Nature – Page 9 – A Photo's Worth

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge # 171 Weird and Wonderful

This week Ann-Christine invites me to have the opportunity to share my weird and wonderful images in this challenge! By accepting this challenge I will showcase some of my images of natural weirdness, items I found strange to photograph, and images I created through photo techniques.

This mutant Sunflower captured my attention! Was it an overachiever?

Here in Sacramento we are starting to get a taste of autumn. On Sunday we experienced record setting rainfall. They called it a bomb cyclone. It was time to dust off those raincoats and galoshes. Since California has been in a drought many of us were caught off guard. My puppy Moxie has never experienced rain, and was not too impressed. She was glad to wear her raincoat for our many, but quick outings. After the rain I just discovered the weirdness of mushrooms popping up. One minute nothing, the next minute fully formed fungi. Don’t know the toxicity of these mushrooms, but I am taking no chances on Moxie discovering them.

Just a couple of mushrooms found in my garden today!

The next couple of images are part of the life cycle of decay. There is a certain beauty in observing rot.

These post have changed over the 30 years in my landscape, yet there is life.

Tis the pumpkin season. I see the heart of the pumpkin!

The salmon come up the American River to lay their eggs and die.

A certain weirdness to the play of fish and bubbles.

This image speaks to me. It says, “Halloween is just around the corner. Get those treats ready or you will be tricked!”

The following are strange images I came across.

There are probably *drivers* on the road who follow this sign. Not me! Beliefs are another story.

What do you see? Found around old farm machinery.

Does this meet with your definition of weird?

The following images were created by painting with light.

Lens-Artists Challenge #169 – The Ordinary

I.J. Khanewala challenges me to see the ordinary into the most extraordinary thing that you have seen. I am up for this challenge. When I come to a well traveled place I have a pre conceived idea of the typical image. I usually take a couple of these, but then I look around. I want to look deeper and find “my” image.

A simple squash displays color, texture, and design.

The colors of Autumn found on this grape vine.

Shadows form on the fluorescent green that floats on the pond

I freeze the motion for this water fountain.

Ordinary water creates wonderful images.

I love looking for images created by reflections.

Looking deeply at parts. All these images were taken without cropping. I once had a teacher who frowned upon the process of cropping to improve an image.

I remember a magazine that my son read as a boy that had a page of photographs. The idea was that you were supposed to figure out what the image was a part of. Always fascinated me. Do you have an idea of what these are parts of?

I hope you enjoy looking at how the ordinary can make an extraordinary image.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #155 – On the Water

This week John doesn’t, “…want participants to think that this challenge is all about oceans, lakes, and rivers. The theme “On the Water” encompasses whatever manner of water floats your boat (or doesn’t).”

A Sacramento summer calls out for water. In my case I can choose between a shower or the blue pool I have for my puppy. Or I can sit in front of a fan and look over my photo library. Being from the east coast I am drawn to the beaches found on Long Island, N.Y. Many a 4th of July was spent in traffic on the causeway leading to Jones Beach. I get a calm feeling listening to the waves crashing. My last year of college I had an apartment a block away from Long Beach (New York), and in the spring mornings I would go down to beach, and nap on the sand. Now on the west coast I enjoy the waves found in Pacific Grove, Ca.

The crashing of waves at Laguna Beach in Southern California

As a photographer water takes a big step forward in my search for subject matter.

I like to look for reflections.

There is a certain playfulness found when people are around water.

Catching the last frog in the fall before winter hibernation. Taken at Effie Yeaw, a nature center in Carmichael, Ca.

Heading north from Santa Cruz on Highway 1 we stopped to watch wind surfers.

The ripples in the water reminds me of impressionist paintings.

I use shutter speeds to freeze droplets

Action stopped by fast shutter speed during a swim meet

Or create a silky flow created by using a slow shutter speed.

This fountain dances to music in front of the Bellagio

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #152 Shades and Shadows

As the temperature rises here in Fair Oaks, California everyone is attempting to stay out of the sun. My next challenge comes from Ann-Christine. How do our photographs use light? This time I look for photographs that use shade and shadows.

On this sunny beach in Carmel, Charlie’s shadow appears.

When I am out with friends I like to grab a shadow photograph

We stop for a shadow image on the Island of Kawaii with my photo friends Anne and Laura.

Interesting shadow forms from one leaf to another.

Shadow pattern on the leaf in the shape of a heart! Love it!

A dragonfly casts a shadow on a lotus leaf!

Looking through my library I notice that I take many more shadow images. But working with some of my images I now see that the contrast of shadow and sun can highlight a subject.