Tag: travel

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Travel

Virtual trip around the world?

Welcome to week 207 of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!

In deciding on a theme for this week, there was something that led me to the choice of Travel. As most of use are not traveling at the moment, it might be nice to travel virtually through our various blogs and share some of those enjoyed moments with each other. So, let’s share some of those wonderful places that we have visited in this week’s challenge!

Very much looking forward to seeing all those great places!

Here’s a place that is dear to my heart…

Centraal Station, Rotterdam

The Centraal Station in Rotterdam is a magnificent transportation hub that is a great connector of all modes of transportation and filled with traffic during good times!

The full rules of this challenge are in TPC Guidelines, but here’s the tl;dr:

  • Write a post with an image for this week’s topic
  • Please tag your post with fpj-photo-challenge (if you’re not sure about how tags work, please check out this WordPress article about tagging posts)
  • Create a pingback link to this post, so that I can create a post showing all of the submissions over the week (note: pingbacks may not appear immediately, as my site is set up to require approval for linking to it; helps against previous bad experiences with spamming)
  • Have fun creating something new (or sharing something old)!!

Please be safe, communicate with one another and bring hope to all!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Round Up 205

Connecting way up high!

Welcome to the 205th round up of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!

My apologies for the late posting of this round up; I’m finally coming up for air amidst all the business goings-on that are flowing forth from this pandemic of ours. I hope that you and yours are doing well during this testing time.

Your response to the theme of Connect was amazing and your interpretations ranged widely; some made me laugh out loud and others tugged at my heart strings. They were all a pleasure to read, for which I thank all of you! Thank you for the effort and work you put into each one of your posts.

As people, we do connect…

Eternal Connections

High up on the North Tower of the St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, I found this engraved lock. At 68m (223ft), the North Tower provides a great view, but it’s the smaller of the 2 towers, as the South Tower reaches up 136m (446ft). The South Tower is not open to visitors, which did not diminish my enjoyment of this view!

Please enjoy the following blog posts:

  1. Sarah connects us to both the past and our childhood with some wonderful photos in her post in By Sarah; great start to this round up!
  2. Nicole shares a gorgeous photo in her post in Une Photo, Un Poéme that connects us to the music on the street!
  3. Kammie connects on several levels in her post in Nuthouse Central, whether it be through kids’ art or play or the garden! Awesome post!
  4. Michelle features some rather impressive connections in Take a Walk…and Discover, which have become everyday in our automotive life!
  5. Emily shares a rather human connection in Zombie Flamingoes, which definitely connected to my funny bone!
  6. Alice brings us to a very interesting bridge across the Erie Canal in her post in the 59 Club; it should be interesting to see that bridge raised!
  7. Khürt connects us to Spring’s hope with a gorgeous photo in Island in the Net; great to see this post!
  8. Xenia’s post in whippetwisdom brings us the strong connection between Pearl and Eivor (and Xenia), and to the landscape they so much enjoy! In a second post in Tranature, we get to enjoy both the lovely daffodils and a great haibun!
  9. Jackie’s photo in JunkBoat Travels is simply lovely, in the way she captured the moth and the connecting links!
  10. Ken takes us across still waters with a marvelous photo in Pictures without Film; definitely a strong connection!
  11. The connection between Edinburgh and the Kingdom of Fife is beautifully pictured in theOnlyD800intheHameau; amazing view!
  12. Diane made all the right connections to solve the jigsaw puzzles that we get to see in pensivity101; puzzles are a hot commodity at this time!
  13. Donna shares some very uplifting photos of chalk art in Wind Kisses; those are both great art and messages!
  14. Teresa put together a wonderful blog post in My Camera and I… that you simply have to experience!!
  15. Na’ama establishes the most important connection in Na’ama Yehuda both through photo and stunning poem: the human connection!
  16. In a rather lovely post in The Jesh Studio, we get to experience connections on various levels with wonderful photos!
  17. Nandini makes some great connections in her post in queennandini; she also recalls some classic connections!
  18. What a wonderful post in Don’t Hold Your Breath! It’s awesome to remind us to be grateful for some of the things that we get to enjoy during this pandemic, such as family and reduced pollution!
  19. The ferry connects us in Geriatri’X’ Fotogallery as we are heading toward Sicily with an amazing landscape ahead!
  20. Brian collected some classic connectors in his post in Bushboy’s World; and I have to say that the Youngbloods have a great message to overcome the distance!
  21. Ann-Christine shows us that connections don’t always have to span a chasm in her post in To see a world in a grain of sand…! Those alley ways are awesome!
  22. David’s photos in his post in David M’s Photoblog are just stunning! The color and whiteness of the pelicans jumps off the screen!
  23. The connections made in a lovely post in A Day in the Life are simply touching in so many ways! The photos pull us into those connections!
  24. Sandy really has a gift for words, as we can see in her post in Out of my Write Mind; check those skywalks and read the words…
  25. Debbie provides us with a set of connections through windows in an interesting post in Travel with Intent; it is cool to see the framing in her photos and how it makes each photo unique!
  26. Chris creates a wonderful connection through his photo in What’s (in) the Picture?; those reflections tell a tale!
  27. Viveka examines the way in which we connect in her post in myguiltypleasures; it makes me wonder, if we really connect?
  28. Deb brings us another great animal photo in her post in Twenty Four; I feel the connection between and with those turtles!
  29. Hannah establishes a clear connection with her subject in her great photo in Zebra’s Child; I’m sure you will feel it too!
  30. A stunning photo in Land of Images brings out the clear connection between the bench and its partner…
  31. Marianne shares some great connections in her post in Kanlaon; they show the importance of these connections as well!
  32. Amy features a connection that one hopes not to have to make in her wonderful post in Photography Journal Blog; as I was an EMT for 6 or so years, I can definitely agree with her!
  33. Radhika definitely connects us to our stomachs in the first photo in her post in radhikasreflections! She also shares some lower calorie options!
  34. Teressa shares part of her story through beads in Another LQQk, as each of them is part of the story; wonderful post!
  35. Maria encourages us to connect with Nature in her post in Kamerapromenader; with those gorgeous photos, how can we refuse?
  36. A quarantine party is featured this week in Musin’ with Susan! Done the right way, of course! Virtual, as Susan and her friends connect over the internet! Also, go check out Susan’s week in review in Musin’ with Susan, but beware of double vision! Great photos!
  37. Woolly makes some amazing connection with the animals in his photos in his post in WoollyMuses! The photo of Limpy definitely tugged at my heartstrings!
  38. With a lovely photo in a great post in One letter up ~ diary 2.0, we see how different plants/trees connect with one another. Great shot!
  39. Tatiana finds some strong connections in her post in Vegas Great Attractions, as the big wheel is held together! Great photos. Tatiana also share a great composite image in her post in Giftsmart; the interpretation of Eyes Wide Shut is fantastic!

Please let all these wonderful authors know how much you enjoy their blog posts!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Round Up 203

Feel free to scale these stairs…

Welcome to the 203rd round up of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!

Thank you all for your patience in my getting this post up; it’s been a tough week, as the current corona virus situation has both increased uncertainty among people and the need to bolster up any contingency plans. A bit of extra work, which left me rather drained during most of the week.

Your contributions have been stunning, and you did them on a grand Scale! I was particularly pleased to see every possible interpretation of the theme used in your very creative posts, ranging from practicing scales to baby scale and seeing things on a rather grand scale! Awesome set of posts, which were great to read and review.

Thank you for your effort in putting these posts together! Please enjoy reading all of them!

Here’s a locale that may leave you tired, if you scale it…

The Wonderful Barn

The Wonderful Barn is a rather interesting building in Leixlip, County Kildare, Ireland. There are many theories about this building, but the likely true purpose was that of granary. As it had to be filled from the top, you can imagine what it was like to scale the external stairs with a heavy bag of grain on your shoulders… Tough labor!

Please enjoy the following blog posts:

  1. Diane is out of the blocks with a musical angle on our theme in a wonderful post in pensivity101; practicing those scales makes one a better player!
  2. Jez goes digital in his post in Photos by Jez, as those accurate measurements make for precise postage and recipes!
  3. In another awesome post in Don’t Hold Your Breath, we have moths scaling the walls! Those moths are wonderful to behold!
  4. Bren created a truly interesting photo for this theme, as you can see in her post in Brashley Photography; I just love the composition and lighting on the peony and beads!
  5. You’ll be blown away by the photo in theOnlyD800intheHameau, which gives us a view of a site that is on my bucket list: Petra. Stunning photo and locale!
  6. Viveka kicks the scale up to an entirely new level in an absolutely wonderful post in myguiltypleasures; I can imagine how stunning that had to be to experience!
  7. Nandini hits all the scales in her haikus in a lovely post in queennandini; love both the writing and images!
  8. Ken shares some of his sense of humor in another great post in Pictures without Film, and I agree that the gnome might be the bully of the scene!
  9. TiongHan’s post in TiongHan’s Blog takes me back in time with that magnificent scale model; my high school was close to the previous location of the Maritime Museum in Rotterdam, which gave me plenty of opportunity to visit and admire their collection.
  10. Maria shows us the grand scale of Iceland with some terrific photos in her post in Kamerapromenader; makes me want to go back to that wonderful country!
  11. Ann-Christine’s post in To see a world in a grain of sand… not only brings tremendous scale, but also has stunning color all over!
  12. There are plenty of great shots in the post in The Jesh Studio, among which there are several that give us a real sense of scale!
  13. Jackie takes us to a place, where the scale is the main attraction, in her post in JunkBoat Travels; Madurodam is a great place to visit in the Hague!
  14. Todd had a little fun taking that photo in Go Outside Today! It certainly made me smile and is a wonderful forced perspective execution!
  15. Na’ama goes for the amazingly big scale in her post in Na’ama Yehuda, which might be a watershed moment!
  16. Tatiana really gives us an amazing sense of the scale of cruise ships in her post in TravelWays; they really dwarf everything around them!
  17. Deb’s post in her blog, Twenty Four has the most incredible rock wave that dwarfs Deb and looks to be difficult to scale!
  18. Sarah captures the most amazing wall art in her post in By Sarah; and yes, the scale is also nothing to sneeze at!
  19. David does a great job taking the scale up a notch in each of consecutive photo in his post in David M’s Photoblog; I challenge any of you to provide an accurate count of the gulls in the 3rd shot!
  20. Xenia, through Eivor and Pearl, gives us some scale reference in her awesome post in whippetwisdom! Her second contribution, in her great blog tranature, provides wonderful scaling of the ice breaking up!
  21. A great photo in Thoughts and Entanglements gives a couple of very different scales making the cars look rather small against the gorgeous sky!
  22. Jeanne gives a rather interesting perspective that scales up nicely in her post in borderline crossing! Great photos!
  23. Sandy’s photo in her post in Out of my Write Mind gives a great sense of scale, which ties in beautifully in her lovely poem!
  24. The photo that we get to see in Geriatri’X’ Fotogallery is not only gorgeous, but it truly gives a stunning sense of scale!
  25. Hammad gives us a wonderful sense of perspective in his post in the Blog of Hammad Rais; we’re a small part of this small planet…
  26. Woolly brings out a scale that takes most of back to our very early years in his post in WoollyMuses; that certainly is a classic!
  27. Chris gives a view of the tracks near the Hague’s Centraal Station in his post in What’s (in) the Picture? It really gives a sense of looking at a scale railroad! Great shot!
  28. Michelle takes us on a walk in Take a Walk and Discover…, where we get to discover a young mango fruit! Wonderful post!
  29. The photo of something rather foxy in Land of Images gives us a sense of scale; the foxglove looks great, but has a deadly secret…
  30. There are some really cool elements in the awesome post in Kanlaon, as the scales are very different in the photos…

Please let all these wonderful authors know how much you enjoy their blog posts!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Spread

Mountains, clouds and water…

Welcome to week 204 of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!

First of all, my hopes that you and your families are safe and merely inconvenienced by the Novel Coronavirus pandemic. And, my apologies for this late posting. As you might imagine, there’s been a bit of additional work due to the current circumstances. I’m working on the round up of last week’s Scale theme, and will likely post that late on Wednesday.

Given the current pandemic, I thought it might be of interest to take a different approach to the theme of Spread… While the spread of a virus is not welcome, a nice dinner spread or bread spread or even bed spread might be appreciated! Yes, this is another theme, with which you can go into numerous directions and I encourage you to have some fun with this one!

Therefore, spread your wings of creativity and share some of your favorite thoughts with your fellow participants!

Here the clouds and mountains spread in front of the camera…

Northern Coastal Road

After visiting the Herring Era Museum in Siglufjörður, I followed the coastal road along the northern route, which provides spectacular views along the way. At this point, the fog/clouds (depends on your point of view), were hanging above the fjord with the mountains across the water being framed by clouds above and below them. I processed this image to a much-desaturated level to simplify the overall colors and feeling of the view; taking the strong blue out of the sky gives me a bit of a sense of going back in time…

The full rules of this challenge are in TPC Guidelines, but here’s the tl;dr:

  • Write a post with an image for this week’s topic
  • Please tag your post with fpj-photo-challenge (if you’re not sure about how tags work, please check out this WordPress article about tagging posts)
  • Create a pingback link to this post, so that I can create a post showing all of the submissions over the week (note: pingbacks may not appear immediately, as my site is set up to require approval for linking to it; helps against previous bad experiences with spamming)
  • Have fun creating something new (or sharing something old)!!

I’m looking forward to your photography spreads for this week! Please, stay healthy and safe.

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Round Up 202

One man’s junk is still junk…

Welcome to the 202nd round up of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!

Thanks to all of you for creating a stunning set of posts! It was an absolute pleasure to read each and every one of your posts, as each found something unusual or, in the case of one country, something that happens all the time. Some of you included a reminder that we need to do something about all this junk, which we cannot hear often enough.

When you read all these great posts, I’m confident that you’ll enjoy them as much as I did. Thank you again and have fun with these posts!

Here we get everything, including the kitchen sink…

That sinking feeling…

Even on the gorgeous Isle of Skye, one can come across some junk! This sink that had been dumped unceremoniously in this lovely field really caught my eye. This composition breaks a couple of rules, but I felt it created the right amount of tension between the sink and Nature’s beauty…

Please enjoy the following blog posts:

  1. Kammie starts things this week with some of her treasures in a wonderful post in Nut House Central; I have to admit that the radio dial is just awesome!
  2. This week in theOnlyD800intheHameau we join on a househunting trip in rural France, where the interior decorator asks us to use our imagination! Great post!
  3. Jackie has a scene right out of the Beverly Hillbillies in her post in JunkBoat Travels; if only granny was sitting atop the wagonload! There are some other great scenes as well!
  4. Na’ama has another fantastic poem in her post in Na’ama Yehuda, as a treasure is found! The photo is also rather stunning!
  5. Nandini is junking it up in her haikus in her post in queennandini; great writing and some rather cool pictures too!
  6. Maria shows us that lizards may have a very different appreciation than we do of what has value in Kamerapromenader; it’s a treasure to them!
  7. Diane shares another great post in pensivity101, as we learn about how junk might have value to others; the junk in the photos looks rather nice!
  8. Ken has a wonderful photo of treasures of a bygone era in Pictures without Film, as some parts may no longer be useful…
  9. Andrea has some amazing photos of interesting junk in her post in ARHtistic License; she clearly has a keen awareness of the world around her!
  10. Julie’s post in Eat, Play, Live has some salvage parts turned into art; as she says, this is definitely not junk, as the salvage is from the World Trade Center…
  11. Sarah shows us that taking the trash out can be a colorful experience with a wonderful photo in her post in By Sarah; great scene!
  12. Carol’s post in Light Words certainly put a smile on my face, as I’ve never seen anybody so happy with Tony the Tiger! There’s more great junk in Carol’s post as well; go check it out!
  13. Bren shares another gorgeous photo in her post in Brashley Photography, with a great sense of abandonment; did that boat have hopes of becoming a junk?
  14. David has some rather intriguing junk in his post in David M’s Photoblog; taking apart a zoom lens is one challenge that I have never undertaken, so it was rather cool to see the contents of the lens on display in this post!
  15. Jez takes us for a visit to a nice little home in his post in Photos by Jez; that lizard has a nice place!
  16. Brian highlights some of humanity’s junk in his post in Bushboy’s World; our junk makes living quarters for various creatures… Amazing adaptation!
  17. The post in JP the Wide-eyed Wanderer has a fantastic junk garden in it; that just goes to show that anything might make a garden!
  18. Beware of Viveka’s post in myguiltypleasures; it might make you hungry! Viveka shares one of the junk pleasures that she doesn’t feel guilty about: burgers!
  19. Deb has another awesome post in her blog, Twenty Four; the practical use of junk is expressed brilliantly!
  20. The photo in Land of Images is absolutely gorgeous, and I love its depiction of rusty remnants! Now, I’m trying to decipher what exactly was dumped there…
  21. Sandy reminds me of something really relevant in her post in Out of my Write Mind: no matter how we hide our junk…it’s still junk! Awesome post!
  22. Ann-Christine provides us with a view with all sorts of junk in her post in To see a world in a grain of sand…, not the least among which are the stairs…
  23. TiongHan gives us a very Dutch view of junk in a wonderful post in TiongHan’s Blog; bicycles in canals are a perennial problem in the Netherlands!
  24. The saying is definitely true in a great post in WoollyMuses, and I agree that some junk is just not a treasure to have lying around.
  25. Sometimes when you see a piece of junk that looks like the one that we get to see in Geriatri’X’ Fotogallery, we might be tempted to test its mettle…
  26. Robert highlights a magnificent item in his post in photo roberts blog! That scale might have been thrown out, if it were too honest!
  27. Tatiana has a wonderful set of photos that tell the story of Chloride, Arizona, in her post in VegasGreatAttractions; there’s some rather interesting junk there. The only thing that would concern me is the name of the town…
  28. Rupali highlights a problem that exists all around the world with a great photo in her post in mazeepuran; parents, please teach this lesson!

Please let all these wonderful authors know how much you enjoy their blog posts!

Khürt’s 52 Week Smartphone Challenge – Week 9 – Mood

Going back to the days when…

Time for another submission to the 52 Week Smartphone Challenge by Khürt Williams. The theme for week 9 is ‘Mood’: “Your Artistic Inspiration this week is the mood you are feeling today. Take that mood and use it to create art.”

Liverpool – Albert Docks

This shot is from my sauntering through Liverpool after attending a fantastic match at Anfield between Liverpool and Tottenham. For this challenge, I did a B&W conversion using Luminar 4 (Blair Witch Look – Magical Forests by Albert Dros) and cleaning up in Photoshop.

Location: Albert Docks, Liverpool, UK. Shot with iPhone 11 ProMax using the NeuralCam app.

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Round Up 201

Rich tones and wonderful evenings!

Welcome to the 201st round up of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!

A bit late in my round up, but I think it might be worth the wait, as the Yard theme elicited an amazing set of response with some great interpretations. From reading all these posts, there’s something to learn, lots to enjoy, and the occasional chuckle! I thank all of you for this great set of creative posts!

I hope you enjoy these posts as much as I did!

Here is a little backyard…

Golden Hour in Cromarty

As my wife and I were sauntering around after dinner in the lovely town of Cromarty, Scotland, the golden hour was appearing at full strength! This view of the yard and lovely house gives you an idea of how richly colored the light was. I actually toned down some of the saturation to make it look a bit better…

Please enjoy the following blog posts:

  1. Kammie starts things this week in her post in Nut House Central; we get some fantastic views in her backyard, including a very photogenic squirrel!
  2. More stunning photos this week in a great post in Don’t Hold Your Breath, as we get to enjoy a Brahminy Starling (aka Myna)!
  3. Na’ama has an amazing yard in her post in Na’ama Yehuda, which is definitely a great place to be and enjoy!
  4. Ann-Christine takes us into a magnificent yard in her post in To see a world in a grain of sand…, which may not be the largest yard, but it has everything one needs, including a cat!
  5. Jackie brings out some of the best in yards in her post in JunkBoat Travels, and I definitely have a favorite among them!
  6. This week in theOnlyD800intheHameau we go to Giverny and are treated to a magnificent photo of a stone in the graveyard; part of the family plot?
  7. Diane has a project under way in her back yard, as we can see in her lovely post in pensivity101. Time to assemble the greenhouse!
  8. Carol definitely has a lot blooming in her yard! Her post in Light Words shows this with great photographs!
  9. Sarah might just have the win on colorful yard denizens in her post in By Sarah, as the Gang-Gang Cockatoo is stunning!
  10. Maria has some great yards in her post in Kamerapromenader, of which I love the open feeling of the Botanic Garden!
  11. TiongHan stakes us into Catalunya with some wonderful photos in his post in TiongHan’s Blog; the graveyard sure looks beautiful!
  12. In a lovely post in her blog For the Love Of, Anita has not only a great photo of a graveyard, but complements it with a magnificent poem!
  13. Nandini has several interesting takes on our theme in her post in queennandini; now I’d like to go visit a cool yard sale!
  14. Julie takes a wonderful approach in her post in Eat, Play, Live, as she takes us on a trip to a shared yard! Parks are awesome yards!
  15. Bren definitely shares an amazing photo in her post in Bren & Ashley Ryan Photography, as the light and composition provide stunning balance!
  16. David enlightens us with another amazing set of photos in his post in David M’s Photoblog; the capture of the raccoon really caught my eye!
  17. Brian brings us to one of my favorite countries in his post in Bushboy’s World, as we look into a gorgeous little courtyard!
  18. Nicole brings us an absolutely stunning view in the yard that she features in her post in Une Photo, Un Poéme!
  19. Carol gives us several ways to interpret our theme in her photos in the Apples in my Orchard; it looks like those yards are numerous square yards!
  20. Cee has a great assortment of yard photos in her post in Cee’s Photo Challenges; the color of those flowers is just incredible!
  21. Donna’s post in Wind Kisses definitely goes to show that the right backyard is something that all of can appreciate!
  22. Russell shares some great views in Beautiful Photographs of what I would classify as the kind of yard that all of us enjoy!
  23. Eric gives us a view of his backyard in Up North! that many of us can relate to, as there’s nothing like camping in the backyard!
  24. Sandy has us hanging out in Nature’s yard in her post in Out of my Write Mind; this is more that just a great place to be, as we could meditate for hours on its beauty!
  25. Chris’ photo in What’s (in) the Picture? provides us one of those classic views of a very famous graveyard. Beautifully photographed!
  26. Jez takes us for a walk through a colorful and interesting yard in Photos by Jez; that boatyard is filled with great photo opportunities!
  27. Irene caught the eye, literally, in her photo in Heaven’s Sunshine! To have such a lovely hawk in one’s backyard is magical!
  28. Sometimes a backyard can provide Nature’s bounty, as we can see in Deb’s great photo in Twenty Four; those peaches look nothing short of delicious!
  29. Seeing a backyard across the seasons, we really get to enjoy the most of it in a wonderful post in A Day in the Life. Looks like a great backyard!
  30. The message comes through in the photo in Land of Images! Now, who will do that yard cleaning? Great post!
  31. The sun might be over the yard arm in WoollyMuses, but that doesn’t stop the dogs from having fun in the backyard! Great and interesting post!
  32. Viveka takes us to the vineyard in an awesome post in myguiltypleasures; what an amazing area, which leaves me thirsty for a bit of wine!
  33. Debbie takes us into the wide open yard of self-forgiveness in a fantastic post in her blog Forgiving Connects; I can relate particularly to tip #2, and so does the cat!
  34. There may not be a blade of grass in sight in Harvard Yard in this wonderful post in One Letter Up – diary 2.0, but the crowd appears to be motivated!
  35. A yard can undergo many phases, as we see in a lovely post in Kanlaon; the plumbers may have made a temporary mess, but blossoms will return!
  36. Debbie has some wonderful views from Slateford Aqueduct in her post in Travel with Intent; I always love the utility of railway arches!
  37. Pragun definitely has an amazing yard in front of their house, as we get to enjoy in Sun-Sea-Soil-Sky!
  38. If I had a backyard view like that in Geriatri’X’ Fotogallery I probably would never leave home, but just enjoy it! Stunning!

Please let all these wonderful authors know how much you enjoy their blog posts!