Lens-Artist Challenge #200 – Every Little Thing

“The older I get the more I realize

the things that cost nothing hold the most value.” ~unknown

Purslane Bud – Macro

This week, Amy invites us to share every little thing that makes you smile. I like this challenge because the further I move away from my days in Corporate America (it’s been four years now) into my “re-wirement” journey, the more I appreciate the little things life has to offer.

Most of those “little” things I find in my own backyard like this cute little chipmunk. He and his friends come out in the mornings and evenings to gather what the birds have dropped below the feeders. They move quickly and are quite entertaining to watch!

“There is good in everything

if only we look for it.” ~Laura Ingalls Wilder

Chipmunks & Petunias

One part of my garden that brings me joy is this wall of Limelight Hydrangeas. We planted these in late 2019 and last year was the first year they bloomed. I can’t wait to see how many blooms they have this year!

“When a gardener gardens, it’s not just the plant that grows,

but the gardener themself.” ~Ken Druse

Limelight Hydrangeas

If you’ve followed me for a while, you know my favorite “littlest” things are the hummingbirds.

“A hummingbird is the spirit of pure joy. She is the messenger of beauty and wonder.

She reminds us to taste the sweet nectar of life.” ~unknown

There are so many other “little things” I enjoy, but I’m afraid there isn’t enough time (or space) to capture them all in this post. But hopefully these give you a glimpse of what I enjoy and maybe even brought a “little” smile to your face as well.

~donna

P. S. Next week, Ann-Christine will be our host. Be sure to visit her site.

P.S.S. If you would like to participate in our weekly Lens-Artists Challenge, just click this link and join us on Saturdays at noon EST: Lens-Artist Challenge

P.S.S.S. If you are interested in purchasing unique notecards, photography or digital artwork please visit my Etsy shop by clicking on the button below.

“Impatiently Waiting for Spring”

We’ve been experiencing some beautiful Springtime weather in Atlanta. The temps were in the high 70’s just knocking on 80 this past weekend and we were running around in short sleeves, shorts and yes, flip flops! Surely the early Spring promised by Beauregard Lee (our resident groundhog) was here to stay?

Nope! Mother Nature has a way of reminding us she is still in control. The rain came in on Tuesday and the temps are starting to dip back down into the freezing zone with our weekend forecast indicating possible rain and snow showers (gulp). I guess it’s a good thing I resisted the temptation to begin my Spring gardening.

But one thing’s for sure with the weather so nice I couldn’t resist the urge to fill the Hummingbird feeders. There have been sightings already in the Atlanta area, so I thought why not?! They haven’t found their way to our feeders yet, but I’m ready for them.

I sure hope this change in weather is only temporary. In the meantime, I’ll be right here reminiscing over these sweet little beauties from last summer’s “30 Days of Hummingbirds” challenge while I find myself impatiently waiting for Spring,

~donna

“The More I Study Science…”

🙏”The More I Study Science, The More I Believe in God! ~Albert Einstein🙏
From the tiniest of birds to the infinite number of stars in the sky, His evidence is everywhere.

~Donna

~Looking for unique note cards, prints or digital prints? Then hop on over to my Etsy Shop by clicking or copying and pasting this link in your browser: https://www.etsy.com/shop/donnarobinsonphoto

“A future only He can see……..”

“Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives is a preparation for a future only He can see.” ~Corrie ten Boom

Isn’t this the truth and what a great reminder about being grateful for the difficult times in our lives and the many lessons we learn along the way! Lessons of Faith, Trust, Forgiveness and how to be Grateful for the good and the bad.

Enjoy your week!

~Donna

~Looking for unique note cards, prints or digital prints? Then hop on over to my Etsy Shop by clicking or copying and pasting this link in your browser :https://www.etsy.com/shop/donnarobinsonphoto

30 Days of Hummingbirds – Day 30

📸30 Days of Hummingbirds – Day 30📸          

Well folks, this concludes my “30 Days of Hummingbirds” photography challenge.  I hope you have enjoyed this journey as much as I have enjoyed the challenge of capturing these beautiful little creatures.

So what did I learn?  Take a look:

  1. It’s ok to push the ISO during the “blue hour” in order to gain light while maintaining a fast shutter speed;
  2. The faster the shutter speed (and higher ISO) the more detail you’ll get;
  3. Patience and quickness go hand in hand when photographing hummingbirds;
  4. A trip to South America to visit the Hummingbird preserves is now on my Photography Bucket List!

There are a lot of great professional hummingbird photographers out there.  If you’re on Instagram below are a couple that I follow:

@thehummingbirdphotographer

@about_the_hummingbirds

Thanks again for following along with me.

~donna

P.S. – If you missed a few be sure to take a wander around my site.

P.S.S.-   If Looking for unique greeting cards and photography gifts? Then pop on over to my Etsy shop by following or copying this link in your browser👉👉 https://www.etsy.com/shop/donnarobinsonphoto

30 Days of Hummingbirds – Day 29

📸 “Wind Beneath My Wings”

❓Did you know Hummingbird wings beat about 70 times per second in direct flight and more than 200 times per second while diving.

Field Notes:

Camera: Canon EOS 6D

Lens: Canon EF 100mm – 400mm

Focal Length: 340mm

Shutter Speed 1/500

Aperture: f8

ISO: 1250

Time of Day:  9:08a.m.

~Looking for unique greeting cards and photography gifts? Then pop on over to my Etsy shop by following or copying this link in your browser👉👉 https://www.etsy.com/shop/donnarobinsonphoto

30 Days of Hummingbirds – Day 28

📸 “Softly the evening came with the sunset.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

❓Did you know Hummingbirds have been clocked at close to 30 mph indirect flight and more than 45 mph during courtship dives?

Field Notes:

Camera: Canon EOS 6D

Lens: Canon EF 100mm – 400mm

Focal Length: 400mm

Shutter Speed 1/500

Aperture: f5.6

ISO: 1250

Time of Day:  6:54p.m.

~Looking for unique greeting cards and photography gifts? Then pop on over to my Etsy shop by following or copying this link in your browser👉👉 https://www.etsy.com/shop/donnarobinsonphoto

30 Days of Hummingbirds – Day 27

📸 “Take a Bow”

❓Did you know Hummingbirds are one of the most aggressive bird species and will regularly attack jays, crows, and hawks that infringe on their territory?

Field Notes:

Camera: Canon EOS 6D

Lens: Canon EF 100mm – 400mm

Focal Length: 400mm

Shutter Speed 1/250

Aperture: f5.6

ISO: 4000

Time of Day:  7:13p.m.

~Looking for unique greeting cards and photography gifts? Then pop on over to my Etsy shop by following or copying this link in your browser👉👉 https://www.etsy.com/shop/donnarobinsonphoto