March 22, 2025

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #340 Portraits

“When you photograph a face, you photograph the soul behind it.” – Jean-Lug Godard Ritva, our host this week, is an accomplished photographer especially when it comes to taking portraits of people. Her photo challenge is for us to show pictures that capture the essence and personality of our subject. Whether it is of a stranger, a self-portrait, a friend, family member, acquaintance, or portraits of animals and birds. When viewing a portrait, the goal for the viewer is to connect with the person or subject and become interested in wanting to learn their story. Ritva shares a couple of tips to consider when photographing others. First and probably most…

Read more

written by Sylvia - Posted in LENS-ARTISTS, Photography

February 8, 2025

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #333 Dogs and Cats

“A dog will teach you unconditional love. If you can have that in your life, things won’t be too bad”.  Tina suggests we show some pictures of dogs and cats. There has always been dogs and cats in our life. All our dogs have been  American Cocker Spaniels and their names are Bucky, Willard, Winston, Spencer, Bentley and Tucker. All loved playing games and were great companions. I selected a few random photos of them playing games with each other and also when they had some quiet moments.   Clicking on a picture will enlarge it. Play Time: taking turns pushing the ball over the top step. Winston runs to retrieve…

Read more

written by Sylvia - Posted in Dogs, LENS-ARTISTS, Photography

January 25, 2025

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #332 Shoot From Above

This week Ritva suggests we show pictures taken from above as we look down on our subject. Interesting how the subject looks so different from another viewpoint.   To start the challenge I decided to feature an unusual sight on Kiawah Island – Snow! These two pictures from our front door (too much ice for walking outside!) illustrate how lovely the  captivating patterns of light and shadows show up from a distance on the ice and snow as sunlight outlines the Spanish moss hanging from an oak tree. This past Tuesday night much of the east coast was treated to a rare snowstorm. We were ‘lucky’ to only get about two…

Read more

written by Sylvia - Posted in Photography

January 10, 2025

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #330 Favorite Photos in 2024

This week gives us the chance to show our favorite photos in 2024, whether they have been previously published or not. The first couple shown have never been published. Even though they were taken a few years ago, after recently stumbling on them in my photo archives and re-editing, they took on a very different look. They are now included in my list of all-time favorites in 2024.   The first picture, from Venice, Italy, was re-edited so it would hopefully have more of a contemporary look.   (You can double click each picture to enlarge it.) An American Bald Eagle which is a permanet resident at the The Avian Conservation Center…

Read more

written by Sylvia - Posted in LENS-ARTISTS, Photography, Travel

December 21, 2024

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #329 Last Chance

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…

Read more

written by Sylvia - Posted in Photography

December 14, 2024

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…

Read more

written by Sylvia - Posted in LENS-ARTISTS, Nature, Photography

December 7, 2024

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….

Read more

written by Sylvia - Posted in LENS-ARTISTS, Photography

November 16, 2024

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…

Read more

written by Sylvia - Posted in Photography, Venice

November 8, 2024

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…

Read more

written by Sylvia - Posted in Photography

October 26, 2024

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…

Read more

written by Sylvia - Posted in Abstract, LENS-ARTISTS, Nature, Photography