This week we are looking back to John’s challenge #151: On the Water from July 3, 2021. In his challenge he said “the theme On the Water encompasses whatever manner of water floats your boat (or doesn’t)”. You can see John’s original post here.
For this challenge, I look forward to seeing your interpretation of “On the Water”. The water can be rivers, creeks, lakes, ponds, oceans, puddles, swimming pools or water parks. Think about scenic views of water, people having fun on the water, watercraft on the water, macros of water drops, or animals, birds, and plants floating on the water.
When I responded to John’s original challenge I featured images of boats on the water. You can see my response to his challenge here.
In this first gallery are images of people having fun on the water floating in a salt water creek and floating down the lazy river at a water park in Florida.


The next gallery features a floating alligator surrounded by water lilies and two ducks on the water.


A float plane in Alaska, a boat selling hamburgers, and a dragon boat are all watercraft you don’t see every day.



The last gallery features a pilot boat as seen from the deck of a cruise ship, and a fleet of U.S. Coast Guard Ships in San Juan, Puerto Rico.


I’ll finish with a peaceful, deserted white sand beach, my favorite kind of place on the water.

Your challenge this week is to show anything on the water. You can choose to show watercraft, things floating, closeups of water, scenic water landscapes, or anything else you can think of. I hope you will join us for this week’s challenge. I can’t wait to see your responses. Be sure to tag your post with Lens-Artists and include a link back to this post.
Last week your responses to John’s “History Through the Lens” challenge were wonderful. I enjoyed all of the images and learned a lot from your posts. Thank you to everyone who joined the challenge..
Be sure to check back on Saturday, May 2 at noon eastern time when Ann-Christine will be hosting the challenge.
You can receive our weekly challenges by subscribing to the Lens-Artists team members websites: Tina, Patti, Ann-Christine, John, Sofia, Anne, Egidio, Ritva, Beth.
For information on how to join the Lens-Artists challenge please click here.
Every Day is a Gift

Well, plenty to see in your views of on the water! Will start to think about my post, sure I can find a few images
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Thanks Sue! It was hard for me to choose just a few images. I’m looking forward to seeing your response.
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Working on it now!
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Love the gator!
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Thanks Pam! That gator was in the Okefenokee Swamp.
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Beautiful collection of images Beth. My favourite is your last one too, there is something about a beach with the sand, water, sky, its so peaceful! WOW your previous post, the first two boats are incredible! Two beautiful collection of images.
This is the perfect inspirational post for a darker dreary day that it is where I am! I will be back to share my on the water images!
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Pamela, thanks for visiting both of my posts! I hope you soon have sunshine to brighten your day! Looking forward to seeing your response.
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Great variety of images. This is a popular topic, prepare to be deluged.
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Thanks Dawn! I can’t wait to see your response!
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Amazing photography, Beth. I love the ocean and wayer theme, and you have presented some fine examples. I love the serene ocean view of Ft. Pickens National Seashore.
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Thanks Suzette! So glad you like the images.
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I love this, Beth! Your images of fun on the water are so fun to see! Awesome job on these captures! I can make your prompt work for next week’s Flower Hour post!
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Thanks Terri! I can’t wait to see your Flower Hour post!
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Wonderful collection Beth.
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Thank you so much!
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I will try real hard not to overload my response with images on the water… >grin<
You might guess my favorite is that Alaskan float Plane, and the second, that pilot boat by the cruise ship.
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Thanks John! The hardest part of creating this challenge was limiting the number of photos to include! I’m glad you like the float plane and the pilot boat.
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A terrific look back Beth – loved how both of your challenge for the subject are so different but both hit the nail on the head perfectly! This week my favorites are your opener, the burger boat (who knew?!) and the coast guard ships. Great variety too!
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PS. my response is here https://travelsandtrifles.wordpress.com/2026/04/25/lens-artists-395-looking-back-to-155-on-the-water/
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Tha alligator, float plane, hamburger joint, and ocean beach are my favs, Beth. I have so many water based photos, I wouldn’t have a clue where to start with this challenge! I used float planes on occasion when I lived in Alaska. They were the only reasonable way to get into remote locations.
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Thanks Curt! I’m glad you liked the images. Lucky you being able to ride in a float plane in Alaska.
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Nice challenge and examples, Beth. My entry here:
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Thanks PR! Thanks for your beautiful response to the challenge,
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Wow! Great gallery and options to join this challenge. Here’s my entry:
https://throughbrazilianeyes.com/stillness-on-the-water-a-quartet-of-south-padre-herons/
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Egidio, thank you! Your response to the challenge is beautiful!
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What a great challenge and photos Beth! There are so many ways to go and so many possible photos. You’ve given me a job to do!
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Thanks Anne! I’m looking forward to your response.
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Love this challenge, Beth, and you’ve given us such a wide variety of examples.
The first couple of images, to me, are perfect examples of crowds that would probably give me a challenge just to be amongst the noise and lack of personal space. With the last image in this post being my idea of perfection.
I don’t really like crowds, be it outdoors or indoors. I could watch the ducks for hours though.
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Thank you Vicki! I’m not a fan of being in a crowd either. I was on dry land having fun watching all of the people floating in the creek that day. I’m glad you liked the quiet beach and the ducks.
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Oh this was a fun challenge to look back over the last year – https://yourlifeasartphotography.com/2026/04/25/lens-artists-challenge-395-on-the-water-151/
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Thanks Pam! Thanks for sharing your happy memories!
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Lovely examples and this challenge is “right up my alley”!
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Thanks Lindy! I’m looking forward to seeing your response.
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Oh Beth, wonderful examples. I particularly love the photo of the blue floaters taken from above. Here is mine https://wanderingteresa.com/on-the-water/
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Thanks Teresa. A short time after I took that image of people floating down the lazy river a Florida afternoon thundershower closed the park. Thanks for your beautiful response to the challenge.
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Oh Beth, wonderful examples. I particularly love the photo of the blue floaters taken from above. Here is mine https://wanderingteresa.com/on-the-water/
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I can’t believe how busy that first photo is! Give me an empty beach, any day. Happy Sunday, Beth xx
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Jo, I’m with you. I’d rather have an empty beach, too. I did enjoy watching all of the people floating in the creek that day. Happy Sunday to you, too!
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A challenge that is so me…love the joys water can bring. So many lovely images shared here, such joyous images the first one.
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Thanks Ritva! I was a spectator on land the day I took the photos of the people floating in the creek. Everyone was having a great time on a beautiful summer day.
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Well , this was definitely a popular prompt, judging by the number of responses! here’s mine: https://suejudd.com/2026/04/26/lens-artists-photo-challenge-395-looking-back-to-151-on-the-water/
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Thank you Sue! I really enjoyed your wonderful response to the challenge.
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Yipppee!
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A beautiful gallery Beth, I especially love the deserted white sand beach 💛 Our contribution for this week’s lovely challenge is here: https://tranature.com/2026/04/26/silent-sunday-the-bullers-of-buchan/
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I’m so glad you enjoyed the images and the white sand beach. Thank you for your beautiful response to the challenge.
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Wonderful water photos, Beth. The people floating on the lazy river is nicely composed with its zigzagging inner tubers. 🙂
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Jane, thank you! I couldn’t resist capture the people floating in the lazy river. I’m glad you like the image.
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Nice choices Beth…that last shot of the deserted beach, so inviting 🙂
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“I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky…” Thanks for posting this challenge. It brought back so many memories. Especially the innertube people enjoying the water and the day with friends. I love the beauty of the national seashore photo. That’s probably where I would be. my contribution is here: Lens Artist Challenge #395 – Revisiting “On the Water” (#155) | The View From Here
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I love the variety of your shots, Beth. Truly inspirational and excellent guidance for the challenge. Normally the nature ones would be my favourites, but this time I love them all.
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Here’s mine:
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A wonderful challenge with great variety possible! You show us them all – beautifully. The floating children brought back memories of all those water playgrounds we visited with the children – every year – and they were real “fishes” in the water then.
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