Silent Sunday
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Lens Artist Challenge #345 – My Go to Places
It’s a new week of the Lens Artist Challenge and John from Travels with JohnBo has us sharing our “Go to Places” for photography (you can read John’s original post here). It’s a wonderful theme and one that I didn’t have to think too much about, because really any place I have my camera becomes my “go to place.” But specifically, my “go to place” is anywhere I can be outside connecting with nature.
It can be in a garden enjoying the blooms and color while watching the birds and insects gathering food and nectar:
It can be a walk in the park on a Fall Day enjoying the crisp air and changing colors of the leaves:
Or walks along the beach taking in the salt air and ocean breezes.
So where is your “Go to Place” when you need inspiration?
Many thanks to John for this wonderful challenge. Next week, Sofia will host. Be sure to follow her here so you don’t miss her post, which will go live next Saturday at noon Eastern time.
Until next time.
~donna
Lens Artist Challenge #344: Abandoned
Well, Anne sent me heading down a rabbit hole this week. A rabbit hole that almost had me on a point of no return. A rabbit hole that had me traveling back in time twenty (20) plus years. A rabbit hole full of memories and painstaking regrets of not being more organized with my photos. Nonetheless, I somehow managed to pull myself up out of the hole and focus on the challenge at hand!
This week Anne challenges us to think about abandonment in photography. You can read her full post here. I doubt there is a single photographer who isn’t drawn to “things” or “properties” that are abandoned. Afterall, photographers are curious by nature, always looking for the next photo and always looking to tell (or create a story) with their images.
Take for instance this abandoned train car, Michael and I stumbled upon in Hartwell, SC. Why it’s there I have no idea, but as I wandered around it, I couldn’t help but to think about the many passengers who traveled on this car. Who were they? Where were they going? How long had they been traveling? Why was the train left on the tracks in the middle of a field? So many questions to be answered.
Sometimes, we stumble upon unfortunate, temporary circumstances of abandonment. Take his mail carrier, who abandoned his vehicle in the midst of an unexpected Atlanta ice storm. Looks like he decided to heck with the postman’s motto “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” But there are still questions like “Where did he go?” “What happened to the mail left unattended?” I guess I can’t blame this postal carrier too much. Ice in Atlanta is not a force to be messed with.
Other times, new life is breathed into the old and abandoned when communities find a way to repurpose them while preserving their original characteristics and a little bit of their history. Whether an old mill or laundry center like the photos below, you can’t help but wonder who the people were that filled these places so many years ago. What was life like during their respective time periods?
Oftentimes, abandoned places offer up great photography backdrops like the one below. Can’t you just imagine this as a backdrop for senior portraits or perhaps a movie setting? Located in the small town of Senoia, Georgia I took this photo of abandoned railroad tracks thirteen (13) years ago on one of our day trips. Little did I know at the time we would one day call this home. I’m still learning about all the history of this small town and I’m hopeful one day I’ll be able to uncover the story behind these abandoned tracks.
Thank you, Anne for this wonderful challenge and trip down memory lane. It was fun to scroll through many forgotten images and revisit days gone by. For those of you who would like to join in on this challenge, be sure to link to Anne’s post in the “comments” section and also use the Lens-Artist tag.
Until next time!
~donna
Wordless Wednesday
Cellpic Sunday – Cat Guarding a Water Drain
Hello Friends! Today I have a cute photo to share with you that I took last week during one our walks in the park.
I don’t know why this caught my attention. Perhaps it was the way the cat stared at me while I clicked a few photos. Possibly because it looked as though he was guarding some treasure, he had hidden in the water drain. Whatever the reason, I thought it made for an interesting photo.
Taken with my Samsung Galaxy Note 20, I brought the original image into Photoshop, did a little haze removal, made a few color corrections with the “LOMO” and “Vignette” auto functions and voila! I really like how the colors show the texture of the environment around him. What do you think?
Until next time!
~donna
When Cardinals Appear – An Afternoon Visitor
They say when cardinals appear a loved one who has passed has come to visit. Cardinals are frequent visitors to our yard so it’s hard to say whether or not they’re family members coming for a visit, or just simply coincidental visitors.
Last Sunday as I was in the kitchen meal prepping for the week out of the corner of my eye, I could see this little fellow hanging out on a bare tree limb. He was a perfectly bright red color with a beautiful black mask surrounding his beak. I desperately wanted to snap a few pictures of him, but I knew he would fly away before I could get the camera ready. To my surprise he just kept sitting there, looking around from side to side, puffing up his chest with no sign of budging.
Finally, I pulled out my camera, attached the 200m to 400m lens (the big lens as Michael calls it), raised the blinds and……..ugh! The windows have screens on them! Obviously, auto focus wouldn’t work, so I switched to manual focus. That was a little better, but not perfect. Trying to hold the camera (the big lens is heavy) and adjust the manual focus made it difficult to get a sharp image. Oh well, he was such a pretty bird I decided to make the best of it and kept on shooting.
This guy stayed on the limb for at least 10 – 15 minutes. Was it a family member? Who really knows for sure, but for me personally, just having him hang out for a while brought some comfort and a smile to my face.
Until next time!
–donna
“When I Have My Camera…”
Your camera and lens can take you to places you may not be physically able to reach., thus conquering whatever fears you may have.
What fears do you conquer with your camera?
Happy Friday!
~donna
“It’s the Sweet, Simple Things…..”
I couldn’t agree more. Don’t stress over the complicated things in life. Keep it sweet and simple.
Are you treasuring the sweet and simple things in life?
~donna
Bird Watcher or Watcher of Birds?
I’m not a “bird watcher” per se. I don’t run around in the park chasing birds with binoculars in tow, stretching my neck around trying to catch a glimpse of that unique, rare species which can only be found in the wetlands of the Chattahoochee National Forest. Actually, I find myself a little perplexed when I see the bird watchers because all they seem to be doing is looking, pointing and scribbling notes but not taking any photos of what they see. But, hey. I’m sure I look a little goofy at times running around with my camera gear hanging off my shoulders, squatting or standing on a ledge to get just that right perspective for the shot.
Having said all of this I do like to sit in our backyard and watch the birds………with my glass of wine and camera armed and ready. It’s something Michael and I enjoy during the warmer evenings of the year. And, if I’m honest with myself these “bird watching” sessions have provided some wonderful photo ops like these from the other evening:
It’s both relaxing and challenging at the same time. I’m always perched on the edge of my chair, constantly checking my camera settings with the ever-changing bird activity and lighting.
So, I guess you could say I fall into the “bird watching” category. Maybe it’s time I brushed up on the different bird species in the area and join up with a bird watching group. Nah, I’ll just hang out with our backyard wildlife.
So, what about you? Are you a “bird watcher” or “watcher of birds?”
Until next time,
~donna
Bee & Pink Rhododendron, Blank, Notecard Set
I don’t know about you, but I have a bad case of Spring Fever (literally and figuratively) when I look at this photo. It was a lucky shot in more ways than one. Lucky, I caught the bumble bee approaching the bloom and lucky I didn’t get stung in the process!
The story behind this flower? It’s part of two HUGE rhododendron bushes my father transplanted from a friend’s home in Mt. Mitchell, NC. Some 40+ years later these bushes/shrubs/trees are still thriving in his backyard.
I took this particular photo last season after spending about 10 – 15 minutes chasing the bumble bee around, snapping photo after photo until I thought I might have the right shot! Once I looked over the photos, I knew this needed to be on a notecard!
Each notecard set includes 8 notecards/envelopes and are packaged in a cream colored, organza, drawstring gift bag.
Keep for yourself or give as a gift, this notecard set will brighten anyone’s day!
Donna Robinson Photography 