Photowalk...on the boardwalk

"People take pictures of the Summer...just in case someone thought they missed it...and to prove that it really existed."  ~Ray Davies

I love going to the boardwalk...it's a great place to go on a photowalk.  I used some of the different filters and effects from radlab on most of my photos...radlab is awesome.  I also used textures from Kim Klassen on my photos as well...Kim Klassen is awesome too!

Remember this...

"Memory is the treasury and guardian of all things."   ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero

Seeing...   fresh red cherries sitting on the kitchen table, rinsed and ready to eat.

Smelling...    that lovely summer combination of chlorine and sunscreen on my son.

Hearing...   the neighing of the horses at the stables where my daughter takes her riding lessons.

Tasting...   A delicious salad made by a friend  (baby spinach leaves, goat chesse, white peaches, blueberries and cucumbers...drizzled with evoo and pear infused vinegar).

Feeling...  peace...as I walk along the shore with my feet in the sand & the gentle waves washing up around my legs.

These are some of the things that I want to remember about this past week...things that come to mind when I close my eyes and think about the last seven days...things that made me smile.


* Inspired by Andrea's (Hula Seventy) post here.  

Two word Tuesday...Infinite beauty

"At sunset... Nature is painting for us... day after day... pictures of infinite beauty." ~John Ruskiin

"It is almost impossible to watch a sunset and not dream."  ~Bern Williams

"Is it so small a thing to have enjoyed the sun at sunset?"  ~Matthew Arnold

Photowalk...on the beach

"The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach - waiting for a gift from the sea."  ~Anne Morrow Lindbergh

I went for a photowalk on the beach a few days ago ..of course, pretty much any time that I take a walk (or a bike ride) I have my camera with me so it winds up being a photowalk.  I started my walk around 6:30 in the evening and stayed for about an hour.  It was amazing the difference in the light between 6:30 and 7:30...and also whether you were facing east (towards the ocean) or west (towards the sunset)...or north or south.  I'm hoping to get to the beach this week to watch the sun rise over the ocean...I can't wait to see what the light looks like then!

Three word Thursday...Find the light

"Sunshine is my quest."     ~Winston Churchill

"Sometimes just looking up and seeing the light is enough."    ~Terri Guillemets

5 Questions...

"There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do." ~Freya Stark, The Journey's Echo

Try something new...

"Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out." ~James Bryant Conant

"It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves - in finding themselves." ~André Gide

"To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself." ~Soren Kierkegaard

Taking a risk doesn't have to be something big like jumping out of an airplane or bungee jumping.  It can be something small...like trying something different with your photography. Anything that gets you out of your comfort zone counts. 

I experimented today at the beach...I purposely took pictures that were blown out (the top photos).  I set my ISO to 3200 and my f/stop was f/4.0 and my shutter speed was 1/4000 sec.  Then in Photoshop Elements I played around a bit to bring some of the color back in.  I wouldn't want to do all my pictures this way, but I kind of liked the way these turned out.  It was fun!

Have fun...take a risk...put yourself out there...give it a try...don't worry about failing...go for it!

Believe you can fly...

“The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it.”
 ~ J.M. Barrie  (Peter Pan) 

Believe that you can. 
Live your dream.
Think positive.
Work hard.
Never give up hope.
Be awesome.
Have faith.
Follow your heart.
Be brave.
Ask for help.
Take baby steps.
Or take a giant leap.
Enjoy the journey.
Find your voice.
Let your light shine.
Fly.

Spectacular joy...

"Eating is not merely a material pleasure. Eating well gives a spectacular joy to life and contributes immensely to goodwill and happy companionship. It is of great importance to the morale."   ~Elsa Schiaparelli

Still loving the farmers market!  We made one of our "go to" summer  salads using the fresh veggies we got there the other day...it's a mediterranean orzo salad.  All you need to do is cook the orzo and then just chop up two green peppers, a red onion, some grape tomatoes, a cucumber or two, kalamata olives, mild banana peppers and add crumbled feta cheese.  Toss it all together with Greek salad dressing (we love a brand called Gazebo Room) and it's done!  Fresh, light, easy and delicious.

The simple life...

"To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter; to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird's nest or a wildflower in spring - these are some of the rewards of the simple life."    ~John Burroughs

Who knew that Queen Anne's Lace was so beautiful?  Nature never ceases to amaze me.

ps...have I mentioned that I'm in love with my macro lens?