March 29, 2025

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #341 Personal Favorites

“Photography is a love affair with life.” – Burk Uzzle Tina had a great idea for our photo challenge. She suggests we only choose five favorite photographs we would like to use as screensavers on our computer! I quickly realized that picking just five was not going to be easy.   The first picture I decided on was taken during a gondola ride in Venice with my husband. We liked this picture so much that it now hangs over our sofa. And since we wanted a contemporary look, it was edited using a Topaz software program. “The canals lure you, call you, cry to you to come and embrace them from…

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

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…

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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…

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

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

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…

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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….

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written by Sylvia - Posted in LENS-ARTISTS, 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…

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

October 19, 2024

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…

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

September 21, 2024

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…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in LENS-ARTISTS, Photography

August 23, 2024

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #312 Sense of Scale

Sense of scale in photography is achieved by showing the size of one subject in relation to the size of another in the same picture. When this is done, the viewer can perceive the space or the depth perception between one verses the other. An easy way to illustrate this is to include a familiar subject along with another subject seen at a distance.  These first three pictures show a few areas of coastline and beaches in Southern Maine. The sense of scale can be visually appreciated since part of the plane is shown in each image. These were taken with an iPhone and can be enlarged by clicking on…

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