Friday, April 30, 2010

Shadow Shot Sunday / Playing With Bubbles

I had some fun with bubbles today.
I was surprised to see the shadow of this one!

Brenda's Photo Challenge / Circles, AND Color Carnival


A few of the stained glass windows in the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite Valley, California USA.
Brenda's Photo Challenge
The theme is circles.

This is an early spring view of the Ahwanhee Hotel nestled below the Royal Arches in Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California USA.

My husband and I had lunch before the window where the waiter is standing.
We were told that Britain's Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip shared the same table some years ago.
I guess we couldn't complain about the view...

because this is what we were able to see outside that window!
Not bad, huh?

And then the real treat...we were able to watch this beautiful creature grazing not too far from the "famous" window!

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Weekend Reflections / Newport Back Bay, California USA

 Click on photo to enlarge!
Newport Back Bay, California USA
This back bay is a wildlife preserve.
The sign basically says, "only birds beyond this point."
I am just starting to use the graduated neutral density filters and have much more to learn about how and when to use them.
They sure bring out the foreground color and darken a contrasting sky.

SkyWatch Friday and Looking at the Sky on Friday / Newport Back Bay, California, USA

Click on photos to enlarge!
These three photos were taken this past Tuesday evening along the Back Bay of Newport, California.
I wanted to stay long enough to catch the different levels of light during the sunset.
Storm clouds were coming in, but, they didn't produce any rain here.
It rained overnight at my house (an hour away), though.


That dark cloud really hid the light for awhile!
What a great place to walk, jog or ride bikes...but, you have to stay on the path since this is a nature preserve area.


Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

ABC Wednesday / "O" and Watery Wednesday / Balboa Beach, California USA

My little grandson stopped his sand play to observe the lifeguard truck driving down the beach.

He offered a shell to me that he found in the sand.

"Here he comes, we better get out of the way!"
It must be nice spending the day just driving up and down the sand along the ocean.

"He's back...I guess we don't have to get out of the way."

 The pier is over  the water and my head!


The theme is "O."

Monday, April 26, 2010

Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot (Lamps) and Ruby Tuesday

Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot
The theme is lamps.
This is one of the two Tiffany lamps in our bedroom.


 Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot

Macro Monday, That's My World Tuesday - Hillside Flowers Up Close

 Click on photos to enlarge!
Our hillsides are covered with these yellow flowers.  
I showed the hillside views on yesterday's post.
The flowers are trying to creep beyond this chain link fence.

There are some purples mixed with the yellow.
This one is also poking through the same chain link fence.
I focused closely on the flower causing the chain to become part of the bokeh.
You can barely see the lines of the chain in this photo.

 This little flower found a nice frame.
Macro Monday


That's My World Tuesday

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Photo Sunday, Mellow Yellow, Today's Flowers - The Yellow Hillsides are AWESOME this Year!

Click on photos to enlarge!
Our hillsides are covered with yellow!  
It is an AWESOME sight!



Can you see the bee buzzing around?

Our rainy winter and early spring brought us more yellow than usual and I am thinking it is mighty AWESOME!

The theme is awesome.


Monochrome Weekend / Dead Tree in the Rocks, Joshua Tree National Park, California USA

This dead tree adds to the spectacular scenes out in Joshua Tree National Park.
Notice a little bit of life emerging from between the rocks on the right.