Mother Nature draws trees – can you guess what this is?

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 took this photo earlier today. If I told you where I was, you’d probably figure out what this is pretty quickly. So let’s play a little game. Can you guess what this photo is? You can click on the photo for a larger view.

All I can say is, Mother Nature is a wonderful artist, especially when it comes to drawing herself. It will blow your mind away.

Mother Nature draws trees
Mother Nature draws trees

I’ll reveal the answer in my next post, along with a few other photos I took at the same location. If you like what you see, please subscribe to this blog to receive updates of the new photos I post, usually 3 to 5 times a week.

Note: you can find the answer to this guessing game here.

A Word A Week Photo Challenge – Frame

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 A Word A Week Challenge. This week’s theme is “frame”.  I encourage you to click on each photo to see a larger view. If you like what you see, please subscribe to this blog to receive updates of the new photos I post, usually 3 to 5 times a week.

I recently took these two pictures while walking in a San Diego County park. They show the same tree branches arching over the path, but I took each picture from one side of the path. I think I like the first one better but I’ll let you chime in.

A Word A Week Photo Challenge – Frame - tree branches curling over walking path
A Word A Week Photo Challenge – Frame – tree branches curling over walking path
Tree branches create opening over walking path
Tree branches create opening over walking path

This is another walking trail in a different county park. I love how the leaning tree branches and tree trunks frame the downhill path.

Tree branches leaning over the walking path
Tree branches leaning over the walking path

I like the framing created by this wooden fence right on the edge on the walking path, especially when it’s lined with wildflowers.

Wooden fence and spring wildflowers in San Diego
Wooden fence and spring wildflowers in San Diego

Wisteria behaves like an invasive tree if you give the vine the space and the structure it needs to grow on. I loved photographing these beautiful wisteria blooms hanging from the wooden frame. Here are a few photos of wisteria flowers from further to closer.

Wisteria blooms on a large wooden frame
Wisteria blooms on a large wooden frame
Wisteria in bloom on wooden trellis
Wisteria in bloom on wooden trellis
White and purple wisteria flowers
White and purple wisteria flowers

Finally, here’s a mama panda bear who doesn’t mind being framed to pose for a picture.

Giant panda bear at the San Diego Zoo
Giant panda bear at the San Diego Zoo

A Word A Week Challenge – Atmospheric

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 A Word A Week Challenge. This week’s theme is “atmospheric”.  I encourage you to click on each photo to see a larger view. If you like what you see, please subscribe to this blog to receive updates of the new photos I post, usually 3 to 5 times a week.

Here are a few photos to illustrate my take on this atmospheric photo theme. Clouds have the ability to create a very distinctive mood, as they affect the natural lighting, both during the day and at night. I like how they can affect the light reflecting from the moon.

Moon hiding behind the clouds
Moon hiding behind the clouds
A word a week challenge: atmospheric - moon behind the clouds
A word a week challenge: atmospheric – moon behind the clouds

On a winter morning, the fog can create a strange atmosphere as it softens the light from the rising sun.

Winter fog in the trees in San Diego
Winter fog in the trees in San Diego

When rain clouds crawl over the hills, they can create a creepy atmosphere. They’re fascinating to watch, especially because they can crawl quite fast.

Rain clouds crawling over the hills in San Diego
Rain clouds crawling over the hills in San Diego

At the time I photographed these crawling clouds, I also noticed the eerie atmosphere created by the winter scene in the foreground. When I saw the “atmospheric” theme, this is the first photo that came to mind, and so I’m showcasing it last.

Winter cloudy, raindy day with an eerie atmosphere
Winter cloudy, raindy day with an eerie atmosphere

Weekly Photo Challenge: Object

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 “object”. Remember you can click on each photo for a larger view.

If you like what you see, feel free to subscribe and receive nature photography updates a few times a week.

Christmas was just a few weeks ago and it was the opportunity to see many bright objects around town, including this cute polar bear and its Coca Cola bottle.

Christmas lights : polar bear and Coca Cola bottle
Christmas lights : polar bear and Coca Cola bottle

This is the largest Christmas tree in the world made out of large Lego bricks, at Legoland California. Pretty cool!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Object - Lego Christmas tree at Legoland
Weekly Photo Challenge: Object – Lego Christmas tree at Legoland

You can find man made objects when you go hiking in nature, like this wooden bridge.

Bridge in the woods of a San Diego county park
Bridge in the woods of a San Diego county park

You can find interesting objects in more crowded places too, such as this koala crossing sign at the San Diego Zoo.

KOALA XING sign at the San Diego Zoo
KOALA XING sign at the San Diego Zoo

Finally, I know I shared this last photo a few days ago but I thought it’d work great for this theme. This is a water puddle in the shape of the United States, with the reflection of a red truck’s front grill and the blue sky. A red, white a blue US map, right on the pavement.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Object - water puddle in the shape of the United States
Weekly Photo Challenge: Object – water puddle in the shape of the United States

A Word A Week Challenge: Waiting

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 A Word A Week Challenge. This week’s theme is “waiting”.  I encourage you to click on each photo to see a larger view. If you like what you see, please subscribe to this blog to receive updates of the new photos I post, usually 3 to 5 times a week.

This past Saturday, for whatever crazy reason I woke up really early. When I looked outside, I realized it was a good thing. I waited for just the right time to capture this beautiful winter sunrise.

A Word A Week Challenge: Waiting for a winter sunrise in San Diego
A Word A Week Challenge: Waiting for a winter sunrise in San Diego

This great blue heron was waiting for fish to swim by in a local pond.

Great blue heron waiting for fish
Great blue heron waiting for fish

When I photograph ocean waves, I like to wait until the very moment when the wave is about to break.

Waiting for an ocean wave to break
Waiting for an ocean wave to break

I’m not sure what this West African crane was waiting for, but it made it easy for me to take its picture.

West African crane
West African crane

This cute duck was patiently waiting for my kids to throw duck food in the water.

IMG_6881

And this seagull was a freeloader waiting for a free meal at the same time.

IMG_6896