Weekly Photo Challenge: Possibility

Courtesy of Jessica Spiegel

This week’s photo challenge is guest hosted by Jessica Spiegel of the WhyGo Italy travel guide. Read on for more about this week’s theme!

“As far back as I can remember, I have loved taking and looking at photographs of doorways, paths, windows, and roads – these kinds of images have always invited me in and encouraged my mind to wander. What’s beyond that ornate door? Whose window is that? Where would I end up if I continued on that road?

These are what I call ‘pictures of possibility.’

Doors and paths are common photographic themes, especially among travelers (both have appeared in previous installments of the Weekly Photo Challenge). But what makes a photo challenge specifically about ‘possibility’ different is that while I might hear that word and think immediately of images like the one above (taken on the Haida Gwaii islands off northern British Columbia), you might think of something else entirely. In fact, I really hope you do.

For many people, travel is about discovering what lies beyond what we already know. Visiting new places means we often begin with a closed door, and by the end of a trip we have (one hopes) gained a new appreciation for what’s on the other side. Maybe your history books come to life in the form of ancient cobblestones or an iconic piece of art. Maybe you strike up a memorable conversation with a local in a cafe, using only hand gestures and smiles. Maybe you taste a typical dish that tells you something about the culture.

Whatever your doorway happens to be, travel gives each of us the opportunity to take advantage of possibility. What’s more, looking at the world through a traveler’s eyes gives us the ability to see our surroundings – wherever we are – in a new way, where possibility is everywhere.

This week, I invite you to show us what makes your imagination run wild by the concept of ‘possiblity,’ whether it’s down the street or on the other side of the planet.

And to give you another piece of travel-related inspiration, here’s an additonal challenge – try to look at the things or places you see every day in a new way, to see the ‘possibility’ in them. This is a way of looking at our everyday surroundings with the curiosity of a traveler, thus bringing one of the many perks of travel into our everyday lives. Have you ever noticed the leaves changing color along the road during your commute? Do you ever strike up brief and friendly conversations with the person behind the counter at the bar or cafe, maybe getting a restaurant tip, even if it’s just to confirm that your favorite pizza place is also theirs? When was the last time you explored the area you live in as if you were a newcomer, going on a walking tour or taking a day trip?

For anyone who is predisposed to want to capture interesting things with a camera, having the curiosity of a traveler is an excellent thing. Applying that same curiosity to the everyday is what turns an average doorway on a building you pass en route to work into a ‘picture of possibility.’”

Jessica Spiegel is a Portland-based travel writer with a deep affection for Italy. She writes the WhyGo Italy travel guide for indie travel experts BootsnAll, loves both Venice and Naples in equal measure, and strongly encourages eating two helpings of gelato every single day while traveling in Italy.

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New to The Daily Post? Whether you’re a beginner or a professional, you’re invited to get involved in our Weekly Photo Challenge to help you meet your blogging goals and give you another way to take part in Post a Day / Post a Week. Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how the weekly photo challenge works:

1. Each week, we’ll provide a theme for creative inspiration. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog anytime before the following Friday when the next photo theme will be announced.

2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “Weekly Photo Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use a “postaday2011″ or “postaweek2011″ tag.

3. Subscribe to The Daily Post so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements. Sign up via the email subscription link in the sidebar or RSS.