May 1, 2026

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #395 The Colors of Water and Looking Back to #155

“I am more and more fascinated by the reflections of colors in water. It is quite beyond me.”— Claude Monet This post features the many Colors of Water!! Endless colors and patterns captured with my camera from lakes, rivers, oceans and even rain puddles.   Beth is hosting the photo Challenge this week.  She is suggesting we refer back to our earlier blog #155 On The Water, July 10, 2021, and now look forward and post additional pictures showing anything that is on the water. I will start off with a few pictures taken on the beach near my house on Kiawah Island, SC. “Pink moon lifted over the sea on the spring equinox,…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Abstract, Kiawah Island SC, Photography

March 6, 2026

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #387 Shadowed

“We find beauty not in the thing itself but in the patterns of shadows, the light and the darkness….the creation of one thing against another.” – Jun’ichro Tanizaki The weekly challenge from John suggests we be more aware of shadowed areas and notice how they can help define our photos. Shadows play a big role in photography, they can evoke many different feelings or thoughts such as peacefulness, tranquility, nostalgia and an appreciation of nature’s beauty. They can also define shapes and patterns, add depth and character to the overall picture and help move the viewer’s eyes around the picture. “All the beauty of life is made up of light…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Kiawah Island SC, Landscape, Photography

June 15, 2024

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #303 Connections

“The connections we make to people, places, things, and ideas, are what give purpose and meaning to our lives.” – Donna The connections we chose in our lives are very powerful. My connection with family, other people, my community, places I love and ideas I hold dear is the sum total of who I am. And it is my connection and relationship with nature that gives me a sense of calm and inner peacefulness. Whether watching a butterfly dart from flower to flower or listening to the constant rhythm of waves beating on the sand as birds fly about. I am continually reminded of the joy and wonder that can…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Kiawah Island SC, Nature, Photography, Quotes

March 16, 2024

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #290 Circular Wonders

“The whole universe is based on rhythms. Everything happens in circles, in spirals.” – John Hartford When thinking about the photo challenge topic this week, everywhere I looked I saw Circles! I have been to the beach a lot lately, our dogs love it there plus it is a beautiful place to take long walks early in the morning. The other day after a recent storm a lot of sea foam had washed up on the sand. The foam was particularly interesting this morning because the early sun was reflecting off hundreds of tiny circular bubbles giving the appearance of lovely arrangements of colorful jewels all along the beach. The…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Flowers, Kiawah Island SC, LENS-ARTISTS, Photography

March 8, 2024

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #289 Tools of Composition

“The camera sees more than the eye, so why not make use of it?” – Edward Weston John of photobyjohnbo is hosting the challenge this week and he suggests we focus on only four compositional factors in photography; Shape, Form, Texture and Light of objects. The first two, Shape and Form, are occasionally used interchangeably although they have two distinct visual characteristics which is determined by the way light strikes the object. A Shape looks flat or two-dimensional where as a Form is an object that is emphasized by shadows and highlights creating depth or a three-dimensional look. Let’s compare a few pictures to show how to determine the difference…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Chicago, Kiawah Island SC, LENS-ARTISTS, Photography

December 30, 2023

Lens Artists Photo Challenge – Happy New Year!

Wishing everyone a wonderful year ahead filled with happiness, inner peace and Hope for a better tomorrow!   I feel lucky to have seen this lovely holiday scene at Freshfields, Kiawah Island, SC. “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” – J.K. Rowling (Albus Bumbledore, from Harry Potter) My Hope for 2024 is for it to be a prosperous year of pleasant surprises, joy and good health for you and your family! In closing, it would not seen right if I did not include my favorite quote which many of you have read before… “Unexpected kindness is the most powerful,…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Kiawah Island SC, LENS-ARTISTS, Photography, Quotes

July 11, 2023

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #257 Simplicity

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak. — Hans Hofman Our photo challenge this week is from guest host is Mr. Philo of the Philosophy Through Photography. In his post he wrote, “I considered selecting simplicity since the modern world is so stressful and chaotic that we are losing the fundamental clarity and simplicity that allow us to concentrate on what is really important.”  He suggested several ways of creating simplicity in photographs which I have tried to show in these images.  “Simplicity is nature’s first step and the last of art.” – Philip James Bailey Choosing a clear and compelling subject that stands…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Kiawah Island SC, LENS-ARTISTS, Nature, Photography

February 25, 2023

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #237 Bringing Softness

“I like the muted sounds, the shroud of grey, and the silence that comes with fog.” – Om Malik This banner shot shows how fog and natural light can bring softness and beauty to everything it touches. “Our soul is like a soft and gentle flower, it needs to be nurtured, cared for, tended to, with sufficient sunlight, fresh air and freedom to bloom into its most precious and beautiful form. – Miya Yamanouchi The photo challenge this week is led by Bren, she suggests we bring or show softness in a few of our photos. One way this can be accomplished in camera is by photographing in the fog or…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Kiawah Island SC, Landscape, LENS-ARTISTS, Photography

February 4, 2023

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #234 Messages

“An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language.” – Martin Buber Animals have their own unique way of communicating such as this Bottle Nose Dolphin sending the message of affection to her calf. This was taken in the Kiawah River, Kiawah Island, SC. This is our American Cocker spaniels a few years ago when Bentley sent a warning messsage to Chester telling to leave his sock alone!  A Mute swan sending me a message that I was getting too close.  A Canada goose sounding the alarm to others of approaching danger. Below is the Portland Head Lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Like all lighthouses along the coast,…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Animals, Bottle Nose Dolphins, Kiawah Island SC, LENS-ARTISTS, People, Photography

December 10, 2022

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #228 Diagonals

Diagonal lines play an important part in creating a more interesting photograph. Consciously or unconsciously, they tend to move a viewer’s eyes through a picture. This week’s challenge is to consciously look around for to see how often diagonal lines are visible, either in nature or man-made. When composing the shot below, I took advantage of the digonal line created by sand dunes in the forground. Does this line plus the tall sea oaks lead your eye to the focus of the picture, the sun and clouds? This golf course picture shows two types of diagonal lines. First, is the shadow at the base of the putting green (right side, middle…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Kiawah Island SC, LENS-ARTISTS, Maine, Photography