Nature – Page 3 – Wandering Dawgs

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #358 – Live and Learn

July 29, 2025Posted in Birds, Nature, PhotographyTagged Lens-Artists, Live and learn, Photo Challenge35 Comments

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.

Many thanks to Tina for this challenge Lens-Artists #358 – Live and Learn

For information on how to join the Len-Artists challenge please click here.

Every Day is a Gift.

Sunday Stills – Feathers

July 22, 2025Posted in Birds, Nature, PhotographyTagged Coastal Georgia, Egret, Feathers, Georgia on my mind, Photo Challenge, Sunday Stills, wood stork25 Comments

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.

Wood Stork in Coastal Georgia

Can anyone identify this little bird I spied on a high tree branch?

Many thanks to Terri for her Sunday Stills challenge Fine Feathered Friends

Every Day is a Gift

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #357 – Into the Woods

July 21, 2025July 21, 2025Posted in Georgia, Nature, PhotographyTagged Forest Bathing, Georgia Marsh Hammock, Into the Woods, Lens-Artists, Maritime Forest, Nature, Photo Challenge, Trees35 Comments

This week Egidio challenges us to go Into the Woods for some Forest Bathing. He tells us “Shinrin-yoku is a concept that was developed in Japan in the 1980s as a form of natural therapy and stress relief. In English, it is translated as “forest bathing” or immersing oneself in a forest atmosphere. It is a way to allow all your senses to experience nature mindfully.” His challenge is to show how we do forest bathing in our corner of the world.

I think I was “”forest bathing” before I knew what it was. I just know that I love the quiet of being in the woods. I feel peaceful and calm when I stand in the woods surrounded by trees.

I think that I shall never see, A poem lovely as a tree. – Joyce Kilmer

The trees in my home state of Georgia vary depending on where you are in the state. In coastal Georgia the common trees are pine trees, oaks, palmettos, and palm trees. The featured image is of a maritime forest on Jekyll Island. The following gallery was taken on a Georgia marsh hammock near my neighborhood. Wood Storks are one of the many wading birds that are seen on the trees here.

The Okefenokee Swamp in south Georgia is filled with Cypress trees. Seeing these ancient trees from a boat makes me feel like I have stepped back in time.

*Cypress Trees in the Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia*

Sweet Gum, Winged Sumac, Maple, Sycamore, Pine, and Water Oaks are just a few of the trees that I see when walking in the woods of middle Georgia. The landscape changes with seasons. No matter what the season I feel a sense of serenity in these woods.

*Wild Dogwoods bloom in the spring in the Georgia woods*

Many thanks to last week’s guest host SH for his challenge of Quiet Hours. Your responses to the challenge took me to many beautiful quiet places. I hope you will join us next week as Tina leads us in our next Lens-Artists challenge on Saturday, July 26 at noon Eastern Time.

Many thanks to Egidio for this challenge Lens-Artists #357 – Into the Woods

For information on how to join the Len-Artists challenge please click here.

Every Day is a Gift.

Cellpic Sunday – Bloody Point Beach

June 29, 2025June 29, 2025Posted in Nature, Photography, South CarolinaTagged beach, Bloody Point, Cellpic Sunday, Daufuskie Island, Island, summer10 Comments

A beautiful summer day on Daufuskie Island, South Carolina.

Bloody Point Beach, Daufuskie Island, South Carolina

Shared with John’s Cellpic Sunday

Also shared with Debbie’s One Word Sunday – Summer

Sunday Stills – Sunrises and Sunsets

June 24, 2025Posted in Nature, PhotographyTagged great outdoors, Photo Challenge, Sunday Stills, Sunrise, sunrise/sunset, sunset27 Comments

June is Outdoors Month and this month Terri’s Sunday Stills challenges are all focused on the great outdoors. This challenge is Sunrises and Sunsets in the great outdoors.

The featured image and the next one are of recent sunsets in my neighborhood in coastal Georgia. The rest are from various places around the United States.