Category Archives: 52-Week Challenge

Week 11 … #8 Wildcard, Taking Flight

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Sunset at Anna Maria Island.

One of our favorite places for sunsets is on the north end of Anna Maria Island.  The sunsets are spectacular and the sugar white sands are an important habitat for an incredible array of wildlife.  On many many occasions, we have shared evening sunsets with herons, sandpipers, ospreys, cranes, seagulls, skimmers, egrets and my favorite, pelicans.  During various times of the day and year, you’ll see different species of shorebirds, sometimes hundreds, congregating at dusk for an evening feed.

What I always find fascinating, that at some point, as darkness nears, the congregation rise collectively and fly off to their evening roost, wherever that may be.  I love that moment of unison against the setting sun.

(This was shot with an iPhone and edited in Snapseed.  The sunburst was added with the LensLight app.)

 

Week 10 … Theme #39, Negative Space

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Rowing in fog.

This week’s theme is one of my favorites … the use of negative space in an image.  I find myself drawn to images that use the effect of negative space to create ‘quiet’ images.  I find that it can often make the main subject feel more isolated.

The above iPhone X image was rather nondescript on a foggy, gray day but the juxtaposition of the rowboat and sailboat made for an interesting composition of man-made power (rowing) vs. mother nature power (sailing).  Hope you think so too.

Week 9 … Theme #27, Movement

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Yellow-Throated Warbler.

I discovered this little guy outside my second story landing trying to find a way through the window.  I stood and watched him for some time as he would dart about the branches close to the window and then fly into the window, attempting to peck his way in.  Over and over, he repeated this behavior, returning to various perches to examine the window as if it were a puzzle that he was working out.

I grabbed my camera and captured a number of images through the window.  I must have taken 30 or so photos and as usual, ended up with only a few decent ones.  I loved the ‘movement’ of the above image and the lines in the birds feathers mimicking the palm in the background.  I cleaned up the image and used a Photomorphis texture to give it more punch.  As for the Warbler, he hung around for over an hour attempting to break in!

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Week 8 … Theme #4, Wildcard

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Anna Maria, Florida

Our favorite holiday to celebrate with family is Thanksgiving and this year we decided to spend the week at our beach house on Anna Maria. Each evening presented us with a variety of sunsets, never failing to bring out the ‘awws’ in us as we watched our grandson dodge the gentle waves.

I thought the above iPhone image was perfect for this week’s theme as we journey out for another afternoon sunset.  Each sunset is always a “Wildcard” as the day turns to dusk.

Week 7 … Theme # 19, Geometric Shapes

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Salvador Dali Museum, St. Petersburg, FL

Yesterday, I joined some friends to view the Clyde Butcher exhibit at the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg.  I most recently became aware of Butcher’s black and white nature scenes of Florida and instantly loved his work.  Some call him the ‘Florida Ansel Adams’ and I agree.   Butcher was approached by the folks at the Salvador Dali Museum to capture the rugged coastline of Dali’s homeland.  Butcher spent 10 days in Spain in Dali’s childhood village of Cadaques, the Cap de Creus, Port Lligat and other parts of the Catalonian region.  The results are striking with many 8-foot panoramas.

I couldn’t wait to get outside to capture the building’s beautiful design.  It all ended up being a perfect theme for the ‘Geometric Shapes‘ assignment!  I loved the reflections on the outside glass of trees and clouds and if you look closely, you can see the gift shop that lies behind.

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Week 6 … Theme # 17, Twilight

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Tromsø, Norway.

This beautiful, modern, graceful bridge joins the city of Tromsø, Norway, with numerous other islands.  Built in 1960, the Tromsø Bridge was the first cantilever bridge to be built in Norway and is typical of Norwegian bridges built high enough to allow big ships to pass under it, like the one I was on when I captured these images.  It was dusk and most folks had left the deck.  I remained and happened to spot this photographer capturing some last shots.  I loved the contrast of his red jacket with the blue twilight.

The surrounding mountains and ocean setting all made for some spectacular photos.

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Week 5 … Theme # 6, Forsaken

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Northeast Harbor, Mount Desert, Maine

On a recent visit to Acadia, I had hopes of capturing some beautiful images of this stunning national treasure that lies on the coast of Maine.  But the weather had other ideas, and our two days there were primarily encased in fog.  No matter, though, because fog delivers its own beauty.  I came across this scene when we were exploring several of the small towns in the area and immediately cried out “Stop!” to my hubby.  He pulled over and I trekked across a field to this lovely, quiet scene.  I enjoy capturing images and scenes that evoke some emotion within myself and this scene did just that.  These two solo boats seemed lost and abandoned wrapped within the fog.  It evoked a feeling of forsaken within me.  Maybe it does that for you as well.

Week 4 … #3 Fill the Frame

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As I was walking the dogs the other evening, I happened upon this tree with most of its leaves gathered at its base.  It made for a perfect ‘Fill the Frame’ image with my iPhone X and edited in apps DistressedFX and Snapseed.
As I looked up, I noticed a few leaves refusing to give up their post, high above me on barren branches, which prompted this little prose:
~~~~~~~~~
Fall beckons and yet a few leaf soldiers remain,
unheeding and unyielding,
to the inevitable path of their destiny, and yet
I wonder …
if I were to come back as a tree
would a sweet finch light upon my waving branches
and comfort me with song
as my golden forces
fall in silence
with unquestioned
fate.
~~~~~~

Week 3 … #31 Eye Lines

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Florida Sandhill Cranes.

These parents with their youngster came swooping into my backyard the other day and slowly made their way around the water line.  Although I took about 20 photos, it was this one that caught my eye for this week’s ‘Eye Lines (Where is your subject looking?).  As the young one poked around the water, the parents kept their eyes alert to their surroundings.  And an added bonus was to capture them all in the same crisscrossed stance!