This week the Amy challenges us to share the beauty of gardens. I felt drawn to the peace I find while walking through our local gardens. I enjoy looking for the details I find, and thought this would be the perfect time to bring out my macro lens. This is problematic when the forcast for the weekend shows up with the wind icon. So I look back on my library of images.
McKinley Park Rose Garden sure puts on a colorful show.
McKinley Rose Garden provides a place of peace in busy Sacramento.
The Getty Center in Los Angeles is absolutely amazing. The garden as an art form. These images are just a tiny piece of what you can experience. CoVid 19 has closed this from the public, but it looks like there will be a reopening soon.
A fountain, a maze, a focal point, a garden. Wow!Eating lunch under live bougainvillea sculpture.
“Flying…how often have you thought about how amazing it would be to simply stretch your arms and soar? When you think about it, the number of flying “objects” is quite large. Yes, of course the birds. But beyond them, butterflies, bees and other insects, airplanes, balloons, bubbles, kites….well, you get the idea. So this week, although I’m focused on some of the beautiful birds of Kiawah, please feel free to be creative and choose whichever flying objects catch your imagination and your lens.” This is Tina’s challenge to me.
Watching my dog Charlies fly off my bed, race down the hall, and retrieve his ball reminded me of an event I attended almost 10 years ago, “Petapalooza”. I captured some dogs flying at the Splash Dogs tank event.
That ball is mine!
I’ve got my eyes on you!
Taking off!
Coming in for a landing!
Splash down!
Having fun in the summer heat!
I’m flying!
Big splash!
Heading back with the prize ball or not!
Now to dry off. Stand back!
All these dogs were having so much fun. I’m hoping that as my dog matures he will get to a point where he is not so anxious, and I can show him the wider world. This CoVid stuff really hurt his socialization growth. Last week he attended the Sactown Doodle Romp where he saw Doodles of all sizes.
Time to share the squeaky ball!
This is Charlie’s Aunt Kona! (on his maternal side for the genealogists)
Amy reminds us that “When winter melts away, spring brings a new beginning; colors begin to awaken under the warm sunlight, April showers, and gentle wind.” So our theme for this week is “Colorful April”.
Tulips abound at Crystal Hermitage Garden. It has been some time since I visited. This used to be an annual visit. Darn CoVid 19 gets in the way. Such a peaceful place set in “Gold Country”.
Colorful tulip path
Another place I used to visit was Daffodil Hill in Amador County. Its popularity caused this traditional Spring shoot to close. About six years ago I visited during a cloudy weekday. The daffodils provided a backdrop for the Seeing Eye puppy Labrador retrievers out for a day with their puppy raisers. The
These puppies have no problem posing!
2019 was the last year this family opened up this “gem” to the public. Hidden away the roads were not equiped to handle the traffic.
The last flower of the spring that I just love to photograph is the California poppy. Last weekend some friends headed up to search for a field of orange. Found these beauties in flower pots in Sutter Creek, and not in the wild as I had hoped.
California poppies showing off their bright orange color.
Spring has sprung here in Northern California. I would just love this mild enjoyable weather to stick around for a while!
“Natural light photography uses the sun as a light source. The available light from the sun varies with the time of day. A sunny day provides full illumination, while an overcast day may afford texture and nuance to a photographer.” — Annie Leibovitz
For this theme, Amywould like to share photos of changing light throughout the day in different parts of the world.
Different parts of the day are something I can relate to. Different parts of the world are harder for me. My days of travel occurs when I was in high school. My father, a civil engineer, was working in Karachi, Pakistan. After a few months, the whole family joined him there. I attended Karachi American School (KAS) for two years. I visited London, England; Delhi, India; Katmandu, Nepal; Bangkok, Thailand; Hong Kong; Israel; Rome, Italy; Paris, France; Madrid, Spain; and The Netherlands. I returned home to New York for my senior year and my travels stopped. I did visit Niagra Falls, Canada for my first anniversary. About 3 years ago my husband and I got passports, and then life happened. So no travel photos from me.
I thought this challenge would be an easy one. My photographs are carefully cataloged in Lightroom. I can find my sunrise and sunset images. But looking over my catalog I am reminded of all the beauty I have captured, and all the times I spent with my friends and family. I am grateful for this.
Sunrise
I am not usually an early morning person. Though once I am up I appreciate the stillness I feel as the sun fills the sky.
Mono Lake at sunrise.
Visiting Sedona, Arizona my brother and I woke up early to catch the sunrise, and beat the blazing heat in August. Quiet and peaceful time.
Sunset
My sunsets demonstrate variety. I like being near the ocean. Originally, from New York and now living in California most of my sunsets are reflected on water.
Golden Gate Bridge as the sun goes down.
San Fransisco Bay Bridge
Yosemite National Park – El Capitan
Driving away from Mount Diablo the light fell just perfectly on this farm setting. The “Golden” hour.
Maui Sunset
Images from around Sacramento, and Yolo County, Ca.
Dramatic End of the day
Lightning strikes along the Sacramento River in downtown Sacramento, Ca.
Light makes such a difference in creating an image. Do you have a favorite time of day to take in the world?
