Category: Seasons

Lens-Artists Challenge #250 SKyscapes or Cloudscapes

This week Amy of The World is a Book challenges me to select a few cloudscape photos.

Having had a long period of drought, I value a cloudy sky. I especially like those puffy white clouds that I can imagine all sorts of stories. Usually, the summer skies can be a bit drab. Beating hot sun, and not a cloud in the sky. At that time a nice cloud cover is welcome. Sunsets and clouds are beautiful. A cloudy winter’s day can give me a feeling of moodiness. Clouds with the anticipation of rain can be welcome. Or if it goes on for too many days, it can make me want to stay in bed longer.

I often take a photo of the clouds with the thought that I might want to exchange a boring, bland sky for a cloudy one. It never happens, but I do have a fun library to look at when it can to this challenge.

Puffy clouds to imagine stories

What can you imagine is happening?
Something is up in the clouds
Can you see it?
A Sedona sky at sunset

Clouds at the shore

Maui Hawaii at sunset
Maui Sunset Cruise
Sacramento Wildlife Refuge
Laguna Beach before it rains
McKinley Park

Sunsets and clouds

Sailor Bar off the American River
Wonderful cloud formations in Sedona Arizona
Another from Sedona, Arizona

Clouds take their place in landscapes

Another taken from the car on I5
Bodie Ca
Mono Lake
Traveling down I5 to Southern Ca.
Laguna Beach Ca

Clouds in winter

Sacramento winter
This moody Livermore sky would work for a scary Halloween theme

Airplane View of clouds

That is all folks. When you go outside be sure to look up! Or out, or down!

My photo collection has over 200 cloudy images. It is fun to go back and review my collection. One of the perks of participating in these Lens-Artist challenges. What are your thoughts?

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #219 Treasure Hunt

As Tina announced last week, this week’s challenge is a Treasure Hunt. In the past, I have created a list of treasures to be found on my photographic journey. Now I will go through my images to uncover these treasures.

Pet

Moxie @ 8 weeks
Moxie @ one year!
Moon peeking out!

Clouds

Rain flooded my street

Child looking forward to the future

Following her path. Brother tagging along.

Umbrellas of all kinds. But with the drought here the parasol is more useful.

Trucks of all kinds.

Maybe a bit young to drive!
Autumn in Truckee, Ca.

Walking along the street there are many things lost: a mitten, glove, glasses, soccer ball, baseball mitt, and bicycle.

Saw this busker many years ago while walking along Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco.

Fisherman’s Wharf Bushman in San Francisco

I am always looking for reflections when I am near water, glass, mirrors, or shiny metals.

Kauai, Hawaii
Maui, Ca.
Bodie, Ca.
My friends and I are out on a Scavenger Hunt in Old Sac.

I hunted through my library and found all these treasures. I hope you enjoyed my findings? Which photograph caught your attention?

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!
Decaying squash
The salmon come up the American River to lay their eggs and die.
Each gull finds its own rock!
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.

A bouquet of flowers
Think of a scary movie!

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.
A Sunflower at season’s end.
Nature’s beauty
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.