The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden is a 66-acre oasis situated on the shores of White Rock Lake. Consistently rated as one of the top botanical gardens in the world, it features breathtaking floral displays, historic estate homes, and engaging educational exhibits that draw over a million visitors each year. The above photo was taken during the annual Autumn at the Arboretum event. I looked forward to this event every year for great photo opportunities, along with Dallas Blooms in the springtime and the spectacular Christmas display.
In her 1913 poem “Sacred Emily,” Gertrude Stein wrote a “Rose is a rose is a rose.” That may be true, unless it’s the peak of “golden hour” when the sun hurries towards the horizon and leaves in its wake a vivid, orange hue illuminating the surroundings. This was exactly the case as I took a close-up picture of this rose. In the distance is a blurred background of the leaves of a large oak tree that were transformed in the waning minutes of golden hour. An all-time favorite photo of mine. Curious as to why the background of green leaves appears orange? Click here.
A Fiesta de Quinceañera is a traditional Latin American celebration of a girl’s 15th birthday, marking her transition from childhood to young womanhood. The tradition has roots in both Aztec and Mayan traditions and Spanish customs. It is a very family-oriented event involving intense preparation. The day starts with a Mass where the girl receives a blessing. The quinceañera (birthday girl) typically wears a formal ball gown, often in pastel or vibrant colors, accompanied by a tiara and jewelry. She is accompanied by a court of 14 friends and family members, similar to bridesmaids and groomsmen. The girl is presented with her "last doll," signifying the end of childhood and her transition to maturity. I took the picture of the below quinceañera at the Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Garden, which is a popular venue for photos of this special occasion. I was there to photograph the spring flowers. Las quinceañeras were a bonus (there were three - all pictured below).
Canoes on a small lake tied to shore on a sunny afternoon at Château de Fontainebleau in France. There is something so tranquil about this scene. It is inviting you to come in, spread a blanket and lie down with your thoughts - and soon the only thoughts that will remain are ones of a quiet calm.
Anthony Chapel is located at Garvan Gardens, a 210 acre botanical garden in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is a quiet, serene setting — perfect for reflection, meditation and connecting with nature.
This stunning structure is renowned for its organic architecture, which connects it to its natural, wooded environment, allowing it to blend seamlessly with the surrounding forest.
Stunning floor-to-ceiling glass walls and skylights provide panoramic views of the surrounding woodland, with natural light creating a "cathedral of nature” that brings the forest inside.
Needless to say, Anthony Chapel is a very popular wedding venue.
How bad could it be living in Moret-sur-Loing, a small medieval town of 4,000 that dates back to the 11th century? At the end of the day you walk down to stick your toes in the Loing River. There is the sound of a small waterfall, a weeping willow is almost touching the water and a weeping Japanese pagoda, first brought to France in 1747, has climbed down the stone wall behind you. How bad could it be? I can’t imaging anything better - well, one thing, no cell phone service for miles and miles. . . .
This photograph could be categorized as a nature photo, a landscape or a waterscape. It’s not. It’s a portrait. It’s a portrait of a person in the midst of nature, experiencing nature first hand. We can’t know exactly what this person’s experience is like, but we can place ourselves in this setting and imagine how nature might move us.
Growing up most of our family vacations were to the beach. Many fond memories, and a nostalgic place in my heart for the beach to this day. On a few occasions there was a full moon during our week at the beach. I was enamored by how the moon cast a light on the ocean that looked like an illuminated pathway beckoning one to journey to the heavens. On one vacation when there was a full moon I was reading “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe” by C.S. Lewis. I was certain Aslan was at the end of the glittering path across the ocean. I was completely moved by the of the sight of the full moon over the sea all those years ago, and still am. I captured the magic vision above on the beach at Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina.
Leading lines are a technique to draw one’s eyes into a scene. This photograph contains the large, single leading line of the brick walkway. It is made up of more leading lines with the vertical rows of bricks. Each row of palm trees on either side of the walkway are also lines leading the eye to a small, white staircase. It is too dark to tell that the staircase leads up to the front door of a home. This photograph was taken on Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, in the neighborhood at the southern end of the island, where the lighthouse is. (The residence is near the intersection of Station 18 Street and Atlantic Avenue, just a few blocks off the beachfront.)
BEST PICS Gallery Pages