Category: Color Photography

The Lonely Road

Color Photography
Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Old Route 19 11221” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

The old road stretches out before me like a lonely friend who has been too long without company. It seems to ask if I’d forgotten about all the places we used to go together. My old friend has been there on nights when I just needed to wander through and seen my home again. It’s shown me small miracles that stray from the cover of the forest and lay almost motionless in the tall grass with only the flick of a sensitive ear to give it’s hiding place away. It was the old road that turned myth into fact the day it showed me that the panthers still stalk the mountains. We sat together for several minutes. I with the passenger side window open just enough to see the eyes and long tail in the high grass. The driver and the old road were my only witnesses. The old roads know well my destination and talk to me in the sounds made by wheels in rain, slush and snow to let me know how fast or slow to go but on ice the road speaks very little and I have an abundance of caution if the road is silent. On mornings of travel the old roads always greet me with a smile in the rising sun. The same road bids me to rest well as I’m delivered home once more. And today, the road asks for one more adventure. One more day with no particular time to be anywhere. Just let the road pick the right place to be for a while. There’s life in the hills and the road knows where to find it.

Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.

Announcement:

I am adding additional social media to my network. Eventually, I’ll be leaving Facebook behind for a multitude of reasons. Even though the Lloyd’s Lens Photography page is strictly non-political I have been restricted from interacting with followers with no explanation for why. But it’s not just that. For years now Facebook has throttled content providers in general. They encourage us to grow our audience and then want to sell us back the access to them. In addition, they collect and sell the data from our interaction. So Facebook has become an entanglement of thorns. In response I have created the Lloyd’s Lens Photography Discussion Group on MeWe. We can still interact directly on the blog but starting today I’ll be looking for more platforms that respect the privacy of my followers and don’t limit who gets to see the post.

I want you to join my group on MeWe: https://mewe.com/join/lloydslensphotographydiscussiongroup

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Click here to visithttps://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simply use the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.

Clicking on the photo takes you tohttps://www.zazzle.com/lloydslensphotos?rf=238248269630914251

Lastly, all of the photos and writings are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographer

Thank you again for your support of my page!❤

The Stillness

Color Photography, winter
Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Grapevine In Winter 120220” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

The silent forest lays covered in ice. It’s so quiet that I can hear the individual snowflakes impact on dry leaves. No wind blows. No bird chirps. Just the steadily falling snow. Hanging before my eyes is a single dry leaf of a skeeping wild grapevine. They say that the deepest sleep is just before morning. I look around at the quiet woods and realize that I’m the only one who stirrs on the mountain. The deer would be bedded down in an evergreen thicket. The birds are all in their various nests. Beneath the hollow of a fallen tree a mother bear snuggles close to a cub. All of nature rebuilds its energy waiting for the change in the wavelength of the sunlight to signal the emergence. All things will be new again in just a few short weeks. For now, rest up and dream of the new days ahead.

Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.

Announcement:

I am adding additional social media to my network. Eventually, I’ll be leaving Facebook behind for a multitude of reasons. Even though the Lloyd’s Lens Photography page is strictly non-political I have been restricted from interacting with followers with no explanation for why. But it’s not just that. For years now Facebook has throttled content providers in general. They encourage us to grow our audience and then want to sell us back the access to them. In addition, they collect and sell the data from our interaction. So Facebook has become an entanglement of thorns. In response I have created the Lloyd’s Lens Photography Discussion Group on MeWe. We can still interact directly on the blog but starting today I’ll be looking for more platforms that respect the privacy of my followers and don’t limit who gets to see the post.

I want you to join my group on MeWe: https://mewe.com/join/lloydslensphotographydiscussiongroup

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Click here to visithttps://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simply use the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.

Clicking on the photo takes you tohttps://www.zazzle.com/lloydslensphotos?rf=238248269630914251

Lastly, all of the photos and writings are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographer

Thank you again for your support of my page!❤

Forage Friday #92 Heartleaf Foamflower

Color Photography, Forage Friday
Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Heartleaf Foamflower 40720a” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

Please remember that Forage Friday is presented as trivia and not to be mistaken for medical advice.

Mottled light spills over the forest floor in the little forest sanctuary on the edge of my property. I am knelt down on my knees and elbows as I focus in on the new growth that has appeared.

That was last April and I held back the images in the knowledge that from the end of January until about the end of March there was very few plants I could photograph. Plus I can post a few images well ahead of the coming Spring and give you my dear friends a little time to learn more before they emerge.

The Heartleaf Foamflower is a tiny but beautiful woodland wildflower. The leaves first began to appear in mid March on my mountain.

Image Titled “Heartleaf Foamflower 33120”. All photos found on my website are my original work unless otherwise specified and are available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

I first noticed this little clump around St. Patrick’s Day and by the end of the month it was forming flower buds. After such a long winter it’s a true joy to see something green and growing on my mountain. Normally my Forage Friday post is about wild edible or medicinal plants but there’s a psychological aspect of nature as well. Especially for hill people like myself. It’s not just the dark of October to the end of December but the lack of the fullness of the forest that brings me down a little. To see life in full bloom is really what I live for. It’s a source of contentment for me. But I digress.

I’m not aware of any edible uses for Foamflower. It’s listed as an evergreen and found in shady areas which means that it would probably adapt well as an indoor plant. It’s got a fairly low profile and grows in clusters.

Image Titled “Heartleaf Foamflower 40720b.”

The small flowers grow in spikes and really are quite pleasing to the eye. I think that they’re well suited for a native terrarium. For best results you’ll want to include living soil with anything you bring in out of the wild. Just be aware that you might have some insects or undesirable fungus in that soil and be prepared for dealing with it. Otherwise I think it would be a lovely idea.

Foamflower in general does have some medicinal value.

The Iroquois used the mashed roots to poultice on minor wounds and made a tea from the cured leaves to sooth sore eyes.

The Cherokee made an infusion with it for treating thrush.

Other uses are as a diuretic to flush out bladder infections and kidney stones.

That’s it for tonight. Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.

Announcement:

I am adding additional social media to my network. Eventually, I’ll be leaving Facebook behind for a multitude of reasons. Even though the Lloyd’s Lens Photography page is strictly non-political I have been restricted from interacting with followers with no explanation for why. But it’s not just that. For years now Facebook has throttled content providers in general. They encourage us to grow our audience and then want to sell us back the access to them. In addition, they collect and sell the data from our interaction. So Facebook has become an entanglement of thorns. In response I have created the Lloyd’s Lens Photography Discussion Group on MeWe. We can still interact directly on the blog but starting today I’ll be looking for more platforms that respect the privacy of my followers and don’t limit who gets to see the post.

I want you to join my group on MeWe: https://mewe.com/join/lloydslensphotographydiscussiongroup

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Click here to visithttps://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simply use the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.

Clicking on the photo takes you tohttps://www.zazzle.com/lloydslensphotos?rf=238248269630914251

Lastly, all of the photos and writings are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographer

Thank you again for your support of my page!❤

Things Are Just Ducky #17 It’s Tomorrow Already

Color Photography, Fiction Story, wildlife
Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “The Quiet Contemplation Of A Duck 122920” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

George the Mallard stood quietly on the muddy shore of the big lake. He looked at serine ripples on the water and listened to the whispers in the wind. “It’s seems like today was only a moment ago and now it’s tomorrow already. ” he thought to himself. The ripples continued to lap gently against the mud as he watched and thought about how how each little ripple washed away part of the place where he stood. He began to think about how temporary everything is. He thought about life and how temporary it was also. Then George had the greatest thought that had ever come to him. He realized that he was literally as free as a bird. He could do almost anything he wanted to. If felt like flying he would fly. If he felt like swimming then he would swim. He could nap when he felt like it and so on. Whatever it was that made him happy he could do so as long as he didn’t interfere with anyone else. One day the water would wash away the spot where he stood but it’s not today. He could choose happiness. Life is too short to stand still and watch the mud slip away when there’s nothing you can do to stop it. So why waste precious time being miserable?

Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.

Announcement:

I am adding additional social media to my network. Eventually, I’ll be leaving Facebook behind for a multitude of reasons. Even though the Lloyd’s Lens Photography page is strictly non-political I have been restricted from interacting with followers with no explanation for why. But it’s not just that. For years now Facebook has throttled content providers in general. They encourage us to grow our audience and then want to sell us back the access to them. In addition, they collect and sell the data from our interaction. So Facebook has become an entanglement of thorns. In response I have created the Lloyd’s Lens Photography Discussion Group on MeWe. We can still interact directly on the blog but starting today I’ll be looking for more platforms that respect the privacy of my followers and don’t limit who gets to see the post.

I want you to join my group on MeWe: https://mewe.com/join/lloydslensphotographydiscussiongroup

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Click here to visithttps://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simply use the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.

Clicking on the photo takes you tohttps://www.zazzle.com/lloydslensphotos?rf=238248269630914251

Lastly, all of the photos and writings are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographer

Thank you again for your support of my page!❤

Sunshine In My Pocket

Color Photography, wildlife
Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Pearl Crescent Butterfly 92520b” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

The winter wind howls mournfully outside of my house that’s nestled safely into the hillside of my Appalachian Mountains. I expect that this will be the last of the January snow. Typically the next significant snowfall will be around valentine’s day and then the deep cold just before the buds began to swell. As I’ve said before, I watch the very small changes which are insignificant to most people. But what to do in the meantime? Thankfully, I’ve still got some sunshine in my pocket that I’ve been holding back for just such an occasion. I pull up the image of the small Pearl Crescent Butterfly and look into it deeply. Now there’s a difference between looking at a photo and looking into it. Looking at a photo is like looking at a map. We get familiar with lines and colors and get a general overview of the scene. But looking into photo is to be transported to another world. I can feel the warmth of the sun filtering down through the deep green canopy of leaves. I smell the loamy humus soil and feel the breeze. Around me the mottled light seems to dance as the trees sway softly in the late summer climate. A small set of wings flash in the path and gently land on the daisy-like flowers. It’s a Pearl Crescent Butterfly and it’s barely an inch from wingtip to wingtip. It’s a great idea to never neglect the small blessings of life. They add up like nickels and dimes. In spite of it’s diminutive size the tiny butterfly is unafraid when I approach. It holds its wings flat as if to say “Look how beautiful I am today.” I knew at that moment it was a gift from God, a tiny drop of sunshine that I could tuck away to warm my soul on a cold winter night.

Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.

Announcement:

I am adding additional social media to my network. Eventually, I’ll be leaving Facebook behind for a multitude of reasons. Even though the Lloyd’s Lens Photography page is strictly non-political I have been restricted from interacting with followers with no explanation for why. But it’s not just that. For years now Facebook has throttled content providers in general. They encourage us to grow our audience and then want to sell us back the access to them. In addition, they collect and sell the data from our interaction. So Facebook has become an entanglement of thorns. In response I have created the Lloyd’s Lens Photography Discussion Group on MeWe. We can still interact directly on the blog but starting today I’ll be looking for more platforms that respect the privacy of my followers and don’t limit who gets to see the post.

I want you to join my group on MeWe: https://mewe.com/join/lloydslensphotographydiscussiongroup

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Click here to visithttps://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simply use the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.

Clicking on the photo takes you tohttps://www.zazzle.com/lloydslensphotos?rf=238248269630914251

Lastly, all of the photos and writings are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographer

Thank you again for your support of my page!❤