A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

photobloggingchallenge

Photo Blogging Challenge (August 2026): Make your month about thinking outside the box

All the best plans …

Thinking outside the box can be a good thing, but also can be challenging. I had some ideas, and unfortunately a couple of them failed for a couple of reasons.

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Ah well, it happens.

This can be interpreted in many different ways. It could be different ways of taking photos. Or different vantage points. Or different subjects. Or .. or … or …

It’s all about being different.

So how do you think outside the box?

Rather, how did you think outside the box.

Or maybe you stayed inside the box but in a different way.

OK, OK … I think you get it. Let’s get on with it!

If you participated this month, share your link down below. Here’s my five for the month!

1. Filter

I ordered a couple of lens filters from Amazon for my small camera lens. The idea of this one is to give circles around the main subject. I like it so far, but I need to figure more with it. I had ordered a second filter, but they sent the wrong size!

2. With light

I rarely try and get different types of light features in a photo. In fact, I often avoid it. This month, I did a couple different things with available light. This is the first one. I love how the sun shines in from the upper left corner over the image.

3. Light 2

Chubby Checker (a post to come eventually) was at my local county fair. It’s amazing how good he still is at 84. But the lights behind him throughout the night were pretty cool. I loved this one.

4. Black and white

When I first started in photography, black and white was my start. I developed my own film and made prints etc. This month, I did a couple of black and white images using Hipstamatic and I love this combination of the “film” and “lens.”

5. Vantage point

When we went to Chubby Checker, my mother thought we should stand on the track. This is from her vantage point. My mother went to high school with him, so this was super cool. Again, a post will eventually come!

BONUS

I’m not sure this is outside the box per say, but it’s a bonus photo. Me and my mother went to dinner at a local spot where you could eat outside. I really loved how this photo came out.

There’s my five for the month! Let’s see what you came up with! If you took part in this month’s challenge, make sure to link up below.

And for those of you who participated, make sure you try and get to other people’s blogs and comment (here, too!).

Let’s continue to grow this challenge and have a strong community. Come back and check out the others who link later on, too! NOTE: We have a Facebook group for those who participate in the challenge and are interested. I’ll post any announcements there and hopefully ithere.

** CHALLENGE CHANGE **

From this point forward, I am going to do the next theme at the bottom of each linkup. Also, the posting date will now be the first of each month, thus giving you the entire month to take the photos etc.

That means it’s a one-stop shop! Hopefully this helps out with everybody.

So, below is the linkup for February. Make sure you drop your link there.

OK, so it’s time to keep on moving! And our theme for the May? Make your month about you. Remember to come back on (hopefully) September 1 to link up and check out the theme for that month! I’ve set a calendar reminder for me, so let’s see if that works!

Photo Blogging Challenge: August results

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

Photo Blogging Challenge (July 2026): Make your month about things you love

Who or what do you love?

Though this seems like a theme for February, it’s also always good to think about things like this.

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I’m sure most of you will know what many of my photos might include.

But this theme is so perfect for many things. And in this day and age, sometimes we really need to be grounded and think about things like this. Our identity should be about things like this, not necessarily about things that just get things into an uproar. Having your own identity and loving what you do is so much more powerful.

People, animals, physical things, nature etc., all are things one can love and truly help as a human being.

So, what things do you love?

I hope you had a wonderful month no matter where in the world you are.

The theme for me this month was basically Harper, but more in that the things I love usually will involve her.

If you participated this month, share your link down below. Here’s my five for the month!

1. Geocaching

Harper is a blast (usually) to geocache with. Though she might try and get into things when we are finding the actual cache, it’s still a whole heap of fun.

2. Adventures

Harper and I go on a lot of adventures. A lot of fun adventures. But some of the best ones are a 15-minute play in the river so she can swim, fetch and live her best life.

3. Ready to go!

Harper loves dock diving. We’ve only been once this year and missed a couple of competitions I’d like to try and get her in. Alas, when we go it’s always a blast. Her she is getting ready to go as my mother prepares to throw her toy.

4. Baseball

I love going to baseball games, especially the minor leagues, And despite saying (before I had Harper) that if I had a dog I don’t know if I’d bring to a baseball game. Fast forward… most games I go to now are Bark in the Park games! Many also have “dog parades” before the game on the field. Harper, of course, thinks she can go where she wants and tries to go into dugouts. These two gave her some loving.. and a baseball!

5. Photography

Though my camera roll is full of Harper photos, she’s also made me start to really love photography again. So much so that I invested in a new camera for me — a lighter one that I’m more apt to carry with me. I’ve been doing a lot more with photography in that regard, which has been a blast.

BONUS

One of my dock diving photos of Harper. Using my brother’s 300mm 2.8 lens, which was insanely fun for this.

There’s my five for the month! Let’s see what you came up with! If you took part in this month’s challenge, make sure to link up below.

And for those of you who participated, make sure you try and get to other people’s blogs and comment (here, too!).

Let’s continue to grow this challenge and have a strong community. Come back and check out the others who link later on, too! NOTE: We have a Facebook group for those who participate in the challenge and are interested. I’ll post any announcements there and hopefully ithere.

** CHALLENGE CHANGE **

From this point forward, I am going to do the next theme at the bottom of each linkup. Also, the posting date will now be the first of each month, thus giving you the entire month to take the photos etc.

That means it’s a one-stop shop! Hopefully this helps out with everybody.

So, below is the linkup for February. Make sure you drop your link there.

OK, so it’s time to keep on moving! And our theme for the May? Make your month about thinking outside that box. Remember to come back on (hopefully) September 1 to link up and check out the theme for that month! I’ve set a calendar reminder for me, so let’s see if that works!

Photo Blogging Challenge: June results

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

Photo Blogging Challenge (June 2026): Make your month a free for all

Was your month a free for all?

Mine definitely was. And it was also one of the busiest months of the year for work. When working in school. the last 2-3 weeks are usually a blur and a zoo. And I’ll still be posting things for the next two weeks.

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The weather the last couple of weeks here hasn’t helped, either. Hot, hot, hot, and hot. Oh, did I mention hot?

For my area, this is crazy too hot for this time of year.

That makes it a free for all, for sure.

So, I scrolled through the phone and looked at other photos I took to see what I had. I think I have a good free for all. I’ve started a 365 project again as of July 1, so .. hopefully more photos to choose from moving forward!

How crazy was your month?

And how’s the weather? Ha ha ha.

If you participated this month, share your link down below. Here’s my five for the month!

1. Stamps!

Early in the month, I organized the stamps I picked up at the World Stamp Expo. I love doing “stamp math” when I am sending out postcards or penpal things. This is just a little of the “haul” I came away with.

2. Lion King Jr.

Cameron was part of the ensemble in a local theater group’s rendition of Lion King Jr. Here he is with my mother after the show. A lot of fun!

3. Happy!

I hope this makes you smile!

4. Blackstone fun

I finally used the Blackstone for the first time in 2026 this month. These potatoes came out great!

5. No shame

She has no shame. Offer the belly and show it all.

There’s my five for the month! Let’s see what you came up with! If you took part in this month’s challenge, make sure to link up below.

And for those of you who participated, make sure you try and get to other people’s blogs and comment (here, too!).

Let’s continue to grow this challenge and have a strong community. Come back and check out the others who link later on, too! NOTE: We have a Facebook group for those who participate in the challenge and are interested. I’ll post any announcements there and hopefully ithere.

** CHALLENGE CHANGE **

From this point forward, I am going to do the next theme at the bottom of each linkup. Also, the posting date will now be the first of each month, thus giving you the entire month to take the photos etc.

That means it’s a one-stop shop! Hopefully this helps out with everybody.

So, below is the linkup for February. Make sure you drop your link there.

OK, so it’s time to keep on moving! And our theme for the May? Make your month about things you love. Remember to come back on (hopefully) August 1 to link up and check out the theme for that month! I’ve set a calendar reminder for me, so let’s see if that works!

Photo Blogging Challenge: June results

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

Photo Blogging Challenge (May 2026): Make your month different

As normal, the grand plans didn’t work out. And then work happened. And before I knew it, here we are.

I guess I wasn’t so different with a blogging deadline!

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And my work certainly hasn’t been different, as far as the end of May and now June is concerned.

Some things can be different, though.

I hate to think differently with not doing what I had planned. Originally, the goal was to possibly by a new lens (I’m looking at the Lensbaby Twist 28), or one of those funky srtsy style filters, which essentially is a new lens of sorts.

So I made the pivot. And this is a super late post. Hopefully that won’t happen again.

So how were you different this month?

I look forward to checking things out.

If you participated this month, share your link down below. Here’s my five for the month!

1. Different species

Harper likes to be friends with many. A neighbor up the street has turtles and had them out one day we were walking by. Harper was mesmerized. She was so calm and curious. She didn’t want to leave. This was really quite cool. I’m sure Harper will see Stockton again.

2. Different selfie game

My selfie game isn’t the best. It works, but it doesn’t always capture what I want it to do. This one did. Me and two good geocaching friends, as well as Harper, at a large caching event in May. This is a trail we hit to grab a bunch of finds. It grounds you a bit when you do things like this, making you remember to slow down a little and enjoy life. This photo really, to me, captures fun, friends, and a moment hopefully all of us remember. I’ve had a few selfie/moments like this recently, but I think this one captures a lot. And, truthfully,. we’re only here for so long. Capture life and memories.

3. Different techniques

Have you ever taken photos of a litter of puppies hitting a large patch of lawn for the first time? No? Well, you need to use multiple styles, even if that means using one camera as bait for the phone camera. This is definitely a technique that is different to me!

4. Different apps

I need to use Hipstamatic way more. And I’m trying to force myself to use different photo apps as it can be so much fun. This was with Hipstamatic when I kind of just changed up the film and lens choices to see what would come out. I liked it.

5. Different events

As we get older, I feel like we get caught in a constant circle. Sometimes, you need to get out of the circle and try something new or go somewhere new. I’ve been trying my best to get out to different events and things going on locally, especially when I can bring Harper. This was a small kite festival in my town. This year wasn’t too bad, but me and Harper stood outside and watched for a while. Hopefully next year it will be bigger.

BONUS

Technically I took this photo. It was the World Stamp Expo in Boston. This was one of those self camera things, and then they actually printed it out as a postcard for you. But I pushed the button ha! So maybe another different technique, or a different event? Either way, a fun bonus! Too bad I couldn’t have ordered these as actual stamps!

There’s my five for the month! Let’s see what you came up with! If you took part in this month’s challenge, make sure to link up below.

And for those of you who participated, make sure you try and get to other people’s blogs and comment (here, too!).

Let’s continue to grow this challenge and have a strong community. Come back and check out the others who link later on, too! NOTE: We have a Facebook group for those who participate in the challenge and are interested. I’ll post any announcements there and hopefully ithere.

** CHALLENGE CHANGE **

From this point forward, I am going to do the next theme at the bottom of each linkup. Also, the posting date will now be the first of each month, thus giving you the entire month to take the photos etc.

That means it’s a one-stop shop! Hopefully this helps out with everybody.

So, below is the linkup for February. Make sure you drop your link there.

OK, so it’s time to keep on moving! And our theme for the May? Make your month a free for all. This one should be easier with it being later in the month! Remember to come back on (hopefully) July 1 to link up and check out the theme for that month! I’ve set a calendar reminder for me, so let’s see if that works!

Photo Blogging Challenge: May results

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

Photo Blogging Challenge (April 2026): Make your month yours

Did you make April yours?

As I scrolled back through my photos from the month, there’s always a common theme. But I needed to figure out how to interpret things.

Making the month yours can be seen in different ways. Part of it with me is just about finding certain ways to be yourself.

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Reality it, though, that Harper is definitely with me to make something mine!

So this month has some variety. It’s a way to find different ways of making the month mine. And being it was Harper’s birthday month …

So we made the month ours! The month had a lot of fun. We went to two hockey games with friends; we hit up our first baseball game of the year; there were a lot of walks and hikes, a whole bunch of geocaches, and things to occupy us.

How about you? Did you make the month yours?

How did you intrepret this theme?

If you participated this month, share your link down below. Here’s my five for the month!

1. My way?

During a day of geocaching. we came across this sign. Apparently, it’s my way!

2.Haircut time!

I had my hair cut earlier this month. Harper was with me and I was able to bring her in. She had a lot of fun, mingled with people and at the end, I couldn’t resist a photo op with my barber, Sal!

3. Geocaching

I decided to head to a small geocaching event with just me and Harper this month. Once there, met up with a couple of friends and we hit up a few caches after the event.

4. Hockey!

We hit up two hockey games this month, one in Utica and one in Syracuse. Two different friends went with each, enhancing the experience and making it even more fun!

5. Happy birthday, Harper!

As I always try and do, I took off Harper’s birthday. A friend joined me and Harper for a day of fun, geocaching, and waterfalls. This is Harper near Taughannock Falls near Ithaca. This 215-foot plunge waterfall is 33 feet higher than Niagara Falls! We had a wonderful hike out and back to these falls.

BONUS

Harper got pretty tired at the baseball game. It was a double header and she took a snooze during the second game.

There’s my five for the month! Let’s see what you came up with! If you took part in this month’s challenge, make sure to link up below.

And for those of you who participated, make sure you try and get to other people’s blogs and comment (here, too!).

Let’s continue to grow this challenge and have a strong community. Come back and check out the others who link later on, too! NOTE: We have a Facebook group for those who participate in the challenge and are interested. I’ll post any announcements there and hopefully ithere.

** CHALLENGE CHANGE **

From this point forward, I am going to do the next theme at the bottom of each linkup. Also, the posting date will now be the first of each month, thus giving you the entire month to take the photos etc.

That means it’s a one-stop shop! Hopefully this helps out with everybody.

So, below is the linkup for February. Make sure you drop your link there.

OK, so it’s time to keep on moving! And our theme for the May? Make your month different. Originally, this was going to be more of using a different lens/app etc, but it’s more open ended. Do something different! Remember to come back on (hopefully) June 1 to link up and check out the theme for that month! I’ve set a calendar reminder for me, so let’s see if that works!

Photo Blogging Challenge: April results

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