LAPC #235: Shadows & Reflections in Monochrome

For the first Lens-Artists Challenge in February, Patti’s looking for shadows a/o reflections but in monochrome. Although we tend to think of monochrome as photos in black and white, strictly speaking:

A monochrome or monochromatic image, object or palette is composed of one color. Images using only shades of grey are called grayscale or black-and-white. ~Wikipedia

So let me start out with an example of monochrome that isn’t black and white/greyscale. It’s also an example of both shadows and reflections.

I love reflections so let’s start with those. Reflections can show a true picture of the thing being reflected or a distorted one, something to remember when reflecting on people and situations. Here I’m reflecting on the reflections experienced in Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Room in Chicago’s WNDR Museum, a museum filled with experiential exhibits. It was a mind-bending experience to be surrounded by so many reflections and I would have loved to have spent more than the minute or minute-and-a-half each person or group was allowed in the room.

I often enjoy reflecting over a cup of tea. Coffee with friends is a wonderful time but you don’t get reflections when the barista has created a work of beauty on top of my mocha. 🙂

A lake in Wyoming, one of my summer pleasures, provides both reflections and shadows, the latter from trees outside the photo.

Black-necked stilts continually supply wonderful reflections and they’re already in black and white. 🙂

This reflection in downtown Chicago illustrates one of my favorite things about skyscrapers. When we were in New York City some years ago, despite all the things there were to do and see, I was reminded once again that I prefer my canyon walls to be made of rock, not buildings!

You can’t leave Chicago without a look at the most interesting, iconic reflections in The Bean, as Chicagoans fondly call Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate. The Bean is endlessly engrossing. If you’re inclined to be helpful, you can, as I did, offer to take photos of people with The Bean behind them. I always enjoy doing that wherever I go.

Since it’s hard to top The Bean, both literally and figuratively, let’s switch to shadows, the first a winter view from my bedroom window in Illinois. The shadow in the middle/on the right is from part of the deck in the back of the house, the one on the left from our neighbor’s fence and trees.

from “Shadows” by Thomas Durfee

How much of earth’s beauty is due to its shadows!
The tree and the cliff and the far-floating cloudlet,
The uniform light intercepting and crossing,
Give manifold color and change to the landscape.
.

I’ve shared this photo before but in color, a special capture where the deer and rabbit lined up just perfectly. I have so many photos of this view but none that ever were quite this good.

“My Shadow” ~Robert Lewis Stephenson

I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,
And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.
He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;
And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.

Patti, thanks for letting us have fun playing with shadows and reflections. Enjoy the weekend, everyone.

Leafy greens are good for you.

Six-Word Saturday 2.2.23

Lens-Artists Challenge #152 – Shades and Shadows

Shade and shadows, both things I enjoy capturing in my photos. So many choices, but I’ll start with the shadow of a shade (or blind if you prefer), just so I can use both terms in one shot, even if the “shade” part is different from what Ann-Christine is talking about.

Shadow owes its birth to light. ~John Gay

In the desert, there’s a serious side to shade. Here the shadow of a rock formation in Boyce Thompson Arboretum provides much needed and appreciated shade. The temperature difference, even in the early morning, can be quite a contrast and in some situations could even be a life-saving one. Walking along the shaded path was infinitely cooler than when that path wound its way into the full sun. Trust me. When temperatures start soaring over 100F, you’ll learn to love the shade!

To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment. ~Jane Austen

I’ll finish with perhaps my favorite shot of shade and shadow ,from the Visitor’s Center in Saguaro National Park. I shared it once before, but it’s so perfect for this challenge that I hope you’ll enjoy it again in this different context.

What is the purpose of the giant sequoia tree? The purpose of the giant sequoia tree is to provide shade for the tiny titmouse. ~Edward Abbey

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #146: Focusing on the Details

Patti’s given us some beautiful examples of focusing on details and asked us to do the same. So as Jackie Gleason used to say, “And awaaay we go!”, first to Queen Creek Olive Mill where I saw these shadow details one day while sipping a mocha and reading.

I found alien details in our backyard.

But details don’t have to be small or macro. This garden on Coronado Island in California has a lot of beautiful details that add up to a stunning large picture.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #141: Geometry…at home with shapes

Patti has asked us to find shapes this week. I’m sticking close to home for mine, as all are taken in our house or yard. I always enjoyed geometry; in fact I enjoyed math, because everything was logical. Just call me Spock. 🙂 I enjoyed math until I got to trigonometry, at which time I realized that unless I went into math, I probably wouldn’t have any use for it, even for figuring out the width of a creek from the shadow of a tree.

We’ll start with an edible shape, one cherry tomato from my patio plant, sharing shapes with part of our patio table (not edible.)

A shapely part of an aloe plant.

Cacti are made for geometry!

Some early morning geometry, courtesy of the sun and blinds.

Although there aren’t innumerable leaves here as there were in the Midwest, we still get some.

Thus endeth today’s geometry lesson. There will be no quiz and it’s pass-fail, so happy weekend!

Thursday doors…Today it’s not about the door.

It’s been a full, good, but very long day. It’s 9:30 pm and I need to go to sleep. So I almost didn’t do a post this week…but decided instead that I’d not exactly cheat but share a photo where there is a door but it’s not the star attraction. This is the visitor center at Saguaro National Park which we visit again two days ago to share it with our older daughter who’s visiting us for the week. The door is just an ordinary door, the park anything but ordinary, the shadows extraordinary.

And now, good night, and a blessed Thursday to each of you.

for Thursday Doors…9.24.20

2020 Photo Challenge 18: shadows

I’m joining a new (for me) photo challenge today. Jude combines teaching and challenge at Travel Words, this month with the focus on light, this week looking at using light and shadow.

This week’s assignment – Look for shadows. Strong light, casting well-defined shadows, can create interesting abstract images. Layering light and shadows brings a sense of depth to an image and can convey mystery.

Here are a few of my favorite shadow shots, the first one taken in the living room of our home in Ohio.

This shell on the beach at Cape May, New Jersey had a lovely shadow.

Lens Artist Challenge #32: Shadows…shadows of home

I love shadows and have many photos of them.  Today, challenged to do “Shadows” by Tina, I’m going with shadows of/in home.  I hope they start your week off well.

This was someone’s home!

One Word Sunday…viewpoint

for One Word Sunday

Weekly Photo Challenge: Shadow…Christmas shadows

Change is everywhere, even on the Weekly Photo Challenge, which has switched from Fridays to Wednesday. I’m unhappy about losing Wordless Wednesdays unless I double-post, as Thursdays are reserved for Thursday Doors. Change is supposed to be good for me, right? I’ll try to remember that.

On to Shadows.  At Christmas, no place is safe from a decoration!