Lens-Artists Challenge #204 Doors/Doorways
“My camera is my best friend when I travel. It opens doors for me and helps me see things I would not have noticed.”
P’all Stefansson
This week we welcome Guest Host Sylvia of My Colorful Expressions who has challenged us to focus on doors and/or doorways. Since I’ve been traveling these past two weeks I’ve taken a look through the archives for some of my favorites. It occurred to me as I searched that most of my door images were from our travels. Exhibit A, my opening image, was captured during our visit to Israel and Jordan. I loved the beautiful gates as well as the worn but lovely doors behind them.
“Nothing attracts me like a closed door. I cannot rest until I have pried it open.”
Margaret Bourke-White
Another of my favorite door images, shown above, is from the Neve Tzedek area of Tel Aviv (although it could just as easily have been in France from the look of it). There’s only one thing in the image more enticing than those green doors – the delectable treats to be found inside!
“Everything is interesting, even your doorstep.”
Anna Fox
In Jerusalem’s Old City I was drawn to the beautifully ornate doors above and the ancient portal below.
“Photographs open doors into the past but they also allow a look into the future.”
Sally Mann
In Buenos Aires, these four nearly-identical doors caught my attention. What is it about doors that makes them so hard for photographers to resist?!
“To me, that is what photography is – you walk along the street and something happens, and you get it.”
Joel Meyerowitz
Here in the U.S., the charming door below welcomes visitors to a little church we found along a country lane in upstate New York.
“The artist’s world is limitless. It is always on his doorstep.”
Paul Strand
In French Provence, a colorful entry is framed with flowers in full bloom:
“We all open the same door many times over and each time we open it a new light comes in.”
Stephanie Torbert
A quiet, spiritual spot in Vienna, Austria includes a slightly mysterious door beneath some beautiful arches:
“Don’t include the whole house if it’s the intricate doorknocker you are after.”
Leender Drukker
In Cambodia’s famous Angkor Wat, we encountered a lovely bride framed by a doorway among the ruins
“If you are curious, you create opportunities and if you open the doors you create possibilities.”
Mario Testino
Last but not least, some bright red doors closer to home in nearby Charleston, SC,
“I walk, I look, I see, I stop, I photograph.”
Leon Levenstein
As I searched the archives for this week’s challenge, I was amazed to find so many images of doors – far more than I’ve included here. I’m sure we’ll enjoy many more doors in your responses – for which we offer our sincere thanks both to you and to Sylvia. Please be sure to link your posts to her original here, and to use the Lens-Artists Tag. We also offer thanks to Anne for last week’s Local Vistas challenge. It was great fun seeing so much variety in the many places we all call home. Finally, I’ll be your host next week here on Travels and Trifles; I hope to see you then. In the meanwhile, as always please stay safe and be kind.
Travels and Trifles 
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The green doors were my favorite, Tina. Not only because I love the color green, but also because it looks like such an inviting place to visit.
Hi Tina, you have a great variety of beautiful doors. My favorite is the metal door followed closely by the colored doors. I also enjoy all the stone work around some of the doors. 🙂
Thanks Marsha – apparently my archives are a bit cluttered with so many doors to choose from LOL.
It’s hard to choose. 🙂
These are lovely doors, and such a great collection. Thanks for linking with Thursday Doors.
Thanks Dan – love your weekly challenge and happy we finally co-incided!
Great collection, Tina. For this week my fave is the wooden door with ornate metal decoration.
Many thanks Teresa. I was amazed at how many door examples we all have!
Woah! Not exactly what I had in mind. It gave Alice in Wonderland kind of vibes. 😊 Anyway, thanks for clearing that mystery, Tina .
LOL, I liked your interpretation better Sheetal!
Nothing evokes mystery as much as that tiny door tucked under those arches. Did you find out where it leads? Also the one with the picture of the bride is fantastic. Great job, Tina !
LOL it was actually a door to the front yard of a larger home with another door. Glad you enjoyed these Sheetal. Always great to see your name pop up
Wonderful doorways. I bet each one has so much history to tell.
I agree. I suppose that’s why so many of us are drawn to them. Thanks for your visit and comment
A brilliant display, Tina. I’m in awe. x
Thanks Hanne – an interesting challenge with so many terrific responses. I suppose we all love doors!
A beautiful selection of images and doors Tina! Laundry Day in Jerusalem is my favourite as well 💛
Thank you Xenia -mine too 😊
A gorgeous gallery, Tina! I had trouble finding any doors at all – but I knew it wasn’t my best theme. So enjoy the others too! My favourite in your fantastic gallery is Laundry day. But I have a soft spot for laundry.
Speaking of soft spots, I have one for that image myself Ann-Christine😊. And also for laundry. I have some images of laundry I really love. But that’s a challenge for another day LOL
😀
Each door found its opening to delightful surprises…. The bride, the girl doing laundry…. the green door finding it’s way to well positioned delectables! .fun and interesting post
Loved your comment Linda, hadn’t thought of it that way. Many thanks!
A fantastic collection of old doors & doorways, Tina 👏 Really like the door with the roses in France, & yes, I did think the door in Tel-Aviv was in France, until I read the excerpt 😂
Thanks Jez, the French door was about as French as it gets! Although I didn’t include perspective, it was quite small and sweet
Such captivating pictures! Thanks for sharing these with us Tina 😊
Cheers,
Charu
Very much my pleasure, thanks Charu
Hope you’re seeing interesting doors on your travels. 😎😎
Too busy trying to stay cool David😡
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Gorgeous doors, Tina. I really love the one of the bride. Stunning. I am inspired again to visit Israel thanks to your photos. 😃😃
I would have missed the epicerie doors, the inside looks so inviting. Great selection here. I see you couldn’t resist a bit of ambush photography of a wedding shoot in Wat Angkor.
LOL for “ambush” photography I.J. Serendipity on that one.
Those doors are so beautiful and definitely the main characters, but I like how the walls/elements on the walls in your photos are pretty too.
Interesting perspective Gift – I shall have to revisit the post with new eyes!
Tina, I just love it , your post on one of my favorite themes.
Many thanks Cornelia, I had fun with it. Lots of fond memories.
I think you have taken me around the world with this amazing collection of doors. Thanks Tina!
Very much my pleasure Anne – glad you enjoyed these. I enjoyed the trip down memory lane
GREAT doors of the world. LOVE the bride at Angor Wat. Like a fairytale.
Love that description John – thanks so much
It is notable that the person in the background of the ancient portal could be texting.
Doors intrigue me. Love the variety you captured. Great eye! A great collection, but I keep coming back to the second one – the one peering into the store. 🙂
Thanks Frank – that one was so inviting, right?! And the inside was as beautiful as the entryway.
We could learn a few things about the beauty of doors from our friends abroad, Tina! Doors in the US are so plain as a rule. Such beautiful captures and a good reminder to me while traveling to look for cool doors to photograph! My favorite is your opening shot of the gray doors behind the blue gate. Have a wonderful week!
Many thanks Terri – Charleston actually has some gorgeous doors. I think it’s boring new vs beautiful old but I could be wrong 😊
These door images are unique and beautiful, Tina. Wonderful to see various door designs around the world. Love the birde image. The rest of the doors are special.
Thanks Amy – the bride is an example of the lucky timing we photographers sometimes experience. Always special moments.
Such beautiful old doors Tina, all so different and each with its own colorful personality! My two favorites though are Laundry Day and seeing the beautiful girl sitting in the ancient door way. A lovely contrast of old and young. A great selection!
Thanks Sylvia – nice to have a challenge that causes us to revisit fond memories 😊. Yours was perfect!
I’ll be searching my archives today for doors. I noted your comment that you’ve found more images than you thought you’d find. I hope the same for me. >grin<
Somehow I know you’ll come through John!
Great collection, Tina. I stuck at your Image from Ankor-Wat. At the first moment Alice from Alice in Wonderland came up to my mind. I really love it. Very well done. A candid portrait of a lost young lady
Thanks Andre – I agree, she does indeed look really lost. I found myself wondering if maybe she wasn’t really happy about the upcoming wedding. Or maybe she just didn’t want to get her dress dirty 😊
Whatever the story behind the image is, it’s really fantastic.
Like you I’m surprised to see how many door shots are sitting in my archives – I’m still sifting through them 🙂 You’ve come up with a wonderful variety! My favourite has to be the one you call Laundry Day – such an intriguing image with a peek into someone else’s world.
Thanks Sarah – I’ve no doubt you have at least as many as I do and probably more LOL. Glad you chose that image, my personal favorite as well.
Nothing surpasses the view through the doorway at Angkor Wat, Tina.
Many thanks Tracy – there was some timing serendipity on that one. 😊
You seem to have a lot of those moments, Tina. Serendipity and an eye for a good tableau.
I always enjoy travelling with you and this post doesn’t disappoint even though the focus is on doors.
Thanks Jude – I guess we are less apt to focus on doors with which we’re familiar so foreign doors draw our attention. Nearby Charleston has some marvelous doors and doorways. I shall have to pay better attention the next time I’m there with camera in hand!
I spent many an hour photographing the doors in the older part of Ludlow when I lived there, I don’t think a single one escaped my lens!
A marvellous selection. I remember that door in Jerusalem from the first time you posted it. A really evocative photo.
Thank Margaret, both for the comment and for remembering that image – I consider that the highest compliment one can have for an image.
Compliment intended!
Great selection, Tina. I love the Epicerie and Laundry Day ones, there’s more to them, a story to be told.
Thanks Sofia, I thought that about Laundry Day and Epicerie just seemed so welcoming!
They’re beautiful photos.
That last quote by Levenstein is currently describing me. Never thought about it that way. Just when I wondered how you come to have such a collection of pictures, the quote explains it.
Thanks Appeltjie, sometimes simple is best! I agree with you on that one.
This is realy a fine collection of old doors, you certainly have the right eyes for it !
The second shot is my favorite as for the other ones…. I always aks myself: ‘what”s behind ?”
Have a lovely sundag and many greets,
Rudi
Thanks very much Rudi. Yes, “what’s behind” is always an interesting question isn’t it? I think that’s why the 4th is my personal favorite 😊
A wonderful selection…
Many thanks Indra
A wonderful gallery, Tina. The ones that drew me in were the laundry day photo and the one in Provence. So many marvelous doors, so little time to get to them all! 🙂
Thanks Janet – indeed I expect we’ll see a whole lot of doors this week – one more interesting than the next!
I’m looking for mine too. Too many choices!
It’s amazing., Mrs. Tina…
Thanks very much Josef
Tour welcome… Because it motivates articles…
T- Love this! I also have a huge collection of doors and entryways . They
call to me as solid invitations to other inner worlds.
“invitations to other inner worlds” I love the Gin! Wish I’d thought of it 😊 Thanks GF
Tina, what a wonderful selection of doors. I loved the colors and textures of many. Some saying welcome while others saying please do come in! Great post and photography.
Thanks Anne – I do love unique windows and doors!
Truly a global adventure here with doors (and maybe after the local vistas we needed this even more – ha)
And my top ones today might be the Buenos Aires four
Ha indeed Yvette! Glad you enjoyed.
☀️☀️☀️
I love all of your door images but especially those from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Many thanks Chava
You found some beauties…especially the red one.
Thanks Sharon – right downtown in CHS. BTW, saw Diane Allen this afternoon – sounds like Bend is in the cards for a few old (long-tenured, not aged) friends this year. Have fun!
Tina, what a wonderful collection of doors! The bride in Cambodia is my favorite.
Thanks Beth – lucky timing on that one!
The bride photo is so special to me. These are all beauties, though.
Thanks very much Lois – that was lucky timing. Interestingly I never saw another photographer although I always assumed it was to be a bridal shoot.
A fantastic gallery Tina. Too many to list as favourites but probably similar to Jo’s two….I think 🙂
Thanks Brian – there were some truly marvelous doors during that trip.
Wow! Another group of amazing photos! I am particularly intrigued by “Laundry Day” – there are just no word to describe the beauty of that shot. Thank you, Tina!!
Thanks so much for that Mike and Kellye – I must admit it’s one of my all-time favorites. A lucky catch as the door would not usually be open.The door is beautiful enough on its own but I thought having the peek inside really made it a bit more special.
Doors are one of my favorite subjects…always wondering what’s behind them. Really loved these selections, Tina.
Thanks Laurel – I always admire those who give serious thought to their entryways. Glad you enjoyed these.
What a wonderful selection, Tina. There’s something very enticing about the epicerie, not just the food, and that Jerusalem shot is somehow world weary but real world shot. My two favourites… I think. Happy travels, hon!
Thanks so much Jo – staying pretty close to home these days but eventually we’ll venture further afield 🤞