Happy new year! Last year, I participated in a Project 52 with a small group of other Canadian women photographers. It was a lot of fun sharing images from week to week and in the process, I learned a lot of interesting things about the women I connected with on our Facebook page. I’ll admit I ended up missing 13 of the 52 themes – which was not bad, I thought given how busy things got during the summer and fall. Having said that, 2017 is a new year for new things and I am always looking to find ways to stay motivated and inspired. When Rachel Devine of Sesame Ellis, a photographer I have admired and have been following for many years, proposed a Twelve on Twelve challenge, I decided it was something I needed to and wanted to do. So each month, participants capture images with the idea of photographing happiness. In addition, there is a theme each month and you may interpret it however you wish. On the twelfth day of each month, you share twelve of these images from each theme.
Let’s be honest, being a busy, working mom often leaves me tired, depleted and in need of inspiration; there are so many ideas I dream up in my head but never have the time to get around to shooting. Therefore, I welcome these types of assignments and challenges to keep me motivated, to get out and shoot and learn new concepts and push myself. I always love any opportunity to take photographs – whether I’m shooting my own family or others, or anything for that matter – so having a theme each month will hopefully keep me thinking about how I shoot. If you know me, you know the camera is usually with me.
The first theme was “Beginnings” and for me, I interpreted this as an opportunity to delve into more indoor lighting projects. Our winters are often long (and cold), so I looked at this as a good time to teach myself to use the strobe and to embrace indoor flash, especially when it is needed for shooting indoors. While we have a lot of windows in the house, the light is not within my control at all hours of the day. The weather the past couple of weeks was both snowy and extremely cold. Fortunately, my boys were willing participants one morning for my quickie indoor shoot (and jelly beans really help I must say). I also had to go along with some of their ideas but again, this is entire challenge is all about photographing happiness so if it makes them happy, so be it. So most of the photos are of my boys in front of the backdrop I set up. It is a combination of strobe and ambient light. I also added a few photos of one of my boys from one early evening when it started to snow heavily. Being outside and building snow forts is something that makes our boys super happy! Here’s to many more months of photographing happiness! I hope you will keep checking in 
By the way, you can also find me on Instagram – just go to @mayarasonliphoto. See you there!
