The Photo Challenge topic is Last Chance. The Last Chance to selection a few photos taken in 2024 that have not been shown. Those that didn’t fit a particular challenge topic or were not quite good enough to make the first cut. These first several images that did not fit any of the the topics. First is the header image showing a colorful lawn party being set up at a well-known Playhouse in Ogunquit, ME. Then, two pictures taken during the October aurora and the last in this series shows a fallen tree during a thunderstorm. (Double click a picture to enlarge the details.) In early October it was…
Lens Artists Photo Challenge #328 Winter
“There’s just something beautiful about walking in snow that nobody else has walked on. It makes you believe you’re special”. – Carol Rifka Brunt John, our host this week, mentioned in his opening sentence that winter will be upon those living in the northern hemisphere in only two weeks. Must admit I had to smile when reading his words because we have already had two snowstorms and it is only December 14! For the challenge, John suggests we share some pictures of what winter means to us. Personally, I have enjoyed the couple of winter months we have experienced in southern Maine. Out of the fifteen summers spent here we…
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #327 5 Elements
Sofia is challenging us to explore the 5 Elements of Wuxing that create the world around us: Wood, Fire, Earth Metal and Water. This Chinese Theory asserts that the world changes according to 5 elements’ generating or overcoming relationships so a balance can be maintained. For example, Water nourishes Wood (waters flowers, plants) and/but Water regulates Fire. Earth generates Metal (minerals and ores) and Metal generates Water (condensation on metal surfaces). Wood generates Fire, which generates Earth in the form of ash and soil. To learn more about the 5 Elements of Wuxing, be sure to read Sofia’s blog Photographias. She explains the relationships beautifully through her pictures and explanations….
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #324 Details
“To create something exceptional, your mindset must be relentlessly on the smallest detail.” – Giorgio Armani This week Patti suggests we revisit some photos and look for interesting details to highlight. She writes, “Choose a subject (a statue, a person, a place, street art, etc.) and take a series of photos about your subject. Get closer and closer to the subject, focusing on a particular detail(s). Vary your shots by changing your perspective or angle of shooting or even your lens. Post three photos of your subject. Feel free to shoot another series on a second subject.” Piazza San Marco (St Mark’s Square) is the heart of Venice, Italy. It is…
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #323 Silence
“Silence is a natural resource we don’t often think about because it is an absence, rather than a presence. But most of the places we think of as “quiet” are actually filled with an abundance of natural sounds…. As humanity grows louder, these pockets of silence and natural sounds are becoming rarer.” – Pete McBride, filmmaker and author of Seeing Silence: The Beauty of the World’s Most Quiet Places McBride says silence is the absence of human-made sounds and the “sublime notes of nature”. Our Lens-Artist host, Egidio, of Through Brazilian Eyes, proposes we select a few pictures to emphasize the presence of silence through photography. In his post, Egidio…
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #321 Intentional Camera Movement (ICM)
“Intentional Camara Movement so much more than a Blurry Photo.” – Charlotte Bellamy For the challenge, Anne has suggested we explore Intentional Camera Movement or ICM. What is ICM? An in-camera photo technique that involves moving the camera while taking a shot, giving the picture a unique and creative look. The resulting image can have textures, layers or streaking and can produce abstract, minimalist, and impressionistic images. Some say that it is a creative process that can be personal and each pictue is unique. When fall recently arrived in southern Maine, leaves on the trees turned into gorgeous colors. So, as soon as I saw Anne’s challenge I knew I…
Lens-Artist Photo Challenge #320 Looking Back
Travelling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller. – Ibn Battuta Sofia of Photographias, our host this week, suggests we show a few pictures of memories we have made on the years. She says “look back at things we have loved in life, things that have happened, places we have visited we would like to experience again. Anything that is a treasured memory.” The many years my husband and I have traveled all over the world gave me many treasured memories. We have visited various parts of India, England, Brazil and Canada on many occasions. Hong Kong, Singapore, Bali, Ireland and the Caribbean Islands were also…
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #316 Destination: Fun
“Love the life you live. Live the life you love.” – Bob Marley This week Egidio, of (Through Brazilian Eyes) suggests we show pictures of a few things we like to do for fun. I like being with friends, traveling with my husband or quiet times walking with my dog or reading a book. In adittion, having a camera close by is a great way to enjoy my surroundings since I find myself looking for interesting subjects to photograph. I decided to feature a few pictures of fun places and events my husband and I have enjoyed over the years. First, the banner picture, was taken at a resort…
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #315 Comon Objects
“The extent to which we take everyday objects for granted is the precise extent to which they govern and inform our lives.” – Margaret Visser The challenge this week is to feature Common Objects around us. To look for mundane everyday things and allow others to see them in a different light. To appreciate the ‘beauty’ and significance of objects that often go unnoticed and find inspiration and joy in simple things around us. The banner picture of bicycles is a reminder of how enjoyable it can be riding a bike! A common thing that most people have. Another ordinary object and something generally taken for granted is a cup…
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #314 Shorelines
“My life is like a stroll upon the beach, as near the ocean’s edge as I can go.” – Henry David Thoreau Where do I find peace and relaxation? At the shoreline watching shorebirds search for food and listening to the rhythmic sound of gentle waves washing up on the sand. I also enjoy being around others on the beach walking along the ocean and seeing children playing in the sand. Occasionally, a few people are lucky enough to see a Loggerhead turtle return to the ocean after laying her eggs in the sand. This first selection of shorelines was taken during our many travels to the Islands of Aruba…