Lens-Artists Challenge #112 – Word Choices
“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.”
Nelson Mandela
This week Ann-Christine has graciously given us several words from which to choose in response to her challenge. I’m opening with two images I captured last week of a sky crowded with stars. (Do you see the heart of stars near the center?! ) Our photography club had a group photo shoot – socially distanced of course – to try to capture the Milky Way. Unfortunately it was a very cloudy evening and sadly we saw NO stars whatsoever, much less any of the Milky Way. We stayed out for 3 or 4 hours but the sky never cleared and we all left quite disappointed. As an aside, we did have a glorious, unusual sunset which I’ve used as this week’s header image.
“It’s the choices we make that define who we really are.”
Charles de Lint
At around 10 pm I got home and processed my images, hoping against hope that I’d somehow captured something reasonable. Well what do you know….it turned out there were TONS of stars in every image and even a bit of the Milky Way (sadly the most cloud-covered part of the sky). It was an excellent example of what you see is not necessarily what you get with night shooting. It was also a great learning experience which I will definitely try again on a clearer night. In the meanwhile, I managed to get several images crowded with stars in the cloudy skies. A lovely surprise that raised my enthusiasm for night shooting, it also provided me with an opportunity for growing my knowledge of photography techniques 😀.
“We are free to choose our paths, but we can’t choose the consequences that come with them.”
Sean Covey
Recently I posted some images from a family shoot I did for a friend here on Kiawah. At one point I asked the children to show me their best jump at the ocean’s edge. Apparently their grandson really enjoyed the challenge and nearly reached the sky with one of the most beautiful smiles I’ve seen in some time. Pretty much a visual definition of Ann-Christine’s word exuberant.
“It’s not about making the right choice. It’s about making a choice and making it right.”
J.R. Rim
This week’s final image shows my sunroom orchid framed by our backyard trees. When I saw the sun coming through the trees I thought it might create a nice bokeh background for the flower. Normally it would have been a passing thought but this time I took a moment to grab the camera and the image above was the result. The orchid has been growing beautifully since it was loaned / gifted to me by a good friend who was leaving for the summer. It is thriving in our sunroom; I’ve never seen so many blooms on a single orchid! I’m working hard to keep the orchid alive for my friend’s return in mid-September. So far so good 😀
Thanks to Ann-Christine for her interesting challenge, and to all of our followers for your continued support. We look forward to seeing your word choices for the week and the ways in which you respond to them. Please remember to link your responses to Ann-Christine’s original post here, and to include the Lens-Artists Tag to help us find you. Finally, we’re excited to announce that next week’s challenge will be hosted by Rusha Sams of Oh The Places We See. Be sure to check out her blog and watch for her post next week. Until then, as always Stay Safe and Be Well.
WOW the 2 opening sky shots r AMAZING!!! How very interesting that u did not even see the stars in the 2nd one while shooting….pretty mind blowing stuff!!Another great post Tina….love being a recipient!!
Thanks April – yes they were a very pleasant surprise!
What an excellent and diverse set of images. The shot of the boy jumping on the beach was my favourite. He has a look of pure delight.
That’s the challenge with outdoor and Astro photography, isn’t it. You’re at the mercy of the weather. I do my best to plan my shots using tools such as PhotoPils and the Photographers Ephemeris. It doesn’t always work out.
My first attempt at night photography was a fail. The light pollution in New Jersey makes it challenging.
Yes we’re lucky with our skies down here but the weather will always trump everything else
The night sky shots are awesome, Tina! and I love your choice for exuberant!
Many thanks Sue!
Fabulous is the word, Tina! Just fabulous! (Could not find your link?)Lucky you having a photo course teaching night photography of the Milky Way! I see so many of them, but have never tried – your images are success! And I must chime in with everyone else – the little jumper is a winner!
Thanks A-C . I think I forgot to link, sorry!! Glad you enjoyed these – yes, the little jumper is the runaway winner this week! Maybe people are just looking for things that make them smile these days.
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I finally found your link – the problem is that I always read first and then if the link isn’t there but separate or I continue reading – I might be late in answering. I am a bit hopeless these corona days. Incoherent. Sorry about that.😂
Such an interesting mystery about the stars photo – and what a fun surprise! The image is really lovely too. Children can be exuberant on command it seems. I love that. Your photo shows it perfectly. I am impressed at your success with the orchid too. 🙂
Yes it was quite a pleasant surprise Andrea, and a fun outing. I may have had as much of a smile as the little boy in the image when I saw those stars on the screen!!
I’ll bet you did! Like uncovering buried treasure 🙂
WOW – I’m very impressed with your night shots, I look forward to seeing what you capture on a clear night. That boy’s smile is so precious, what an awesome capture! And the bokeh effect is perfect. I’m inspired indeed! (PS – again, I love your hair and smile in your new gravatar photo!).
Thanks on all counts Shelley. At the moment I’m desperate for a haircut but not willing to risk it 😡
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I’m ready to grab my own scissors again!
Tina, the star photographs are awesome. You captured them perfectly.
BUT, my favorite is the small boy jumping with joy. His face says it all.
I enjoyed viewing your pix’s.
Have a wonderful week … Be Safe
Isadora 😎
https://isadoraartandphotography.wordpress.com/2020/09/02/lens-artists-challenge-pick-a-word/
Hi there Iz! Thanks so much, always nice to see your name pop up. A great week to you too.
You too, Tina. Thanks, 😎
What a fun class you took. Your photos came out amazingly. Your orchid drips with elegance. 🙂 Have a great rest of your week.
Thanks so much Marsha – it was a fun evening and I hope to try again soon. Best to you too!
I love the results. 🙂
Love those night sky shots, Tina 😃
Many thanks Jez, it was a fun and informative evening. Looking forward to giving it another try.
I miss night photography very much 🙂 Your first photo is the exact reason why ~ the Milky Way within the clouds is beautiful. Since the beginning of quarantine back in Czech this spring, I feasted on the videos of the World Science Festival and listening/watching the astro-physicists talk about the universe, which makes the night sky even more incredible to see. And there is not a better way to understand the world we live in than with the smile and excitement in your photo of the little boy on the beach. Perfect. Wishing you and your family well ~ take care.
Randall, what a wonderful surprise to see your name pop up! I’ll admit I’ve not done much night photography but will definitely give it a bit more attention now that I’m hooked! Glad to hear you are still out there, hoping the quarantine hasn’t been to difficult for you. We miss our travels but are otherwise doing well. Thanks so much for stopping by!
I think Kiawah would be a perfect spot for night photography so look forward to seeing more 😊. It is nice to connect back up on WP. Agree, travel this year is almost non-existent, but I did manage to get back to the States from Czech and a good 6 weeks here before I head back next week. So good to be back in the States even amid all the chaos 🙄.
Chaos indeed Randall. It’s been quite a year here, and not in a good way. Glad you got to spend some time w the family and hope things are going well for you in Czech. Stay in touch!
Lovely photos – thank you for sharing!
My pleasure, thanks for your visit and comment
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The night photo is beautiful and the boy made me smile. Good luck with the orchid. It’s pretty!
Thanks on all counts Nora!
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Wow! Your first picture looks like an illustration for a mystical tale.
Hmmm…..an excellent idea Siobhan!
Such wonderful images – I saw those lovely stars and thought wow, but then saw that wonderful smile and it just made me smile:)
Thanks MM – these days a smile is a terrific reward!
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You did very well with your night-time photography. Helps when others are around on the same mission. A couple of technical questions – tripod? high ISO? A couple of nights ago, I was taking some moon photos. After the last shot, I noticed the constellation Orion in my viewfinder. Didn’t take the shot because I didn’t have my tripod out. I might have to try the next time.
Did I tell you I like your new Gravatar? Maybe it’s the red scarf, but it’s certainly grabbing my eye whenever I see it. 🙂
Thanks David. Yes Iso 1600 and 1800. Used Dfine to help w graininess. Tripod for sure, 30 second exposure. Also remote shutter release. Thx re the gravatar. Lots of comments on that. No idea so many paid attention 😊. The real me now!
Thanks on the settings. Have a good week.
Your story about staying out 3 or 4 hours with the photography club and then leaving without any good pictures, or so you thought, rings true. We did the same thing this summer at Pawleys, sitting on top of the house in the Widow’s Walk. We could barely see the Milky Way, but the kids were excited that they had found the spot in the sky with the aid of an app. I wasn’t, however, as fortunate as you were to have some quality pictures even when you thought there were none. Your first two are stunning — as is that precious child happy to be jumping and bouncing and having a great time getting his picture taken! Don’t you just love kids on the beach!
I’m working on a rough draft of the post for next week. Will send to you soon. Thanks for promoting it today on your special blog.
I know how disappointing that can be Rusha. We used Photographers Ephemeris which is terrific. It was the only way we knew where to point our lenses!! Thanks for the lovely comment. Looking forward to your post. BTW have you seen all the bry-ha-ha about Pawley’s mayor this week???
No, I haven’t seen anything about the mayor. He is the owner of Sea View Inn, and we’ve stayed there several times. Where can I see the info?
What’s the secret for shooting the stars? What settings? I never get anything like that and we have amazing starry skies when it is clear. I’d love to get a decent shot. My favourite though is the orchid, more so because of the background which is terrific!
Thanks Jude, I really liked the orchid shot too 😊. The star shots need a tripod and a remote shutter release. You have to shoot manual with between 15 and 30 second exposure and high iso. Mine was 30 sec at 1600 iso. Just try a bunch of shots. You don’t really know what you’ve got until you post-process. Good luck!
Thanks Tina, I’ll give it a go!
These are lovely shots, but it’s that visual definition of exuberant that does it for me!
Thanks very much Margaret, he seems to be a big favorite this week.
lovely images, Tina. the little boy’s exuberance is contagious! the starry night is my favorite bringing me back to my childhood in the philippines. during summer nights when we were kids, my siblings and i would watch the star studded sky from our patio and patiently wait for shooting stars. such fond memories! thank you! 🙂
A great theme! You captured the stars well despite the clouds, Tina.
Thanks so much Terri – what happened to your blogging break?!?!?
I’m still on it, but reading a few choice bloggers 🙂 Back on Sept 20!
😊 honored to be among your choices Terri! Look forward to your return, hope the break is going well.
Wonderful starry sky!
Hi Diane, thanks! You should have come out to join us, it was a fun evening. Looking forward to trying it again. Are you coming back any time soon?
Hi T ☀️ Your posts are always a joy to see arriving in my mailbox ! 🦋Thanks for sharing💜 – I happened to be in town for whirlwind 48 hrs the night of mikyway shoot & saw how cloudy it was — bummer – yet these are spectacular ! ! Can’t wait to see what you capture sometime on a clear eve too— 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Ah, the exuberance of youth in a photo that tells the story in a single image.
Those starry nights can be hard to find, but those long exposures show how expansive our universe is. In attempting to capture Comet Neowise, I learned more about the difficulties of capturing stars. I am curious to know your camera settings for the two star shots.
Thanks John. The star shots question has an interesting answer. Each was shot for 30 seconds because as it turns out, there is an issue with my camera 😡. On my Fuji X-T2, the T setting should allow me to change the length of time for the shutter opening, but mine doesn’t work – it won’t move from the 30 seconds. Since I’d not used the setting before it was an unhappy discovery and Fuji support says I need to send it in for repair. The vertical was ISO 1600, 18mm, the horizontal ISO 1250, 19mm. Tripod and remote shutter device on both,
Sorry to hear about the glitch in the Fuji. I didn’t notice star trails in the images, so that time must have met that 500 rule I’ve read about for star trail avoidance. Good luck on the camera repair.
Fantastic captures Tina, have a nice Sunday!!!
Thanks Paulo, and a lovely Sunday to you too!
Beautiful photographs Tina, I especially love the exuberant boy jumping and your header image with the stars is amazing! 💖
Thank you Xenia, he was a wonderful subject. There’s no joy like that of a child, is there?!
It’s always a nice way to start a Sunday for me, Tina, comparing your different approaches to the weekly challenge. Love your starry skies! Now I need to get to work on my walk. Have a great week! 🙂 🙂
Well that’s a lovely thought Jo – I shall think of it each Sunday from here out! Many thanks, enjoy the walk!
Walking done. Feet up for a while with a book then I’ll start writing 🤗💕
Love the Cloudy Night on Kiawah and the Exuberant Jump!!!
Thanks Ana, the stars were a happy surprise. Not quite as exuberant as the jump but close 😊
Love the starry starry nights. There are bazillions of them! Amazing, Gracie. Love the mid-air kid too!
LOL, thanks John…… er George. 😉
🙂 🙂
The joy on that boy’s face is something to see! Wonderful
Thanks I.J. They don’t often get to the beach so he was truly joyful
Hi Tina – the exuberance jump was a top takeaway – along with the Covey quote – so true – we can’t predict or control what the outcomes are.. nice take on the word challenge this week
Thanks Yvette, yes he was quite a wonderful subject that day!
🙂
Wonderful stars and that young fellow is jumping so high! That is a fabulous photo and my favorite from your response to the challenge this week.
Thanks very much Anne – he was very sweet and incredibly enthusiastic. a photographer’s dream!
All very nice….but exuberant is just fantastic!
Thanks Sandy – hard to beat a happy, jumping little boy 🙂
True!
Tons of stars, what a wonderful surprise, Tina. i love the jump image, it made me smile. 🙂
Beautiful blooms of the orchids!
Thanks Amy – yes they were quite a surprise! I hope to try again soon.
I really can’t choose either, Tina. They’re all lovely and fitting accompaniments to the words you paired with them.
janet
Thanks Janet – it was an interesting challenge for me – Ann-Christine gave us some lovely choices
In your first photo (Starry, Starry Night), near the center there are several stars that form like an arc. I wonder if they have a name or are there by coincidence at the moment you took the picture. All these photos are amazing!
Not exactly sure Hien – the photographer who was leading our shoot pointed it out for us.
Tina all great and beautiful images! My fav is the child’s exuberance! What great stop motion. You can feel his fun.
Thanks Anne – in fact at that point the “formal” family shoot had ended and the kids were really having fun with the shots I had them do for fun. He was really into it!
A fabulous gallery Tina 🙂 so love the little jumper….so high!!! Yes do more night skies they are wonderful images
Thanks Brian, he was really adorable. So enthusiastic! Re the night skies, yes, it was really interesting to see what developed. almost like the old dark room days.
Don’t tell me you fell for the old “Come into the dark room with me and let’s see what develops!!” 😀 😀 😀
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T, I LOVE THE NIGHT SKY PHOTOS
Thanks Jane – it was a fun outing. Very surprised to see how many stars were actually out there!
All great photos! I think those orchid’s almost look fake they are so beautiful!! 💛 Great quotes too 😊
LOL, I mentioned the photo to my husband and he said “Wow, I thought they were fake”. Many thanks Lisa
How funny! They are certainly beautiful!! 🙂
Too many great photos to choose a favorite! But, the sky with heart of stars was amazing…Wonderful posting! Also, love the new photo of you!
Thanks on both counts Laurel. Thought it was about time to update the photo, sadly the real me is a bit older than the previous image!
Aren’t we all…
I might need to bring my suffering orchid to your special spot! Love that little boy’s exuberant jump!
LOL right?! Hate to think about giving it back! That’s Florence’s grandson, isn’t he adorable?
Your friend may want you to keep that orchid..it looks beautiful.
I’m kind of hoping so Sharon 😊I know I’ve never had one bloom so well before!
Your night sky photos are fantastic! And the sunset, just wow! I love the little boy jumping!
Thanks Beth – room for improvement for sure but it was a fun first attempt at the Milky Way. Hoping for another opportunity soon.
These are all beautiful and woven together wonderfully with the chosen words. But that boy’s smile has totally lit up my morning.
Thanks Su, I know it lit up my day as well!
What a fabulous series this week, Tina. I love that smile on that little boy’s face and your night sky in the header is wonderful. The orchids also were spectacular. Wow. I can’t chose a favorite this week! I was just reading about night photography. I definitely want to try that. I am looking forward to seeing your shots on a clear night. Do you shoot at the beach? That would be a great spot, I’d expect.
Thanks Patti, glad you enjoyed these – yes the night shots were at the beach but we shot from the parking lot so that we’d have something in the foreground. I’m looking forward to trying again.