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 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

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

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

February 6, 2022

Cellpic Sunday 06 Feb 2022 Morning Beauty

“Sky above, sand below, peace within.” – unknown Sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean on Kiawah Island, SC. One of the many wonderful things about the beach is it’s always changing; the colors in the sky, reflections on the water, ocean waves, patterns in the sand. Constantly something new and beauiful to see each day.   The header shot and featured picture was taken on this beach, different days with the iPhone11 Max Pro. These were edited in Adobe Camera Raw/Photoshop and Nik software. Many 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 and see…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Cell Phone Photos, Photography, Sunrises

February 5, 2022

Lens-Artists #184 Travel Has Taught Me…

“I am not the same,having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world” – Mary Anne Radmacher Over the years my husband and I have visited many countries around the world, meeting a lot of wonderful people along the way. These trips taught me alot about people who live all over the world.   I learned people everywhere are basically alike, we all share very similar values and desires.  Family life is very important as well as social friendships, religious beliefs also play a big role in many cultures.  Travel also taught me that complete strangers are generally very kind and helpful.  It does not matter whether we speak…

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written by Sylvia - Posted in Photography, Travel