Weekly Photo Challenge: State of Mind

The shots below, taken on a road trip through Tuscany, reflect my sense of delight looking at those breathtaking landscapes. I remember saying: “My God! I must have died and gone to heaven!” So, there you have it, my state of mind: wonderment, delight, inner peace.TuscanyWeb_DSC0185TuscanyWeb_DSC0180TuscanyWeb_DSC0184TuscanyWeb_DSC0165TuscanyWeb_DSC0179

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Weather

WeatherBW-Web-DSC_2108

After the snowstorm. Washington, D.C.

WeatherBWWeb_DSC0230

Dark clouds over Brasilia, Brazil.

WeatherBWWeb-DSC_9630

Fog and clouds over Chicago.

WeatherBWWeb-DSC_9616

Just before the storm. Chicago, Illinois.

WeatherBWWeb-_DSC0935

Sunny day on the beach. Santa Monica, CA.

WeatherBWWeb-_DSC0945

Cotton balls in the sky. Santa Monica, CA.

To see other “Weather” entries go to Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Seasons

For this week’s photo challenge Jen asks us to share an image that embodies the weather where we live. She quotes John Keats, who said: “Four Seasons fill the measure of the year. There are four seasons in the mind of man…”  Well, Keats obviously never lived in Los Angeles!

Los Angeles’ Mediterranean climate is characterized by seasonal changes in rainfall—with a dry summer and a winter rainy season—and relatively modest transitions in temperature. Spring and autumn practically don’t exist here. For a photographer, this can be a bit exasperating, as the landscape barely changes year-round. Even our beautiful Santa Monica sunsets are pretty much the same, with the sun descending right in the middle of the Pacific in the winter months, behind the mountains in the summer months, and somewhere in between in the other months.  With that, here’s my interpretation of Seasons!

WinterSunsetJanuary-Web-DSC_0492

“Spring”SunsetMarchWeb-DSC_4063

SummerSunsetAugustWeb-DSC_0280

“Autumn”SunsetOctoberWeb_DSC0985

Endurance

Today Los Angeles hosted its 2016 Marathon. As I do every year, I went to see the 25,000 runners from around the US and the world zoom by my neighborhood on their way to Santa Monica. I missed the members of the elite teams (who ended up winning the race) by a few minutes, but it’s always fun to see and cheer for the thousands of athletes and regular runners who show enormous endurance and determination to complete the 26.2-mile race under pretty hot conditions. These photos were taken in Brentwood, which is Mile 22 or the race, just a few miles from the finish line, where I plan to be next year. 🙂

Weekly Photo Challenge: Life Imitates Art

Art often imitates life. But sometimes Life Imitates Art. That’s what this week’s photo challenge invites us to do.

LifeImitatesArt-DSC_1100

Inspired by the iconic “Christ The Redeemer” statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

ArtImitatesLife_DSC0622-1

Dog and sculpture of panther, Siena, Italy.