Welcome to the collaboration page. On this page we celebrate all artists. In December, in collaboration with BLK Parade Productions Co., we shared a Challenge in support of Shipwreck Cove. Shipwreck Cove is BLK Parade's initiative that works with addiction, recovery, and mental health.
We provided a prompt for each day, asking participants to submit photos based on how they viewed their lives, their interpretation of the prompt, and their creative feelings. No one is professional, it was purely coming from each individual's own creative energies.
Oceanfire House of Art is proud to present their works in short videos. Please watch and support the Shipwreck Cove, the participants and their work!
Introduction — The December Lens:
Thirty-One Days of Light, Silence & Story
December arrives like a held breath — cold on the edges, warm at the center, suspended
between the year we’ve carried and the one waiting just past the horizon. It’s a month of
contrast: sharp frost and soft light, long nights and bright windows, stillness and
celebration. It’s the only month where every day feels like a doorway: a step inward, a
step outward, a step into memory.
This photography challenge is built for that doorway.
Thirty-one days.
Thirty-one frames.
Thirty-one chances to see the world differently.
December is not about perfection. It’s not about the most “festive” scene or the cleanest
compositions. It’s about catching the truth of winter as it passes you — the quiet streets at
dusk, the steam rising from your breath, the single glove left behind, the colour red
exploding in a monochrome world. It’s about honouring the small rituals: warm drinks,
Each prompt is a spark. You decide the fire.
Some days will give you drama — snowfall, fog, neon lights on wet pavement. Other
days will be more subtle — a pattern in the frost, a tired wreath, a circle of light on a
frozen lake. What matters most is the act of seeing. The way you raise the camera, steady
your breath, and choose a moment worth keeping.
This challenge is also a journey inward.
December asks you to slow down, listen to your landscape, notice what’s changing.
There’s a rhythm to the month — not loud, not rushed — but steady, patient, honest.
By the time you reach the final frame on December 31, you’ll be holding more than
photographs. You’ll be holding a visual record of who you were in the final days of this
year: the way you saw, the way you felt, the way you stood in the world.
So step into this as an artist.
Step into this as an adventurer.
Step into this as someone ready to capture the truth of winter, one click at a time.
Welcome to The December Lens.
Let’s shoot with intention.
Let’s chase the quiet magic.
Let’s make these thirty-one days unforgettable.
Daily Challenges:
December 1 – First Frost
Capture the first real sign of winter where you are: frost, ice on a puddle, frozen grass,
frosted window.
December 2 – Window Glow
Shoot a window from outside, with light spilling out. Cozy, lonely, or mysterious —
your call.
December 3 – The Quiet Street
Photograph a street or back lane when it feels most empty. Early morning, late night, or
during a snowfall.
December 4 – Hands at Work
Close-up of hands doing something wintery: tying skates, wrapping gifts, chopping
wood, holding a mug.
December 5 – Footprints
Find tracks in snow, mud, or frost — boots, animal prints, tire marks — and frame
them like a clue in a story.
December 6 – The One Bright Colour
In an otherwise muted scene, feature one bold colour (red scarf, yellow sign, blue door)
as the anchor.
December 7 – Lost & Found
Photograph something out of place in winter — a forgotten toy, a single glove, a lone
lawn chair, etc.
December 8 – Reflections of Cold
Shoot a reflection (window, puddle, ice) that sells the temperature without showing much
else.
December 9 - The Long Shadow
Use the low winter sun to capture dramatic shadows — your own silhouette, trees,
fences, buildings.
December 10 – Warm Drink Ritual
Document a hot drink moment: coffee shop, kitchen, thermos on a tailgate, steam rising.
December 11 – Holiday Without People
Capture a holiday or seasonal detail (decor, wreath, display) with no humans in frame.
December 12 – Lines in the Snow
Look for patterns and lines: fence posts, ski tracks, plowed roads, drift edges, power
lines.
December 13 – Night Lights
Shoot city or town lights at night — streetlights, storefronts, headlights, reflections on
wet pavement.
December 14 – Small Creature, Big World
Photograph an animal or bird in winter (or traces of them) with lots of environment
around them.
December 15 – The Messy Corner
Find a perfectly imperfect space — cluttered shelf, gear pile, workbench — and frame it
like a still life.
December 16 – Fog, Breath, or Steam
Try to capture moisture in the air — foggy morning, breath in the cold, exhaust, or
steam from a vent.
December 17 – Old & Weathered
Hunt down something aged: barn wood, peeling paint, rust, a weathered sign — winter as
a backdrop.
December 18 – From the Car Window
Safely, and only if conditions allow: shoot a scene from inside a vehicle, including part
of the window or mirror.
December 19 – Quiet Storefront
Photograph a shop front, gas station, or diner — bonus points if it feels a bit lonely or
cinematic.
December 20 – Circle of Light
Focus on a circle: wreath, round sign, manhole, sun or moon, hockey faceoff circle, etc.
Make it the hero.
December 21 – Solstice
For the shortest day of the year: capture either first light or last light — horizon,
silhouettes, glow.
December 22 – Traditions
Document one December ritual (yours or someone else’s): tree, baking, card writing, or
something unique.
December 23 – Through the Glass
Shoot through glass: rain/snow on windows, condensation, fingerprints — layered,
slightly distorted reality.
December 24 – Threshold
Photograph a doorway or entrance: church doors, cabin door, apartment hallway, motel
room, etc.
December 25 – The Aftermath
Skip the cliché. Capture after everything: crumpled wrapping paper, empty plates, quiet
living room, dark house.
December 26 – Leftovers
A still life of what’s left behind: leftovers, empty bottles (non-alc 😉 ), crumbs,
remnants of a party.
December 27 – Roads Out of Town
Photograph a road leading away — highway, gravel, tracks — hinting at trips, escapes,
or returns.
December 28 – Cold Metal
Close-up of metal in winter: railings, chains, tools, locks, rail lines, vehicles — textures
and condensation.
December 29 – Stranger’s Story
Discreetly (and respectfully) capture a stranger in the scene — at a distance, silhouette,
or from behind.
December 30 – Year in One Object
Pick one object that sums up your year — camera, boots, notebook, backpack — and
give it a portrait.
31 – The Last Light
End with the final light you see that day: streetlamp, sunset, phone screen glow,
candles, fireworks, whatever closes the chapter.
John Mayrhofer
Aurelia Jade
Coralee Jolie
Jennifer Linders
Jeanette Kirschner Atoniuk
Christene McAloney
Loren Guerin
Ann-Cathrin Storli
Karen Mikkelsen
Tara Dickson
Willow Treschow
Susan Elaine
Mike Hathaway