March 20, 2022

Cellpic Sunday 20 March 2022 Beach in March

Each time I walk down to the ocean, I always wonder what I will see.  Will the tide be high and almost up to the boardwalk or low and much further out?  It was almost halfway out on this day. Will deer be running on the dunes or beach, or groups of shorebirds and migratory birds feeding, Bottlenose dolphins swimming parallel to the shore a few yards out and during the summer will Loggerhead turtles leave their tracks in the sand from the ocean and up into the sand dunes to lay their eggs and then back?  People walking or jogging, sometimes with their dog, others enjoying yoga, bikers riding…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Atlantic Ocean, Cellpic Sunday Photo, Kiawah Island SC, Landscape, Photography

February 17, 2022

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #186 Low Light

“Pictures taken in low light seem to convey a certain mood or feeling, perhaps more so than those taken in bright sunlight.” – Sylvia Bacon     This week Sofia is challenging us to feature some of our low light images.  Sunrise and sunset on Kiawah Island’s beach seldom fails to disappoint.  At times the sky and its reflection on the ocean becomes so overwhelming when washed with brilliant colors.  The header shot and the one below are two examples. “Get outside. Watch the sunrise. Watch the sunset. How does that make you feel? Does it make you feel big or tiny? Because there’s something good about feeling both.” – Amy…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Boston Massachusetts, Kiawah Island SC, Photography, Sunsets

November 6, 2021

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #172: A Day in My Week

“Right in this moment, I can’t even remember what unhappy feels like.”  – Maggie Stiefvater A few days ago around sunrise, I decided to take a long walk on the beach, something I try to do at least twice a week.  When walking down the boardwalk my attention was immediately drawn to the beautiful sweetgrass brushes growing beside the sand dunes.  “Nature unfolds her treasure at the first ray of sunrise.” – Kishore Bansol The beach looked magical this particular morning.  It was low tide and the sun was casting bright rays of light off the ocean surface and wet sand.   For the first half an hour the ocean and…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Atlantic Ocean, Kiawah Island SC, LENS-ARTISTS, Nature, Sunrises

April 24, 2021

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #144 Taking Flight

“No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings.”  William Blake The phrase, Taking Flight, made me think of birds although it can easily describe other things flying like butterflies, bees and balloons.  Looking through my photo archives, I found pictures showing several species of birds Taking Flight that I’d like to share.  (Double clicking each image shows a larger version).    These two pictures are of the Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) as he gracefully glides through the air, so quietly he can hardly be heard in spite of his size.  These owls are the largest common owl in the eastern United States with a wing…

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

April 10, 2021

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #145 My Choice – A Morning Shoot

With such beautiful weather on Kiawah Island now, I was compelled to grab my camera and head out to photograph a few interesting birds for this week’s challenge.  Too bad the birds were not aware of this.   The location I chose was around Cinder Creek.  A rustic clubhouse is beside the marsh along with a lovely gazebo out over the Creek.  Directly across the road is a large swamp area and a ghost forest.  This is where birds had been spotted several days earlier.  Although, unfortunately there was only one White Egret to be seen.   Since I was already there, to make the best of the situation, I decided…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Digital Art, Kiawah Island SC, Landscape, LENS-ARTISTS, Nature

March 20, 2021

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #139 Special Moments

“It’s the special moments that keep you going and smiling, make you the person you are and give you a lifetime of memories.” – unknown With so many special moments over the years it was hard to limit it to a few pictures.  The birth of my children and marriage to my husband is at the top of the list.  ‘Aha moments’ also count as special moments; they capture my full attention, causing me to pause and savor the moment!  A few of these memorable moments are shown below. Could not resist showing this special moment as one son sorted through his easter basket and the other one waited patiently for…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Animals, Birds, Kiawah Island SC, Landscape, LENS-ARTISTS, Photography, Red Knots

September 15, 2020

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #114 NEGATIVE SPACE

“I frequently leave areas of raw, unprimed canvas unpainted…’Negative’ space has just as active a role as the ‘positive’ painted space.  The negative spaces maintain shapes of their own and are not empty.” – Helen Frankenthaler This week Amy is inviting us to explore the use of Negative Space in our photography.  By definition Negative Space is the area surrounding the main subject in a photograph which is left unoccupied. Creating this Space around the subject helps communicate the composition of the photograph and automatically draws the eyes to the subject. These pictures show how incorporating Negative Space can enhance the overall image.  For example, in this first picture notice how…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Kiawah Island SC, Landscape, LENS-ARTISTS, Ocean, Photography, Sea Oats, Super Moon 2005

September 10, 2020

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #113 A LABOR OF LOVE

“A Labor of Love is exalted because it provides joy and self-expression to those who perform it.” – Dennis Kimbro This week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge topic is A Labor of Love.  Rusha wants us to recognize those who go the distance and accomplish things which impact life for others in a meaningful way.  Labors of Love can be found around us, all the time.  It is often easy to identify and appreciate what others do for the better good of so many. The volunteers below are members of the Kiawah Island Loggerhead Turtle Patrol Program in SC.  Their dedication and Labor of Love helps protect endangered Loggerhead Turtles by monitoring…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Kiawah Island SC, LENS-ARTISTS, Loggerhead Turtles, Photography, Wildlife

August 20, 2020

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #110 Creativity During Covid

This week Tina asked us to share a few things we did over the past few months when the covit pandemic created a worldwide social recession.  “Creativity is the gift that keeps on giving” – Eric Maisel Catching up on long overdue projects around the house, spending more time learning from webinars and working to improve my photography skills became more of a priority. My husband and I spent mornings on the beach.  Exploring with my camera was both mentally and physically rewarding as he walked around enjoying the scenery.  It was during this period a few photography friends spotted a reddish egret – white morph hanging out with some…

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

August 4, 2020

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #108 SANCTUARY

“Within you there is a stillness and sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.” – Hermann Hesse This week Xenia from Tranature.com is challenging us to share our thoughts about our Sanctuary, where we find it and how we create our place of calm and healing.  Be sure to check out her blog. My Sanctuary is a place I can visit either literally or figuratively.  It is a brief retreat from a daily routine plus ever changing events I cannot control.  The importance of a personal sanctuary is to create a balance between a hectic lifestyle and a time to relax and clear my mind. …

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