Lens Artists Challenge – The Road (Most Often)Taken

John is leading this week’s topic. The idea is that we are to share photos in our favorite style or type of photography. I lean mostly to all things nature and beach. I also love macro photography.

Lucky for me, I have always lived near a beach. I find the time spent there is both peaceful and restorative.

Nature brings us much beauty to appreciate. I especially enjoy watching and photographing birds when I am out and about.

With macro photography, there is fascinating detail that is brought to life. Many times, I see something on the computer in the photo that I did not see while I was taking the picture like the falling flower in the first photo below and the tiny hairs on the stem in the second photo.

These are my roads most travelled, photographically speaking. I hope you enjoyed them!

Project 365 – February 26 – March 4, 2023

It’s hard to believe March is here already. I’m loving the new blooms and the buds on the trees.

Lenten Roses

New blossoms on a tree

Foggy morning abstract

At the beach

Goldfinch still in winter plumage

Tiny flower

First sighting of a pollinator

Lens Artists Challenge

This week Amy is leading us on a East Meets West or North Meets South challenge. I have not been to any foreign countries so I decided to share photos of the eastern and western part of North Carolina. Every fall, we go to the western part of the state for leaf peeping. Last fall we visited Skyline Drive (in Virginia) then made our way to the Great Smokies which is on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee.

While I love our fall travels, I am so glad our permanent home is surrounded by water and near beaches. These photos are from the Outer Banks (Nags Head), Hatteras Island and the Albemarle Sound.

Lens Artists Challenge – A One Lens Walk

This week Anne wants us to “take a lens for a walk.” I have 3 favorites that I use on a regular basis. First up is the canon 24-105mm. I use this one primarily for family and pet photos.

But is also works nicely for landscape photos.

My next go-to lens is the canon 100-400mm. If I’m trying to photograph birds or distant subjects, this is the lens that I use.

Although the 100-400 is not a macro lens, it works well for close up photography as long as I can maintain the minimum focusing distance. For this reason, I will more often than not take this heavy but useful lens on hikes.

The last lens that I use regularly is my canon 100mm macro which is absolutely my favorite! I love bringing detail to life. Early in my career as a clinical laboratory technologist, I discovered that I loved microscopy. Being able to see red cells, white cells, platelets, bacteria and fungi close up was fascinating to me. Below are 2 macro images with the 100.

The 100mm macro also serves as a great prime lens which is something I need to remember more often.

As my love for macro photography grew over the years, I investigated getting into microscopic photography. Deciding that it might be too expensive, instead I purchased the canon MPE 65mm which is a 1X – 5X macro. It is full manual, requires great light and absolutely no movement of subject or camera. It’s great for rainy days when I don’t want to walk.

Thanks Anne for a great challenge!

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Feathers

Cee’s topic this weeks is Feathers which can be on the bird or not. I have one of each that I took last year.

Trapped in the grass

This little finch flew into our screened in porch while the door was open. It was pretty upset but settled long enough for me to snap this photo. I love the light on the tail feathers. I left the door open and it finally flew out.

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Circles and Curves

This female merganser created a nice circle in the water around herself.

If you would like to join these challenges, click here

Lens Artists Challenge – Minimalism/Maximalism

This week Sophia is hosting the challenge. The challenge is called Minimalism/Maximalism. It could also be Simplicity/Complexity or Sparce/Full.

This field of yellow flowers caught my eye. I would call this a maximalism photo although it could be considered simple since it is of one subject.

Moving in closer, there is more detail and less distraction in the photo

Even closer, allows for those little surprises

The following mockingbird photos show the min/max examples. I would call this a maximalism photo because the birds are not isolated – however it tells a story. The bottom bird has a little morsel in it’s beak and the top bird is eyeing as if to say “are you going to share that”?

The next one is more of a minimalist bird photo

Cropping can often give a busy photo a more minimalist or less busy look. I tend to use cropping quite a bit. Sometimes I will shoot a photo with the intention to crop and other times – the lens that I have doesn’t have the reach needed. These bluebird photos demonstrate this example.

Thanks Sophia for hosting this week’s challenge. Great topic!!

Bird Weekly – Birds Seen in Last 2 Weeks

Here are some of the sightings I have had recently. The first one is a cute little yellow rumped warbler.

The next one is a mallard resting comfortably on a tree stump

Last – here is a wren who decided to check out our house as a potential nesting place. I guess a photo of him/her should be place in the frame that it is on. (We were able to safely get it back outside).

If you would like to join these weekly posts – you can find the info here – https://oureyesopen.blog/2021/04/09/bird-weekly-photo-challenge-birds-seen-in-the-past-two-weeks/

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Birds

Here are Mr. and Mrs. Eastern Bluebird. Put out mealworms and they show up!!

Bird Weekly – Birds with “Butts in the Air”

This week we are sharing photos of birds with “bottoms up”. Here are a few that I have chosen for this week.

A laughing gull proudly showing tailfeathers.

I think this is a boattail grackle that we saw in Rincon Puerto Rico – if I have the ID incorrect – please let me know.

A cute little nuthatch hanging bottoms up.

If you would like to join in on this challenge – you can find the info here – https://oureyesopen.blog/2021/01/15/bird-weekly-photo-challenge-birds-with-butts-in-the-air/