Project 365/ Day 5 symmetry/Day 6 winter

I thought day 5 was the hardest thing ever until I got to day 6. Day 5 was symmetry. There is symmetry everywhere so you would think it would be easy. It wasn't and a lot of other pojecter's felt the same way about this theme. It just isn't easy to portray symmetry. Try it for yourself. I tried different subjects, angles, and light something was always just off,or wrong. Mostly what happened was something else would manage to be in the frame and the symmetry would get lost. It took me all day to get my picture and even after I had it I was unsure of it and myself. I came up with 3 pictures that actually screamed symmetry making it hard for me to pick just one. In the end I did and this is it. 

 When I framed this shot I saw symmetry just about every where you looked in the screen. When I loaded it up on the computer and I could see it better I was pleased with my self that I had caught with the camera what I had seen with my eyes. I really like that there are angles of symmetry in this photo as well as shadows of symmetry. Every where you look symmetry.
  So now you heard how difficult it was to do day 5,well day 6 that one was even harder. How do you shot winter on a warm almost hot summer day. Professionals do it every day,I am the first to say I am not a professional. I had an idea however I went looking in the barn for the props I would need and then went looking for the perfect spot to get a picture of winter in the heat of the summer. I tried this that and the other and nothing was coming together. I tried in the shade, late afternoon, and dusk, inside, up against  a white wall. I tried every setting on my camera. Nothing worked. I was giving up and going to just use the best shot I got whatever that was, and believe me there was no best shot. As I was putting my props back I saw one of my snow children peeking out from behind the shelf and I knew I was on to something so I grabbed the snow child my sled and headed to the sand box. Nothing says winter better then sledding at least not to me. I had been using the sled in all my pictures and it wasn't coming through as winter. Most likely because the sled is modern and not an old fashion wooden one with red handles. Anyway my idea was going to work I just knew but it was to dark and I wasn't getting the effect I wanted so I gave up. Until morning that is I cheated a little and got my day 6 done on day 7. I needed the softness of the morning light and since my themes don't get here until after 10 am I can't get early morning light until the next day. I still wasn't able to get the effect I wanted, I was at least a lot happier with the pictures I took in the AM then anything i had done the day before. I was trying to make the sand look white enough to pass for snow. It just didn't work that way. Well have a look and tell me what you think. Did I make you think of winter.

I still have a lot to learn about shadows and lighting.
 So there you have Day 5 and Day 6 both challenging days for sure.