Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Passionate Observer - Snippets of my Life





I've joined Susan Black at The Passionate Observer in her on line, week by week photo challenge.  The first challenge - to take photos during the past week and post the results by Wednesday.  I've never taken part in any project like this and feeling a bit nervous, here are my snippets of life.

My weekday always includes walks along my favourite beaches in Betty's Bay and Kleinmond so my first picture is of a beach just outside Kleinmond.  The two rustic crosses commemorate the graves of people lost when the Norwegian ship, the Gustav Adolf,  sank off Palmiet Beach in 1902.


Palmiet Beach

 At Dawid's Kraal Beach one cold rainy evening the sun suddenly shone through the clouds and transformed the wet beach into subtle mother of pearl shades.


Dawid's Kraal Beach

A ribbon of pink reflection all the way to the horizon on Betty's Bay Main Beach.


Betty's Bay Main Beach

My garden, following the cycle of the fynbos year, is filled with dozens of these pale blue translucent flowers



I planted this Sunset Conebush about three weeks ago and when I looked out my bedroom window my eye was immediately caught by the gorgeous lipstick pinky-red color of the first bloom, lit by the early morning sunlight.


During this week we took a short trip to The Small Karoo.  Apart from the wild beauty of wide open plains and stark, snow-covered mountains, these are the smaller shots that attracted my camera










Saxe Coburg Guesthouse, Prince Albert Village



 Miss Helen's Owl House
Nieu Bethesda







Late afternoon sun transforms a river in the Swartberg Pass into golden glass




Back home again, water reeds line the bank of the Bot River Lagoon and cottonwool clouds are reflected in the tranquil blue water


Bot River Lagoon



Looking through the pictures I've posted I think that all of them make a story about light, reflections and shadows - through stained glass, on beaches, river and lagoons, enlivened here and there by bright, plastered walls and painted doors.

I'm looking forward to the next challenge.

9 comments:

Susan said... [Reply to comment]

omg Val !! this is a stunning collection - you must feel very satisfied with your week's challenge (I'm hoping). Those first few oceanscapes are breathtaking - the light otherworldly almost - I so want to come and visit you in your beautiful, strange land - strange in that it is so different from where I live. Well done you !

Karen said... [Reply to comment]

Thank you for the vicarious walk around your town. Makes me wish I had the time and money to visit South Africa.

And your photos are amazing!

John said... [Reply to comment]

Val, it looks like you have a knack for being in the right place at the right time. Look at the light and colors in your Guesthouse photo and the glassy river photo!

Dalyce said... [Reply to comment]

Hi there. I'm here from findingthetrue/passionate observer. Wanted to tell you that your photos are absolutely lovely. I love the colors and shapes and light you've captured. Stop by blog to see mine soon .
Dalyce

AndiP said... [Reply to comment]

Absolutely stunning!!! Those beach photos are sublime. As someone who likes taking beach photos I know just how hard it is to get the exposure correct and obtain a photo that has such light and sparkle to it as yours do. I love that the Karoo pics you put up are not photos of the obvious...rather little framed snippets of interesting things and colours

Moose said... [Reply to comment]

Geezzzz ....Ditto to what Susan said!! Wish I could hop on over to South Africa. I really do love all your photos, especially the flowers, oh and of course the kitty!

Moose said... [Reply to comment]

Ditto Val to what everyone else has said... I LOVE them all + want to just hop on over to South Africa. Of course Moose took a liking to the kitty photo!

karen said... [Reply to comment]

Fantastic photos! Loved your close-ups. Very interesting photos. I especially like the one flower... the orange color is brilliantly captured.

Trish said... [Reply to comment]

What an extraordinary eye you have for beauty!

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