Lens Artists Photo Challenge #381 – Minimalism in Black and White photography

Ritva has challenged us to combine minimalism and black and white photography. She tells us “This week, I encourage you to embrace this artistic fusion and challenge yourself to capture images that marry minimalism and black and white.” To help us get started she says to “Aim for simplicity by eliminating unnecessary elements. Harsh light reveals structure while soft light creates mood, and contrasting blacks and whites deliver a striking visual impact.”

This is my first try at using minimalism in my photos. I had fun creating these images and hope that I succeeded in meeting the challenge.

Sometimes colorful flowers look better when converted to black and white. Removing distractions by replacing the background with pure black allows the viewer to focus on the details of the flowers.

The next two images were found on the sand at the beach. I removed the sandy background with solid colors to create the minimalist images.

The final image uses negative space to focus on the surfer in the water.

Waiting for the perfect wave.

Thank you to everyone who participated in Anne’s challenge last week. I enjoyed all the places you took us as you showed us your walks around the corner.

Many thanks to Ritva for her challenge Lens-Artists #381: Minimalism in Black and White. I hope you will join us for her challenge. Be sure to tag your post with Lens-Artists and link back to Ritva’s post.

Be sure to check back on Saturday, January 24 at noon eastern time when Egidio will be hosting our next challenge.

You can learn more about how to join the Lens-Artists challenges here.

Every Day is a Gift

Sunday Stills – Monthly Color: Aquamarine and Icy Blues

Terri’s latest Sunday Stills color challenge is to feature the colors Aquamarine and Icy Blue.

When I think of the color aquamarine I think of warm sunny beaches and tropical seas so I chose some images from the Caribbean and one from Hawaii.

Aquamarine water in St. Lucia
North shore of Oahu, Hawaii

Far away from the warm Caribbean is another of my favorite places, Alaska. During our travels there we saw the icy blues of many Glaciers.

Glacier Blue in the Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska
Glacier Blue in ice floating in the waters around Columbia Glacier, Alaska

Many thanks to Terri for her Sunday Stills challenge Icy Blues and Aquamarine

The Flower Hour – Pink Camellia

I go out every day to check my camellia bushes to see if there are any new blooms. I see a few more every day. This pink blossom is my favorite so far.

Many thanks to Terri for this week’s Flower Hour challenge The Flower Hour#13: Desert Florals

Terri posts a new Flower Hour Weekly challenge every Tuesday. If you want to join in the challenge you can find out more about it here.

The Flower Hour – First Camellia

The first camellia of the season bloomed a few days after Christmas. There are several camellia bushes in my garden that are covered with buds that will soon be opening.

Many thanks to Terri for this week’s Flower Hour challenge The Flower Hour: Yellow Trumpet Flower

Terri posts a new Flower Hour Weekly challenge every Tuesday. You can find out more about this challenge here.

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #379 – Favorite Images of 2025

Happy New Year!

Once again the Lens-Artists team is starting the new year by asking our followers to share their favorite images of 2025. Your images can be from a previous post or ones you’ve never shared before but they must have been taken in 2025. There is no single host for this challenge. The entire team is sharing the challenge.

In 2025 we went on a Mississippi River cruise, took a few short road trips, and had fun in New Mexico at my nephew’s wedding. When we weren’t wandering we enjoyed being at home in Coastal Georgia. Here are a few of my favorite images from the year.

January

The year began with a rare coastal Georgia snow storm. The featured image of a cardinal in the snow is one my favorites from the year. Later in the month we made a short trip to Jekyll Island.

Sidney Lanier Bridge, Brunswick, Georgia
Sidney Lanier Bridge, Brunswick, Georgia

February

We flew to New Orleans to begin a Mississippi River cruise.

Twin bridges over the Mississippi River lit up for Mardi Gras

March, April and May at home

Spring Azaleas

Morning Marsh

May Magnolia blossoms

June

We celebrated my birthday with a boat trip to Daufuskie Island, South Carolina.

Bloody Point, Daufuskie Island, South Carolina

July

We celebrated our 55th anniversary in Darien, Georgia.

Shrimp boats in Darien, Georgia

August and September in the Garden

Gulf Fritillary

Green Anole

October

We had a fun trip to New Mexico for my nephew’s wedding and enjoyed seeing the beautiful Sandia Mountains.

Sandia Mountains, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Sandia Mountains, Albuquerque, New Mexico

November

The November morning skies were amazing.

November Morning

December

The holiday decorations always add to the fun of the season.

Festive Holiday lights

I hope you will join us in the challenge by sharing your favorite photos of 2025. I’m looking forward to seeing your responses. Be sure to use the Lens-Artists tag in your post and include a link to this post or any member of the Lens-Artists team.

Be sure to check back on Saturday, January 10 at noon eastern time when Anne will be hosting our next challenge.

You can learn more about how to join the Lens-Artists challenges here.