WordPress weekly photo challenge: Curves

Zazzle online shop If you enjoy my photos and would like to purchase some, I want to thank you! Simply visit my Zazzle online shop and browse the product offerings. If there’s a photo you would like to purchase but don’t see it in my shop, please contact me by using the Contact form at the bottom of my home page and let me know which photos you are interested in purchasing, and in what format / medium.

Today I’m participating in the WordPress weekly photo challenge and this week’s theme is “curves”. Remember you can click on each image to see a larger view. If you like what you see, feel free to subscribe and receive nature photography updates a few times a week.

Nature is full of curves and I love capturing them on camera, including these giant fern fiddleheads.

WordPress weekly photo challenge: Curves of giant fern fiddleheads
WordPress weekly photo challenge: Curves of giant fern fiddleheads

I love the curves the pistils of this beautiful purple and yellow lily form.

WordPress weekly photo challenge: Curves of purple lily pistils
WordPress weekly photo challenge: Curves of purple lily pistils

Flower petals often display some type of curve. The petals of this yellow rose are a lovely example of curves.

WordPress weekly photo challenge: Curves of yellow rose petals
WordPress weekly photo challenge: Curves of yellow rose petals

Of course, roses are not the only flowers to display curves. Here are the fancy curves of an orange protea pin cushion flower.

WordPress weekly photo challenge: Curves of orange protea pincushion flower
WordPress weekly photo challenge: Curves of orange protea pincushion flower

Many types of fruit display beautiful curves, like this ripe yellow lemon ready to be picked from the tree.

WordPress weekly photo challenge: Curves of a yellow lemon
WordPress weekly photo challenge: Curves of a yellow lemon

As for animals, some of them can be pretty curvy, like these cute little seahorses with their curved tails and curved bellies.

WordPress weekly photo challenge: Curves of seahorses
WordPress weekly photo challenge: Curves of seahorses

Flamingos have such long necks they tend to walk around with them in a curved position. Check out the little duck at the bottom left, he’s got some curved neck going too!

WordPress weekly photo challenge: Curves of a flamingo's neck
WordPress weekly photo challenge: Curves of a flamingo’s neck

Of course human beings can create a lot of curves too. Check out this beautiful chandelier in the lobby of the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego. It’s full of curves!

WordPress weekly photo challenge: Curves of the chandelier at the Hotel Del Coronado
WordPress weekly photo challenge: Curves of the chandelier at the Hotel Del Coronado

The beauty of light pink waterlilies

Zazzle online shop If you enjoy my photos and would like to purchase some, I want to thank you! Simply visit my Zazzle online shop and browse the product offerings. If there’s a photo you would like to purchase but don’t see it in my shop, please contact me by using the Contact form at the bottom of my home page and let me know which photos you are interested in purchasing, and in what format / medium.

I recently shared a few photos of waterlilies I stumbled upon and I realized I have a few more photos to share, so here we go. These waterlilies are all light pink, with a little hint of orange, creating a nice contrast with the bright green of the lily pads and the dark of the water.

Remember you can click on each image for a larger view.

Light pink waterlilies in a pond
Light pink waterlilies in a pond

The petals almost look like a bunch of little fingers sticking out of the water to say hi.

Close-up of a Light pink waterlily
Close-up of a Light pink waterlily

I like the way the shadows play with this waterlily, including the spiky dark shadows at the bottom left of the photo.

Pink and orange waterlily with lily pads
Pink and orange waterlily with lily pads

WordPress weekly photo challenge: Fleeting

Zazzle online shop If you enjoy my photos and would like to purchase some, I want to thank you! Simply visit my Zazzle online shop and browse the product offerings. If there’s a photo you would like to purchase but don’t see it in my shop, please contact me by using the Contact form at the bottom of my home page and let me know which photos you are interested in purchasing, and in what format / medium.

Today I’m participating in the WordPress weekly photo challenge and this week’s theme is “fleeting”. Remember you can click on each image to see a larger view. If you like what you see, feel free to subscribe and receive nature photography updates a few times a week.

Nature is full of fleeting moments and that’s what makes it challenging to photograph. Of course, animals are the hardest to photograph as they may be right in front of you one moment, and gone by the time you pull your camera out. Bees collecting nectar are a good example of a fleeting moment. I got lucky with this shot, where I managed to photograph a bee collecting nectar in the bags on its legs.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: Fleeting - bee collecting nectar in bags
WordPress weekly photo challenge: Fleeting – bee collecting nectar in bags

Dragonflies are notorious for flying around for hours without taking a break. I got lucky with this orange dragonfly who decided to take a very short rest on a tree branch not far from me.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: Fleeting - orange dragonfly resting on a tree branch
WordPress weekly photo challenge: Fleeting – orange dragonfly resting on a tree branch

This baby koala was a nice capture of the fleeting moment a couple of weeks ago, as he turned his head towards me for a few minutes so I could capture this photo.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: Fleeting - Baby koala sleeping
WordPress weekly photo challenge: Fleeting – Baby koala sleeping

Butterflies are the perfect expression of a fleeting moment, as they’re often difficult to capture since they don’t stand still for too long. I was lucky to get a photo of this giant owl butterfly.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: Fleeting - giant owl butterfly
WordPress weekly photo challenge: Fleeting – giant owl butterfly

Not just animals are fleeting in nature. The morning dew is another example of something that doesn’t last a long time and is gone by the time the sun is out and shining.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: Fleeting - morning dew on grass blades
WordPress weekly photo challenge: Fleeting – morning dew on grass blades

Our San Diego winters don’t get very cold but we manage to get frost several days a year. The frost melts as soon as the winter sun rays warm it up, but it’s very pretty while it lasts.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: Fleeting - frost on ice plants in San Diego
WordPress weekly photo challenge: Fleeting – frost on ice plants in San Diego
Wordpress weekly photo challenge: Fleeting - frost on leaves in San Diego
WordPress weekly photo challenge: Fleeting – frost on leaves in San Diego

I think the most fleeting moments in nature are sunrise and sunset. They last only a few minutes but set the tone for the day and for the night.

A beautiful sunrise can inspire you for a whole day.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: Fleeting - winter sunrise in San Diego
WordPress weekly photo challenge: Fleeting – winter sunrise in San Diego

A gorgeous sunset can give you hope for the next day.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: Fleeting - San Diego sunset Christmas 2012
WordPress weekly photo challenge: Fleeting – San Diego sunset Christmas 2012

Giant fiddleheads in San Diego

Zazzle online shop If you enjoy my photos and would like to purchase some, I want to thank you! Simply visit my Zazzle online shop and browse the product offerings. If there’s a photo you would like to purchase but don’t see it in my shop, please contact me by using the Contact form at the bottom of my home page and let me know which photos you are interested in purchasing, and in what format / medium.

A lot of tourist locations in San Diego seem to have a good irrigation system because they feature plants that would otherwise die within a week if left alone in our desert dry weather.

I can’t complain though. I really enjoy the giant ferns and the green and shade they provide. I guess it’s the season for fern growth right bow and I get to spot giant fiddleheads here and there. Here are a few for your enjoyment. Remember you can click on each photo for a larger view.

Giant fern fiddleheads in San Diego
Giant fern fiddleheads in San Diego

I love how rolled up fiddleheads are. Their spirals remind me of snail shells.

Close-up of giant fern fiddleheads
Close-up of giant fern fiddleheads

How you noticed how most plants grow either vertically or horizontally? I love that ferns grow diagonally in nature. It makes for interesting patterns, especially when you can frame between other lines, like the two vertical palm tree trunks on the photo below.

Close-up of giant fern fiddleheads
Close-up of giant fern fiddleheads

Floral Friday Fotos: Wisteria blooms

Zazzle online shop If you enjoy my photos and would like to purchase some, I want to thank you! Simply visit my Zazzle online shop and browse the product offerings. If there’s a photo you would like to purchase but don’t see it in my shop, please contact me by using the Contact form at the bottom of my home page and let me know which photos you are interested in purchasing, and in what format / medium.

Today I’m participating in Floral Friday Fotos. Remember you can click on the photos below to see them in a larger format. If you enjoy my images, I encourage you to subscribe and receive updates when I post new photos, usually 3 to 5 times a week.

I LOVE wisteria blooms. How can you not like them? Their large, colorful purple blooms are a burst of laughter in the middle of spring. And you need to enjoy them as much as you can because wisteria blooms usually last about a month. The wisteria’s pea-like flowers disappear as fast as they appeared.

Here’s a series of beautiful wisteria blooms on a very large trellis. I decided to show you what the wisteria blooms look like as a group and then zoom in to have you enjoy a closer look. I’m thinking about making some photo paintings out of these colorful images. They seem perfect for that.

Did you know Wisteria is a very invasive plant? It’s easy to guess why when realize how fast it can grow in any direction.

Floral Friday Fotos: Wisteria blooms on a large trellis
Floral Friday Fotos: Wisteria blooms on a large trellis

The Wisteria vine is very thick and can reach significant heights with very little support.

Floral Friday Fotos: Wisteria blooms on wooden trellis
Floral Friday Fotos: Wisteria blooms on wooden trellis
Floral Friday Fotos: Wisteria in bloom
Floral Friday Fotos: Wisteria in bloom

Did you know both the wisteria flowers and the wisteria seeds (they grow in pods) are poisonous? Not a great plant to have around pets and children, unfortunately.

Cluster of wisteria blooms
Cluster of wisteria blooms

I think wisteria displays some of the most beautiful shades of purple in nature. Don’t you agree?

Cluster of wisteria flowers
Cluster of wisteria flowers