A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

blogging challenge

Photo Blogging Challenge: March 2013

I think people who read my blog know I like to take part in challenges.

I’ve hosted some through Flickr (and currently have one going), but I would like to do a blog challenge, too. But I think I’d want to mix it up.

In discussing photography with Ziva recently, I threw out the idea of a monthly challenge. This way, it wouldn’t require somebody to blog each day, rather once a month.

Here’s how it will work.

  • On the first of each month, I’ll have a blog post here with the theme for the month.
  • Over the course of the month, participants will take photos with their interpretation of the theme. On the last day of the month, participants should  publish their blog post, which will include five photos from the month. (please don’t recycle photos from the past … the idea is to hopefully challenge you to go out and take new photos to interpret the theme).
  • I’ll have a link-up thing at the end of my post so people can come and post the links to their posts so, hopefully, everybody can go go check out and comment on other posts.
  • I’m also working to set up a “newsletter” sort of thing so participants can subscribe and get a notification whenever something in regard to the challenge is posted here.

There is no rule on equipment or anything. Use a cell phone. Use film. Use a point-and-shoot. Use a DSLR. It doesn’t matter. Just make sure you publish your blog post on the last day of each month, come here and link up.

It’s simple!

Your blog posts can be as simple or as in-depth as you want. I’ll likely talk a little about each photo. But if all you want to do is post photos, feel free. The idea of this is to give a small challenge and give everybody a chance to express themselves with photography, participate in a challenge and have something to blog about.

If you are going to participate, please drop a note in the comments below. I’d like to subscribe to people’s blogs. Hopefully, I won’t be doing this challenge by myself!

Most of all, have fun with it.

Oh, I guess I should post the first theme, eh?

March’s theme will be simple and pretty easy for you to interpret — “My World.”

Take us through your world, in five shots. Maybe it’s the area in which you live. Maybe it’s you. A hobby. Family. Friends. Other things. Whatever. But as we get this challenge going — and hopefully keep it going for many months — let’s learn about the people who might take part!

Have fun with it!

If you think you are going to take part in this, drop a comment below so we can see who all might be trying to tackle this challenge!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

30 Minus 2 Days of Writing: Is that all? (28/28)

Seriously?

Is that all?

Twenty-eight days ago, we started a wonderful challenge of writing a post per day. Now, mind you, I’ve done this before. And not even with a challenge! Just blogging for a full month (or more) in a row.

It’s true, however, that when you put some emphasis on some crazy themes, it gets harder. Alas, it’s a done deal. As of the moment I hit publish on this post, I’ll have completed this challenge. For the second time.

That’s what I’m talking about.

Though there were some off-the-wall prompts this time around (I think even more than the first time), I’ve once again enjoyed it. Truthfully, challenges like this get your mind working and make you think about things in a different way. For the most part, I try and stick with reality on the prompts. I try and come up with something in the real world (though I did use Earl once). I find that to be even more challenging.

When one challenge closes, there’s always another ready to snap away!

But enough about me. Hopefully you’ve been with me for the past 28 days and you’ve seen it all.

I’ve really enjoyed reading and commenting on all the other blogs. Outside of the ones posted later yesterday (I’ll be getting to them) and today, I’ve ready pretty much every post people have done in this challenge. I can’t say I have commented on every post, but if you’ll recall there’s always reasons for something like that.

And though they may readily deny it, I know Nicky and Mike like this challenge. And I’m sure there will be a third one. Though, to be fair, it may have to be done without my prodding. I’ll just wait in the wings for the next one. Patiently, this time. Kind of.

I have a whole heap of new blogs I’ve really enjoyed going to during this challenge. And I’ve loved that there are several from the first go-around still there and going at it. I’ll be updating my blog roll soon with a few more of the ones I truly enjoyed and got to know.

No matter what, that’s the best part about this challenge — meeting other bloggers from all over with different tastes and styles. It’s made it fun and I look forward to continuing to reading some of their blogs in the coming weeks, months and more. So for that, I thank Nicky and Mike for taking this on again and I will look forward to a third — if and when it happens. This time next year, perhaps?

Still, I won’t lie.

I like challenges. It keeps me fresh with blogging things and forces me to sometimes think outside the box a little. I know Ziva, another participant in this challenge, does a 30 days of photography one sometimes. I like that idea because I’m a photographer. I just have a hard time posting 30 straight days of photos on this blog. So it got me thinking a bit. What could we do to intertwine photography and blogging?

Then the ideas instantly came — a monthly photo blogging challenge.

I initially ran the idea by Ziva to see what she thought of it because she’s done the photo challenges. She told me she was on board with it and would lend her “challenge” expertise if needed.

So here’s the deal.

On the first of every month, I’ll have a blog post about the theme for the month. Each participant will have the full month to take five photos to cover the month’s theme. Interpret it as you see fit. On the final day of the month, do a blog post about the photos for the theme and post it. Come back over here and I’ll have a link thing setup, much like Nicky/Mike and Ziva do for their challenges.

The beauty of this challenge is it’s one post, but it still gives you a challenge. And it challenges you with photos as well as words.

My post here tomorrow will explain the challenge in-depth and have the first theme.

This challenge will go on for however long. There will be no direct end date. As long as people seem interested and want to continue along with it, they are most certainly welcome. Who knows? Maybe it’ll just be Ziva and I doing it. Or just me. Or three or four. I have no idea.

So, in the end, I guess that’s not all for now.

Maybe for the current challenge. But there will always be challenges, whether blogging or in real life, that one will do or overcome.

I’ve enjoyed this challenge and look forward to the next. And for that, I’m thankful.

Hope to see some or many of you hopping into the monthly photo challenge!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

30 Minus 2 Days of Writing: Absurd (23/28)

As absurd as it sounds, I’m going to come clean.

I feel I need to do this. To get this weight off my shoulder. To realize that I can’t blame Nicky and Mike for this challenge any longer. I just can’t do it.

I can do a lot of things, such as wonder why Mike still hasn’t found the geocache across the street from his home.

Across. The. Street.

But I can’t blame him (or Nicky) for this challenge anymore.

Working for cheese may be absurd, but it’s not as absurd as trying to get through to the media giant!

Well, yes I can. But I also need to come clean about the fact that I was an active pusher of having this challenge return.

I just hope I’m not the only one. See, I truly enjoyed the challenge last year. It was refreshing. It gave me some excitement to blog again. Sure, the topics were odd, but it seemed cool.

I can’t even remember where I stumbled upon the site, but it was only a few days before starting.

It was Nov. 16 when I first e-mailed Nicky, asking her about the next challenge. She basically shooed me off like a buzzing fly around her head. She did say she wouldn’t mind doing another one (so, I think the idea was always there!), but it would have to wait. Ya know, with holidays and such coming.

Talk about absurdity!

In December, I inquired again. Maybe January?

Shooed away, again.

I even offered to help, but I couldn’t take on this challenge. After all, I don’t get as many hits per day as a media giant such as We Work For Cheese gets.

So I made my last plea in January. I figured at this point, I was being pushed aside by the corporate big wigs at WWFC and they wondered what they would have to to shut me up.

I mentioned February was a shorter month. And, well, I offered up some flattering and complimentary things. Who knew the big cheese enjoyed that? I thought it was all about the money that flows into that site.

From there, I didn’t hear much. It seemed the teams went to work figuring things out and getting it all ready for a go. This is when the communications crew of WWFC figured out how to make this a truly absurd challenge.

The truly absurd part? As February approached, I honestly didn’t want to participate. (I will duck as a full plate of poutine gets sent flying at my head). All of a sudden, real life had taken hold of me and I wondered if I could get creative enough for the challenge.

In the end, I really am glad this happened — again. I’ve had the chance to find some new blogs to read and get chatty with other people. I hope those “blog” friendships continue after the challenge.

I’m about to get more absurd — I’ve actually enjoyed it and am really appreciative that Nicky and Mike did this again. That being said, when I e-mail again in 6-7 months, feel free to tell me right where I should go if I’m asking when you are running another challenge!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

30 Minus 2 Days of Writing: Or else (15/28)

Seriously, I have nothing.

This challenge has been a whole heap of fun, but I’ve been trying and trying with this one and can’t think of anything. As far as themes and such go, I can usually adapt (note yesterday), but this one has be thrown for a loop.

I realize people might go into stories about the “or else,” but I can’t figure anything out.

So, instead, because this is usually Foto Friday, I’ve decided to try and make something humorous.

I’d say if you go into this place, you shouldn’t say much about it. Or else…

Don’t do it… or else.

The story behind this photo — I met up with my cousin to do some night photos around Atlantic City, NJ a few years ago. After doing some stuff near the casinos, she ordered a pizza to bring home, but we needed to waste some time. So she drove around a bit pointing a few things out. When I saw this place, I had her stop as I wanted to take photos.

It wasn’t in the greatest area of AC, but I figured if I quickly set up the tripod and snapped a few shots, I’d be OK. There weren’t many people around. My cousin wouldn’t get out of the car (who can blame her?), so I set up in front of her car and across the street from this place. I took a bunch of shots in about a three-minute span and quickly got in the car and took off.

Ahhh, the fun of trying to find sleazy photos in a city!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

30 – 2 Days of Writing: The day I met Abraham Lincoln (12/28)

I’ve never met Abraham Lincoln.

I wasn’t around in the 1800s. And, being I’ve never met any United States President, I’m pretty sure Abe is not somebody I would have met, even in the 1800s.

I tried to come up with something to do with this prompt, but I found nothing. I truly tried.

Then I remembered — I had met Honest Abe.

Well, sort of.

It all came on a short trip to Washington D.C. in 2011. It’s best shown in photos.

Abe looking over D.C.

Abraham Lincoln.

 

Lincoln’s pad. A lot of people hang out here. Where’s the beer?

Checking out the Washington Monument from Abe’s pad.

Abe is pretty accommodating when you visit his pad. Sometimes there’s kids running around, seemingly out of control. But overall, it’s pretty easy to get around. He usually doesn’t have beer, though. It would be hard to serve that many cordials to people visiting. But hey, at least you get to meet Abe, right?

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!