July 28, 2021

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #158 Along Back Country Roads

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the road less travelled by, and that has made all the difference.” – Robert Frost This week we are challenged to feature images seen on back country roads.  Roads we walk or ride on off the beaten path, through farmland, forests, quaint small towns or in the middle of nowhere. Here are a few sights which caught my attention when exploring unknown country roads.  The building below is on Peake’s Island, a small Island in Casco Bay off the coast of Portland, Maine.  Peake’s Island is only accessible by ferry; the few people who live there have cars, otherwise others have…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Fine Art Photography, LENS-ARTISTS, Maine, Old Buildings, Photography

July 10, 2021

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #155 On the Water

“If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.” — Loren Eaiseley Having spent most of my life near the water, it’s the wildlife living in and on the water I enjoy seeing the most.  Three favorite pictures show Bottlenose Dolphins, a Mute Swan and Great White Pelicans enjoying the water.    Some of you have already seen this dolphin picture as they are following behind our boat.  This particular pod lives in the Kiawah River in South Carolina.  There are several previous posts where you might enjoy learning more about these very unusual pods of dolphins:    #88 Chaos,   #89 A River Run Through It   and …

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written by Sylvia - Posted in LENS-ARTISTS, Wildlife

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

June 18, 2021

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #152 Shadows and Shade

“Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree and long time ago.” – Warren Buffett This week our Photo Challenge is to show examples of Shadows and Shade.  I decided to feature various pictures starting with this opening picture showing both shadows and shade on the golf course green behind our house in Maine.  In the picture below it is interesting to note tourists taking advantage of the narrow shaded area in the street along as well as the person who is also in the shade walking in the opposite direction.  This street scene is in Corfu, Greece. Interesting shadows of the man and his son…

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

May 26, 2021

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #149 Blue and Green

Blue and Green colors can be calming and relaxing as well as exciting and vibrant.  The good news it they can be found most everywhere in unexpected places.  “Green calm below, Blue quietness above” – John Greenleaf Whittier Tina is hosting this week and she wants us to “return to the color wheel and its cooler members, which include blue (primary) green (secondary) and blue-green or blue-violet aka purple (tertiary)….Simply explore the many ways the cooler colors appear in our world.” My banner shot shows a set of coasters I purchased a couple of months ago.  Image my delight when noticing the lovely shades of blue and green – maybe…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Abstract, Blue and Green Colors, LENS-ARTISTS, 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 13, 2021

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #138 Natural Light

“Light makes photography. Embrace light. Love it. But above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography.” – George Eastman Light from the sun is constantly changing throughout the day.  Clouds play a big part in this and also shadows which are created as the sun reflects off another object.   Natural sunlight can shine directly on an object, it can also be seen as back light, the golden light just before sunset plus the beautiful colors seen in sunrises and sunsets. Here are a few images showing examples of natural light.  This first one was taken after a heavy rain…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Abstract, LENS-ARTISTS, Maine, Natural Light, Photography, Sunsets

February 23, 2021

Lens-Artist Photo Challenge: #136 The Letter S

The challenge this week is showing subjects that begin with the Letter S.  For the fun of it, I also decided to use multiple words starting with “S” to describe each photograph.  Interestingly, the common thread surrounding these pictures is the ocean.  This was not planned ahead, it just happened – Humm. Silhouettes showing people waiting for the sunset over the Gulf of Mexico.  The sun’s rays streaming through the clouds created a beautiful display. Shadows, silhouettes, and a sunset as several men fish and watch the soaring seagulls overhead. Swirly S shape carved in the beach sand the ocean tide advanced onto the shore. Sun and clouds casted shimming…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in LENS-ARTISTS, Nature, Ocean, Sunsets

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

January 2, 2021

Lens-Artist Photo Challenge: #129 Favorite Pictures of 2020

“The best images are the ones that retain their strength and impact over the years, regardless of the number of times they are viewed.” – Anne GeddeHeader 2020 was a year like no other since 1918, everyone in the world seems to be suffering one way or another.  In spite of this, I continued to look forward to the assigned weekly word for the Lens-Artist Photo Challenge.  A big thank you goes to four talented leaders; Anne-Christine, Amy, Patti and Tina!   This week’s topic is Favorite Pictures from 2020.  The banner shot above was taken on Kiawah Island in SC.  Notice the little trails in the foreground?  They were made…

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