August 4, 2022

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #210 Three Favorite Photos

“There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs.” – Ansel Adams This week Sarah says, “join me in sharing three of what you consider to be among your very best shots… Look into your archives and apply your most critical eye; play ‘judge’ and try to look dispassionately at your images. Pick out three (just three) that stand out as particular favourites.”  Be sure to see her three favorites and learn why she chose them by clicking here. The scene below is a common sight in Kennebunkport, ME. What caught my attention on this particular day was low hanging rain clouds that were beginning to clear,…

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

July 23, 2022

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #208 Summer Vibes

“Live in the sunshine. Swim in the sea. Drink in the wild air.” – Ralph Waldo Emeson Summer is a happy time of the year. Warm sunshine and a cool breeze is energizing as well as relaxing. This makes spending time, either alone or with friends, so enjoyable. The guest host this week, Andre, suggests we share a few summer activities which initiate happy summer vibes!  For example, sailing with friends on Casco Bay in Portland, Maine. “Summer means happy times and good sunshine. It means going to the beach and having fun.” – Brian Wilson A day at the beach with family and friends creates memorable summer vibes. “We…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Photography, Quotes, Summer

May 20, 2022

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #199 Mechanical/Industrial

John, of photobyjohnbo, wants us to “consider subjects reflecting industry or items that are mechanical in nature…. There are signs of the old ways and the new way of doing things, wherever you look.”  My first example is the wind turbines, shown in the header. Wind turns the blades which are connected to a drive shaft which is attached to an electric generator, and  electricity is produce. These turbines replaced wind mills which were used many years ago. Another mechanical example below is this vintage fire engine (pumper truck) located in Ogunquit Maine. Compare this to a much newer model truck in Charleston, South Carolina. The Southern Railway 385 Steam…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Landscape, Photography

May 12, 2022

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #198 Light and Shadow

“Darkness is absence of light. Shadow is diminution of light.” – Leonardo da Vinci Light and Shadow:  Patti suggests we feature a few pictures showing how well they play together to create beauty, drama, serenity or a smile. “I am forever chasing light.  Light turns the ordinary into the magical.” – Trent Parke “Don’t be afraid of the shadows, it only means there’s a light nearby,” – Amy Lee In this particular picture, shadows are something to be afraid of!  This once beautiful 19th century home in Maryland is purported to be haunted. 😥 “A luminous body will appear more brilliant in proportion as it is surrounded by deeper shadow.”…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Flowers, Landscape, Photography

May 7, 2022

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #197 Rule of Thirds

What is the Rule of Thirds?  It’s a compositional technique that divides your frame into an equal, three-by-three grid with two horizontal lines and two vertical lines intersecting at four points.  When placing main subject(s) on one or more of these focal points the image more pleasing to the eye and helps to create a balanced or visually interesting image. If you are not familiar with this rule, it is easy to experiment to see if you think it makes a difference.  Some cameras can display the superimposed grid over the image in addition most editing software programs offer it when cropping.  Although like most rules, it is ok to…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Fine Art Photography

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

February 26, 2022

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #187 Water

“Dance with the waves, move with the sea, let the rhythm of the water set you soul free.” – Christy Ann Martine This week Anne suggests we think about Water.  She says, “Water enhances our photos, adding impact. Photographing it is also fun and sometimes a challenge.”  I agree, photographing water makes the picture more interesting, especially if wildlife is around.  The first several pictures show some of the wildlife we have on Kiawah Island.  These pelicans are resting after having spent their morning diving for food.  In a few more hours they will be out again, fishing, before darkness arrives.   Kiawah is the home of a pod of dolphins…

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

February 13, 2022

Cellpic Sunday 13 Feb 2022 Great Blue Heron

A beautiful heron watching and waiting for a fish to swim by.  They have an amazing amount of patiences and will stand still like this for quite a while, just waiting.  This was taken one morning a couple of months ago when I was playing golf.  (Ok, usually when I play I also keep one eye out for any good wildlife shots and am usualy rewarded since there is an abundance of birds and alligators around.)  What also attracted my attention was how the sun light behind him (back lighting) created a lovely outline of his body.  Taken with the iPhone Max Pro camera. Thanks to John Steiner at Journeys…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Photography, Wildlife