Self-Assignments...staying sharp

One way I find I can be more effective in a photo-journalist way is keeping my eye sharp and training myself  to acknowledge what's around me, not just see it.  It takes attention and practice.

Last year I was inspired to start a self-assignment of photographing the numbers 1 - 50 as seen around me.  I committed to not using house numbers as that would be too easy, and to try to isolate the numbers if possible.  Far harder than you might imagine..

A recent visit to my daughters school proved especially fruitful, but with all the labels, charts, number lines, rulers and class-room numbers it almost felt like I was cheating.   

Click the image for more in the Number 1 - 50 project