New Orleans sights

Up until a few months ago, I had never been on a trip to New Orleans. Its a long drive from home and the weather included record breaking lows but it was a trip worth all its challenges. Time with family and friends is of monumental importance to me, so there was never a questions on if I was going.

There was a lot of wind, some great Jumbalaya, tons of walking, some voodoo shops and a fancy dinner. It was a very good time.

NOLA Architecture

NOLA strangeness

NOLA pretty porches

Fall scenery

Fall is my favorite time of year, there is always so much to do. Festivals, orchards and autumn colors abound – making photography exciting our little area of the world. This year, I didnt get out to photogrpah much of the foliage that brightened up our local area but I did visit some different places this last part of the year.

Hot air balloon festivals….

Beach vacations….

 and horse stables…

Winter is up next!

Sunflower surprise!

While taking a drive on the back roads near my parents house, I stumbled upon the most beautiful field of sunflowers. I have driven this road many times before but I dont recall seeing this gorgeous field of yellow. The light was perfect at 8:15 at night and the road was just right to pull off from.

Colors and creatures of summer…

Each season brings something wonderful to our landscape – flowers, sounds, the scurry of new animals. Summer to me, is so alive. Its vibrant and active and the days are long and warm and wonderful.

 

Our beautiful Asiatic Lillies in the front yard…

One of the baby birds that nested in our tree our front. I had to sneak up on him but he was so new, he wasnt great at flying yet. So he just kept and eye on me.

These guys are hard to catch staying still…

Beautiful and interesting things are everywhere, if you just pause to look for them…

Coca Cola World

While recently visiting Atlanta, we did the tourist thing and made our rounds at the aquarium and Coca Cola World. It was actually pretty interesting. Not that I felt it would be boring, I just wasnt sure how much fun a Coca Cola Museum could actually be.  I was pleasantly surprised.

 

Lots of color everywhere I looked…

 

Neat things to see in every corner…

Even if you arent a fan of Coca Cola products, its still a really neat place to visit.

Geocaching

Last year, our family began Geocaching. It turned out to be quite a fun hobby which allowed us to get outside, take pictures and search for small treasures. It really gives us a chance to stop and really look at the world around us.

 

Things that I would never see as beautiful, suddenly become so.

  

Cemetery or Graveyard?

One of my favorites places to photograph is a cemetery. In the city near where I live, there is a great cemetery that blooms so beautifully each season.

While there, I have much respect for the deceased but must admit that the crowds, colors and the critters make this cemetery feel very much alive.

Oddly enough, people come to the cemetery to have photos taken, have picnics and get exercise. Even though its a cemetery, its also a quiet gathering place where even the children are silent.

My husband took this shot and caught this little busy bee at work.

April blooms at the cemetery are gorgeous.

There are ducks just everywhere in the ponds.

 

The spookiness of a cemetery doesn’t seem to apply here. Maybe I should go on Halloween instead of during the beautiful spring. Maybe I will feel differently…

As I travel, cemeteries are one location that I will continue to seek for photographs. I usually quest to find the oldest grave there. I think Ive seen back to the 1500′s at a very remote and old cemetery we found once while Geocaching.

Flora and Fauna

While I love taking all kinds of pictures, I seem to gravitate towards landscape photography. I love the colors and shadows and depth of large, busy scenes and of simple, intense ones.

Within those landscapes,  I am finding the most beautiful things.

 

Beauty in the strangest faces.

 

Even surprisingly sweet faces…

The wonder of a zoo.

I have always loved visiting zoos and aquariums, even though I always feel bad for the animals in captivity. I imagine they are treated very well and their digs usually look pretty plush.

 At the Newport Aquarium, there was a Penguin Encounter which was an additional admission price to general admission. I have always loved penguins, so it was not something to pass up.

Penguins are playful little things, easily distracted and a bit mean to the babies in the group. They like shoelaces, jewelry and any straps or strings on clothing. They are curious yet selective in their exploration, interested in anything that moves.

No matter how old I get, I never tire of the sounds and sights of a zoo…

Magnitude.

There are moments in life when we become clearly aware of our size … and how small that actually is.

(this is an iPhone picture, so its pretty poor quality after resize.)