Lens-Artists Challenge #247 Back Lit Photos

Anne-Christine tells me that “backlighting is a great way to create stunning, eye-catching effects. Here are a handful of specific images you can make with backlighting: Street and portrait silhouettes, bird-in-flight silhouettes, portraits, and macros with beautiful background bokeh, landscape silhouettes, and sunset/sunrise landscapes.”

Glass

I always enjoy looking at glass objects. I found some of these images in stores, in windows, and in displays.

I first saw an example of Chihuly glass at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. The first and third photographs are examples displayed at the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento.

Cary House Hotel in Placerville Ca

The next two stain glass signs are located on my sister-in-law’s property in Indianapolis, Indianna. They are created from images of the property.

Animals

Wild Turkeys strutting their stuff
A spider has cast its web at the Effie Yeaw Nature Preserve
Great White Egret found at UC Davis Arboretum

The Oakland Zoo features some interesting exhibits like fruit bats and primates.

Flora

Pets

Here my grandson is holding his pet Love Bird Peaches.

I can’t believe my grandson will be 26 years old this week.

Canine Companions starts training early.

Learning all about the leash.
Fun watching dock diving at Petapalooza years ago

Black puppies are particularly hard to photograph. Lighting is key. Libby was an English Black Labrador Retriever and my very first dog. I waited 40 years for her! It has been 4 years ago this month that we parted.

This is Liberty Love at 8 weeks.
Here is Moxie! Backlit.

Lots of images benefit from backlit lighting. I hope that you may be inspired to look at the world from a new perspective. Positive, beautiful and peaceful.

Many posts started, but life happens…

The short version. Crazy times happened after Halloween. Things were looking up. I spent some time with my grandsons, voted and saw a reverse in the U.S. House, horrific fire in Paradise, smoke choking Fair Oaks, and then my dog Libby started having trouble on our slippery floors. So off to see Dr. Faith at Reagor Pet Hospital, x-rays taken and placed on pain medication. Thought a few weeks of rest, install a different flooring and all would be better.

My 16 year old granddaughter has been living with us since the start of the school year. Things deteriorated quickly. Sneaking out, rules ignored, school work non existent. Tried counseling, talking, setting boundaries and nothing works. Teenage rebellion in full swing.  My mother always said, “There is a time to be parents, and then she was done.”

About this same time my friends invited me to join them on a photo vacation. This would be a first for me. After quite a lot of thought, and encouragement from my husband,  I decided to go. Left right after Thanksgiving on December 1st and returned on December 7th. Spent all the time on the island of Kauai taking photographs. Explored most accessible places that didn’t require a lot of hiking. Came home with 1000+ photographs. Had a wonderful time. So why haven’t I posted any, you may ask. 

Answer. Stuff happens. My dog Libby missed me, and her limping got progressively worse while I was away. What we thought was a sprain, or blown out knee turned out to be a head scratching hard to diagnose question mark. We took her to UC Davis Vet Hospital where an MRI was done. There is inflammation around the sciatic nerve and spinal disk. Hoped it may be just a bacterial infection that can be treated with antibiotics. Culture came back negative today. Or it may be an inoperable tumor. I am plenty worried, and mucho distracted. Recheck in two weeks. Libby is happier now that I am home, and not complaining with either medicine. Her appetite improved. That is a big indication that something is wrong, when a Labrador Retriever needs to be hand fed.

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As for me, I also have issues like my dog Libby. And I too had a MRI. Results show severe lumbar spinal stenosis. MRI looks terrible and the Spinal/Pain management specialist is referring me to a surgeon. Something to look forward to in the New Year.

My husband’s second phase of tooth implant takes place next week. Hoping that will be easier than the tooth extraction.

So 2019 is set to be an interesting year. I do hope for some peace in the coming year for my friends and family, and the growing connected world.

Happy New Year 2019 to all!