Lens-Artists Photo Challenge Archives

St. Fillan’s Church-Aberdour, Scotland

June 27, 2020June 27, 2020Wendy

Hey there! This week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge is hosted by Ann-Christine. The theme she has chosen is “surprise.” As I was thinking it over, this post about St. Fillans Church that I wrote a little over two years ago came to mind. Stepping over the threshold into that church was a true surprise indeed!

“To be honest, I wasn’t expecting to have such a strong reaction when I stepped through the beautiful wooden doors into the church. I have been in many old churches, but I gasped as I stepped inside. Its beauty, size, and the richness of its architecture were astonishing. It was like walking through a portal to another time. Except for a few minor, modern touches, one could almost hear the voices of the saints of old, raised in song, reverberating between those cold, stone walls.”

Original post: January 2018

Hi, friends. Today I would like to take you guys to St. Fillan’s Church, a lovely parish church in Aberdour, Scotland. Aberdour is a picturesque, seaside village located about forty miles to the northwest of Edinburgh in the East Neuk of Fife.

St. Fillan's Church. in Aberdour, Scotland.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: A Quiet Moment

June 22, 2020June 22, 2020Wendy

For this week’s challenge, I am sharing a photo that I took near Farr, Scotland. It was one of those sweet, precious, quiet moments where all you can think is, “Be still my heart.”

I haven’t posted much lately, as I’ve been crazy busy planning and overseeing home renovations. But, I promise you an article on Corse Castle sometime this week! Have a fantastic day, friends.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: Old and New

May 31, 2020February 13, 2021Wendy

For this week’s challenge, Amy is looking for our photo interpretations of ‘old and new.’ I immediately thought about these photos that Mr. C and I took last year, of the Royal Air Force practicing touch-and-go maneuvers at RAF Lossiemouth, the military airfield located just four and a half miles from Duffus Castle. To see and hear the sleek, loud, fast jets flying past the 14-century castle ruin was quite an extraordinary sight!

Royal Air Force Lossiemouth is one of the largest and busiest military air stations in Scotland. The base is located in the northeast part of the country, on the western edge of the town of Lossiemouth, along the Moray Firth coast.

A RAF fighter jet flying past Duffus Castle.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: Delicate Colours

May 24, 2020May 24, 2020Wendy

I love this week’s Photo Challenge. Ann-Christine has asked for photos with delicate colors.

One of my favorite things about Scotland’s scenery is the way it looks in the ever-changing light. There is something so magical and lovely about it. Sometimes everything is bright, crisp, and clear. Often, it’s moody. And sometimes the light casts the land in perfect, soft, almost pastel hues.

Here are three selections I chose from my archives for today’s challenge.

The ruins of St. Anthony's Chapel in Edinburgh, Scotland.

After the rain: the ruins of St. Anthony’s Chapel, located in Holyrood Park in Edinburgh.

A rugged coastal hill and the Stonehaven War Memorial in Scotland.

Stonehaven War Memorial as viewed from Dunnottar Castle near the town of Stonehaven.

A stone wall, green grass, and the Firth of Forth.

Looking at the Firth of Forth from inside the grounds at Lauriston Castle in Edinburgh.

Have a great Sunday!

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: Cropping the Shot

May 10, 2020May 14, 2020Wendy

Hey guys! Happy Sunday to you.

For this week’s photo challenge, Patti asks us to show how we crop our shots to “improve an image and create a desired effect.” I like the quote she shared:

There is a vast difference between taking a picture and making a photograph.
– Robert Heinecken

I’m sure most of us have a selection of photos that we are quite proud of – the ones that require little or no editing – taken in that moment of magic when every photographic element fell into place. But what about all the others? All the other crummy shots that we hardly look at twice. And let’s face it. If we’re honest, we all have loads of “the others” in our files.

Something that challenges me is to take a photo that isn’t good and try and improve it. Or to take a REALLY horrible picture and try to find something – anything – within it that is salvageable. For today’s exercise, I looked through my Scotland photo archives for just those sorts of shots. Here are my examples of “cropping the shot”.

Before:

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: A River Runs Through It

March 24, 2020March 24, 2020Wendy

Hey all! Happy Tuesday to you. For this week’s photo challenge, Amy has chosen ‘river’ as the theme.

“The sun shines not on us but in us. The rivers flow not past but through us.” -John Muir

The White Bridge over the River Fechlin in Scotland.

The River Fechlin flows under The White Bridge near the small village of Whitebridge, Scotland.

Hailes Castle on the River Tyne in East Lothian, Scotland.

The River Tyne drifts past Hailes Castle near East Linton, Scotland.

Old Packhorse Bridge over the River Dulnain in Scotland.

The River Dulnain sweeps under Old Packhorse Bridge in Carrbridge, Scotland.

And, finally, the River Spey rushes through the Highlands in northeast Scotland.

I hope you are all safe and snug in your homes today. Take care, friends.

xo,

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge-Reflections

March 11, 2020March 11, 2020Wendy

Hi, all! This week’s photo challenge is from guest host, Miriam. She has chosen reflections for her theme. Here are the photos I have selected from my archives.

This image was captured in St. Abbs, Scotland, located on the country’s southeastern coast. St Abbs is a small, picturesque fishing village that sits at the foot of the St Abb’s Head National Nature Reserve.

A bridge in a Japanese garden reflected in a pond.

This shot was taken in the gorgeous Japanese garden at Lauriston Castle in Edinburgh, Scotland. Even on a rainy day, the garden was lovely.

This is a portion of the Caledonian Canal in Fort Augustus, Scotland. The Caledonian Canal stretches 60 miles, connecting Fort William to Inverness. It passes here, through Fort Augustus, in a series of locks that step down to Loch Ness.

Loch Mhòr in the Scottish Highlands

And that’s it! Have a great day, everyone!

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: Change Your Perspective

March 1, 2020March 12, 2020Wendy

For this week’s Lens-Artists challenge, Patti has asked us to ‘change our perspective’ when it comes to taking photographs. As she describes in her post, our first instinct is often to stand in front of our subject and shoot at eye-level, rather than working from a variety of angles to achieve the best and most unique perspective.

I have sorted through my files for photographs that I felt were shot with a unique perspective. Here are my entries for this week.

Getting down low: While exploring the grounds around Huntly Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, I came across this really cool fragment of old medieval road. Before the 17th century, it was the road that led to the castle.

Lens Artists Photo Challenge: Treasure Hunt

February 26, 2020March 12, 2020Wendy

This week Tina is sending us on a treasure hunt. Fun! She has asked us to search for specific items (either from our archives or newly captured) from the list that she provided (here). Here is what I found.

A bird

This photo was taken on the coast of the beautiful, small fishing village of St. Abbs, Scotland. St. Abbs is located in southeast Scotland, along the Berwickshire coast on the North Sea.

A seagull with orange eyes sitting against blue water.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: Future

February 12, 2020March 12, 2020Wendy

One really never knows what surprises life will bring. We could have never imagined this accidental find in our past, or how we are going to experience it first-hand in our very near future. Someone pinch me!

Coming Spring 2020.

Muckrach Castle under a bright blue sky.

Muckrach Castle at the top of a sloped hill under a bright blue sky.

This week’s challenge is from Ann-Christine at Leya.