~ Lens-Artists Challenge #306: Habitat ~

Posted on July 5, 2024 by Lindy Le Coq

Woefully late with no excuses, I offer a bit of natural beauty for Tina’s challenge to show various habitats this week. Below is a view of the wetland marsh that forms during late winter through spring in the acreage between the Breakers condominium buildings, and the berm to Long Beach, WA. It hosts a multitude of birds and other critters, attracting migrants and providing a home for residents.

Canada Goose raise their broods here. On the right a pair of Mallards at their nest, female in upper left.

As spring yields to summer, the marsh turns into a lush meadow that provides food and shelter for other life forms. Geese fly off while swallows swoop in to feast on mosquitos, song birds call for mates, and resident Columbia black-tail mule deer bring their young to munch on grass. And, there’s always fascinating bugs and critters to enjoy as well!

“Born and bred in the briar patch, that’s me,” laughed Brer Rabbit. “I told you not to throw me there. In all the world, that’s the place I love best!”

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

With five days of 100°+ weather in my future, I plan to spend my afternoons inside browsing through Lens-Artists posts that I have yet to see!

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~ Lens-Artists Challenge #305 – Two Rectangles ~

Posted on June 27, 2024 by Lindy Le Coq

Egídio introduces another technique to compose compelling photographs – two rectangles. “Having two dominant rectangular areas in an image, gives balance, harmony, and unity to a composition.” After studying his examples and explanations of each, I delved into my archives to see what I could find. It was a pleasure to realize some of the photos I like very much, but didn’t quite fit in other challenges, worked with this one. Below is a photo with three of the elements Egídio highlights; a horizon line, leading line (vanishing point) and two different textures.

The vista out the windows in the foyer of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, drew me in. When I see curves and straight lines combining to make a harmonious whole it takes my breath away! With the clean repetition of lines and the view across to the old courthouse, this view provides many rectangles within rectangles.

Below, the foreground of upright shrubs with their clusters of cream color blossoms (probably Oceanspray) contrasts nicely with the soft velvety texture of the rolling Palouse farmland.

In this photo, as the sun is about to rise over Lake Tahoe, the open space of sky and horizon provides visual relief and balance to the stark tree and branches.

Hydrangeas are a welcome summer bloomer in my gardens, and consequently a subject of many photos over the years. With Egídio’s example of contrasting colors in a Muhly grass photo, he noted that “the rectangles do not need to be strictly a straight line. The overall appearance of the two rectangles is the factor that matters.” Photography is flexible!

When presenting a photo of a bird, using Rabatment, “putting a square inside a rectangle” so that the bird is on the “line inside the square” is half the solution. Matching the horizontal line to intersect with the vertical at the eye is the other half. Common Murre is an uncommon sight at Long Beach.

In conclusion, I’ll end this exploration with a lovely sunset from my deck at the Breakers in Long Beach, WA. I never need an excuse to feature a sunset, however given the lure to show contrasting light, well, I’ll bite!

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

Thank you to Egídio for a fun invitation to frame our photos another way!

Lens-Artists Challenge #305 – Two Rectangles
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~ Lens-Artists Challenge #304 – Behind ~

Posted on June 21, 2024 by Lindy Le Coq

This week, Ritva invites us to pay attention to what is behind our subjects. “Backgrounds play an essential role…significantly impacting the overall aesthetic of an image.” Since so many of my photos are of nature unfolding in front of my camera lens, the background is intrinsic. Below, I chanced upon a sizable flock of Brown Pelicans as they cruised above surging breakers at Long Beach, ready to dive in for dinner. I just kept snapping and hoping I’d get a clear shot!

Because birds are always on the move, getting a focused shot of them in their natural habitat can be tricky. Below are two shots of a Song Sparrow. On the left, the bird blends right into its driftwood setting, on the right the bright blue sky provides a stand out profile.

Sometimes the background is the subject, as in the photo below featuring a full moon setting. The morning sunlight on Ryegrass in the foreground frames and anchors the view.

Bokeh; that wonderful blurring effect that provides context while remaining secondary to the subject. Below, a Varied Thrush, and Black Sunflower with bee.

Below, Martha Jordan’s Marsh, near Leadbetter Point State Park, is in its early summer glory with water lilies covering large portions of the surface. In this photo, my goal was to visually illustrate the vast expanse of this wilderness habitat, right into the blue horizon.

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

Here’s to Ritva for another stimulating challenge. Sorry to be so late. A visit from my sister, niece and grand-nephew took priority this week!

Lens-Artists Challenge #304 – Behind
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~ Lens-Artists Challenge #303: Connections ~

Posted on June 14, 2024 by Lindy Le Coq

Donna leads us this week to explore images portraying connections. We all are part of and connected to the Earth, so my photos will explore the links between living organisms with their environment. I’ll start with an example of a symbiotic relationship; a bee sipping nectar at the same time it pollinates a raspberry blossom which will become a delicious fruit for me to eat!

Late spring to early summer, Caspian Terns gather in colonies along the stretch of Long Beach (WA) where I walk. Often congregating with various gulls, Caspian Terns dive-fish for food. These three are mature adults ready to find mates.

Recently I heard a news story about the last truly wild horse species, Przewalski’s horses (aka takhi or Mongolian wild horses) being reintroduced to their native steppes in Kazakstan, where they had been extinct for at least 200 years. Archaeologist believe humans first domesticated horses in central Asia roughly 4,200 years ago. Humans and horses often develop strong bonds. https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/przewalskis-horse

Spring Azure butterflies have an adult lifespan of only a few days. Here two sip nectar from wild carrot blossoms. I have scoured my resource book and on-line to see if I could identify this plant. It is in a swampy creek-side habitat where one might find Water Hemlock, though it doesn’t have the same kind of blossom shape.

I’ll conclude this post with a photo representing one of my favorite ways to be connected to Earth; walking in the sand at low tide with the roar of our Pacific Ocean in my ears and my sweet Beagles Max (on the left) and Daisy, straining to catch those waves!

I’m looking forward to being together next week with my younger sister Lori, her daughter Molly, and grandson Micah. Family connections are most precious, and if I manage to get some photos, they may be featured in a future post!

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

Thanks to Donna for this wide-open challenge! It’s always a pleasure to find photos that fit the theme.

Lens-Artists Challenge #303 – Connections
Posted in Beagles, birds, bugs & critters, butterflies, Lens-Artists, Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, nature, nature photography, outdoors, pacific northwest, pacific ocean, photography, travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

~ Wordless Wednesday + Cee’s FOTD ~

Posted on June 12, 2024 by Lindy Le Coq

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

Posted in bugs & critters, Cee's Flower Of The Day, Flower Of The Day, nature, nature photography, outdoors, pacific northwest, pacific ocean, photography, Wordless Wednesday | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

~ Lens-Artists Challenge #302: Artificial Intelligence and Photography ~

Posted on June 7, 2024 by Lindy Le Coq

John of Journeys with Johnbo (brave soul!) put this challenge out for us this week. I hope he has received kudos for asking us to stretch beyond our comfort zones. The photo below is the one I selected to see if I could add something to the foreground using AI. This is as far as I got, because my operating system is too old to add photoshop, and I am not going to jump into upgrading everything in one week – so I admit I’m taking a pirouette on this one!

Below is a scene that occurs often in spring when blackbirds pair-up and claim a territory, then other birds, like this crow, flap right down in the middle of it!

This Salmonberry blossom (Rubus spectabilis) is a dainty delight in the damp woodland forest. Its berries are edible and look very much like salmon eggs in color and texture.

Goldfinch are bright and beautiful set against a dazzling blue sky. If you have an open area in your yard, where you can put up a cylinder seed-feeder filled with sunflower chips, American and Lesser Goldfinch will find you!

Sunsets are different every time – even when snapped from the same vantage point. This one is from a month ago, when the clouds and rainstorms were frequently upon us.

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

Thanks to John for an excuse to open Pandora’s box this week. I truly hope you were not mistreated John, as this was a totally legitimate challenge. Maybe next time I’ll be equipped to participate fully!

Lens-Artists Challenge #302 – Artificial Intelligence and Photography
Posted in Birding, birds, flowers, Lens-Artists, Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, nature, nature photography, pacific northwest, pacific ocean, photography | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

~ Wordless Wednesday ~ Cedar Waxwings! ~

Posted on May 29, 2024 by Lindy Le Coq
Juvenile Bombycilla cedrorum
Juvenile
Adult Bombycilla cedrorum

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

Posted in Birding, birds, landscape gardening, nature, nature photography, ornithology, outdoors, pacific northwest, photography, Wordless Wednesday | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

~ Lens-Artists Challenge #301: Floral ~

Posted on May 28, 2024 by Lindy Le Coq

Sophie asks us “to think of how we either capture them [flowers] or how we process the image afterwards.” One of the goals for my gardens has been to plant perennials that provide color and beauty throughout the seasons. Spring brings a riot of color and fragrance every week, so I’m excited to join Sophie’s challenge to showcase what’s in bloom today.

With this close-up of one bloom in the cluster that is a Rhododendron blossom, I wanted to draw the eye into the center and focus on its rich colors and soft lacy texture. Rhododendron, the state flower of Washington, is an evergreen shrub that blooms for a short while, and provides glossy leaves year-round.

Another goal for my gardens is to have plants that attract and nourish birds, bees and butterflies. On Memorial Day in Vancouver USA, as the sun shone through a partly cloudy sky, bees were very busy! Golden Mockorange brightens dark spots in the landscape with its feathery chartreuse foliage, and produces clusters of fragrant, small, creamy-white flowers. I cropped and enhanced this shot to provide a perspective on the size of the blossoms relative to the bee.

Though this large climbing vine is vibrant, I preferred this close-up of one Clematis Nelly Moser blossom. I cropped it to bring focus to the center and radiating petals. Nelly has graced the railing of our entry-way for years. She is a vital climber that enjoys sun in her face, and shade at her feet.

Cistus Mickie on the left and Chardonnay Pearls on the right are both lower to the ground shrubs that have attractive foliage as well as interesting spring blossoms. With both of these photos, I cropped and enhanced the images to bring out the gentle beauty of their white blossoms

Native to the USA and non-invasive, Honeysuckle Major Wheeler puts on a show of coral/red trumpet blossoms all summer. A favorite of hummingbirds, it also attracts bees and butterflies. The close-up photo didn’t need cropping, though I did boost the light to show-off its razzle-dazzle splendor!

I could go on and on, however since I often feature photos of flowers from my gardens in my blog, I’ll end right here with a big thank you to Sophie for this challenge!

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

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~ 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