A wonderfully talented and diverse group of online photographer friends and peers has come together to begin a new blog circle. I am terrible about blogging regularly, so I pounced on the opportunity to embrace the structure and community this new project offers. Our first theme is BLUE. As my family heads out on vacation for the first time in nearly 5 years, summer’s end looms in the not-so-distant future, and back to school shopping commences, I find myself with limited time to create a gallery of new images. Once we get into the swing of the new school year, you can look forward to fresh images each month, probably often alongside some old favorites. For now, I hope you enjoy these, some of my favorite BLUE images to date.
I have always been a mountain girl at heart, and these particular mountains, well I think of them as “home.” They were never truly my home, but I did grow up just beyond their shadows. They are even more beautiful in person, and I feel pretty fortunate to have spent many a long weekend – and even a solid five week spell – right there among them, breathing in their clean air, admiring wildflowers and wildlife, and making memories. In nearby Asheville, I ate at the best restaurants on the planet as far as I know, danced to the music offered by amazing buskers, and felt one with the area. I remember far too well the sadness that washed over me as I looked at these mountains in my rear-view mirror the last time I visited, knowing it would be a long while before I returned, as my family planned our cross-country move.
Santorini, Greece is a series of living postcards. I took this photograph on film in September 2003. I have included it as a simple nod to my passions of international travel, photography, and architectural elements.
From the shadows of the Blue Ridge Mountains, I moved to Washington, DC for well over a decade. It was an incredible place to live for a while, first as a single person, and later, with my husband. Although we never wanted to raise kids there, we loved our neighborhood, the diverse food options, public transit, and museums while we were there. And, of course, Independence Day Fireworks on The National Mall were an annual tradition and highlight. I took this image by the base of The Washington Monument while we awaited them in 2014.
My husband and I chose Fort Collins, Colorado as the town we wanted to raise our kids in way back in 2001, before we were even married. Life happened and the move was substantially delayed. In any event, we spent some time in Colorado in July 2013, in part to simply enjoy it, but also a bit in part to make sure we still wanted to make the move. I took this photograph during that blissful trip.
Bozeman! Bozeman gave Fort Collins a run for its money in becoming our forever hometown, when it came time to actually pack our bags. We all loved Bozeman and look forward to visiting as often as possible. One night while we were there in November 2014, the sun was setting and the sky was dark, except a band of light near the horizon. It was sleeting and we didn’t know our way around well, but we found this nice clear view of the sky and water right by a dumpster behind the mall. Who would have guessed?!
Since moving to Colorado, I have really been taken by the beauty of the prairies, often with a mountain backdrop. That was the setting when I photographed this. However, for this capture, I wanted to focus on that warm, late afternoon light and deep blue sky, each punctuating the beauty of spent blossoms.
A few times along the way, I picked up a number of antique, blue, Ball Mason jars, and a few other brands, as well. I love the unique, apparently-hand-lettered nature of the jars. No two appear identical, and if you look at the jars in the image, you can see what I am referring to. When we moved into our new house, I put this handful of my jars on the (very high) window sill mostly just to get them off of the floor. One early morning, as I walked into the kitchen for coffee, this beautiful blue scene caught my eye, so I snapped it, of course. They make me feel nostalgic for simpler times, and they are simply lovely, too.
So I said above I am a mountain girl, but I am also very drawn to water, which is a bit harder to find here in Colorado, compared to my East Coast roots. I love this tranquil sunset scene and that still reflection on the water.
This photograph of my daughter, on the first – and actually last – day of using our kiddie pool this summer was taken as sort of a mindful documentary shot. I had ideas about finished images in my head before I ever picked up my camera, but it is authentic to her actions. I didn’t plan for her sunglasses to match the pool side, so that part was a welcome gift of chance!
I hope you have enjoyed this random collection of some favorite BLUE images, and learned a few interesting things, as well. I look forward to blogging future months featuring my new work, as well!
The Artists Inspired Blog Circle is made up of an exceptionally talented group of photographers from all walks of life, from all over the world. They are wives, mothers, friends, daughters and visual storytellers who draw from their own experiences to create art that is inspiring, unique, beautiful and thought-provoking.
Please continue your journey around our blog circle by visiting our next talent, Sharleen of Sharleen Stuart Photography at this link!
Roots and Twigs Photography 