52 Steps from your front door

Open your door, walk outside, count 52 steps and look.... What do you see? Which way do you go? Where do you look?  Really though, think about it...how many times have you walked out of your front door, got in your car and drove away without really noticing anything?? This is where you live, or work, or spend the majority of your time, and do you really know what's going on? Have you ever taken in the beauty of the area or the creepiness it instills or even better yet, how boring it is?! Did you ever really see the nosy neighbor peering out of her blinds at you, or the old lonely guy who just sits on his porch all day long, smoking ciggs, remembering his life, or the perfect lil white picket fence house that has deep dark secrets inside. (I know, I MIGHT be exaggerating because most places aren't as exciting as we want them to be like on Desperate Housewives, but you never really know... Loved that show btw...what a crazy neighborhood!!!) 

I picked this topic this week because I figured it would be a great way to get everyones mind really racing...and what happened when I first started doing it??? Nothing haha I was at a loss!! I walked outside with my son...I let him count to 52 and then we both looked in all directions...and we saw nothing interesting. (Although I think he just said that there was nothing so we would keep walking to the park where we were heading instead of taking pictures!)  I was so disappointed. I thought that it was just gonna hit me! I would walk outside, have my camera in hand, and all of a sudden find the perfect shot to take for this awesome challenge I started (yes, I definitely used the word awesome to amp it up a bit, did it work????) Taking pictures just doesn't always happen like that. The perfect shot does not just line up right in front of you. It's one of those things you have to look for, work for, actually want to see not just expect to see. 

Sooo...I took a bunch of pictures...and as you can see, they are boring and lifeless, with nothing behind them. I came back inside, and was upset...I thought that maybe I couldn't do it. Maybe I just got one of my crazy ideas to start something and it wasn't going to be possible to actually do it...because honestly, my boyfriend can attest to this the most, that happens all to often when it comes to me!! But I wasn't going to give up!!

I downloaded my pictures to my Photoshop program, played with a bunch of photos, altered my photos a lot, thinking maybe I could MAKE the perfect shot and it STILL didn't work. Now, you can probably imagine I was becoming super frustrated. Then I went over some of the emails I had from some amazing photographers I know, and I reread a great piece of advice, from the owner of Aptitude Creativity, that I'm gonna pass to everyone to use; "I use Photoshop to enhance my images not to make my images" 

So I did just that..I stopped making my pictures...I found a picture, changed it to black and white and added a little Gaussian Blur to the outside edges... and I came up with...

52 Steps from my front door

So as you can see, outside my front door, it looks like a creepy, walking-dead zombie land. Now I know I need to buy the Book, 

 Zombie Survival Guide. If I didn't start this challenge, take my time, become frustrated, reread some awesome advice, and let my creativity flow, I would have never noticed how incredibly creepy and sad it looks on my street!! (It might be time to move :-/ ) 

So here's my first week...I hope you enjoyed it and I really hope that you took something great from your first week of clicking!! What did you see on your 52 step journey?? Is there zombie's outside your house?? Beautiful sunshine that makes you smile?? Kids playing all over that makes you feel young again?? Or is there just nothing?? Even if you don't want to take the pictures and just want to share, Comment below and let us know!! Dont forget to like, follow, join and post your pic on the Facebook Page!! And as always..HAPPY CLICKING!! :)