Scene & Story: February 2017

My favorite photographs are often the most serendipitous ones, the unexpected subjects that catch my eye and take me by surprise. I took a lot of photos in February, most of them outdoors: landscapes, seascapes, and snowy nature shots. Maybe that’s why this one stood out when I reviewed my photos for this month’s Scene & Story.

A Trick of the Light

One morning in early February, I got up at a ridiculous pre-dawn hour to meet a friend for breakfast. (I’m not much of a pre-dawn sort of person, but she’s worth it.) Now, my apartment’s windows all face west. Therefore, I never get morning sun in my home, and it was still dark as I got out of bed and quickly got ready to go.

The sky was brightening by the time I came downstairs, but the living room was still dim and shadowy. Imagine my surprise when I turned toward the door to leave and discovered this beautiful golden light and shadow there. It must be some kind of magic!

In reality, I quickly realized it was just ordinary…what?…physics, I guess. The rising sun was striking the windows of a building across the river, and the angle was just right for the light to reflect into my west-facing windows and shine all the way across the room to illuminate the door on the opposite wall.

But you know what? I’ve never seen it before in the two and a half years I’ve lived here. There are probably only a couple of days a year when everything lines up perfectly, and I just happened to be there at that exact moment. It felt like a gift, and I left the house with a smile on my face and a skip in my step.

Serendipity. That’s magic enough for me.

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Click here to join our Scene & Story link-up at Paisley Rain Boots.

**Scene & Story is a collaborative creation that Sarah Huizenga of Paisley Rain Boots and I dreamt up to encourage one another in our photography and writing. We’d love for you to join us. Just share a favorite photo from the previous month along with a short story or description and link up your blog or Flickr photo. Please remember to visit the other story sharers and leave a little love everywhere you visit. It’s a wonderful way to find and build a community of kindred spirits.

Scavenging at the Beach

Another Sunday and time to go scavenging! Yesterday friend Susan and I went on a photoshoot at a popular summertime destination for visitors and locals alike. I much prefer it off-season . . . or at off-hours in season . . . when I’m likely to have it mostly to myself. I’m not a great one for crowds, which will come as no surprise to anyone who’s been reading this blog for any length of time.

Anyway, this week’s Scavenger Hunt Sunday items are Strike a Pose, Footwear, Hobby, Shiny, and Color Me Green. It may be a bit of a stretch, but I’m using some of my beach shots for all of them.

Strike a Pose:

Ready, Aim, Fire

This gentleman didn’t know he was posing for me. He was totally absorbed and I am very quiet. He didn’t even know I was there. How could I resist?

Footwear:

Be Prepared

Please note what the well-dressed, early-morning, ocean-sunrise photographer wears on his feet: waterproof waders that go all the way up. Later we saw him under the pier, photographing the waves as they rolled in, and he was in the water all the way up, too. But he was dry!

Hobby:

Wings

One of my hobbies is scavenging the beach for real — looking for sea glass and shells. (My daughter calls it “shopping at the beach.”) Sometimes I bring them home with me, but sometimes I just take a photo and leave them for someone else to discover. I loved the colors of this shell and the way it lay there in the sand and ice. My first thought was that a tiny angel had shed its wings. Or perhaps it was a fossilized butterfly. In any case, I took the photo and left the shell where it was. It didn’t seem right to move it.

Shiny:

Greeting the Dawn

It was a beautiful shiny sunrise, until it started snowing on us. Only on our little piece of beach. Even then we could see sunshine on the beach to the north and south of us.

Color Me Green:

Diamonds and Jade

It’s hard to find any green around here this time of year, and I didn’t feel like taking a picture of my recycling. I thought maybe this wave backlit by the sun would do the trick.

So that was our morning in a nutshell. By the time the snow flurry started, we were cold and about ready to pack it in anyway, so it was off to breakfast to warm ourselves inside and out. It was a great way to start off the weekend and felt like a special reward after a wicked hard week.

Be sure to check out what everyone else has posted over at Ashley’s linkup!

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Duet

Last Saturday morning I had the privilege of getting together with a fellow blogger and student of Kat Sloma’s wonderful Find Your Eye photography e-courses. With participants in the class from across the United States and across the world, I got so lucky as to find one practically across the street. Well, OK, not quite that close. But only a few minutes away.

So before the crack of dawn last Saturday, and before the sky clouded up to deliver the infamous October snow, I drove to a spot by the ocean to meet up with Susan of Happy No Ears fame. Turns out she is just as fun and funny as you would guess from reading her blog. She’s also very persuasive, because leaving the house when it’s still dark on a Saturday morning is not a normal part of my weekend routine. Now I can see I may have to change that.

The morning was chilly but beautiful and I found myself wide awake and excited as we headed for the beach, cameras in hand. We photographed the sunrise over the ocean, and as the sun rose higher, went into the village center to see what else we could find bathed in that lovely morning light.

Sunrise Silhouette

Morning Twilight

Leaves

Sun Gilt

Bluegreengold

Quiet Morning

Stone Fence

Two by Two

Porch Light

Who, Me?

A couple of hours flew by — at least I think it was a couple of hours; I lost track of time. Tired and hungry, we adjourned to a local cafe that, as it turned out, is a favorite breakfast spot of both of ours. There we discussed such deep subjects as cameras, photography, the meaning of life . . . well, maybe not that last one so much, though actually we might have touched on it.

All in all, it was a great way to spend a Saturday morning. Like so many of us, I normally pursue my photography alone, and it was a rare treat to be able to share it with a kindred spirit. Thanks, Susan! I’m looking forward to next time.

For anyone who’s interested, I’ve uploaded these images and others from this photo shoot to Flickr.

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