Lens-Artists Challenge #155 – On The Water
“My soul is full of longing for the secret of the sea.”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
This week our guest host John has asked us to interpret “On the Water”, which for John no doubt brings visions of amazing luxury liners who cruise the world’s most beautiful places. I’ve taken rather a different approach this week, exploring some thoughts about the way earth’s waters sustain us and the many creatures who depend on it (such as the lurking gator in today’s header 😊) My opening image above features a shrimp boat setting out to sea at daybreak. Looking rather weather-worn, her nets poised for action, with any luck she will deliver a fine catch of delicious fresh shrimp from our local waters.
“The loons! The loons! They’re welcoming us back.”
Ethel Thayer
In the image above, a beautiful loon floats serenely on the waters of Lake Arbutus. I’ve included it this week to honor good friends who summer on the lake in Michigan. Over the years during our many wonderful visits, the song of the loons welcomed us back. Recently our friends sold their summer home to a couple we all hope will love it, and those loons, as much as we have.
“Like the lily, I rest on the deep water’s surface. Not knowing the journey’s end, I rest in nature’s embrace.”
Patricia Robin Woodruff
Like the birds and the creatures of the sea, plants and flowers depend on earth’s waters for their sustenance. Water lilies for example are born in the soil beneath the waters, rising up through them in their journey toward its surface. They create shade and protection for fish in landscape ponds, and provide a resting spot for frogs and dragonflies. The lily above was located in the amazing gardens of Asheville, North Carolina’s Biltmore Mansion. The mansion and its gardens are well worth a visit if you are ever in the area.
“I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now.”
Joni Mitchell
While I have no doubt the image above is well outside of John’s intent with his challenge, in fact the reflection of the overhead clouds is definitely “on the water”, don’t you think? Here in the south there is nothing more welcome than the white fluffy clouds that provide a bit of shelter from the heat of the summer sun.
“A ship in a harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for.”
John Augustus Shedd
Finally, an image from a visit to Bar Harbor, Maine. I loved the dichotomy of the smaller crafts made minute by the size of the visiting cruise ship. By cruising standards the ship is relatively small. On the other hand, the two-masted sailboat, quite large by sailboat standards, seems minuscule when positioned beside it. Think of it as a reminder that whenever our problems appear major, when compared with those of so many others, they are merely a drop in the ocean.
Sincere thanks to those who responded to last week’s “One Photo Two Ways”. It was really interesting to see the many ways we can interpret the scenes and subjects on which we choose to focus. We look forward to seeing your responses to John’s challenge this week. Please remember to link them to his original post and to use the Lens-Artists Tag to help us find you. Finally, a reminder that next week’s guest host will be Anne Sandler of Slow Shutter Speed who will challenge us with Black & White. Until then, please stay safe and be kind.
Note: I’ll be on the road next week but will do my best to stay in touch. Apologies in advance if I’m a bit late in responding
Lens-Artists Challenge #154 – One Photo Two Ways
“A photographer’s eye is perpetually evaluating.”
Henri Cartier-Bresson
Henri Cartier-Bresson said that a photographer is continually shaping and changing his or her perspective to create a capture, but at the speed of a reflex action. This week, we’d like you to think about the various ways you create your images. Show us the same subject captured using multiple, different approaches. For example, my opening images, above and below, are a horizontal and vertical capture of the fresh curly plant leaves I captured in my yard last week.
“Too often in life we pass by important things. Let’s pause, change perspective and see things more clearly.”
Sergio da Silva
The next example illustrates the difference a big picture image versus a close-up can make, and how important your choice can be in conveying your message.
“I encourage playfulness and experimentation with both camera and subject. Never be satisfied with an obvious perspective.”
Michael Kenna
I captured the egret above and below earlier this month as it strolled across a bridge on our local golf course. Typically with birds I like to get as close as possible. Below however, I photographed the bird from a larger perspective which presents a completely different message. Sometimes the big picture is more interesting than zooming in, other times a close-up is preferred.
“I do not document anything. I give an interpretation.”
Andre Kertesz
The next set of three images, each with their own strengths, focuses on the impact of an image’s mood. I was committed to photographing the visiting family of a good friend last week. I don’t know about you but I find capturing 16 people of all ages in a single image to be a very daunting challenge! We typically have only one chance to create images that will capture memories for all of the family members. We depend on the weather, we avoid sun glare, and we work hard to position people so that everyone can be seen. YIKES!
“Photography… offers an infinite variety of perception, interpretation and execution.”
Ansel Adams
In the image above I positioned the family in a traditional way and was fortunate that everyone actually looked at the camera at the same time 😊. In the image below I thought we could have a bit of fun by posing the young boys higher in the trees, which also allowed me to move slightly closer, creating a somewhat more intimate scene.
“Sometimes I look with telephoto eyes, sometimes with wide-angle eyes.”
Alfred Eisenstaedt
Lastly, I created some black & white images for the family, which to me seem a bit more timeless. As an aside, I was facing a bit of a crisis at the time but my friend’s family only gathers once each year so I decided to go ahead with the shoot. For its duration I forgot about my troubles, focused on the task at hand, and shared in the joy of the family’s gathering. It turned out to have been an excellent decision and the diversion couldn’t have come at a better time.
“In black and white you suggest, in color you state.”
Paul Outerbridge
Below and finally, a favorite photography subject, the beauty of a wonderful garden, such as that of Charleston’s Middleton Place. Surrounded by nature’s glory, we may choose to deliver the big picture , to play with software that creates an impressionist perspective, or to zoom in on the details of a single bud. Ultimately it is the photographer’s choice – lucky us!
“Every photo I take is a piece of my life that I will never get back, but that I will be able to see again and again.”
Malcolm Flowers
“A picture is the expression of an impression. If the beautiful were not in us, how would we ever recognize it?”
Ernst Haas
“Photography is as much about what is left out of the frame as it is about what the photographer keeps inside the frame.”
Daryl Oh
This week, please join us in sharing images that you’ve captured in more than one way. Except for the B&W and Impressionist images, all of those in this week’s post were created in camera. It’s up to you to choose your own approach to your subjects, including the use of editing tools. We look forward to seeing the results of your vision – please link them to my original post and use the Lens-Artists Tag to help us find you in the WP Reader.
An important announcement. We are excited to announce a special event for the month of July. Several of our previous Guest Hosts have agreed to lead the Lens-Artists challenge. We’re sharing their themes in advance and hope you’ll join us and them in the coming weeks. They include:
July 3 John Steiner of Journeys With Johnbo will present “On the Water”
July 10 Anne Sandler of Slow Shutter Speed will present “Black and White”
July 17 Rusha Sams of Oh The Places We See will present “Getting Away”
July 24 Beth Smith of Wandering Dawgs will present “Along Back Country Roads”
July 31 Ana Campo of Anvica’s Gallery will present “Postcards”
Please be sure to check out their always-interesting and beautiful blogs, and join us in supporting them as they lead us each Saturday in the coming month. Until then, please remember to stay safe and be kind.
Lens-Artists Challenge #153 – Wonderful World
Ten Peaks, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
“Viewed sensitively and with love; the world blossoms in beauty.”
Sir Kristian Goldmund Aumann
This week I’m taking a different approach with my post. I’m responding to Amy’s “Wonderful World” challenge with images from our travels throughout this wonderful world, primarily taken by others. My husband and I have been truly fortunate to have traveled widely, visiting many places we’d previously only dreamed of. Amy’s challenge has given me an opportunity to share some of them with you.
Glacier Climbing, Alaska
“The most beautiful thing about the world is how much is unknown to us… So much awaiting discovery.”
Chelsea Sedoti
There are so many different ways to see the world, including active vacations that feature things like skiing, hiking, golf etc. In hindsight glacier hiking as shown above is probably not the best option ecologically as it means helicoptering on and off. Sadly there was very little discussion of the impact on these declining surfaces as we climbed glaciers in Alaska, Canada and New Zealand back in our earlier travels. That said, I am so glad we were able to experience these massive wonders first-hand.
Golf in Ireland’s Weather
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”
Anne Frank
Soon after moving south we bid on an Ireland golf vacation in support of a local charity. As a result we were able to visit some of the famous courses that until then we’d only heard about. Our weather wouldn’t have felt like Ireland if we hadn’t had some wind and rain along the way! We’ve since golfed in Scotland, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, Costa Rica, Canada and of course across much of the US. Oftentimes golf courses present us with some of the most beautiful areas in the visited country, however we learned early to be sure to visit many of the other highlights in each country.
Cape of Good Hope, South Africa
“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”
Rumi
Our safaris in Africa, which I’ve often shared here on Travels and Trifles, were truly life-changing. While in South Africa, we also visited their beautiful wine country in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, took the aerial tram to the top of Table Mountain, visited Robben Island and spent time at the Cape of Good Hope, pictured above.
Lake Pehoe, Torres del Paine, Patagonia
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”
Mother Teresa
In Patagonia, the mountains and glaciers are spectacular, but as shown above, their lakes are equally beautiful. It’s one of those places that has so much natural beauty it’s sometimes hard to know which way to look.
Ta Prohm Temple, Angkor, Cambodia
“This curious world we inhabit is more wonderful than convenient; more beautiful than it is useful; it is more to be admired and enjoyed than used.”
Henry David Thoreau
Beyond the world’s natural beauty, there is history, art, architecture, culture, religion, food, and oh so much more to explore. Travel allows us not only to see the world, but also to experience and better understand its many people. It helps us to realize that at heart we really are all the same.
Capturing the Terra Cotta Warriors, Xian, China
“The whole world is a family.”
Virchand Raghavji Gandhi
Whatever our primary interests in the world, for most of us it truly is wonderful. We are fortunate to live in a time when world travel is possible, (except of course for the past year – which taught us a great lesson in appreciation). For those who cannot travel, we are fortunate that so much of the world can be seen through the lenses of photographers across the web. Someday I suppose those who come after us may find us primitive as they explore OTHER worlds. For me though, I’m perfectly happy with this one 😊.
My thanks to the photographers who captured these images and shared them with me. My thanks to you, my followers and visitors, for spending time with me, and of course my thanks to Amy for her interesting challenge which allowed me to share some of my favorite places in this wonderful world. We look forward to seeing your perspectives as well – please remember to use the Lens-Artists Tag and to link to Amy’s original here. Finally, we thank you for your participation in Ann-Christine’s Shades and Shadows challenge. As always your responses were creative, interesting and thought-provoking. Until next week when I will be leading the challenge here on Travels and Trifles, please stay safe, be kind, and enjoy this wonderful world.
Lens-Artists Challenge #153 – Wonderful World
Lens-Artists Challenge #152 – Shade and Shadows
Within the Shadows
“Our job is to record this world of light and shadow and time that will never come again exactly as it is today.”
Edward Abbey
This week Ann-Christine has asked us to feature shade and shadows – often a photographer’s nightmare but now and then, a dream. I’ve opened with a favorite image, taken in San Francisco under one of their many beautiful bridges. I loved the somewhat sinister feel of the man surrounded by the bridge’s shadows.
Don’t Fence Me In
“In photography, there are no shadows that cannot be illuminated.”
August Sander
I thought the shadows of the lovely scrolled fence above were actually prettier than the fence itself. Here in Charleston we see beautifully decorative iron work quite often because of the expertise of local legend Philip Simmons. However, I actually captured the fence above at the Mount of Beatitudes during our visit to Israel.
On the other hand, the window below IS located in downtown Charleston at our historic City Hall. I captured the image from the inside looking out on a bright, sunny day.
Though a Glass Darkly
“The brighter the light, the darker the shadow.”
Jay Kristoff
Sometimes an object’s shadow is very easily identified, as in the following two images. The extra appendage on the airplane’s shadow is a float which allows water landings.
Fly-By
“Shadows can invite us to imagine what is hidden.”
Michale Kenna
Yet another mode of transportation in which you’ll sometimes find us is featured in the image below. This one is an unusual selfie during which I was using a cart to photograph a golf event here on Kiawah.
Beside the Bunker
“The organization of light and shadow effects produce a new enrichment of vision.”
Laszlo Moholy-Nagy
As the appearance of the moon signals the end of day, I thought it only appropriate to end my post this week with its light surrounded by shadows.
Shadows on the Moon
“Where light and shadow fall on your subject, that is the essence of expression and art through photography.”
Scott Bourne
We look forward to seeing your shades and shadows as well. Be sure to link your response to Ann-Christine’s post here, and to use the Lens-Artists Tag. We thank you as always for your creative and colorful responses to Patti’s challenge last week, and hope to see you next week as Amy leads the challenge. In the meanwhile, please stay safe, be kind, and enjoy the week ahead.
Lens-Artists Challenge #151 – From Large to Small
“Orange is red brought nearer to humanity by yellow.”
Wassily Kandinsky
This week Patti has given us a double challenge – first to choose a color and second to show images that range in size from large to small. After much thought I decided on orange, and have opened with a large example of rooftops from Beijing’s Forbidden City.
“Orange is the happiest color.”
Frank Sinatra
My second image above shows a beautiful garden of orange and yellow flowers fronting some of the huge orange-red rocks of Colorado. Although the image presents it as a beautiful natural landscape, in fact just beyond the tallest flowers is a treacherously difficult golf fairway which has gobbled up many a ball from golfers such as yours truly.
“When life gives you lemons….they could really be oranges.”
Ellen DeGeneres
Moving on to slightly smaller examples of orange, I’ve included a personal favorite image above. I captured these three monks sauntering along a dirt road in Cambodia using umbrellas as protection from the bright sun. I’ve posted this photograph more than once, and have a framed version of it that a friend painted from my image hanging in my home.
“If the family were a fruit, it would be an orange, a circle of sections, held together but separable – each segment distinct.”
Letty Cottin Pogrebin
The image above was part of a Chihuly art exhibit we saw while visiting Seattle, Washington. His glass artwork is all incredible, but I especially loved the way this piece was displayed in a glass structure through which one could see downtown Seattle. Each piece was unique and the fact that it was orange and yellow helped me to decide on that color for this week’s challenge – as did the following image of a performance artist posing in front of a fun piece of local wall art. Two VERY different, medium-sized approaches to art.
“Be patient. Everything has its time. You can’t make an orange mature right away because you are hungry.”
Bangambiki Habyarimana
The images that follow are examples of small touches of orange – and of course they’re among my favorite subjects – the winged residents of Kiawah. The first image is very special to me. For 20 years here on Kiawah I’ve searched high and low for a painted bunting. It’s a tiny, very colorful bird, seen primarily in the spring. I finally saw, and photographed my first-ever last week on a neighbor’s bird bath. Can you believe those colors?! I was much more excited than most people would have been, especially considering I’m not really a birder, but this little one has been on my “must see” list for a very long time! Notice the band on his right leg, which tells us it’s not his first visit to Kiawah.
“Orange is life. It’s unexpected but beautiful.”
Aly Martinez
Birds aren’t the only winged creatures on Kiawah, nor are they the smallest. Here’s yet another beautiful, small example of orange on the wing.
“Orange strengthens your emotional body, encouraging a general feeling of joy, well-being, and cheerfulness.”
Tae Yun Kim
Finally, although breaking the rules a bit and going back to a large splash of orange, I thought it only appropriate to finish with a natural orange flourish – a beautiful sunset reflected on one of Kiawah’s many lagoons.
“The sky takes on shades of orange during sunrise and sunset – the color that gives you hope that the sun will set only to rise again.”
Ram Charan
Once I decided on my color for this week it seems I found it everywhere! My task then became finding small, medium and large examples. I hope you’ve enjoyed my choices and will have fun putting together your own responses to Patti’s challenge. Be sure to link them to her original post here, and to add the Lens-Artists Tag.
I’ll close with a sincere thank you for your responses to Dianne’s Let’s Get Wild challenge last week. It was great to see nature unspoiled in so many beautiful places and we very much appreciate Dianne’s having taken the helm. We look forward to seeing your choices for this week and as always wish everyone a safe and wonderful week ahead.
Lens-Artists Challenge #150 – LET’S GET WILD
“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.”
John Muir
This week our guest host Dianne has asked us to share some examples of the wild places we’ve seen, “Mother Nature untouched and untrammelled”. I’ve opened above and below with some majestic mountain views of Patagonia. There, some of the most beautiful, rugged mountains in the world can be see in both Chile and Argentina. My header this week is also from that trip, a vista of the Andes that illustrates the immensity of the mountain peaks when compared with the structures below.
“The breathtaking view at the mountaintop is compensation for all of the breath lost whilst sweating towards it.”
Matshona Dhliwayo
While in Patagonia a good friend and I hiked to the famous Laguna de los Tres, seen above. The hike is steep and difficult, made more so by a sudden, frightening storm as we reached the lake. Protected from a fierce wind by a huge boulder, we jumped up, took a quick photograph or two (one of which is seen above) and hurried to descend before being caught by the storm. It one of my favorite memories of any of our amazing journeys.
“Sometimes you just have to find the majesty in yourself and other things to truly appreciate life.”
Imania Margria
Another treasured memory is pictured above. During one of our African safaris, we came upon this gorgeous cheetah at sunset, posing perfectly as we headed back to our lodgings. I cannot think of a better “wild” example than the incredible untouched beauty of Africa and the glorious creatures who roam freely there.
“The larger the island of knowledge, the longer the shoreline of wonder.”
Ralph W. Sockman
A bit closer to home, the image above captures Spirit Island, a tiny piece of land on Lake Maligne, nestled in the middle of the beautiful Canadian Rockies. The lake is typically a bright azure blue, but on this day the clouds surrounded us, offering a more ominous perspective. Although I have several images of the scene at its azure-best, it’s the moody image that captured my imagination.
“Listen to the trees as they sway in the wind. Their bark sings songs of olden days as it grows around the trunks. And their roots give names to all things.”
Vera Nazarian
I’ve included the image of my 6’2″ / 2 meter husband standing among the roots of a fallen giant Redwood tree in California’s Jedediah Smith State Park. Although it may be considered less “wild” than some of my other images this week, it is a reminder of a place where the most incredibly majestic giants grow and thrive. Many are over 1,000 years old and grow as tall as 360 feet / 110 meters and as wide as 15 feet / 4.5 meters at their base. There is an air of absolute magic when walking among them, and the profound quiet brings with it an amazing sense of peace.
“Where the glacier meets the sky, the land ceases to be earthly, and the earth becomes one with the heavens; no sorrows live there anymore, and therefore joy is not necessary; beauty alone reigns there, beyond all demands.”
Halldór Laxness
We’ve been fortunate to see several glaciers in our travels, including Argentina’s Perito Merino, the Athabasca Glacier in the Canadian Rockies, some of the 20+ remaining glaciers in Montana’s Glacier National Park, and several glaciers while on a small-boat cruise along Alaska’s Inside Passage which included Glacier Bay National Park. Searching the web identifies countless articles related to climate change’s effect on receding glaciers and melting sea ice resulting in today’s rising seas. It seems we are finally beginning to understand the issue although it remains to be seen how much will be done to address the problems we ourselves have created.
“…you never truly win a conservation battle – you just win the right to fight another day. Like an alcoholic, the environment is never saved. It always needs saving.”
Joshua Horwitz
During our Alaska visit we enjoyed the mountain vistas of Denali in the National Park, were enchanted by the antics of the salmon-fishing grizzly bears of Brooks Falls, and saw countless numbers of whales, especially on Glacier Bay. Adventuring out on a rubber raft late one evening, a whale breached so close to us we were truly frightened by the rocking of the boat and the sudden appearance of such a behemoth! Once we got over the shock we were thrilled to have been so close to such a magnificent creature. Sunsets on the bay are quite late and more beautiful than any I’ve seen before or since. They frequently included whale tails and flippers such as the one above .
“Every time I see something about the Wild West, I’m reminded that our version of history may not be what really happened.”
James McBride
I’ll close with a less dramatic scene from a road trip to visit the glorious national parks of the U.S. West. It was somewhere in Utah, between Bryce and Zion, that we came upon this scene. It reminded me of countless TV movies I’d seen growing up that featured cowboys and cattle and dry, dusty gulches filled with tumbleweed and the occasional set of cattle horns. 😊 There are vast areas which look exactly as pictured in those movies, and I couldn’t resist a stop now and then to capture some of them. They may not be quite as “wild” as glaciers or a herd of elephants crossing the savannah, but they too remain among the places still available to those of us seeking nature unaffected by the intervention of mankind.
Sincere thanks to Dianne for hosting this week’s challenge. Be sure to visit her post here, where she shares some incredible examples of nature’s best work. Also, thanks to those who responded to last week’s Blue and Green challenge – as always, your creative and interesting posts were terrific, covered a wide breadth of subjects, and were very much enjoyed by all of us. Finally, we hope you’ll join us next week when Patti brings us “From Large to Small”. She’ll ask us to choose a color and share images of items from large to small that feature it. Sounds like fun! Until then, as always please stay safe and enjoy the week ahead. For those who recognize it, please take a moment to remember the real meaning behind Memorial Day.
Lens-Artists Challenge #149 – Cool Colors – Blue and Green
“True voyagers are those who leave just to be leaving; hearts light like balloons.”
Charles Baudelaire
This week we are returning to the color wheel and its cooler members, which include blue (primary) green (secondary) and blue-green or blue-violet aka purple (tertiary). A visit to the web on the subject will take you deep into the emotions said to result from exposure to these and other colors. For this week’s purposes, let’s simply explore the many ways the cooler colors appear in our world.
“Sometimes you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince.”
Bianca Frazier
There are times when blue and green colors are used just for fun, as in the two images above. I captured the opening image one chilly, pre-dawn Oregon morning as a major balloon festival was getting underway. Shown in my second image, the smiling frog greets visitors arriving at the gates to Magnolia Gardens’ Audubon Swamp. Both images speak to me of fun and creativity.
“Get close to grass and you’ll see a star.”
Dejan Stojanovic
Leaving behind “just for fun”, we move on to the blues and greens found in nature. Complimenting each other perfectly, this was the area where I found the greatest frequency of the two colors together. My image above presents it in an abstract way via a vertical pan of the spring marsh grasses. Below, we see it in a more classic landscape of sky, trees and water.
“The gods preferr their libations diluted with rainwater and mixed with freshly cut grass.
Thomm Quackenbush
Beyond nature’s more typical examples, the image that follows resulted from a bit of serendipity, capturing a somewhat unique combination of the colors.
“Despite its dark veins, the transparency of dragonfly’s wings assures me of a pure, innocent world.”
Munia Khan
Moving on from nature, there are also beautiful combinations of blue and green in art and architecture. A stunning example is seen below in the Dome of the Rock Islamic shrine in Jerusalem. The rock over which the shrine is built is sacred to both Muslims and Jews.
“Love is your religion; the whole world is your temple.”
Matshona Dhliwayo
In addition to Israel, my quest for combinations of blue and green took me on a bit of a world tour – some examples are shown below:
“Fear sees a ceiling, hope sees the stars.”
Colton Dixon
“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”
Pable Picasso
“There’s nothing more lovely than your lamplight, seen from a dark street…”
John Geddes
Last week we greatly enjoyed the fun we had with your responses to Ann-Christine’s Spots and Dots challenge. We hope you also enjoy this week’s Cool Colors and will join us with your own examples. Please remember to link your response to my original post and to use the Lens-Artists Tag. Finally, next week we’re excited to announce that our challenge will be hosted by Dianne Millard of Rambling Ranger. Be sure to check out her beautiful blog and watch for her post next week. Until then, as always, please stay safe and be kind.
Lens-Artists Challenge #148 – Spots & Dots
“A photograph is a universe of dots….It peels back the shadows and redeems the dazed and rumbling past.”
Don DeLillo
This week Ann-Christine threw me into a bit of a loop thinking about spots and dots. I decided to reach into the archives to see what I could find to fit her challenge. My opener above is from nearby Asheville, NC, which has a fun and funky area filled with amazing wall art. I loved the bright pink dots that brightened up the front of the otherwise dilapidated and deserted house.
“A kiss, when all is said, what is it?….’Tis a secret told to the mouth instead of to the ear.”
Edmond Rostand
I couldn’t think of a better example of dots than the proud peacock in my image above. I’ve shown hm before in my posts about Magnolia Gardens, where he lives and prances about, proudly showing off his beautiful colors.
“Believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart even when it leads you off the well-worn path.”
Steve Jobs
I have many favorite images from our African safaris, and those shown below contain a myriad of dots in multiple spots. I chose to feature the not-so-little leopard cub above because really, what could be more adorable?! He looks like you could reach out and cuddle him, but his mom – very nearby and watching closely – might not appreciate it.
(L to R below: Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill aka banana bird, cheetah, guinea hen. giraffe, cheetah, hyena)
“Life is the night sky. All the dots of stars are happiness”
Richard L. Ratliff
Butterflies are everywhere during spring on Kiawah, but the zebra longwing shown below is a bit more rare. I came upon this one with its red and white dots and yellowish stripes, on Kiawah’s Ocean Course. Not far from my home, the course will host next week’s PGA golf event and its 10,000 attendees (including yours truly). I’m thinking the butterflies may choose to go into hiding until the coast is clear 😊.
“Purpose is the thread that connects the dots to everything you do that leads you to an extraordinary life.”
Oprah Winfrey
I captured the rainy-day image below while visiting family in New York. They have a wonderful view of the nearby hills and mountains but on the day of this rainstorm the clouds obscured most all of the normally-beautiful scene. The rainy, foggy vista however, had a beauty all its own.
“The impulse to connect the dots – and to share what you’ve connected – is the urge that makes you an artist.”
Amanda Palmer
Finally, I’ll close with the little one below in her pink polka dot blouse and her very chic outfit. Tell me she doesn’t look like a break dancer just about to open her show!
“Somebody can paint with a fine brush like Monet, or somebody can splatter it up there like Kandinsky or Pollock and say ‘yep, that’s art.’ That’s OK.”
Patrick Wilson
Sincere thanks to all who responded to last week’s garden challenge. You presented us with an amazing array of gardens around the world and reminded us of the joy that gardens bring – whether our own, our neighbors’ or those that are world-renowned. This week we look forward to seeing your spots and dots. Please remember to link them to Ann-Christine’s original post here, and to use the Lens-Artists tag. I’ll be back right here on Travels and Trifles to host next week’s challenge. In the meanwhile, as always please remember to stay safe and be kind.
Lens-Artists Challenge #147 – Gardens
“All gardening is landscape painting.“
William Kent
This week Amy has asked us to focus on gardens. As she notes, they come in all shapes and sizes, and whether in our own backyard, in far-away places, or anywhere in-between, we all enjoy their beauty. I’ve opened this week with an image of a small garden that greets residents and visitors upon arrival on Kiawah. While not always quite so lush, there are well-tended flowers of some variety in every season. This month the island is anticipating 10,000 visitors who will attend the 103rd PGA Championship on Kiawah’s Ocean Course beginning May 17th.
“To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.”
Alfred Austin
Amy also mentions the importance within Japanese gardens of red bridges. Here in the lowcountry of South Carolina, the iconic Magnolia Gardens, which I’ve often featured here on Travels and Trifles, includes the beautiful red bridge in the image above. I was fortunate that another visitor allowed me to photograph her adorable daughter alone on the bridge.
“The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit..”
Nelson Henderson
Gardens are much more than flowers. In my image above, a glorious oak tree reaches out over the Ashley River adding to the charm of Magnolia’s gardens. Its Audubon Swamp, where cypress and tupelo trees grow directly within the water, also add to its unique beauty .
“We can plant to suit the needs of the birds and other wildlife that find a haven on our home ground, to do so is a moral dictate, not a personal whim.”
Allen Lacy
Gardens also invite visitors of the non-human variety 😊. My example above is yet another scene from Magnolia. Alligators and turtles are but two of the many creatures frequently seen throughout the property. On a given spring day the combination of colorful flowers, interesting creatures and nesting birds by the hundreds draws professional photographers and their students from all corners of the country.
“The earth laughs in flowers.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Of course a garden post would not be complete without flowers, so I’ve featured three of my favorites above. The center image is from a friend’s garden on which she and her husband spend countless hours each spring with glorious results. The two end images are from my visits to Magnolia Gardens. Whether your own, a friend’s, a stranger’s or a masterpiece like Charleston’s Magnolia Gardens, there is much to love about gardens – even if, like me, you barely know a flower from a weed.
Sincere thanks to all who responded to last week’s Focus on the Details challenge. We enjoyed every detail you offered and hope those of you who chose to show floral and garden details have more to share for this week’s challenge. Please be sure to link your response to Amy’s original post here, and to use the Lens-Artists Tag to help us find you in our reader. Wishing all the moms a Happy Mothers’ Day filled with love and beauty.
Lens-Artists Challenge #146 – Focus on the Details
“Leaving out of question the deliberately posed or arranged photograph, it is usually some incidental detail that heightens the effect of a picture”
Bill Brandt
It seems of late it is the birdlife of Kiawah that has been the most frequent draw for my lens. At the risk of boring those who follow me, I’m responding to Patti’s “Focus on the Details” challenge with one more post featuring our avian community. As Mr. Brandt posits above, it truly is the special, incidental detail that draws us in. In my opening example the nesting anhinga couple drew me in with their blue-rimmed eyes and seemingly smiling beaks. The colorful eyes are a characteristic of their breeding plumage.
“Despite all the pictures in the world, there’s so much that’s unseen—people, landscapes, entire regions, small gestures, overlooked details.”
Kay Grannan
I must admit the bird shown above had me stumped. I’ve seen many a great blue heron but had never seen one with such a blue beak. After research, I learned the bird is a LITTLE blue heron, and that the turquoise beak (along with the rust-colored neck) is a characteristic of their breeding plumage. In this image I was drawn to the detail of both the beak and the vertical white feather of the bird’s head.
“Every stone, every little perfection, or dilapidation, the most minute detail, which, on an ordinary drawing, would merit no special attention, becomes, on a photograph, worthy of careful study.”
Francis Frith
The anhinga above was not especially fond of my presence, and was more than ready to take off if I’d gotten one step closer. Since our goal as a photographer is to leave nature undisturbed, I backed off immediately after capturing this one. The moment I did so, the bird returned to his normal “at ease” posture. I loved his “crewcut” hairdo 😊and the flight-ready position of his wings.
“I find it strangely beautiful that the camera with its inherent clarity of object and detail can produce images that in spite of themselves offer possibilities to be more than they are.”
Joel Meyerowitz
I’ve chosen to save my favorite image of the week for last – a beautifully-colored Glossy Ibis. I captured all of this week’s images in an outing my husband and I made specifically to look for this bird. While typically nondescript, when in his breeding plumage he is quite spectacular. His head and neck are a rusty red, while his tail feathers are a shiny green and blue – almost metallic in appearance. His long beak is accentuated by white stripes which complete his distinctive appearance. In 20+ years here on Kiawah I’d never seen one and was thrilled to find him not far from my home. Now I’m on the lookout for his even more rare cousin, the white-faced ibis which has pink eyes and red legs during breeding season. A friend and fellow-photographer captured one earlier this week and after submitting it to the Department of Nature Resources was told it was only the second time one had been seen in South Carolina. Let the quest begin!
In closing, one more thank you to Priscilla for her “Getting to Know You” challenge, and to those of you who responded. It gave all of us some new insight into our community and the things that are most important to all of us. Next week we’ll have a slight change to our normal schedule and Amy will lead our challenge on her Share and Connect site. In the meanwhile we look forward to seeing the details you choose for this week. Please remember to include a link to Patti’s original post, and to use the Lens-Artists Tag. Happy May everyone!
