Weekly Challenge

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #85 – Treasure Hunt

/ Leya / 64 kommentarer

This week Tina wants us to go on a Treasure Hunt! Our challenge is to search for specific items – either from your archives or newly captured – from the list below. Extra credit items are a bit harder to find, as are multiple items in a single image. Focus on quality over quantity and hit us with your best shot(s)!

  • Challenge Items: Sunrise and/or sunset, Something cold and/or hot, a bird, a dog, a funny sign, a bicycle, a seascape and/or mountain landscape, a rainbow, a church, a musical instrument, a boat, a plane, a waterfall
  • Extra Credit Items:  An expressive portrait of one or more people, a very unusual place, knitting or sewing, a fish, an animal you don’t normally see, a bucket, a hammer, a street performer, a double rainbow, multiple challenge items in a single image.

Sunset is a moment where all emotions are experienced: Melancholy, amazement, intoxication, casuistry, admiration, love, sadness…
― Mehmet Murat ildan

In the opener – sunset, seascape, birds and boats in The Netherlands. The other scenes were found in Bhutan, Tibet and Poland.

Come Fairies, take me out of this dull world, for I would ride with you upon the wind and dance upon the mountains like a flame! – William Butler Yeats

Dance is the most fundamental of all art forms. – Twyla Tharp

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.– Roger Caras

This Boxer-like sweetie gave me a real fright. When I was passing this shop, he suddenly jumped up at the desk – the shop owner looked a bit shocked as well…I had to be quick to catch the moment!

Knitting not only relaxes me, it also brings a feeling of being at home. – Magdalena Neuner

An old photo, but I still remember these lovely Tibetan ladies waiting for market customers – and making a useful time of it. They were very shy, but smiling when I asked about their knitting and told them I knitted too.

All my images are self-portraits, even when I’m not in them.
― Nuno Roque

I met this beautiful lady on the pilgrim trail to Taktshang (Tiger’s Nest) in Paro. She stopped to offer some nuts and dried fruit (I was a bit poorly looking…), and then passed me with a vigorous step – reaching the temple at least half an hour before I did. She was 75, and no sign of panting in the thin air…

Each and every animal on earth has as much right to be here as you and me. – A.D. Williams

We were fortunate to see the national animal of Bhutan – the rare Takin. Folklore has it that the animal with a goat’s head and a cow’s body was created by The Divine Madman, a famous holy man from Tibet. The Takin lives in the alpine zones, at 1000-4500 meters height, and weighs about 300kg.

Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination
and life to everything.
― Plato

I enjoyed these skilled street musicians for almost an hour, in Lodz, Poland. Not until after uploading the photos, I noticed the spooky thing behind the musician to the left…

Thank you, Amy, for the fun Narrow theme last week!

A Special Announcement:  All of us at Lens-Artists are delighted to announce that the March 7th challenge (#87) will be hosted by our special guest host, Miriam Hurdle at The Shower of Blessings   Please be sure to visit Miriam’s site on Saturday, March 7th to view her challenge.  For the rest of February and March, we’ll follow our usual weekly schedule:

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #84 – Narrow

/ Leya / 70 kommentarer

Future? Now, let’s see what will happen this week! Amy has chosen Narrow as our theme. She says:

Travel has taught me that once we go through a narrow path, alley, and/or road with a little patience, at the end it always opens up to pleasant surprises.

Of course I agree – in urban areas: a narrow street where you have to look far up to see the sun; steep, dark stairs ending in a light blue door, and the very old streets of Tbilisi.

My own love for things narrow, is a winding path – and preferably one of which I don’t know the end…

But, to me they all are inviting. Though every narrow shell does not hold a pearl – at least not one like my daughter!

Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence.

– Henry David Thoreau

 

Finally, Thank you for all your creative answers to last week’s challenge, Future, fantastic reading and images, both hopeful and sad. Just the way Life is. ♥

Stay tuned for the last February challenges:

Remember to link to Amy’s original post, and tag it with “Lens-Artists.”  If you’re new to tagging, click here for an explanation of how and why.

As always, we are all looking forward to seeing your creative responses to the challenge –  and thank you for your support!

 

 

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #83 – Future

/ Leya / 215 kommentarer

The future is the period of time that will come after the present, or the things that will happen then. Maybe a second away, a week, a year, a decade…When I was young, I read somewhere in a book – its title since long forgotten – that you should try to do something today that your future self will thank you for. I keep trying.

The future remains uncertain and so it should, for it is the canvas upon which we paint our desires. Thus always the human condition faces a beautifully empty canvas.

― Frank Herbert

 

This week the challenge is Future – Show us what you will paint on Your canvas!

 

Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.
― Mother Theresa

If you want to be happy, do not dwell in the past, do not worry about the future, focus on living fully in the present.

― Roy T. Bennett

The arrival of the future is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics.

No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.
― Gautama Buddha

A path, which, unfortunately, is not always strewn with roses…

The future depends on what you do today.
― Mahatma Gandhi

Everything that currently exists and will exist can be categorized as either permanent, meaning that it will exist for the whole of the future, or temporary, meaning that it won’t and thus will come to an end.

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

― Eleanor Roosevelt

For my students, I used to draw a time capsule on the board, and ask them to fill it with what they wanted future generations – or ”aliens” landing 200 years on – to know about our life/time on Earth. Then imagine burying the capsule in the ground. When someone in the future found this capsule, they would learn what defined us, mankind, in the 21st century. An intriguing thought…What would You fill it with?

If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years, teach the people.

― Confucius

As I am not a teacher anymore, I only plant seeds, trees and flowers. Next week, it is that time of the year again – to give my pot plants new energy and new life. This is my future dream for the coming week, for the arrival of Spring, for the returning of the light.

As you can see, I have played with double exposure in these images. All from my home.

Now we’re looking forward to seeing Your images of the Future – near or far!

Last week we were happy to have Viveka of My Guilty Pleasures as our guest host – and she chose Capital for us – to interpret our own special way. And the response was fantastic – very innovative and clever! In short – Capital!

Have you seen these?

For the rest of February, we’ll return to our usual weekly schedule:

Remember to link to my original post, and tag it with “Lens-Artists.”  If you’re new to tagging, click here for an explanation of how and why.

As always, we are all looking forward to seeing your creative responses to the challenge –  and thank you for your support!

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #82 – Capital

/ Leya / 56 kommentarer

This week we are happy to have Viveka of My Guilty Pleasures as our guest host – and she has chosen Capital for us – to interpret our own special way. Maybe capital!

”Capital cities are a lot more than famous landmarks, squares, parks and monuments.” And indeed, they are. Being a former language teacher, when I travel, I always try to learn some useful phrases of that country’s language, and I enjoy very much the written language in countries that still treasure the art of calligraphy. These stones above, lie on the right side of the paved path up to the Pothala temple in Lhasa, Tibet.

I also treasure their open doors, and the friendly Tibetan people.

Peeping into the next gallery, I guess you know where I am – in Wellington, New Zealand.

With its fantastic nature, loving people and everyone being aware of how much we have to work to preserve our world and its biodiversity – NZ has its own special place in my heart. (Only Bhutan can compare. They are carbon neutral since long, even carbon negative.) The map…? Well, in Wellington and its vicinity, many scenes from the LOTR (Lord Of The Rings) were filmed – which also is a great plus in my book!

In Quito – the colourful capital of Equador, I lost myself in their Naïve art, which spoke to me as simple and frank as good children’s books do. Magical fantasy.

Edinburgh is a place to return to – great accent, festivals and all…but I met up with a dear blogging friend there – Seonaid of Breathofgreenair. I had some unforgettable days with her and her lovely family. Including her adorable dogs!

A capital I keep returning to again and again is Reykjavik, Iceland.  I don’t know of any church in the world more impressive than Hallgrímskirkja. Especially when walking up to it on a snowy day like this – it’s towering like a giant spaceship.

In the end… I must agree with Viveka – Tbilisi, Georgia, stole my heart too – I believe many stolen hearts are resting there, beating there… warming Tbilisi’s friendly, hospitable people. Despite the chaos, the tearing down and building up – Tbilisi opens its warm heart to everyone, of every colour, of every culture, of every faith.

Please be sure to visit Viveka’s site to view her challenge.  For the rest of February, we’ll return to our usual weekly schedule:

Remember to link to Viveka’s original post, and tag it with “Lens-Artists.”  If you’re new to tagging, click here for an explanation of how and why.

As always, we are all looking forward to seeing your creative responses to the challenge –  and thank you for your support!

 

 

 

 

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Cat

/ Leya / 11 kommentarer

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Cat

Who can resist Frank’s prompt – Cat? I can’t! Opening image is a beautiful Siberian.

Norwegian Forest cat

And in the gallery they all are stray cats from the streets of Tbilisi, Georgia.

 

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #81 – Find Something Red

/ Leya / 74 kommentarer

Give me juicy autumnal fruit, ripe and red from the orchard. – Walt Whitman

”No matter what the season, this color is emotional, fiery, and sensual. It is hopeful and passionate.” The description unmistakably belongs to the colour Red. This week Patti invites us to a photo scavenger hunt to find things red. Check out her special offerings!

This is what I found… starting with a tiny dot… growing into more and more of… Red.

And as Christian Dior said – There is certainly a red for everyone

O my Luve is like a red, red rose

   That’s newly sprung in June;

O my Luve is like the melody

   That’s sweetly played in tune.

– Robert Burns

Through the rear window of an old camper – despite the jumble and reflections, your eyes go for the red spots and the roses. You can’t go wrong with red roses, ever. Trust the poets – and your heart.

Finally, even though a bit faded – a phone shot of my garden and Flammentanz roses.

20180702_215601-Redigera

A Special Announcement:  All of us at Lens-Artists are delighted to announce that next week’s challenge (#82) will be hosted by our special guest host, Viveka of My Guilty Pleasures.   Please be sure to visit Viveka’s site on Saturday, February 1st to view her challenge.  For the rest of February, we’ll return to our usual weekly schedule:

As always, we are all looking forward to seeing your creative responses to the challenge –  and thank you for your support!