art photos – Page 9 – LLOYD'S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY LLC

April Speckles

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Wild Geraniums And Moss” and is available for purchase by following the instructions at the bottom of the page.

The soft rain ends with the breaking of the dawn light and the forest comes to life. The morning chorus includes Cardinals, Flycatchers, Catbirds, Gold Finches and more. By mid morning mottled light filters down to forest floor. It may be the best opportunity to get out and catch some fresh air before doing the day’s chores in spite of the wet conditions. I have on my old sandals. The ones that I don’t really mind if the get muddy as I step carefully around the edges of the yard. The little purple pops of color were the first thing to catch my eye as I moved from the kept area of the yard into the transition zone where the woods begins. Wild Geranium blooms in April just as the leaves start to come out. All along the edges of the roads the landscape is speckled with purple blooms. The impression is that God took his paintbrush full of purple and shook it out onto Little Elk Mountain. The soft morning light seems to linger right on this little cluster to make the bloom glow. For a moment my imagination asks if it’s possible that I have stumbled across a fairy village. I could almost see them huddled together with a turkey tail fungus for a front porch and the moss for a shag rug. I blinked for moment and they vanished like the morning mists. And it was in this moment that I knew it was time to rejoin the real world and complete my chores.

Before I close, I want to announce that tomorrow night I’ll begin the “Forage Friday” series. For as long as I’m able I’ll post an image of a wild edible plant found in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia. It’s not intended to teach you everything you need to know about wild edible plants. What it is intended to be is sharing some of my personal interests and to give those who want to explore foraging a place to start.

Hello Friends and thank you for your support of my page. If you have enjoyed the photos or the writings please let me know by commenting and sharing my work on your social media. I also want to invite you to Follow Lloyds Lens Photography on Facebook

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

https://www.facebook.com/aviewfromthelens/

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/

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 message me on Facebook or use the contact form on my website and 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 Invitation Of Spring 2019

black and white photography

Hello Friends!Tonight’s feature image is titled “Invitation To Breathe” and is available for purchase by following the instructions at the bottom of the page.

As I write tonight’s post the Star Magnolia in Smithers, West Virginia is in full bloom. But about one week ago it was the large white buds that caught my eye as was passing through town. I circled back to the little street that links all the shops together and brought my big blue truck to an abrupt halt. Officially, the Sun crossed the equator at 5:58 PM Eastern Time but for me Spring starts with the first sign of life from the trees. I have been holding my breath since November when the Yellow Popular tree dropped it’s leaf right in front of me.

Clicking on the photo takes you to https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/2018/11/30/panning-for-appalachian-gold-and-why-i-named-it-so/

With the return of the daylight and the new growth in the trees my spirit feels alive. I could not resist the invitation to take advantage of the cement bench and enjoy the sunshine beneath the large egg shaped buds. It felt good to just breathe in the light for while. This was a personal celebration of Spring.

When I processed the image I decided to go with the red filter. I wanted that dark onyx effect on the deep blue sky to symbolize the retreat of winter. The sun obligated my intention by shining brightly on the tree and the bench and allowed me to imply that the time of daylight was now in control of the agenda.

So as the daylight grows stronger let me invite you to find a sunny spot beneath a beautiful tree and enjoy some quiet time.

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Casting Off

black and white photography

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Anchor Point 1” and is available for purchase by following the instructions at the bottom of the page.

The river never stops. Even when it’s cold enough to freeze the ice slides forward on a thin layer of liquid water beneath. There are times when it rages and sweeps away everything in its path and times when it laps gently at the shore delivering life to the landscape. But it never stops.

Time flows like a river. Our perception can give us the impression of time flying as when visiting with an old friend or we can slow time to a crawl as when that cup of coffee is knocked off of the table and seems to hover in mid air for a moment. But it never really stops. Time erodes the world. It carries away the opportunities of the moment and changes our personal landscape. One way that this happens is by living in the past. It’s good to have a sense of nostalgia especially if it gives us a sense of peace but if it blinds us to the present it can be a problem. I’m guilty of this. I think it’s human nature to hold onto things that bring us happiness. But if we miss today’s opportunity we’re going to miss tomorrow’s happiness as we watch yesterday’s joy fade away into the past. I chose tonight’s feature image to represent holding onto yesterday because it is an anchor point. It’s purpose is to hold the boat in one place while the river flows by. It’s that stability that gives us the ability to board the boat and navigate through the river but at some point have to cast off. Casting off requires letting go of the anchor point that is weathered and worn. Here then is the paradox, letting go of the anchor exposes us to the hazards of the current but without letting go we may as well not be in the boat in the first place. What will we do in the river of time? Will we go boldly into current and build the future or will we hold onto the anchor point until the river swells and sweeps it away? Certainly there’s a place for nostalgia in our lives. But it should be more of an aid to navigation than a anchor the prevents travel beyond the starting point. It’s place in our lives should be where we can visit and resupply for the next journey but never the place where we are stuck.

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

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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/

The Return Of Daylight

Color Photography

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Wading Willows 2019” and is available for purchase by following the instructions at the bottom of the page.

The return of the evening sun brings a sigh of relief to my spirit. Even though the difference is artificial, the simple act of setting a clock can make a major difference in the quality of life. It’s not just an extra hour of light but an extra hour of living. Most people who have a day job fill their morning with the obligations of maintaining their jobs. Lunches are packed, attire is selected, pets are settled for the day and children are shuffled off to schools or day care. There’s very little time left to enjoy the light before being sequestered in front of a computer screen. But today I won the race against the shadows and made it home before the darkness was able to touch my driveway. I even had time to stop and check on my wading willows at Kanawha Falls. Bearing the marks of the recent high water gave them the appearance of children who had been playing in the mud. As a bonus I was also able to enjoy another long awaited ritual that signals the end of winter for me. The first drive home with the windows down. Two Spring activities in one day! Moreover the time change will increase the opportunity for a sunrise shot or two over the next few weeks. I was able to get several shots of different things while at Kanawha Falls and I’ll be posting them separately. But for now the combination of daylight, warm weather and the peaceful sounds of the Kanawha River lapping at the shore was both soothing and reinvigorating at the same time.

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

https://www.facebook.com/aviewfromthelens/

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/

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 message me on Facebook or use the contact form on my website and 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 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 Stirring

Color Photography

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Absence In White” and is available for purchase by following the instructions at the bottom of the page.

March comes in like a lion and I awaken to a snowy world. Late winter and early Spring brings heavy wet snows in my area. By this afternoon the snow will be melt in a sloppy coating of slush but the early morning is cold enough to keep it frozen. The winter has been relatively mild this year and with the opportunity for snow days dwindling many commuters have decided to bag the day and stay home. I wouldn’t say that the road was deserted but it was rather quiet. I pulled into the parking lot of my day job and it was like a ghost town. The combination of snow and fog reduced the visible world to a tiny dome just a few hundred yards wide. I can hear announcements being made over the PA system of Yeager Airport on the next ridge line over but they may as well be the disembodied voices of phantoms lost in the icy mountain mists. I turned my attention to the Bradford pear in the lot. For some reason I been particularly drawn to this little tree over the past 14 years. Today it stands proudly in its little spot in defiance of the weather. The wet snow clings to each twig as if trying in vain to wrestle the tree to the ground. Something looks different about the tree this morning. It seems to smirk. I decided to move in a little closer and there before my eyes was revealed the sight that I have been waiting to see since Christmas. The buds on my little friend are noticeably swollen. The first signs of life returning to the world since late November! In spite of the wintery scene that surrounds me I began to feel a little warmer as I headed in to clock in and that snowy dome doesn’t seem so closed in anymore. It’s going to be a great day!

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

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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/