Lens Artists Photo Challenge #397 – Texture

Anne’s challenge is to show images where texture plays an integral part. She tells us “Texture helps my two-dimensional examples have a three-dimensional quality.”

For me, the beach is a place of many textures. In some places the sand is soft, and others the powerful wave action of the ocean crushes the shells creating a rough texture that’s not fun to walk on in bare feet.

Broken shells on the beach

Powerful ocean waves can also create these smooth rocks

Driftwood on the beach becomes weathered by the elements creating a rough texture on the wood. Barnacles can attach themselves to the driftwood creating a crusty texture. Running your had along these sharp barnacles could easily cause you to get a cut.

Driftwood

Barnacles on driftwood

Salt air, wind, rain and the heat from the sun can cause wooden structures like piers and docks and even homes to become cracked and dried out creating a rough texture. Watch out for splinters if you rub the wood with your fingers.

Weathered wood deck on Tybee Pier

I didn’t see this rabbit at the beach but I’ll finish with the soft texture of the fur of a cottontail rabbit.

Cottontail Rabbit

Last week your responses to Ann-Christine’s Illustrated Quotes challenge were fun and inspirational. Thank you to everyone who joined the challenge..

Many thanks to Anne for this week’s challenge. If you would like to join the challenge please be sure to tag your post with Lens-Artists and include a link back to her post Lens-Artists #397: Texture.

Be sure to check back on Saturday, May 16 at noon eastern time when Ritva will be your host for 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.

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #396 – Pick a Favorite Quote and Illustrate it

This week Ann-Christine’s challenge is Pick a Favorite Quote and Illustrate it. We can choose one quote accompanied with a maximum of five pictures or a maximum of five quotes illustrated with one picture each. She asks us to “Make us ”feel”your quote(s) in pictures!”

My first quote is one of my favorite sayings. I have a plaque on my kitchen wall to remind me of it’s message every day. Seeing the sunrise is a beautiful gift to start a new day.

“Yesterday is History

Tomorrow a Mystery

Today is a Gift

That’s why we call it the Present”

— Anonymous

The next quote reminds me to live life to the fullest. One of my greatest adventures was flying in a small plane over mountains and glaciers in Alaska and seeing Mt. Denali from the air. I’m not a fan of flying in small planes!

“Life is either a great adventure or nothing” — Helen Keller

Almost twenty years ago volunteers on Tybee Island planted Oak Trees to help celebrate the 120th anniversary of Tybee Island. Today the trees are thriving and getting taller every year.

“What does he plant who plants a tree?
   He plants, in sap and leaf and wood,
In love of home and loyalty
   And far-cast thought of civic good—
   His blessings on the neighborhood,
      Who in the hollow of His hand
      Holds all the growth of all our land—
A nation’s growth from sea to sea
Stirs in his heart who plants a tree.”

— “The Heart of the Tree” by Henry Cuyler Bunner

The final two quotes and images need no explanation.

“If there is a heaven for me, I’m sure it has a beach attached” — Jimmy Buffett

“Some old fashioned things like fresh air and sunshine are hard to beat” — Laura Ingals Wilder

It was my pleasure to host last week’s challenge. Your responses took us all around the world with fantastic images On the Water. You wowed us with all types of water from puddles to mighty oceans, peaceful landscapes and thundering waterfalls. The variety of animals, people, and plants on the water were great. Thank you to everyone who joined the challenge..

Many thanks to Ann-Christine for this fun challenge Lens-Artists Challenge #396: Pick a Favorite Quotes and Illustrate It.

Be sure to check back on Saturday, May 9 at noon eastern time when Anne 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.

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #395 – Looking back to #155 On the Water

This week we are looking back to John’s challenge #155: 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.

Ft. Pickens National Seashore, Florida

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.

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #389 – Time to Relax

Anne’s challenge is Time to Relax. For this challenge she is looking back to the challenge from July of 2018. She asks us “But what relaxes you? What gets you away from the stresses of daily life. What’s your passion?”

This challenge couldn’t come at a better time. I haven’t been able to travel or go on photo excursions for several months due to health issues. My husband and I were badly in need of a break. We finally were able to go for a short two day getaway this week The beach is my happy place and being by the ocean is my favorite place to relax so we chose Jekyll Island for our destination.

Jekyll Island became a Georgia State Park in 1947. The island is managed by the Jekyll Island Authority. Most of the island is undeveloped to preserve the natural beauty of the maritime forests. There are 24 miles of bike trails, miles of beach with several parking lots and picnic areas, a beautiful National Historic Landmark District, wildlife, hotels and restaurants, and a golf course.

We like to stay off interstates so we took a leisurely drive south to Jekyll Island on the Coastal Highway, also known as US Highway 17. Our goal for the trip was to kick back, relax and not have an agenda. We succeeded!

We stopped for a lunch of wild caught Georgia Shrimp at Skippers in Darien. I had to take some photos of diamond back terrapins in a pond just outside the restaurant.

Diamond Back Terrapins in Darien, Georgia

Our room had a balcony overlooking the pool and maritime forest. Beyond the trees is the Atlantic Ocean, Other guests were relaxing by the pool while we were relaxing on our balcony.

The hotel pool was a great place for guests to relax

I enjoyed seeing the ocean and hearing the waves when we walked out on a walkway too the beach. There were only a few others relaxing on the beach on this warm, sunny March day.

I couldn’t resist capturing this guy chill-axing at the beach.

This cardinal was easy to spot in the tree.

The next day we visited the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, the only turtle education and rehabilitation facility in Georgia.

Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island

The beaches on Jekyll Island are a great place for a relaxing family vacation.

Thank you to everyone who shared you memorable journeys for Ann-Christine’s challenge Journey in 5 to 10 images.

Many thanks to Anne for this week’s challenge. If you would like to join the challenge please be sure to tag your post with Lens-Artists and include a link back to Anne’s post Lens-Artists #389: Time to Relax.

Be sure to check back on Saturday, March 21 at noon eastern time when Egidio will be hosting the challenge

If you don’t want to miss any of our challenges you may want to think about subscribing to the Lens-Arrists team members websites: Tina, Patti, Ann-Christine, John, Sofia, Anne, Egidio, Ritva, Beth.

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

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #387 – Shadowed

Our host John described his challenge like this: “Shadows evoke mystery, wonder, nostalgia, and even a touch of fright. This week, consider how shadows shape your photos. Look for the places where light steps back. You can take a literal approach and photograph an actual shadow, or lean into contrast and mood—shapes, silhouettes, or scenes where darkness adds depth and character to your subject.”

The Keep Bar, Fernie Castle, Scotland

Blarney Castle Window, Ireland

Shadows on the Beach

Shadows under the Oaks

Shadows in the Snow

Shadows in the Swamp Trail, Silver Springs State Park

Shadows in a Cemetery

Thank you to Patti for last week’s challenge of the Power of Juxtaposition. Your responses were very creative.

Many thanks to John for this week’s challenge. If you would like to join the challenge please be sure to tag your post with Lens-Artists and include a link back to John’s post Lens-Artists #387: Shadowed.

Be sure to check back on Saturday, March 7 at noon eastern time when Ann-Christine will be hosting the challenge.

If you don’t want to miss any of our challenges you may want to think about subscribing to the Lens-Arrists team members websites: Tina, Patti, Ann-Christine, John, Sofia, Anne, Egidio, Ritva, Beth.

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