Conservative Artist – Page 3 – 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! 😊

Curiosity About The Life Of A Towboat Crew

Color Photography

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Towboat 31219” and is available for purchase by following the instructions at the bottom of the page.

The morning sun is climbing high as I stopped by the Kanawha River for a few minutes of peaceful contemplation. Above me the large trucks are shifting gears as they slow down for the stoplight on the Chelyan bridge. I stopped here for two reasons. One, to catch a few breaths on the water’s edge and to look for a photo op. It wasn’t long before one of the Towboats came powering upstream. For me time on the river is a way of getting out of the office chair and enjoying life as God intended. But for the crew of a towboat the river is their office. It’s kinda surprising to me that I never considered a job as a deckhand since I like being on the river. I have to admit that I don’t really know much about the job. I presume there’s much more to it than waiting to reach the delivery point. As I understand it the boat is their home and that they’re on duty for long hours. I’m told that it’s as dangerous as being an underground miner. Not only is there a danger of falling into swift current but there’s stories about people slipping into a void in the payload of coal and being burried alive. However I do find the idea of traveling down the Kanawha River to the Ohio River and beyond interesting. Aside from the actual work that goes along the river jobs the views they have of spots seldom seen from the highway must be amazing if they have time to see them.

As the towboat maneuvers itself into position to accomplish the task at hand I am thankful for the work ethic of people in the coal industry. The fuel they provide not only keeps the lights on but also becomes the steel and aluminum in our infrastructure.

I’m also interested in the stories that a towboat crew might have. So if you’re reading this and happen to work on one these boats I’d love to hear about your memories in the comments section below.

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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.

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!

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https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

In A Breath’s Space

Color Photography

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Downtime At Three Rivers” and is available as prints by following the instructions at the bottom of the page.

The big blue truck rolls to the foot of Gauley Mountain and coasts to stop at the wide spot near the three rivers. It’s cool day but not as cold as it has been. The Spring of 2018 was well under way and the redbud was in bloom. I sat for a while with the windows down just absorbing the fresh air after a long winter of being stuck in the house. It was one of those rare “no agendas” days when I can get out for a little while and enjoy the sunshine. Best of all, I get to take a breath. Most people over the age of 6 minutes probably consider themselves expert breathers. Most healthy people don’t even have to consciously think about filling their lungs with atmosphere and then letting it out again. But that’s just breathing. Taking a breath is something more. It’s less mechanical and more spiritual. It’s the difference between maintaining life and truly living. Our lives have purpose beyond our responsibilities of maintaining a daily existence. Ecclesiastes 12:13 tells us that the duty man is to keep God’s commandments but duty and purpose are two different things. Duty is the pathway to purpose. I believe that God has an individual purpose for each one of us but in general I believe that the purpose of mankind as a whole is to simply spend time with God. Before the fall of Adam God would come to him every day just to visit. The bible doesn’t really mention an agenda. There is no talk of thunder and lightning or thick clouds of smoke. Just a walk through the garden and the conversation between friends. No thou shalt or thou shalt nots. (Which are actually intended to get us back to the point where we can enjoy that friendship again. ) It was just friends hanging out.

To slow down and take a breath is to push back all the distractions of modern life and give space for that simple conversation between friends. The one without a wish list or complaining about all the bad times. You see, our friend desires that simple conversation as much as we do. But he’s not rude. He won’t barge in and demand your attention while you’re too busy. He won’t change the subject when you need to talk about the issues that he’s already been working to resolve. He simply waits for us to settle down and be ready in that “breath’s space”.

After a few minutes of peace and quiet at the three rivers area and a good conversation while snapping photos I’m ready to head towards the house. My friend assures me that He’s going to be close by even though the conversation is over for now and that we can pick up the conversation again anytime I’m ready. I fasten the seatbelt and the big blue truck starts to roll again towards home.

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! 😊

Out Of The Darkness

Back and White Photography, encouragement

Hello Friends! For well over a year now I have posted at least once per day and to the best of my knowledge I have never recycled a picture. Technically that’s still true because tonight’s feature image is a new version of a previously published image. So I’ve titled the new version “Light At The End Of The Tunnel 2019”. If you would like to purchase a copy please use the contact instructions at the bottom of the bottom of the page.

Some days it feels like you’re on top of the world and nothing can go wrong. But then other days feel more like the world’s on top of you and nothing is working out according to the original vision. It’s going to be okay. The darkness won’t last forever.

Most of us don’t really know how many people are sending prayers on our behalf when troubles come. Especially if we’re busy just trying to survive the darkness. But trust me here, you have far more friends and family that believe in you than you’re aware of. Some of the dark places last a little longer than others but none of them are permanent dwelling places as long as you continue to push forward. Even as I write this I can here the pessimist’ s comments about the light being “a freight train heading your way “. Well, I can tell you that odds of encountering that oncoming train are greater for those who set up camp inside the tunnel than it is for those who continue to push towards the end. In fact, giving up before you reach the light is just about going to guarantee that train encounter so don’t give up! Keep making progress no matter what. Soon you will reach the light and the end of that dark place. And when you step outside of the tunnel remember that it takes some time for your eyes to readjust to the outside world again. There might even be a little pain but that won’t last either. As you rub your eyes and look around you’ll see how much beauty there is surrounding you again. With the darkness behind you and the fresh air filling your lungs I want you to know that we never had any doubts that you would make through.

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https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/