Nature Photography Challenge :)

Hi All :)

Happy Valentine's Day :)

I recently did a Nature Photography Challenge on FB. 

I don't usually do things like that but in 2016 I am trying to embrace a few things outside my comfort zone :)

This was the premise; 

Post Nature Photos, one a day for 7 days, tag the person who nominated you to participate and then tag someone else to join in :) Simple :)

I guess I do not like to feel pressured to do something & also as a "Professional" Photographer I feel I have to come up with something special to fit this "label" that is attached to taking photos for a "Living" (well, if I made a living out of photography by itself that would be one things but I don't ............lol :)

Anyway, I thought I would give it a go, especially as it was amount friends on Facebook :)

Here are the photos I shared :)

DAY ONE - Icicles hanging from a Maple tree in my garden - January 2016.

DAY TWO - Sunset from our street - (I have never seen a cloud formation quite like this :) 

- March 2015.

DAY THREE - White Pelicans on the Salton Sea - California - November. 2014

DAY FOUR - Beautiful Silhouette of a tree against a California Sunset - Poway Park 2014. 

DAY FIVE - A beautiful Wave at Cardiff Beach, California  - August 2015.

DAY SIX - Gorgeous full bloom Magnolias - West Linn, Oregon - March 2015.

DAY SEVEN - A twilight shot of the lovely Willamette Falls, Oregon - March 2015.

I hope you enjoy these & I hope it inspires you to look at the amazing world around us from a different perspective - just for a moment - and hold on to it forever :)

I Hope everyone is having a Wonderful Weekend :)

Happy Painting/Creating! :) T.

Birthday Trip to San Diego :)

Hi All :)

I hope the world is being kind to you and you are all doing well :)

Last week my Hubby and I spent the week in Sunny San Diego, celebrating our B.Days together, which was wonderful and to have all that time together, amazing. :)

 It was wonderful to see sunshine everyday, spend time outside, walking or swimming everyday or just lying by the pool or sitting casually outside dining and also, visiting with Friends. :)

Of course we came home to rain and more rain but I still have my photos to keep me mentally in the San Diego Sunshine :)

I didn't take many photos this year ( a 1/3 of what I took on our last trip to San Diego) I was really there for some much needed 

R. & R. :)

But, of course, I did take a few photos, Hope you like them :)

(Sorry, for the repeats for those who have seen some of them on FB, already)

ENJOY! :)

Click on photos for larger images :)

1st photo taken on the day we arrived, 2nd on the day we left, I love taking shots of planes landing in San Diego because the airport is so close to town the planes fly low over the buildings coming into land, it is so amazing to experience for me, I am a huge plane fan :)

It has become a tradition of sorts that I get a pedicure in the Hillcrest neighbourhood when I get to San Diego, it is a fun area, lots of great food and we pop into our fav. Greek restaurant too! :)

Oops!!! Surfer Down (he got back up really quickly :)

Palm Trees in the Sunset :)

Awesome surfing waves (alas, not for me but I do wish I had had the opportunity to learn, maybe when I am 80 :)

Beautiful Big Bow on the Hotel Del Coronado as they celebrate 125 years :)

The Chandelier in the foyer of the Hotel Del :)

Lots of people leisurely riding around on bikes :)

Some of them really shouldn't have been; it was quite comical watching people who obviously hadn't ridden a bike recently trying to come to a wobbly stop for a speeding car or pedestrians

(I know I am cruel but it was hilarious :)

There were some beautiful waves in the Sunshine :)

Picnickers on the Beach :)

I never usually get focused dusk shots (that look like picture postcards) as I tend to go for the abstract; I do not use flash and with a 300 mm lens (heavy) and I won't use a tripod either (I want to do my own photography, not do what everyone else does, LOL!!! ) But here is one I am quite proud of, (He! He!)

Sunset and Reflection :)

I LOVE these 2 :)

The Sunset reflecting on the Ocean makes them look like paintings :)

I hope you enjoyed these :)

Let me know what you think :)

Have a lovely Weekend :)

Happy Painting/Creating! :) T.