After the Tide Pod challenge took its social media wave, it was nice to see focus shifted towards a fun and safe trend, the Hobby Lobby challenge. This requires photographers to take their subjects into Hobby Lobby, or a similar craft store like Michaels, and take pictures against the store’s line of silk bushes and flowers to frame the subject and take out what is surrounding and make it appear as if the subject is in a field of bouquets. The end goal is to make the photos look like they were truly taken outside instead of actually in a store.

The challenge started in January after 22-year-old Kelsey Maggart shared her photos on social media of both sides: how the scene appeared to customers passing by and how the photos actually turned out. The trend made its wave around social media ever since. The challenge tests photographers’ ability to show their artistic, creative and professional side by taking different props and angles of the store to create unique photos that appear they were taken in a forest of flowers.

After seeing this trend take the internet by storm and as a photographer myself, I decided to take on the challenge with one of my fellow yearbook staffers, Madi Caddell. She was eager and ready to be my subject and was the one who pushed me into trying it out.

Personally, I enjoyed taking on the challenge and making it my own kind of shoot. The adrenaline kicked in when we rushed inside of Hobby Lobby, trying to get away with taking these pictures and escaping without an employee noticing what we were doing. I was actually really surprised with the way they turned out. I was also surprised at how complicated this challenge can be. Pictures from other photographers on the internet made it look a lot easier than it truly was.

Later that night, I was quick to edit and post them on my social media for the world to see. A quick tweet and the use of  #HobbyLobbyChallenge allowed for an associate producer from CBS in New York requesting use of my pictures. This completely blew me away, the fact that something simple I did in a store and stuck up on social media now has a chance to be seen on a national story. To see more of my photography, go follow my twitter.