An ordinary stone, simple, smooth, small and white.  How many ways can you see that stone? How many ways can you create with that ordinary stone?  That was one of the tasks given to the participants of my Seeing with New Eyes Retreat for beginning photographers a few weeks ago at New Skete Monastery.

They were each given a small, white stone (remember my penchant for collecting stones?) and a card with instructions to carry the stone with them throughout the weekend and create a number of different images that included that stone.

“Quit trying to find beautiful objects to photograph. Find the ordinary objects so you can transform it by photographing it.” Morley Baer

Simple Stone and Instruction card ©Ginny Teed

Simple Stone and Instruction card
©Ginny Teed

It was really interesting to see how they used the stone is a wide variety of settings.  It makes you see not only the stone, but the often ordinary settings, in new ways.  (Be sure to click on the images.  They will enlarge and cycle through a slideshow so you can appreciate them more!)

“I am not interested in shooting new things – I am interested to see things new.”  Ernst Haas

Even without a camera, you can practice the art of seeing ordinary items in new ways.  Give it a try this week!