April 26, 2022

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #196 Humor

This week our Photo Word Challenge is led by John Holmes, better known as JohnRH of John’s Space.  He suggested we dig into our photo archieves and I found a few humorous pictures to share. Hope a few of these photos made you smile!  (Double clicking each picture will enlarge it.)  A big Thank You goes to John for encouraging us to find some humor and share with others!  Be sure to see his post by clicking here.  Remember to stay safe and healthy and be kind to others.

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Photography

April 10, 2022

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #194 Bokeh

“Photography is the story I fail to put into words.” – Destin Sparks Bokeh, what is it and how can you create it with your camera? Since this is such an interesting subject and fun to do, Sofia has challenged us to feature a few of our favorites this week. Bokeh is the out-of-focus background in a photograph which is lovely to look at. It is created when background objects are softly blended together, displaying an array of beautiful colors, while the subject is in focus and sharp. Good Bokeh does not have hard edges or sharpness and sometimes there are round, smooth circles of light visible. So, how can…

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

April 3, 2022

Cellpic Sunday 03 April 2022 Maple Tree in Spring

A few weeks ago my husband and I drove to Virginia Beach, VA for a few days.  Naturally an eight road trip requires a few quick stops along the way.  Not long after crossing the South Carolina state line on the way home, I saw this beautiful Maple tree covered with bright red samaras against the deep blue sky.  Since maple trees are deciduous, they are not very attractive over the winter months. Although, with the advent of spring they produce double-winged samaras or seeds (commonly known as “helicopters,” or “whirlers”). Once they have fallen to the ground large beautiful leaves quickly appear. About the photo: taken with the iPhone…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Nature, Photography, Trees

April 2, 2022

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #192 Earth Story

“Look deep into nature and you will understand everything better.” – Einstein This week Amy selected Earth Story as our photo challenge theme. She says, “The natural world has many stories to tell.  They are written on the ground, in the mountains and rivers, and on rocks and trees.  Let’s share their stories through our lenses.”    I decided to feature a few pictures which show different segments of the earth and our natural world and each with its own story to tell. Each picture can be enlarged by double clicking it. The header picture is flowers from a large orange tree in our yard. Right now the tree is…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Earth Story Photos, Landscape, Nature, Photography, Travel

March 27, 2022

Cellpic Sunday 27 March 2022 Golf Course

Kiawah Island Golf Course Many people enjoy playing golf when visiting Kiawah Island in SC.  Except for hot humid summers, the weather is otherwise delightful.  There is rarely any snow and the courses here are open year-round.  After a round of golf, my husband and I were having lunch on the back deck of Cougar Point club house looking down the 18th hole. This is a beautiful course, as are all the courses on Kiawah, with an abundance of water hazards and sand dunes to distract even the best golfers! About the photo:  taken with the iPhone 11 Pro Max. Basic editing in Camera Raw/Photoshop – adjusted exposure, contrast, highlights….

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Cellpic Sunday Photo, Golf Courses, Kiawah Island SC, Photography

March 24, 2022

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #191 Curves

“In life, as in art, the beautiful moves in curves.” – Edward Bulwer-Lytton Curves seem to be everywhere, especially in nature! When outside have you ever looked around to see how many curvy objects you can see? A few days ago I spent some time with my camera on the eastern end of the beach on Kiawah Island. Most everything in sight was curvy. The header image shows curved dune grasses bent by the blowing breeze.  Sand dunes also tend to be curvy; their shape is constantly changed by the wind. The full picture is shown at the end of this post. The picture below shows the length and curvature…

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

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

March 19, 2022

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #190 Close and Closer

“In photography the smallest thing can be the greatest subject.” – Henri Cartier-Bresson This week it is suggested we take a closer look at the subjects we photograph.  Look for interesting details, patterns, colors or unseen objects to show.  This can be accomplished using a macro lens, zoom lens, by moving ourselves in closer or simply cropping.  Note, these images can be enlarged by double clicking them. The banner shot shows different types of coral found on Caribbean reefs.  And, the image below highlights a small area of the reef, revealing the detailed beauty in the various corals.  This was taken at The New England Aquarium in Boston, Massachusetts. This…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Burano Italy, Butterflies, Photography, Travel

March 10, 2022

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #189 Odds and Ends

Odds and Ends is the topic this week so I found a few pictures which do not seem to fit in any particular category.  For example, the header picture shows two “windows” on the wall in a popular restaurant near our house. The one on the right is actually an old mirror in a frame which was shipped from France. It’s wavy, crackled glass is reflecting the beautiful colors from picture across the room and blending them together. As for the second window, guess it speaks for itself. This shows the inside of a cabinet located behind the bar in the other room. And, below are three frogs in the…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Photography

February 27, 2022

Cellpic Sunday 27 Feb 2022 Tulip Magnolia Tree

This Black Tulip Magnolia Tree has been growing in our front yard for over 20 years.  Since it is deciduous during the winter months it looks like a bare, straggly tree.  Then early each spring it will burst into flowers although this year it was February since our temperatures averaged a little warmer than normal.  Unfortunately, these gorgeous flowers only last a few weeks and as they begin falling off, lovely green leaves fill the branches for the next six or seven months.  Thanks to John Steiner at Journeys with Johnbo for initiating Cellpic Sunday each week.   He has invited anyone to join.  Check out his site here to enjoy his…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Flowers, Photography