Lens-Artists Challenge #161 – Feet and Shoes
“Anyone in kindergarten knew that a girl should wear shiny red or white boots on the first rainy day, not to keep her feet dry, but to show off. That’s what boots are for – showing off, wading, splashing, stamping.”
Beverly Cleary
This week Ann-Christine invites us to have a look at feet and/or shoes. I’m taking the opportunity to respond with some images from our travels including my opener above and the image below. Both are from the fun, artsy Neve Tzedek area of Tel Aviv. I hope the little girls there follow the advice of my opening quote!
“Dancing is creating a sculpture that is visible only for a moment.”
Erol Ozan
The beautiful display above was part of the Suzanne Dellal Center for contemporary dance. I just loved the colorful dancing feet and couldn’t resist including them this week although I’ve used this one on a previous post.
“There are words in the soul of a baby, wanting and waiting to be written.”
Toba Beta
One final image from Tel Aviv, the capture above shows a young child using his pudgy little feet to play a musical rug in a local park. Although I couldn’t swear to it under oath, I’m fairly certain the “piano” actually made music. I DO remember how much he was enjoying his own serenade!
“Tell me where is fancy bred, in the heart or in the head?”
William Shakespeare
Back in the U.S., the image above goes back quite a long time, to my niece’s wedding. As she and her bridesmaids were getting ready for the big day, the ladies had lined their shoes up waiting to be worn at the last minute. As most women know, there is NOTHING comfortable about high-heeled shoes – surely they were invented by a man – just sayin’ 😊
“I’m just a common girl wanting to be someone’s Cinderella, hoping that the shoe fits only me.”
Namrata Gupta
Like the image that precedes it, the sparkly pink shoes above were worn for a wedding on New York’s Hudson River, this time by a young attendee. As you might guess, it was an outdoor service and rather than throwing rice, flower petals were provided for tossing at the exiting couple following the ceremony. Hopefully before she reaches a bit more maturity high heels will be out of vogue.
“Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.”
Richard Puz “from an Irish headstone”
I’ll close with one of my favorite images ever – an example of shoes that are clearly not meant for fun. The shoes were among 60 pairs that are part of a memorial we visited on the Danube River in Budapest. The memorial represents the shoes that were left behind when 3,500 people were made to remove them before being shot and falling or being pushed into the river in 1944 and 1945. It is an extraordinarily moving monument that for me personalized the horrific events of that terrible time.
A big thank you to those of you who joined us for Patti’s Inspiration challenge last week. We were inspired by every one of you! We hope you’ll join Ann-Christine and the rest of the team for this week’s feet and shoes challenge. Remember to link your response to her original here, and to use the Lens-Artists Tag to help us find you in our WP Reader section. Finally, we hope you’ll join us next week here on Travels and Trifles as I lead our next challenge. Until then, as always, please stay safe and be kind.
Lens-Artists Challenge #160 – Inspiration
“In their biographies, artists like Michelangelo, da Vincci and Bach said that their most valuable technique was their ability to inspire themselves.”
Ralph Gibson
Inspiration – we all seek it, we find our own ways to achieve it, and we surely recognize its importance. Unlike the artists in my opening quote, I’ve not been the best at self-inspiration. For me, it is the company or encouragement of others that often inspires me. Whether in a class, working with other members of our local photography club, or simply out shooting with friends, I’m inspired by the company of those I respect and whose friendships I cherish. My opening image, for example, was captured this spring in an outing with a good friend during a visit to nearby Middleton Plantation.
“Photography is food and inspiration to the artist.”
Max Dupain
I’ve been fortunate to participate in classes and photo shoots with many renowned professional photographers thanks to my association with the Kiawah Photography Club. I am always inspired by their commitment and talent as well as their generosity in sharing their thoughts and expertise with us. I also find it inspiring to help others. My image above for example, was captured as I was showing a good friend how to make the most of portrait mode on an iPhone.
“My goal as a person and as a photographer is to …share the precious gift of thought and inspiration we are all endowed with.”
Guy Tal
In the same outing as my previous image, I was drawn to the purple hair of the artist above. She was photographing LA’s beautiful Getty Museum garden as well as sketching it. I captured her silently from behind, then introduced myself and asked if she’d mind my photographing her. She laughed that I should be interested in her and happily complied. My favorite image of all though was my first, the candid capture shown above.
“Take inspiration from everywhere. Be aware of everything.”
Lee Widdows
I enjoyed focusing this week on a personal inspiration, and invite you to visit my previous post on the subject about some of the other things that inspire me. I’m looking forward to seeing what inspires all of you. Be sure to link your response to Patti’s original post here and to use the Lens-Artists Tag to appear in our WP Reader section.
I’ll close this week by joining Lens-Artists team member and this week’s host, Patti of Pilotfish, in acknowledging and offering heartfelt thanks to our Guest Hosts this past month. John Steiner, Anne Sandler, Rusha Sams, Beth Smith and Ana Campo did us proud with their creative and thoughtful challenges. We also, of course, thank all of our followers for your continued support and participation. We look forward to returning to our normal schedule and hope to see you next week when Ann-Christine leads our challenge. Until then, as always please stay safe and be kind.
Lens-Artists Challenge #159 – Postcards
“I’m just hoping we can keep the spirit of the humble postcard in mind while looking at people, places and things.”
Martin Parr
This week Ana has offered us a very interesting opportunity with her Postcards challenge. As I thought about my response, I remembered a set of old postcards I’d seen during a visit to Southeast Asia. Because so much of what we’d seen felt like time had been standing still, I chose to edit my images as I thought postcards might have looked long ago.
“The world before us is a postcard, and I imagine the words we are writing on it.”
Mary Pearson
Here in the U.S. we think of history in terms of hundreds of years while in Asia it is thought of in centuries. Seeing images of people and places there takes one back to times long before the appearance iPhones, digital cameras and the other modern-day technologies we use to capture scenes of local life. The simple postcard wouldn’t have been so simple at all “back in the day”!
“Postcards chosen according to a passing mood begin to trace an itinerary, to map the imaginary country that stretches out before us.”
Chris Marker
I suppose there are many in our blogging community too young to remember a time when postcards were an important way to stay in touch with family and friends. We’d visit small shops displaying a myriad of cards, choosing just the right scenes for those at home. We’d purchase them for a few cents, add stamps for a few more, and mail them off knowing they’d arrive in a week at best, often after we’d already returned from our journeys!
“Why do you have to be out of town to write a postcard?”
Jim Gaffigan
I was fascinated by a world filled with people and places I’d only read about in books or studied in history classes. It is an amazing thing to experience how dramatically our perspectives change when we take the time to understand other cultures. We learn quickly that our similarities far outweigh our differences.
“If you put two postcards in the same post box, they don’t necessarily come out in the same order you put them in.”
Vint Cerf
I’ll close with an image of Angkor Wat, an iconic site discovered in 1860 in the jungles of Cambodia that would surely have been featured in postcards of the past. Built in the early 12th century, It has since become a source of national pride, even finding a place of prominence on the Cambodian flag. Most recently, new technology has shown it was part of a large urban landscape with a sophisticated network of canals and dams controlling the flow of water.
“Your memory creates postcard images, but it doesn’t really comprehend the world at all.”
Olga Tokarczuk
Many thanks to Ana for her thoughtful challenge – be sure to link your response to her beautiful original post and to use the Lens-Artists tag to appear in our Reader section. We appreciate all of our Guest Hosts stepping in for us this month, as well as those of you who have participated along the way. We hope you’ll join us next week when we return to our normal schedule, beginning with Patti on her Pilotfish blog. Her challenge will be Your Inspiration – she’ll ask you to share with us a place, a subject, a person, a book – just about anything that inspires you. Until then, as always, please stay safe and be kind.
Lens-Artists Challenge #158 – Back Country Roads
“The beaten path only gets you where most people go. Be original and explore new roads.”
Nanette Mathews
This week our guest host, Beth of Wandering Dawgs, has invited us to leave the beaten path and wander some back country roads. Over the years my husband and I have often set off to do just that. I’m happy to have an opportunity to share some of our exploits, starting with the beautiful bovines above. We came across them and the farmstead below in our adventures along the country roads near the home of our family in upstate New York.
“A farmer is a magician who produces money from the mud.”
Amit Kalantri
In beautiful Montana , a good friend invited me to join her in photographing the glorious yellow canola fields. The colors of the red barn, blue sky and yellow canola flowers were a photographer’s dream!
“Is there any sight more exquisite than a field of canary yellow rapeseed on a day of blinding sunlight?”
Stewart Stafford
Speaking of red barns, the image below is one of my all-time favorite scenes. Captured during a getaway in New England some years back, it’s an example of the importance of timing. We originally saw the barns at mid-day and I captured several images of the scene. That evening I was disappointed when I reviewed my results. We were fortunate to be able to return late the following afternoon and the images I’d envisioned were there for the taking in the waning light.
“Painted oxide red, silhouetted against colored skies of a setting sun, the barns were a dramatic, strong architectural presence.”
Hemalata Dandekar
I’ll close with a few images captured along the winding, crazy curving “off the beaten path” road which leads to my brother’s home in the Colorado mountains. I made these images one chilly morning as the sun was just beginning to rise. Fortunately the time change traveling west means sunrise is a bit more manageable for an Easterner like yours truly.
“There’s a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they’re absolutely free. Don’t miss so many of them.”
Jo Walton
“I think that I shall never see, a poem lovely as a tree.”
Joyce Kilmer
“Freedom is a privilege, not a right. And as such, I have no right to ask anything of it, but I have the privilege of giving everything to it.”
Craig D. Lounsbrough
“How can a deer tell when a leaf falls silent in the forest? She hears it breathing differently”
Richard Bach
I hope you’ve enjoyed my stroll down memory lane (aka the back country roads) as much as I did – I look forward to seeing your responses to the challenge. Be sure to link them to Beth’s original post here, and to use the Lens-Artists Tag. We thank Beth and all of our guest hosts this month, and look forward to next week when our final guest host, Ana of Anvica’s Gallery leads us with her Postcards challenge. Most importantly, we thank all of you for your participation in our challenges and for your continued creativity and commitment. Until next week, please stay safe and be kind.
Lens-Artists Challenge #157 – Getting Away
“Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.”
Maya Angelou
This week our Guest Host, Rusha Sams invites us to get away from it all, and for me it couldn’t have come at a better time. My husband and I arrived home from a short getaway very late last night. Ms. Angelou’s quote describes exactly what we needed, and with the help of some very good friends we were able for the most part to leave our worries behind. My opening image, captured at the beautiful Getty Center in Los Angeles, symbolizes the long climb with which we’ve been faced, but like the figure in the image we’re hopefully past half-way and headed for the summit.
“Be kind to yourself give yourself a break.”
Bernardo Moya
Speaking of summits, the first stop on our journey was Colorado, which invites you into its mountains with an airport vista (shown above as captured from my airplane window) meant to resemble them. The weather was quite warm and hazy (although of course more comfortable than our South Carolina summer heat), which for the most part hid the actual mountains from view. That notwithstanding, we very much enjoyed our visit with family and the break from SC’s humidity.
“Everyone needs a break to refuel, recharge, and jump back in full throttle.””
Helen Edwards
Our next stop was Carlsbad, California – just north of San Diego. There we visited with good friends who some 20+ years ago were our northern next-door neighbors. Since we are on different coasts we don’t see them often but it’s always as if we’d only seen them yesterday each time we are together. While there we did a day trip to Balboa Park, which we’d not seen before. In addition to the famous San Diego Zoo, the park is home to several wonderful museums (including a terrific photography exhibit), beautiful gardens, and some glorious turn-of-the-century buildings that seemed more old-world European than American.
“Taking a break can lead to breakthroughs.”
Russell Eric Dobda
During our getaway, which we ended with wonderful friends in Santa Monica, we enjoyed incredible floral displays in Balboa Park, at the Getty in LA, and at the Huntington Botanical Gardens in Pasadena. I hope to share more of those images in the coming weeks. At the end of the day, we were reminded that friends are truly the flowers in the life’s garden. Yes, there are weeds, but sometimes we need to take a break from pulling them in order to enjoy the beauty and fragrance of the flowers that are blooming.
Sincere thanks to Anne for last week’s wonderful B&W challenge – we enjoyed seeing the results of your image edits. Thanks also to Rusha for her well-timed (at least for me 😊) challenge. We look forward to seeing your responses. Be sure to link them to her original post here, and to use the Lens-Artists Tag. Finally, be sure to join us next week when Beth of Wandering Dawgs brings us her Back Country Roads challenge. Until then, please stay safe and be kind.
Lens-Artists Challenge #156 – Black & White
“Black and white photography does more to evoke an emotion and freeze a moment in time than any other medium”
Bob Snell
This week our guest host, Anne Sandler, has invited us to share images in Black and White. Among other things, I find B&W particularly well-suited to portraying emotions in portrait photography. Dramatic lighting is much more visible and provides a way for the photographer to focus the viewer’s attention exactly as he or she chooses. The image above was a candid capture of an exhausted ship’s worker as she stole a rare moment of peace and quiet. In Black & White her exhaustion comes shining through.
“To see in color is a delight for the eye but to see in black & white is a delight for the soul.”
Andri Cauldwell
For many, B&W is the purist’s way of looking at the world. While it is not something I use frequently, I find it can deliver opportunities for taking a more artistic approach which strips the subject of any distractions and allows its beauty to come through in its simplicity.
“The world may be color, but Black & White transcends it.”
Abbas Attar
There are times when nothing can portray the purity of Mother Nature’s work better than the use of Black & White. Here in the south we are blessed with weeks of glorious magnolias everywhere we look. They draw the eye to their beauty and the nose to their sweet bouquet. For me, B&W strips them down to their essence and presents them in a way that allows their details to draw the viewer into the image.
“Black and White are the colours of photography.”
Robert Frank
I captured the scene above in camera using a vertical pan. While I liked the image in color, to me the conversion to Black & White took it to a more artistic place. The trees took on a rather ominous feel – conjuring thoughts of frightening creatures lurking beyond. Sometimes if we strip an image of its color we allow the viewer to form their own impressions of a scene rather than dictate their reactions.
“Color is descriptive. Black and white is interpretive.”
Elliott Erwitt
If we compare the tree above to the one that immediately precedes it, we see that the use of B&W allows the photographer to better portray a sense of emotion in a scene. We move from dark and ominous to light and fanciful simply by the use of the many elements of shading and light available in Black & White. At least, that’s my impression….what’s yours?!
Thanks to Anne for giving us an opportunity to explore our world in Black & White – we look forward to seeing your interpretations. Please remember to use the Lens-Artists Tag and to link them to Anne’s original post here. We also thank you for your responses to John’s “On the Water” challenge last week; a fun thought for those of us enjoying some lazy summer days. Finally, please join us next week when Rusha leads us with her “Getting Away” challenge. Until then, as always, please stay safe and be kind.
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.
