I was getting ready to make a trip to the grocery store yesterday when one of my friends texted me to let me know there were Roseate Spoonbills in some trees by the side of the road on the way out of our neighborhood.
I grabbed my camera and my telephoto lens before I left home and hoped the birds would still be there. Lucky me! Two of them were still still around.
Roseate Spoonbill
Roseate Spoonbill
It’s always a special treat to see these pink beauties here in coastal Georgia. I’m grateful to my friend who let me know where they were.
For this challenge Ritva asks us “Where is your serene sanctuary?” She challenges us to explore and connect with our own personal feelings.
After recent arthroscopic knee surgery I haven’t been able to go out to take many photos. Instead, I’ve had plenty of quiet moments in my own backyard. Watching the full moon rise from our back deck is a peaceful way to end the day. The featured image is of the August full moon.
I find peace sitting on our deck looking for hummingbirds at the feeder and butterflies in the garden. The hummingbirds will stay at the feeder for a while if I am very still and quiet.
Gulf Fritillary butterflies are frequent visitors to my garden this time of year. I love to watch them fly from flower to flower. Taking photos of them requires quiet and patience.
Last week Anne took us on a virtual scavenger hunt and the responses were very creative and fun. Be sure to check back on Saturday, September 13 at noon Eastern Time when Egidio will be hosting our next challenge.
Thanks Ritva for this beautiful challenge. I hope you will join in for this week’s challenge. Be sure to tag your post with Lens-Artists and include a link back to Ritva’s Lens-Artists #364 – Quiet Moment
For information on how to join the Len-Artists challenge please click here.
Tina’s challenge is Live and Learn. Tina reminds us of the importance of continuing to learn new things as we age. Here is her challenge:“Show me some of the things you’ve learned about photography or any subject you choose. Do you learn by doing as I do, or are you one who learns from classes, or online, or through working with others?”
I’ve never taken a photography class. I learn by doing and by experimenting and by making plenty of mistakes.
Some of the most important things I’ve learned in my photography journey is to always be prepared with batteries charged, space on the memory card, and a clean camera and lenses.
One of the most important editing techniques I have learned is how to crop. When we spotted this bear on the side of the road I didn’t have much time to frame the shot. I cropped the photo and edited the colors to achieve the final image shown here.
One of the reasons I keep participating in the weekly Lens-Artists challenges is because it helps me to learn new things about photography. These photos illustrate some of the photography tips and techniques I’ve learned.
The featured image uses a Bokeh technique. I learned from one of Sofia’s challenges that In photography, a Bokeh is the blurred or out of focus background in a photo. I frequently use this effect when photographing flowers.
When photographing wildlife, always focus on the eyes
I learned about Zooming from one of Anne’s challenges.
Fill the Frame
Leading Lines
Rule of Thirds
Last week Egidio took us Into the Woods for some Forest Bathing. I enjoyed all of the wonderful responses. Be sure to check back on Saturday, August 2 at noon Eastern Time when John will be hosting our next challenge.
Terri’s latest Sunday Stills challenge of Feathers inspired me to get out and take a few bird photos early yesterday morning. The featured image was taken in January on Jeklyll Island, Georgia. The rest were taken yesterday.
Great Egret in Coastal Georgia
Wood Stork in Coastal Georgia
Can anyone identify this little bird I spied on a high tree branch?
Anne’s challenge is Reflections. She shared many beautiful examples of reflections and also shared some good advice on how to capture a reflection. Thanks also go out to Leeanne Cole for sharing her tips and images.
I often find reflections in water. I’ll start with a gallery of birds reflected in water.
Reflections at sunsetReflections of Cypress Trees in LouisianaReflections of trees in South GeorgiaPurple reflection of a bridge across the Mississippi River in New Orleans a few days before Mardi-Gras
Mirrors are a great way to photograph reflections even if you didn’t mean to get a reflection of yourself.
Thank you to everyone who responded to my first Lens-Artists challenge. The topic was stormy and I had a lot of fun reading all the responses and seeing all of the amazing stormy weather images from around the world. Next week Ann-Christine is leading the challenge so be sure to look for her post on Saturday, June 28 at noon Eastern Time. And as always, please remember that Every Day is a Gift.
Wandering Dawgs 