“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,…
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…
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #207 Seeing Double
“The world is a looking glass and gives back the reflection of his own face.” – William Makepeace Thackeray Jez of Photos by Jez, the guest host this week, says “seeing double is all about reflections…. I tend to see them everywhere & actively seek them out when they’re not readily apparent…..[They] are all transitory in nature; they’re not permanent but can be captured forever.” With Jez’s thoughts in mind, I found a few of my favorite pictures of reflections. The banner shot is the reflection of colored lights on the water from nearby restaurants and shops. (Grand Canal in Venice) This picture below is the reflections of several high…
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #204 Doors/Doorways
Doors can be seen wherever we turn, they are literally everywhere! And, all doors are surrounded by doorways for us to walk through, some look more attractive than others. With so many different types and designs, it should be fun to pick several doorways that attract your attention. Ask yourself, what caught your eye. Does this doorway communicate a friendly, inviting atmosphere (perhaps much like its owners)? Or, is it imposing due to its size and grandeur, or perhaps ominous looking, sending a message to stay away? Here are a few different styles of doorways I have noticed. A few were recently taken and others came from my archives so…
Lens Artists Photo Challenge #200 Every Little Thing
“Perfect happiness is a beautiful sunset, the giggle of a grandchild, the first snowfall. It’s the little things that make happy moments, not the grand events. Joy comes in sips, not gulps.” – unknown We are invited to share little things that makes us smile and hopefully you will also. The header shot is a white Hydrangea flower. Interestingly, this large single flower is made up of many clusters of small flowers. These beautiful flowers are quite popular and come in several colors. They have a wonderful way of bringing happiness and warmth in someone home. “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” – Confucius When looking at this…
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.”…
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…
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…
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…
Cellpic Sunday 16 Jan 2022 The Painter
“The Sea, once it casts its spell holds one in its net of wonder forever.” – Jacques Cousteau My husband and I spend our summers in the southern part of Maine and I love walking along Marginal Way in Ogunquit. This beautiful walkway, beside the Atlantic Ocean, is lined with native trees and flowers with plenty of benches so people can sit and enjoy the ocean. Even though it is only a little over a mile each way there are many wonderful opportunities for picture taking. On this particular day I was out early before the crowds gathered while a sea mist was still hanging in the air. On this…