture inside. Ensure that you're not breaking any laws and that you always put SAFETY FIRST ‼️⚠️

Do remember, the EC is neither mandatory nor does it enhance your odds of being picked for any 52F honors. It's just an EXTRA challenge for you, if that's something you want to take on in addition to the Main Challenge. We intentionally design the Extra Challenge to be difficult for most, so only take this on if you are looking for an EXTRA challenge. Get it? It's extra. ?

Photo Credit: Kathy Fisher - Week 7: Unexplored (2022)

Remember, you are only submitting ONE photo per week. It is not necessary (and sometimes not possible) to work in this Extra Challenge into your submission. It’s extra challenge!

This challenge is not yet live!
This challenge has already passed
Submit Your Photo! Submit Your Photo!