~ Lens-Artists Challenge#300: Delicate ~

Posted on May 24, 2024 by Lindy Le Coq

This week Anne-Christine invites us to portray delicacy in our photographs. She has some wonderful examples from a recent visit to Japan, so be sure to check out her post. Our earth is a delicate organism with an abundance of life-forms, all equally sensitive.

A jellyfish on the shore in a wash of sea-foam bubbles. Jellies are not fish, as they have no backbone. They are simple animals, composed of 95% water, that float in the oceans.

This fragile fungus was maybe 1″ (2.54 cm) across and 1.5″ (3.81 cm) tall. It’s lacy ruffled edge and parasol form exude elegance. I haven’t been able to find what it is named. If you recognize it, please tell me by commenting with the answer!

Fresh ripe raspberries hang ready to be picked before they slip off their receptacle, the white central core that stays on the plant when the fruit drops. My garden has a nice set coming on for this season. They are so tender and delicious, I can hardly wait!

What is more elegant, graceful and exquisite than a butterfly on a blossom? Nothing in my archives, though I’m sure there are other equally lovely combinations in the many examples LAPC contributors will post to this challenge.

Ice crystals coat the berries and leaves of this kinnikinnick (aka bearberry) plant, creating an ethereal impression of a humble ground cover. Kinnikinnick means “smoking mixture” in the Unami (Algonquian) language. Wikipedia

On your walk with life, please honor our earth, encourage dignity and share kindness. 🐾

Thanks for Leya/Anne Christine for this wonderful challenge. Also, congratulations to the entire LAPC team for this milestone post #300 – Five years and 7 months! I am so grateful to all of you for the thought, hours and energy you put into these posts.

Lens-Artists Challenge #300- Delicate
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~ Lens-Artists Challenge #299: Hopeful ~

Posted on May 17, 2024 by Lindy Le Coq

This week, Patti asks us to consider what keeps us hopeful. Being an optimist has helped me weather the ups and downs of my 75 years of life. To me, hope is the child of optimism; a sincere positive response when dealing with uncertainty and doubts. Hope comes in Little Pockets of Joy. Moments that happen spontaneously and bring a sense of grace and peace to my being in the moment and as I reflect upon them.

Although I didn’t see them, all along the Martha Jordan Birding Trail at Leadbetter State Park on the Long Beach Peninsula, I heard the calls and responses of Red-winged Blackbirds. Just walking under this lovely grove of cottonwood trees and hearing the birds was enough to strengthen my hope.

Seeing one Red-necked Phalarope gliding over the surface of a marsh pond today kindled the hope that there will be more to come.

While Daisy barks at the waves and splashes along the surging surf, Max supplements his diet with Dungeness Crab crunchies. Being out in nature with these two energetic spirits provides many little pockets of joy which spill into my basket of hope.

Inhaling the fragrance of a lilac as I pass by on my walk, especially on a blue sky morning, fills my senses with joy in the moment and anticipation for the day.

Sipping a glass of crisp white wine (or a dry Rose, or mellow red…) with friends, as we watch another glorious sunset, brings to me a wellspring of faith, belief and hope.

On your walk with life, please honor our earth, encourage dignity and share kindness. 🐾

So let’s raise a glass to toast Patti for helping all of us remember reason to be hopeful. Finding “little pockets of joy” is a daily delight!

Lens-Artists Challenge #299- Hopeful

Posted in Beagles, Birding, flowers, Lens-Artists, Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, nature, nature photography, outdoors, pacific northwest, pacific ocean, photography, travel, weekly photo challenge | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

~ Wordless Wednesday ~ Night and Day in May ~

Posted on May 15, 2024 by Lindy Le Coq

On your walk with life, please honor our earth, encourage dignity and share kindness. 🐾

Posted in nature, nature photography, outdoors, pacific northwest, pacific ocean, photography, travel, Wordless Wednesday | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

~ Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #298: To Be Young Again ~

Posted on May 9, 2024 by Lindy Le Coq

Oh, dear. My archives contain very few people photos, and therefore even fewer of children. To fulfill the challenge that Tina poses this week, I’ve selected some favorite baby bird shots. Maybe this will prompt me to go places where people gather and to take more photos of humans interacting!

Anas platyrhynchos

Ducks, geese, and chickens are examples of precocial birds; capable of movement and self-sufficiency soon after hatching. Above, a hen Mallard with her brood of five ducklings are on their way to feed in a marsh pond.

Dryobates pubescens

The majority of birds that frequent my feeders are atricial; immature and helpless when they hatch, and require care and feeding for some time afterward. Parents often appear smaller than their emerging fledglings. Above a Downy woodpecker stuffs suet into the chick’s mouth, and below a Northern (Red-shafted) Flicker does the same. Over time the chicks learn to cling to the feeder and get suet on their own.

Colaptes auratus

Below, a fledgling Killdeer is almost invisible in the grass and dried foam of the receding marsh. Ground-nesters, adult Killdeer have elaborate broken wing displays to distract predators from their nests as the atricial babies grow.

Charadrius vociferus
Pelecanus occidentalis

Above, a young Brown Pelican rests on the shoreline at Long Beach, WA. West coast pelicans breed on dry, rocky offshore islands, between southern California and southern Ecuador. “Pelicans incubate their eggs with the skin of their feet, essentially standing on the eggs to keep them warm.” (Cornell Lab – All About Birds)

On your walk with life, please honor our earth, encourage dignity and share kindness. 🐾

Thank you Tina, for giving folks like me another avenue to share in this week’s challenge!

Lens-Artists Challenge #298 – To Be Young Again
Posted in Birding, birds, Lens-Artists, Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, nature, nature photography, ornithology, outdoors, pacific northwest, pacific ocean, photography, wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

~ Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #297: Music to My Eyes ~

Posted on May 2, 2024 by Lindy Le Coq

Egídio asks us to pair music and photography this week in a unique and exciting challenge. At one time in my life I was the singer in a Jazz Trio, so as I contemplated this post, jazz standards and Bossa Nova tunes started swimming in my brain. Since I grew up in the 60’s-70’s, a lot of music of the times mingled into the mix, and because my family loved to sing around the campfire, those early influences emerged as well. I’m starting with a little known song most often heard as an instrumental, “Softly As in a Morning Sunrise”, from a 1928 operetta The New Moon, music composed by Sigmund Romberg with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II.

“Softly, as in a morning sunrise the light of love comes stealing into a new born day….” Bobby Darin and Dianne Reeves have nice interpretations of the song, however it’s this one line that always comes into my head when I’m out and about when the sun comes up.

As the day progresses, especially on a lazy day with nice weather, a tune by The Lovin’ Spoonfull takes over.

“What a day for a daydream, custom-made for a daydreaming boy, and I’m lost in a daydream, dreamin’ ’bout my bundle of joy… and even if time ain’t really on my side, it’s one of those days for taking a walk outside….” Ah, yes!

Even when it’s raining, I still enjoy my walks outside. Here’s a favorite that I sing to myself on these outings; “Isn’t This A Lovely Day”, Lyrics by Irving Berlin for Top Hat 1935, sung by Fred Astaire.

“Isn’t this a lovely day to be caught in the rain? …Let the rain pitter patter but it really doesn’t matter if the skies are gray, long as I can be with you it’s a lovely day.”

Songs of the Sons of the Pioneers were among my family’s favorites, and the tunes and lyrics linger in me all these decades later. “I Follow the Stream”, Written by Bob Nolan and recorded with The Sons of the Pioneers (1935), is one of those.

“Wandering down thru the years like a brook winding on in a dream, somehow it leads me home if I’ll just follow the stream.
” It’s comforting to know, if you are lost in the mountains, stay near a stream and eventually you will find your way.

Another song that weaves into my life when I’m out in the wilderness was written by Tim Spencer, the founder of the Sons of the Pioneers, “The Timber Trail”.

“Tall timber’s callin’, and the echoes ring, all nature sings a song along the timber trail… High in the sky above, the love song of the trees, will blend and wend its way out on the breeze.”

Thank you Egídio for this opportunity to reminisce with photos of places I love to be, and songs that have nurtured me throughout my life! https://www.tumbleweedtrail.net/

On your walk with life, please honor our earth, encourage dignity and share kindness. 🐾

https://egidio.photography/lens-artists-challenge-297-music-to-my-eyes
Posted in Lens-Artists, Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, music, nature, nature photography, outdoors, pacific northwest, photography, travel, trees, weekly photo challenge | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

~ Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #296: Abstracts ~

Posted on April 25, 2024 by Lindy Le Coq

This week Ritva invites us to “break the normal rules of realism” and play with abstract photography. Such a wonderful way to stretch imagery from the concrete to the conceptual. Nature provides many opportunities to capture abstract impressions.

Lively colors and reflections on moving water (above) are among my favorite subjects.

Old wood and rocks provide a wide-open palette of texture, shapes and patterns.

The gentle wave pattern, light and shadow with a slight mist blurring the view add to the abstract quality of this Palouse landscape.

The unusual shape and texture of this wood Fungus creates another natural abstract.

Light, shadow, bokeh, texture and shape come together in this close-up photo. What it is doesn’t really matter, its the aggregate that makes it interesting.

Thank you to Ritva, for another interesting challenge. Since I don’t use Photoshop and other creative tools to alter my images, everything here is just as it was captured with cropping, and light adjustment my main tools for enhancing.

On your walk with life, please honor our earth, encourage dignity and share kindness. 🐾

Lens-Artists Challenge #296 Abstracts
Posted in A Photo a Week, Lens-Artists, Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, mycology/mushrooms/fungi, nature, nature photography, outdoors, pacific northwest, photography, travel, weekly photo challenge | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

~ Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #295: Rock Your World ~

Posted on April 19, 2024 by Lindy Le Coq

Donna of Wind Kisses, invites us to “Rock Your World” this week. Rocks and gardens go together in my mind, so when I began landscaping my backyard, 40 years ago, one of the first features I wanted was a small terraced rock garden just beyond the downstairs patio. I harvested rock from nearby Salmon Creek and was always on the lookout for more interesting rocks on my outings. When I constructed the pond, I went to places that sell rock and picked the boulders I wanted.

I know I loaded, hauled, unloaded and placed at least a ton or rocks over the years, (I had receipts to prove it), but I was so much younger then! The birdbath, I found at a resource recovery place. Such a wonderful work of craftsmanship.

Doughty Point, a 57 acre forested preserve on the NW corner of Orcas Island, WA was a nice hike at low tide from our cabin at Beach Haven Resort. As I walked over and through the beach terrain, I was in awe at the magnificent boulders there. Below left Doughty Point from our cabin, with Freeman Island in foreground. Right, Freeman Island from the shoreline out to Doughty Point.

Doughty Point, a 57 acre forested preserve on the NW corner of Orcas Island, WA was a nice hike at low tide from our cabin at Beach Haven Resort. As I walked over and through the beach terrain, I was in awe at the magnificent boulders there.

This is where rocks are unearthed, as outcroppings are exposed and washed free from boulders by ocean currents and tides.

My final image is of a large granite boulder. It was at least 6 feet high and maybe 15 feet wide. The white quartz ring on the right end is what makes this a “wishing rock”.

In 2017 I posted to the Weekly Photo Challenge about the myth of wishing rocks. https://lindylecoq.com/2017/03/11/wishing-rocks-weekly-photo-challenge-wish/

A big thank you to Donna for this wide-open challenge that encourages us to focus on the beauty of our earth!

Lens-Artists Challenge #295 – Rock Your World
Posted in A Photo a Week, geology, landscape gardening, Lens-Artists, Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, nature, nature photography, outdoors, pacific northwest, pacific ocean, photography, travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

~ Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #294: Before and After ~

Posted on April 12, 2024 by Lindy Le Coq

John Steiner encourages us to pull out the stops and do what we think needs to be done to improve our original images this week. Rarely do I have an original that isn’t made better by a bit of cropping, straightening and perhaps adjusting light and color. The three I’ve chosen for this challenge illustrate how I work.

From my front door I was able to capture this full rainbow on a rainy day. From the original, I cropped out the houses and other distractions left and right for my first edit.

Cropping certainly brought the subject into focus, however increasing saturation and playing with light gave the rainbow the brightness I wanted for my final take.

While stopped at a light, I looked up to see this swelling cumulus cloud mounting upon a vivid blue sky. “Cell phone! Take a snap!” I told myself, and I did.

In my first crop, removed the lights and tightened the field of vision, using the rule of thirds.

In shots like this one, if I am able to remove man-made-objects without ruining the photo, I do. I cropped a little more and used the “lasso tool” to eliminate the light pole on the right. A boost of light and color gave the clouds more depth and made that blue sky pop!

My last series for this challenge is of the moon reflecting on marsh ponds, seen from my condo deck at the Breakers, Long Beach WA. I was in bed asleep when my husband shook me awake saying, “you’ve got to see this moon on the ponds!” I took the photo without anything but the railing to keep the lens steady, so it already had a strike against it when I first viewed it. But, for this challenge I decided to play around with the image.

I cropped a little, got it off dead center, looked at it through various filters and degrees of light and saturation, and wasn’t sure what to do next.

Something about it reminded me of scenes in movies when an extra-terrestrial ship is landing on the earth, so I decided to play with that idea. I re-centered the image, lassoed spots that detracted, and used the chrome filter to create a bright corona.

Yeah, I like this take better! What do you think?

On your walk with life, please honor our earth, encourage dignity and share kindness. 🐾

Thanks to John for nudging me out of my comfort zone with this challenge!

Lens-Artists Challenge #294 – Before and After
Posted in Lens-Artists, Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, nature, nature photography, outdoors, pacific northwest, pacific ocean, photography, travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

~ Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #293: Water in Motion ~

Posted on April 3, 2024 by Lindy Le Coq

Water – in – Motion! Now this one is right up my stream of consciousness. Sophia Alvez of photographias introduces this week’s challenge with a lovely quote: “There’s something about the water – that solitary kind of peaceful feeling. You’re on Earth but not quite.” – John C. Reilly

I am an Aquarian and I love water; the many sounds of it, the feel, scent and taste of it, and the way water moves in various environments. I’ll begin with photos of quiet waters.

From tranquil ponds and slow-flowing creeks, the velocity and resonance increases with streams, as they undulate over and around fallen logs and rocks, and sparkle in sunlight.

Streams are tributaries to rivers which ultimately flow toward the oceans. Along the way, fresh water rushes and roars, as it hurtles onward.

Where I live, on the west side of the Continental Divide, rivers flow into the Pacific Ocean. Sometimes tame and gently lapping at surfs edge, the Pacific also has gale warnings, king tides, and breakers that heave and surge upon one another.

I’ll close with this shot of a Song Sparrow having a big splash in one of my birdbaths!

On your walk with life, please honor our earth, encourage dignity and share kindness. 🐾

Thank you to Sophia, for an invigorating and also tranquil journey into the beauty of water!

Lens-Artists Challenge – Water in Motion
Posted in Lens-Artists, Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, nature, nature photography, outdoors, pacific northwest, pacific ocean, photography, travel, Waterfalls | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

~ Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #292: People Here, There & Everywhere ~

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Lindy Le Coq

Tina invites us to “share images of the people we’ve captured along the way.” I’m starting with a fellow dog-lover who frequents the same dog park where I take Max and Daisy for our daily romps when we’re in Vancouver; Ceasar Esparsa, and his beautiful doberman pinscher, Kai.

I consider Caesar to be a dog whisperer. Dogs are comfortable with him, and he treats them with gentle love, as you can see while Max gets an ear rub and Daisy waits her turn.

Sometimes I see folks walking or frolicking along the surfs edge at Long Beach, and I wonder; what are they thinking? How are they feeling? Distant images, like the three above leave plenty of space for us to interpret and imagine.

My dear friend (and colleague for years), Ruth is the life of any party. She is in her element with this group of neighbors at my garden party a few years back.

Just before the first Covid virus caused us to shut down everything, I went to a gathering that was simply called “Kitchen Music.” It was open to anyone who wanted to make music or listen. I was very excited about the whole concept and was sorely disappointed when it went away, as did so many other lovely group activities during those hard Covid years.

My sister, Lori, her daughter, Molly and grandson Micah were with me at Long Beach in 2017. It had been a year since Lori and my father had passed, and on this day we offered some his and our mother’s ashes to the Pacific Ocean.

On your walk with life, please honor our earth, encourage dignity and share kindness. 🐾

A big thank you to Tina for hosting this week. I must admit my people photos were somewhat limited. If she’d asked for Birds, Here There & Everywhere – I would have had a hard time selecting!!!

Lens-Artists #292 – People Here, There & Everywhere
Posted in dogs, Lens-Artists, Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, music, Musical Instruments, nature, nature photography, outdoors, pacific northwest, pacific ocean, photography, weekly photo challenge | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments