Category: Photo a Week

Photo a Week – Cityscape/Townscape

~ oneletterup ~ 10 Comments

Nancy Merrill is hosting a photo challenge. The theme this week – Cityscape/Townscape

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO (OR MORE) FEATURING CITIES OR TOWNS.

 

I had the good fortune this past weekend to visit with my son, his girlfriend and their sweet pup. They live in the Boston area in a 4th floor walkup apartment. Lots of walking ensued…over 12,000 steps worth.

I also didn’t miss the opportunity to run into the middle of the street for photo ops along the way.

Boston and its suburbs – which often have the same look and feel of Boston proper – offer the usual old city buildings packed in amongst newer, more trendy coffee shops and ice cream stores. Apartments. Duplex homes and condos. A blend of the historical and present day.

Fortunately the snow had melted off the sidewalks and the sun was shining when we arrived at the Coolidge Corner subway stop in Brookline on Saturday.

corner
Coolidge Corner
Brookline, Massachusetts

On the way to my son’s apartment…a canopy of trees caught my eye.

side street

 

However, when we turned the corner heading out of Brookline…I noticed a strange parade approaching.

One I did not expect to see in the middle of a suburb of a major city.

turkeys

Waiting for no one to stop or move over, they just marched on from one corner to the next…hurrying on their way.

turkey parade

 

Part of the cityscape…no fear.

 

Photo a Week – Colorful

~ oneletterup ~ 3 Comments

Nancy Merrill is hosting a photo challenge. The theme this week – Colorful

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO (OR MORE) THAT HAVE COLORFUL SUBJECTS.

The countdown to spring weather continues…getting more and more intense with each snowy, freezing cold day. At least in my neighborhood.

As I was wandering down the aisles at the local discount store recently…
Past the fleece gloves. Leather gloves. Mittens.
Ear warmers. Neck warmers. Hand warmers.
Long knit scarves. Boot socks. Ice scrapers.
And the discounted Christmas elf knick knacks and dust covered heart shaped boxes of expired Valentine’s candy…

I spotted the following display…

flower seeds crop
HOPE for the change of seasons

 

 

Photo a Week – Meme-worthy photos

~ oneletterup ~ 13 Comments

Nancy Merrill is hosting a photo challenge. The theme this week – Meme-worthy photos

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO (OR MORE) THAT WOULD MAKE A GREAT MEME BACKGROUND.

 

I caught this late afternoon peaceful scene one cold day in December.
Even the seagulls seemed to stand still.

I used the image to highlight one of my favorite quotes…

meme pink beach with text

~~~

Another day – at the same beach, looking behind me…
This time sunny and windy.
The blue sky a potential background for a word or two or three…
Any suggestions?

I welcome your ideas for text for this possible meme-worthy photo…

meme kites

 

 

Photo a Week – Black & White

~ oneletterup ~ 6 Comments

Nancy Merrill is hosting a photo challenge. The theme this week – Black & White

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A BLACK AND WHITE PHOTO OR TWO (OR MORE).

 

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
A moment’s rest on campus in North Carolina

 

College visits.
Many years ago, my son and I spent a week together driving from one southern state to another. Visiting potential colleges.

One college campus per day. Tours. Info sessions. More questions than answers. Trying to decide which one was best…for him.

Not an easy time in a teenager’s life.
Or his parents’.

 

 

Photo a Week – Pink

~ oneletterup ~ 2 Comments

Nancy Merrill is hosting a photo challenge. The theme this week: Pink

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO (OR THREE…) FEATURING THE COLOR PINK.

Once upon a time…decades ago…my daughter was all about pink. Pink shirts. Pink pants. Pink sweaters. Pink tights. Pink Care Bear. Pink pj’s. Pink robe. And slippers. You get the picture.

And on the occasion of her 5th birthday, appropriately dressed in her favorite pink lace covered party dress, she was thrilled to open a gift…and discover it contained…a pink raincoat.

At age 5, there was no such thing as too much pink.

1987 bday044 copy

 

Photo a Week – Depth of Field

~ oneletterup ~ 6 Comments

Nancy Merrill is hosting a photo challenge. The theme this week: Depth of Field

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO (OR THREE…) PAYING ATTENTION TO YOUR DEPTH OF FIELD.

 

Before downsizing and moving to a condo, we witnessed the annual arrival of flowers in our yard…a sure sign that warm weather was on the way.

Fun to photograph up close and personal. Depth of field…narrower the better.

First the crocuses, which often poked through the last clumps of snow. Anxious to see the sun. Nestled next to the maple tree. Their purple tips a sure sign of Spring.

Next came the mystery flowers originating from a bag of assorted “no name” bulbs. Which is what happens when you buy from a discount store. Surprise!

And then the wildest of wild…black-eyed susans. So comfortable in our plot of land. Spreading out and popping up in every corner.

Just a small sampling from our previous life…

IMG_1671

 

IMG_1744

 

IMG_1974

 

 

 

Photo a Week – Contrasting Colors

~ oneletterup ~ 7 Comments

Nancy Merrill is hosting a photo challenge. The theme: A Photo a Week Challenge – Contrasting Colors

Contrasting colors are colors that are on approximately opposite side of the color wheel. Yellow and purple, green and red, blue and orange, and a myriad of variations in-between each of those….This week’s challenge is fairly wide open as far as subject goes, just try to use the color wheel as a guide.

~~~

Orange was my favorite color when I was in my teens and twenties. Orange bedspread. Orange blanket. Orange beanbag chair. Orange stationary. Orange flair pens. Orange Tupperware. And on and on. When we ordered an orange formica countertop for the bathroom sink in our 1980 starter home, nobody thought twice. It was on the list of standard colors. After all, it was 1980. And it matched the orange shower curtain.

Orange is no longer my favorite color, but I love seeing it come back in style…especially when it is worn by my favorite grandson.
He was stylin’ with contrasting colors in the summer of 2017….when at the age of 14 months… he made quite a splash at the beach.
His first time dipping toes in the ocean.
And digging in the sand.
With an orange Tupperware scoop…courtesy of Grandma.

img_4694 copy
Hampton Beach 2017

 

Photo a Week – Vanishing Point

~ oneletterup ~ 4 Comments

Nancy Merrill is hosting a photo challenge. The theme this week: A Photo a Week Challenge – Vanishing Point

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO (OR THREE…) THAT FEATURE A VANISHING POINT.

~~~

One vanishing point: Getting ready to board a train – on the way to the Museum of Fine Arts to see an amazing Ansel Adams exhibit…

img_7786-e1547930839406.jpg
Train tracks to Boston – Winter 2019

Another vanishing point: About to start walking…looking forward to a relaxing afternoon…disappearing to the beach.

path to beach cape elizabeth
Path to the beach – Cape Elizabeth, Maine – Summer 2014

 

Photo a Week – The Great Outdoors

~ oneletterup ~ 2 Comments

Nancy Merrill is hosting a photo challenge. The theme this week: A Photo a Week Challenge – The Great Outdoors

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO OF NATURE.
For twenty years my young family and I packed up the station wagon to travel 90 minutes north for our annual week-long summer vacation…

…to the Great Outdoors.
A conference center/family camp on Lake Winnipesaukee. A fairly rustic setup, we roomed together in a small bedroom (until we outgrew it & also needed the room across the hall), ate together at a communal dining hall and spent the better part of every day playing together. The 2 of us. Then the 3 of us. Then the 4 of us.

No television. No phones. Long before the internet and cellular phones. No distractions.
And no cooking. No cleaning. No dishes to wash.

It was eat, sit, talk, explore, swim, dig in the sand, play cards, games, read, sing, sleep.
Repeat.

Lots of walking…especially through the woods surrounding us. Sometimes via the walking trails or sometimes blazing our own…collecting “natures” as in…leaves, acorns, pine cones, twigs, pebbles….

Several times each day we made the trek down the path to the lake…our feet crunching over the layer of finely crushed gravel. Breathing in the damp mossy air. Spotting little critters dashing through the brush on the forest floor. Looking up, squinting in the bright sun, trees standing high above our heads…branches spread as if protecting us, little and big alike. Slapping a few buzzing mosquitoes.

Eerily quiet. Peaceful.

When our children were small, the walking time depended on the amount of equipment we needed to bring with us. And how fast little feet could walk. Or needed to stop and rest from the weight of pails, shovels and sand toys. But it didn’t matter. We were in no hurry.

With just one 3 year old…it was only a swimming tube, towel and a chair for mom & dad.
A ten minute walk.

gpc 1985025
Let’s go to the lake, oh daddy, let’s go to the lake (35mm film)