Snow Walk

Here are a few pictures taken over the course of 3 days, with varying amounts of snow on the ground. These were all taken in the neighborhood where I live, in north Seattle:

'Beached'
It amused me to see this rowboat beached on the sidewalk in my neighborhood...

'Snow Block'
I love the shapes, shadows, highlights, and texture here...

'Snow Drops IV'
Snow melting off of branches, in between snowfalls, just before sunset...

'Ice Nest'
I was intrigued with the little ball of ice centered so perfectly over the lichens on this branch...

'Fire Hydrant'
I am fond of old, peeling, rusted fire hydrants...

'Snow & Lighted Tree'
I love the lights on this tree. It looked so magical in the twilight and snow...

'A Good Day for Sailing'
On one of my walks, I encountered a yard with about a dozen whirligigs of every variety, on top of their fence. This one was my favorite, and seemed nicely symbolic against the blue of the sky. 

I hope you have enjoyed these. I will probably be adding some more snow pictures very soon.

Blessings,
Linda

Golden Gardens Contrast: 2011 & 2012

Here is the last photo I took in 2011, on December 31st, at Golden Gardens beach, of a Blue Heron.

I could not believe that s/he let me get this close. There was no zoom lens or telephoto involved here. I really was that close to the heron! I was on my knees, so to look less tall and scary, and could not believe how blessed I was to have this experience!

I do not recommend, by the way, marching up close to any wild animal or bird! Please be safe and respectful! I moved very slowly and gradually, wearing soft, dark colors, and was watching for signs of agitation or aggression from the heron the whole time....

Blue Heron

Here is another shot from Golden Gardens, taken a week ago, after a long walk: This shot was taken in daylight, with the sun coming through the branches of the tree. Rather than using special lenses or filters, this shot was simply taken through the lens of my sunglasses! It pays to experiment with whatever toys or tools are handy. I love the haunting, dreamy quality of this photograph...

Dreaming Tree

My 2012 Submissions for Spindrift Art and Literary Journal

My photographs have been published in Spindrift Art and Literary Journal for the last two years running. I hope to continue this trend on into the future! Here are my final choices for submissions to the 2012 issue of Spindrift:

'Angel with Wings' 
The effects in this image were largely created in a studio, but Photoshop played its part as well...

'Dad's Hands'
This was a classic activity of my dad's, before his stroke...

'Light Through Veins'
Taken at the University of Washington's Botany Greenhouse...

'Solitude Sunset Waters II'
This sunset was extraordinary. I was especially interested in the way Puget Sound looked blue-purple, but the swirl of water on the beach picked up the peach tones of the sky...

'White Koi I'
I have come to have a fascination with Koi. They absolutely blaze with color, as a rule, yet this one was the most lovely, shimmery white.

It was tough to choose just 5 photos for submission. Here were my secondary choices, which I reluctantly eliminated:

'Duck with Swirls'
It really gave me a pang to leave this guy behind. I love the gold swirls, which are actually the reflections of gold autumnal leaves...

'Lifeblood III'
Another shot from the UW Botany Greenhouse, same kind of plant. Same pang in leaving it behind. I love water and water droplets, and the combination of that with the delicate white hairs and crimson veins make this shot one of my favorites...

'Seeking Food II'
Another fond shot of Koi fish. This really shows their bright, blazing colors. Lusty appetites. I thought they were going to eat my camera... 

'Semicircles'
This is a quieter, more meditative shot. I like the texture of the waves coming in, in semicircles, balanced against the semicircle of the stones on the beach...

'Sunset with Sentinels'
Boy oh boy was it tough to eliminate this one. I did not think I could go with two different sunset shots, and so, ultimately, I loved the other one better. Barely. 

Which of these are your favorite shots? Would you have made the choices I made? Photo editing is so very subjective. One thing is clear though, I have a water theme running strongly throughout the collection!


Thanks for looking! 

Blessings,
Linda