Ann-Christine invites us to explore the concept of Magical in our photographs this week. Magical in the sense of being “beautiful or delightful in a way that seems removed from everyday life,” (New Oxford American Dictionary), also “extremely or extraordinarily pleasant, enjoyable, or exciting,” (Merriam-Webster). There is magic in the arts, dance, music, visual arts that stirs my soul. The magic of nature all around me inspires awe and wonder every day. To paraphrase Anne-Christine, in times of international anxiety, it is even more important that we find magic in our everyday experiences.
On my beach walk yesterday, the air was clean and brisk, the sky was ever-changing and there were many shorebirds working the outward bound tide-line. My thoughts became more clear, and even with two beagles barking and tugging, I felt the burdens of the world lift and my heart became more tranquil.
A clear night sky is magical, especially here in the Pacific Northwest USA, where clouds often obscure the dance of moon and stars.
Even though I know the physics of rainbows, they always appear as magical mirages. Being able to capture one from end to end is something of a miracle!
The magical transformation of caterpillar to butterfly is another wonder of nature.
I will conclude with the magical quality of companionship. “Legend has it that soon after Creation, the earth was torn in two. Humans were on one side of the chasm, all the animals on the other. Only the dog tried to find a way across to join the humans. He tried to jump the huge abyss but only his forepaws reached the far edge. A human reached down and pulled him to safety, saying, “You shall be my companion forever.” Indian legend.
On your walk with life, please honor our earth, encourage dignity and share kindness. 🐾
Thank you to Ann-Christine for another challenge which opened the doors to my imagination!
As I began looking through my archives for photos that would match Amy’s challenge this week, the weather forecast for SW Washington warned of another Atmospheric River on its way. By Monday evening the rain started and it has continued through now – Wednesday evening. In a nod to this reality, my offering this week features some Unique cloud images from Long Beach and Vancouver. Though they are categorized and studied, each *”mass of condensed water vapor floating in the atmosphere” is unique.
Cumulonimbus fibrous-edged top capillatus.
This cloud appeared in the northern sky, as I was walking in my Vancouver neighborhood one spring day. All I knew was that it was a Thundercloud, and getting home soon would be a good idea! Below is another Cumulonimbus cloud, this one at Long Beach.
Anvil – Cumulonimbus incus cloud
Above, once again I was walking, this time heading south on Long Beach in the morning, as this anvil cloud stretched long and wide above me toward North Head.
In the midst of a downpour, this little rainbow shimmered long enough for me to snap a photo of it.
Cloud watchers like me, enjoy formations that look like characters or creatures. Above I see a sinister dark cloud with its mouth wide open ready to gobble-up a smaller cloud fleeing ahead. Below the cloud outlined in orange appears to be a fabulous bird ready to perch on or devour the sun.
On your walk with life, please honor our earth, encourage dignity and share kindness. 🐾
Thanks to Amy at The World Is A Book for this wide-open challenge!
Here we go into the wild blue yonder of Empty Spaces in photography. Patty does an exceptional job explaining what empty space adds to our photos, and provides wonderful examples on her Pilotfish blog, EmptySpaces .
At sundown on a cold December day, the Washington Monument is striking, set upon the colorful sky with the reflecting pool in the foreground. Awe inspiring on its own, the empty spaces around the obelisk accentuate its impressiveness.
Moon-down at Sunup
On the other side of the continent, a colorful sky and sunshine on dune grasses provide a context that draws our eye right to the full moon setting.
A Brown Pelican slips in among the breakers at Long Beach, WA. This photo exemplifies the reason for empty spaces, because while we immediately focus on the Pelican, we also notice the churning waves in the ’emptiness’ around it that gives meaning and force to the subject.
On a foggy winter morning, four Mallards silently sweep across the marsh pond. Lighting in the empty space sets the mood for the subjects, creating an expressive scene.
This Bald Eagle was perched on a post just over the berm on the trail to the beach. The sky is a clear backdrop, while the sand trail and dune grass provide leading lines and context to the photo.
On your walk with life, please honor our earth, encourage dignity and share kindness.
Thank you to Patti for another engaging challenge. If you are interested in joining the fun, follow the link to her website to find out how!
Welcome to James Brown of JazziBee blog, the Lens-Artists guest host this week. He challenges us to look at our subjects from a variety of angles, in particular; “the extremes of Looking Up, and Looking Down, to show the effects of what you can capture at these angles and get a different perspective on our view of the world.” One of my favorite sites to visit on the Long Beach Peninsula, Washington State USA, is the North Head Lighthouse.
Though no longer a working lighthouse, it is open seasonally for visitors to view the Pacific Ocean from the top.
Salt Creek Falls is Oregon State’s second highest single drop waterfall, cascading 286 feet (87m). Located in the Willamette National Forest just off Oregon State Highway 58, it is a lovely place to visit though not always open during winter. The photo below looks down upon the falls to the creek and beyond to the Willamette Valley in the distance.
On the footpath down to the pool, the waterfall splashes and rumbles filling the air with a fresh mist, while evergreens cling to the side of the cliff. Though not an extreme up photo, I love the sense of place this shot gives to this beautiful scene.
In my Lens-Artists post last week I showed a closeup of the Chihuly Chandeleir. Here it is as it appeared looking straight from the ground to the top of the Climatron at the St. Louis, MO Botanical Garden.
Below looking down into a pond with Chihuly glass sculptures.
From the top of the Arc in St. Louis, my telephoto pulled in a clear image of the Old Courthouse 630 feet (192 m) below.
Looking up at the dome of the Old Courthouse from ground level.
While walking along the sands of Long Beach, I have had the great blessing of photographing many Bald Eagles alone and in groups. Below is an adult male perched high on a post, looking out over the ocean.
Rarely have I been lucky enough to “sneak up” on a Bald Eagle, however this one was perched on a log below the berm as I crested it. The bird gave me a hard glare but didn’t fly off while I stood there focusing my camera.
Thanks to James Brown-Muir for taking on the responsibility of hosting this Lens-Artists challenge. It is truly and honor to be asked to host, and a big job to read and respond to all the folks who participate!
On your walk with life, please honor our earth, encourage dignity and share kindness. 🐾
There are many ways to fill the frame when taking photos, and Anne of Slow Shutter Speed, offers a master-class in her Lens-Artists challenge this week. In addition to getting up-close to subjects (physically or with a telephoto lens), the scene itself may be the story and nothing distracts from it. Here in the Pacific Northwest this Autumn, we have been drenched by a series of atmospheric rivers, “a narrow corridor or filament of concentrated moisture in the atmosphere.” (Wikipedia) This week, as I walked to the beach between downpours, this cloud formation was racing north. I captured the moment with my iPhone.
There are at least three Anna’s Hummingbirds who visit our feeder when we’re at Long Beach. I was happy to have an opportunity to focus in with my telephoto lens and get a detailed shot of this female.
When a young gray whale washed ashore on our beach a few years ago, it was an unhappy sight. However I did get a few interesting photos of the creature. The middle shot below is of the whale’s baleen, with a fly gleaning the hairs. The left side is a winter shot of a Queen Anne’s Lace blossom, and to the right is a By-the-Wind Sailor – Vallela vallela, blown onto the sand after a storm.
Below, a close up of the large fresnel light that once was housed in North Head Lighthouse.
I’ll finish this fun exploration with a Chihuly glass sculpture, one I almost missed as it was way up in the top of the Climatron at the St. Louis Botanical Garden. I used my telephoto to get a decent shot, then in post processing, rotated and cropped it to achieve the finished photo below.
Thanks to Anne Sandler for continuing with the recent themes that show us different techniques to make a good photo even better!
On your walk with life, please honor our earth, encourage dignity and share kindness. 🐾
Donna leads this week inviting us to delve into the other side of symmetry in our photography. Asymmetry is not the opposite of symmetry, instead it is “two differing sides that balance each other out.” In her post, Donna provides lots of helpful hints to help us identify photos that fit the challenge. In my first selection of Bleeding Heart blossoms, their irregular shape, the droop of the stem and a neutral background create a gentle balance.
The building below is structurally symmetrical, however the photograph is taken at an odd angle with the bright blue sky reflecting in its windows and accenting its angularity.
When taking photos of natural vistas, shapes, depth of field, color and light help create a harmonic rhythm.
“Traditional glass factory production was about symmetry and creating perfectly formed vessels. Dale Chihuly’s work represents a departure from the past. He pioneered a new way of working, utilizing gravity and centrifugal force to let molten glass find its shape in its own organic way. Asymmetry and irregularity is a defining principle of his work.” https://www.chihuly.com/life
“His installations are created in dialogue with the spaces in which they are sited, interacting harmoniously with interior and exterior spaces and often creating emotional experiences.”
Thank you Donna for a perfect excuse to feature more of Dale Chihuly’s work this week. It is truly awe-inspiring in person, and I hope visitors to my post enjoy a peek at his genius.
On your walk with life, please honor our earth, encourage dignity and share kindness. 🐾
Walking With Eagles is a collection of original poems and photographs by Lindy Low Le Coq. A lifelong naturalist, amateur photographer and bird enthusiast, Lindy’s verse, composition and photographs open a window into the essence of her subjects. Her poems and photography reflect the rich natural wonders of the Pacific Northwest.
Bald Eagles mature over the course of five years. Walking With Eagles invites the reader to take a poetic and visual tour of this odyssey.
view ~ Walking With Eagles ~ in top menu bar for a preview, though the folio is much nicer!
Lindy Low LeCoq 