January 30, 2022

Cellpic Sunday 30 Jan 2022 Winter Beauty

“If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly our whole life would change.” – Buddha  This flower is on a sasanqua camellia tree in our front yard near Charleston, South Carolina.  These evergreen trees were originally from Japan and typically grow 6 to 10 feet tall.  It has  attractive dark green foliage and flowers each fall into early winter.  Camellia Japonica trees, which are very similar, bloom in early spring and have larger flowers. This was recently taken with the iPhone11 Max Pro, edited in Adobe Camera Raw/Photoshop and Nik software. “Life is like a flower, it grows into something beautiful.” – Donnajo Calhoun Many thanks to…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Photography

July 2, 2021

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #154 One Picture Two Ways

A single picture can be presented in several ways as well as a single subject can be photographed from different angles and in various lighting situations.  This week Tina challenges us to show a edited photo along with a different way it could be viewed using additional editing.  This first picture is of a lovely flower bed which lines the path to Marginal Way in Ogunquit, Maine.  These lush, colorful flowers are a stark contrast to the rugged cliffs straight ahead beside the Atlantic Ocean. Here, Photoshop software was used in  an artsy manner – swirls were added and colors blended and softened. An favorite arrangement of graceful tulips. By…

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

May 17, 2021

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #148 Spots and Dots

Dots are defined as a small round mark and Spots are a small roundish mark, differing in color or texture from the surface around it.  One place where I often see round shapes is on the beach when waves leave behind lovely soft areas of air bubbles which slowly disappear.  The morning sunlight is accenting these bubbles and the sand which gives the area a lovely glow.  (Double clicking on the image shows off the colors.) Another example is some of the tiles in an American Mah Jongg set.  It consist of 144 tiles which includes three suits (totalling 36 tiles each).  The suits are called Dots, Bams, and Craks.  Below is…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Fine Art Photography, Landscape, LENS-ARTISTS, Photography, Spots and Dots

February 11, 2021

Lens-Artist Photo Challenge: #134 From Forgettable to Favorite

There are many Forgettable pictures in my archive files due to camera shake, wrong exposure, etc.  So, they end up being either deleted or ignored.  This week Tina wants us to revisit the Forgotten ones to see if it is possible to make them into a Favorite. (Not an easy task in some cases.😊)  Thank goodness for editing software programs like Photoshop, Lightroom, Nik, Topaz and Luminar to name a few.  Plus, some of these programs even have AI capabilities (artificial intelligence).  They do a remarkable job of analysing an image and suggesting ways to improve it. In my editing workflow, Adobe Photoshop (PS) is the go to software program.  Initial…

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

November 5, 2020

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #121 Focus on Butterflies

By using a few composition techniques, the eyes can be led to the subject in a picture.  These images from The Butterfly Farm in Aruba show how easy it is. “For me, the subject of the picture is always more important than the picture.” – Diane Arbus This week Patti invites us to show several ways to draw attention to a subject.  She suggests using leading lines and patterns, color, contrast, selective focus, freezing the action and doorways or arches.  Click here to enjoy her post plus see other ways of Focusing on the Subject! When visiting The Butterfly Farm, it was a real treat to walk among these beautiful…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Butterflies, Fine Art Photography, LENS-ARTISTS

June 16, 2020

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #101 A Single Flower

“Flowers always make people better, happier and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine to the soul.”– Luther Burbank Lens-Artists Photo Challenge has a well- known guest host this week, Cee Neuner at Cee’s Photo Challenges.  For our topic this week she chose an interesting topic, “A Single Flower”.  Flowers mean so much to so many people.  They can help you feel better and happier; a gift of flowers can express love, friendship and caring.  Their beauty is unparalleled.   “A single flower is miraculous.  It may not live long, but before it withers, it blooms to its fullest and bestores nature with so much love and beauty.” – Amita I…

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

April 5, 2020

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #91 SIMPLICITY

Patti suggests we think about Simplicity this week so I decided to feature a few flower and landscape shots to illustrate how beautiful and elegant things are when they are not lost in the detail.    “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” – Leonardo da Vinci     “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry     “Simplicity is the glory of expression.” – Walt Whitman     “There is beauty in simplicity” – unknown     “Nature is pleased with simplicity. And nature is no dummy” – Isaac Newton     “Our life is frittered…

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

March 5, 2020

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #86 SAME SUBJECT, DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

This week Patti wants us to feature pictures taken from different perspectives, or angles, of a subject instead of standing in front of it and taking the shot at eye level.  Perhaps spending a little extra time exploring the subject from different angles. Get down low and look up or move up high and check out the view looking down, or maybe move laterally to include or exclude other items near the subject, especially to see if the light changes in an interesting way.   The Trinity Church in Boston, Massachusetts, is located in Copley Square in Back Bay.  This first picture shows the Church at street level.  The second image…

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

November 7, 2019

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #70 MONOCHROME

This week we are exploring Monochrome photography.  Patti suggests we can include images in black and white, sepia, and/or different shades of one color.  And, for an extra challenge, add a bit of color to a black and white image.  Monochromatic pictures showcase a color scheme based on only one, single color tint. It uses only variations or shades of a single hue, which is made by altering the saturation and brightness of the base color. Black and white colors are always added. (Colorpedia by Paletton).   I decided to feature with a few photographs in black and white with a single hue of color added and was surprised as to…

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

October 23, 2019

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #68 LAYERED

Amy is inviting us to explore Layers through a few of our pictures.  I decided to feature a few images showing examples of layers created by Mother Nature!   “If you can’t be in awe of Mother Nature, there’s something wrong with you.” – Alex Trebek   This image shows multiple layered stone which was formed by hot, molten magma from beneath the earth’s crust as it slowly cooled and hardened many years ago.  Taken at the company site in Beebe, Quebec looking down into an active granite quarry.   A little over a year ago, we decided to update our kitchen and add new counter tops.  Making our selection…

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