Weekly Photo Challenge – Let There Be Light
“Yours is the light by which my spirit’s born: – you are my sun, my moon, and all my stars.”
E.E.Cummings
This week in the U.S. we are celebrating Thanksgiving. Coincidentally, we are at the same time celebrating Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. How appropriate then, that Ben has challenged us to share some of light’s sources.
When I consider the subject, there are four things that come immediately to my mind. First, as seen above, the stars. The very evidence of the birth of our universe. Second, the greatest of all light sources, the sun:
“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”
Plato
Third, the moon – which determines the tides that impact all life, and in fact may have influenced the very beginning of human life.*
“Moonlight drowns out all but the brightest stars.”
J.R.R. Tolkien
And finally, fire – the first light ever created by man, which serves us in so many ways.
“How far the little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world.”
William Shakespeare
These candles are from my visit to a Buddhist temple, where they memorialized loved ones who are no longer of this world. Let them also serve as a reminder to give thanks – for nature’s gifts of light, for loved ones here with us, and finally for loved ones here in spirit only. Let them be always in our hearts even if they no longer sit at our table.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
To see the lights of other bloggers, click here.
* Source, Scientific American, http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=moon-life-tides
That sunset shot is magical, Tina! A lovely post.
Thanks so much Uday! And Happy Holidays to you.
So wonderful, I love the sunset and the moonlight, wonderful reflections:)
Thanks Linda! Appreciate your visit and comment.
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Wonderful collection and also so true! Hope you had a great Thanksgivingnukkah 🙂
Thanks Svetlana – we did indeed. it was really special to have the family with us for the double holiday. Hope you did too!! Appreciate your stopping by!
I just knew your response to this particular challenge would be lovely Tina .
I’m taken with the impression of the Moonlight in Kiawah … blue sea swaying in gold
Many thanks PT! That’s a shot from this past summer, where I was standing on a table on a friend’s deck shooting the year’s biggest moon. The evening was glorious!!
Interesting that all the quotes except Plato’s are written in iambic pentameter. He has an excuse; it hadn’t been invented yet.
🙂 Good catch!!
Gorgeous and serene, Tina – all of them! And the words of E.E.Cummings…oh, falls just straight into my heart, fitting the mood. 🙂
Thanks so much Ese! I loved the Cummings quote too – actually thought it was Shakespeare until I got to the name!
Beautiful. Love the moon photo. Hope you had a good thanksgiving
Thanks Melanie – you too!
Stunning shots!
Many thanks! So much beautiful light, so little time 🙂
Excellent captured… 🙂
Thanks very much Monseiur Le Drake!
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So enjoyed these beautiful reflections of light …coming from all directions …simply beautiful
Many thanks Gin! So many opportunities for beautiful light in our little paradise 🙂
Sent from my iPad
Lovely post, Tina. Thoughtful and beautiful.
Thanks so much Jane!
Sent from my iPad
Superb captures!
Thank so much Swati!
Beautiful set of photos Tina
Thanks Nora – I enjoyed the challenge this week. Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving.
Beautiful post. The Plato quote really grabbed me, and the Kiawah moonlight and Buddhist temple photos are truly special
Thanks Aime! I loved that Plato quote also 🙂
This is a stunning interpretation and response to the theme.
Thanks so much! It was a great theme this week I thought! Appreciate your visit and ocmment.
My fav is the starry starry night. Love stars! Magical. Am partial to moonlight too…
And the candles,, so unique and sweet.. I keep going back to look at this set. All so very beautiful!
& Thankful for beautiful sunsets such as this you captured, to toast each day we have with gratitude. Thank you for sharing your talent Tina ! dsup
Thanks for your lovely comment Diane – you know the sunset was taken the night we were at your home for our sunset shoot! Hope you’re staying warm!
You are a beacon of light. Any leftover turkey?
🙂 Thanks Perpetua! Yes, we actually DO have some turkey left LOL. More importantly our family is still here with us until tomorrow so we are very blessed this year. Thanks for stopping by!
Tina, so so beautiful. Every single word and photo!
You are very kind Alexandria, thanks so much!
great compositions, all of them. however that sunset painted in the clouds and on the sand….. that one is sheer eye candy. thanks for sharing!
Hmmm, eye candy….I love that description Kris, thanks so much!
gorgeous images Tina…I really love “MOONLIGHT, KIAWAH ISLAND’…I can almost feel its satiny smoothness
Thanks so much Jo – I shot that one standing on a table on a friend’s porch with my tripod 🙂 . It was a truly beautiful evening.
Standing on a table…that would be a recipe for disaster for me.
🙂
A beautiful array of lights! Thank you for sharing, Tina!
Thanks Amy – this one just seemed to write itself! Appreciate your visit and comment.
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Love your sunset shot. Great choices for the challenge!
Thanks Jane! Actually thought of you when I shot that as you have such a bird’s eye view of that whenever it happens 🙂 I’m sure you’ll have some killer sunsets down under!
We’ll be heading to the Gold Coast and Brisbane soon.
Fabulous but the second one in particular is magical Tina
Thanks Robin! It was a very beautiful evening, and was low tide so lots of beach to work with! Appreciate your visit and comment.
Enjoyed the entire post: images, text and quotes.
Many thanks Sally!
Good shots, Tina. I really like the candles.
Many thanks Stefano!
Love the poignancy in the final shot and your concluding sentiments. Beautiful post.
Thanks Madhu – couldn’t decide whether to open or close with that one but your comment makes me feel like I made the right choice. Appreciate it!
You did. 🙂
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Superb photographs! I love the last one, Light of Lights
http://timwolversonphotos.wordpress.com/2013/11/30/weekly-photo-challenge-let-there-be-light/
Thanks Tim! I’m partial to that one too – probably because it was such a difficult shot in a very dark corner of the temple. The candles called to me tho!
Cummings quote is my favourite here, and your first shot, Tina, is from a fairy tale.
Thanks Paula! I actually thought that was Shakespeare when I first read it and was surprised it was Cummings. Appreciate your visit and comment!
Your sunset and moon shots are so beautiful! Loved the Plato quote! Hope you had a wonderful holiday!
Many thanks Mary Lynn – that was a shot from our session with Kevin Adams. It was at the very end of the night on the gazebo. I’m surprised I could still hold the camera it was so cold!! Still HAVING a wonderful holiday with our kids and granddaughter here till tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by and for your lovely comment.
That first shot is especially wonderful. Thanks for sharing your light, Tina.
Thanks Tish! We went out with a professional for some experience with “light painting” and this shot was created by having someone hold a flashlight, very briefly, from underneath the window. I liked the way it contrasted with the starry sky. Appreciate your comment!
Very well composed series of shots! Thanks for shairing them! Hmm, my favorites? After going back and taking a 2nd & 3rd look, it is the sunset image.
~ Best ~
Thanks Rick! That one resulted from a beach sunset shoot that I did with a bunch of good friends from our photography club so it makes me smile when I look at it! Appreciate your visit, comment and “vote”!
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Good series for this week’s challenge Tina. Nothing like a sunset over water and I like the starry night shot…very nice.
Thanks Andy – I agree the sunsets over water are hard to resist!
Magical, Tina! I am enraptured by the sunset and the stars. 🙂
Thanks Jo! Me too – and the photos are pretty good too LOL
🙂 I didn’t put that very well!
🙂 You put it fine – just pulling your leg!
Ouch, don’t do that! It’s a tired old leg from all those Edinburgh steps! 🙂
Tina,
As usual breathtaking photos but the descriptions are as “poetic” as the excerpts from the poets. Just splendid!
Why thanks ever so Miss Carole! See you soon 🙂
Absolutely gorgeous choices!!
Thanks Cee! I’m a freak for nature’s lights!
Pure magic as always Tina; poetic, visually moving. Total inspiration.
What a lovely compliment Andrew – thanks so much!
Hi Tina – beautiful images, as always. When I saw the sunset picture (and before I read the caption), I said to myself, “That looks like my Kiawah beach” and it was!
Interesting that we chose very similar themes for our “Light” post, mostly natural sources of light. Love the blue Moon image.
Thanks so much Annette – and yes, we are mutual fans of natural beauty! Loved your entry 🙂
Beautiful beautiful images Tina! Lovely words to accompany them too… 🙂
Thanks so much AC – feeling particularly tender-hearted as we enjoy a family holiday missing some key family members.
Ooh, la la! These are beautiful. I love that they are all bringing the light from darkness. SQ
Thanks Suz! Happy to see you have time to check out the blog while in the midst of your move!
Beautiful pictures. And I love that line from Shakespeare.
Thanks Al, me too!
Tina, as always do you find the most stunning images for the challenge – my favorite is the starry night. Happy Thanksgiving to you too.
Thanks Viveka! It was freezing cold and very windy when I shot that one so it has a special place in my memory!!
simply stunning!
Thanks Anne – this challenge, to me, cried out for nature. Looking at the other posts I’ve seen so many creative responses! This one allowed lots of leeway, didn’t it?! But then, I’m a nature girl myself 🙂
Excellent pictures.
Thank you Rabirius – imagine what you could do with them 🙂 !!!
You have certainly captured light in this post Tina. I love the candles. And the last paragraph.
//Let them be always in our hearts even if they no longer sit at our table.//
I hope you had a happy thanksgiving.
Jude xx
Thank you Jude! The last paragraph was definitely heartfelt. As we sat around the Thanksgiving table with our kids, our granddaughter and several friends, it seemed to me that we were there only thanks to those who are no longer with us. So we had a toast to them and everyone enjoyed a wonderful moment of thankful memories.
What a beautiful collection of photos, and so well put together. Happy Thanksgiving 🙂
Many thanks Sas! And a Happy Thanksgiving to you too 🙂