Lens-Artists Challenge #207 – Seeing Double

All About the Birds

“In order to see birds it is necessary to become a part of the silence.”

Robert Lynd

This week our guest host, Jez, has invited us to “see double”. As I reflected on his reflections (😊)my first thought was to feature some of our beautiful birds. Each of those in the image above is frequently sighted here on Kiawah. I especially loved the little roseate spoonbill trying to relate to the much larger egrets. Typically they are closer in size so perhaps this was a youngster trying to find its place in the avian world. We can all relate to that, right?!

Bridging the Gap

“Photography is a bridge between science and art.”

Karl Pawek

One of my favorite Kiawah features is the variety and prevalence of natural waters – lakes, lagoons, rivers, ponds, and of course the sea. Happily, when there is a need to create a bridge, great care has been taken to insure that it reflects the natural beauty that surrounds it. I’ve included the image above as an example – along with the reflected palmettos and a number of avian residents enjoying the peaceful waters.

Reflecting the Sky

“There is something more beautiful than a beautiful thing – a beautiful thing which has a beautiful reflection on the water.”

Mehmet Murat Ildan

In the image above, a day featuring Kiawah’s beautiful skies is perfectly reflected in the marsh below – only the reeds peeking through the waters hint at the nature of the scene. In the distance, another of our naturally-designed bridges spans the horizon.

Palmettos at Sunset

“The water in the stream may have changed many times, but the reflection of the moon and the stars remains the same.”

Rumi

I’ve featured the image above in previous posts but I couldn’t resist including it again for a “seeing double” challenge. The scene includes double palmettos perfectly reflected, as well as a clear reflection of the evening’s full moon and a gloriously-colored sunset. Sometimes nature offers a gift that simply takes our breath away. For me, this was one of those times.

Twins

“Fly like the eagle; the eagle flies as if it never remembered it was once an egg!”

Israelmore Ayivor

Although it is clearly not a reflection, in the true spirit of “seeing double” I’ve included an image of two eaglets that I captured this spring. I was quite a distance from their very high perch in a giant oak tree, but I used my longest lens and did my best to save the image in post-processing. Although cropped and edited, I think it shows how nearly identical the two eaglets are, as well as how fierce and powerful they both appear.

Glorious Garden

“A garden is a delight to the eye and a solace for the soul.”

Saadi

Lastly, from nearby Magnolia Gardens, one of my favorite features. The gazebo is placed such that it is reflected in the calm waters below. When viewed from across the water, it’s reflection is an opportunity to appreciate the glory of nature and to marvel at seeing it enhanced and doubled. As an aside, unfortunately I didn’t think to shoot the scene focused only on the reflection. I’ve cropped it below to show what it would have looked like. What do you think – which image do you prefer?

On Second Thought

“You were my everything, which, upon reflection, was probably the problem.”

Joey Comeau

Sincere thanks to Aletta for last week’s Treasures challenge, we enjoyed seeing everyone’s take on the subject which included some terrific variety. We also thank Jez for his challenge this week and look forward to seeing your doubles. Please remember to link your responses to Jez’s original here, and to use the Lens-Artists reader tag to help us find you.

Finally, we especially appreciate your support of our July Guest Hosts. Following Jez, they include:

July 16 – Andre of My Blog–Solaner thinking about Summer Vibes.

July 23 – Tracy, who posts at Reflections of an Untidy Mind, Surrealism.

July 30 – Sarah Wilkie, who hosts Travel with Me, who asks you to share Three Favorite Images.

The Lens-Artists team will be back in August when Anne will host her challenge – “What’s Your Groove”. Until then, as always, please stay safe and be kind.

Interested in joining the Lens-Artists challenge? Click here for more information.

Tags: Kiawah, LENS-ARTISTS, photography, reflections, seeing double

• July 9, 2022
• Photography
• 104 Comments