Mixed Media Art. Photography. Inspiration.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Light and Beauty and SSS

There is something about the light in Oregon that takes my breath away, especially the late afternoon light.  That's my favorite time of day anyway because I LOVE the long shadows, and because the afternoon light seems to soften the appearance of everything that its warm glow caresses,


even paved roads and dirty, tattered old mail boxes.



These pictures were taken from my sister's house, at the end of her driveway.  Amazing.  Every afternoon I would just stare out at their front yard and try to take it all in...try to soak up the light and beauty that was right there in front of me...right in their yard.  I wondered if I would ever get anything done at this time of day if I lived there...and wondered how often her and her husband stop....and just breath it in.

This is for you V and B, to remind you to not take advantage of the beauty that surrounds you...and to remind all of us to do the same.  We may not all have a view like this, but there is always beauty that we could appreciate right there in front of us, which we probably take for granted.

What is it that is right there in front of you, that you would suddenly miss if it were gone?  Take a good look around.


These pictures below were taken IN their yard.  I was working just outside their garage, making them some art pieces (talk about an inspiring view!  picts of the artwork coming soon), and I looked up, caught my breath, then grabbed my camera and walked maybe 25 feet in front of me and snapped these shots.  Unbelievable.  Sooooo pretty!  I did nothing to any of these pictures, just simply captured the Lord's light and beauty that seemed to make things glow from within...hmm kind of like He can do with us if we let HIM.


I love how the leaves seem to capture and hold the light.


I've been wanting to participate in Shadow Shot Sundays for a while now, and I think that this might be a good week to start.  I love capturing the play of shadows and light, so now I found a good reason to keep it up!  It's as simple as it sounds, take photos of shadows,  post them, and link to the amazing person who created Shadow Shot Sundays so everyone could go check out all the other participants.   To check it out just click on the button below.  Enjoy!
                                                                                  



11 comments:

dianasfaria.com said...

It is so true how light affects everything and sometimes can flatter things in a way that one might never notice otherwise.
Lovely shadows, have a great week!

Jacqueline~Cabin and Cottage said...

Such a good job of getting the moody light in! Jacqueline

urban muser said...

a great post for your first SSS. love the long shadows.

wanderlust said...

Beautiful west coast trees, love it!

Rita A. said...

Absolutely beautiful. Love the light and shadow and the leaves and the trees and the mailboxes. WOW

Julie@beingRUBY said...

Hi Esther
Thanks for popping over my way... Love your shots... and love that glow!

I love the afternoon light best also... and that is when I will often be out taking shots... well I know what I miss.... i miss a view of the sea.... just moved and although it was only a glimpse! that glimpse brought me much joy!!... Have a great week.. xx Julie

Unknown said...

Amazing pictures! Somehow you made our unmaintained property look so beautiful!
I love how you captured the light coming through our trees. That is my favorite part of the day.

We do try to soak in the beauty around us and remind ourselves that all the rain we have in Oregon is what makes it so pretty. It so true though, everyday life catches up with us and forget about the beauty around us. It's funny you posted our mail boxes because most of the time I drive right next to it and collect the mail. At least once a week or so I make myself walk from our house to the mailbox just so I could enjoy the scenery around me and not be so rushed to get inside and get my work done.

Gaby Bee said...

What a wonderful post. Great shots!

Thanks for stopping by and leaving such a nice note!

Gaby xo

Mandy said...

these are just beautiful...xxx

Kristin said...

Oh my goodness! These pictures and the accompanying words are simply stunning. I love your shots and the play of light. I hope you had a wonderful time with your family and sister and I can't wait to see the art that came from such inspiration. Kristin xoxoxo

Manya Keseloff said...

I just love these photos, they are so beautiful! I love that soft light as well and it all seems very calm. Those photos are made to be put in frames and hung on a wall. :)