I’m glad you joined me on Wordless Wednesday and I hope to see you soon.
The last photo looked great in the Editor but it’s blury here, I included so you could see the entire arrangement.
Melinda
Category: Photography
Blogger Highlight-Bridgette Tales #2
Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series. I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week, we highlight Bridgette Tales. Bridgette was one of the first people I wrote about in the Blogger Highlight series on 11/14/2022, you can read the post here. Her photography blows my mind, she can capture every feeling of every subject.
Bridgette Tales
Everybody has a story. Here’s a little of mine.
I started this blog in 2013 with the words: “Once upon a time there was a mother who wanted to do something other than dishes and laundry.”
This version of myself feels sort of familiar.
It ended with the words: “She took a deep breath and just went for it.”
This I recognize.
I’ve spent the last nearly decade breathing in and plunging forward.
I’ve been as transparent as I can, exploring motherhood, depression, and body image. There are things I withhold to protect my friends and family, and I’m attempting to explore new territory with my fiction writing. The blog, like me, is a work in progress.
If you are new here, you may want to read my top blog posts:
- Exposed by my children for what I really look like
- Top 10 reasons I hate Costco OR sometimes people suck
- This mom wants her kids to keep fighting
- The hardest dance of my life
- Top 5 ways to make your minivan stand out
- Love lessons from my girl
- What to do when your tires hit the dirt
- Home, broken, home
Questions I Asked
M. Who drew the picture on your blog’s banner and what is the story behind it?
B. The header banner on the blog was drawn by my son when he was 8-years-old. He’s 20 now. It’s me as “Super Mom.”
M. Tell me more about the word show Listen to Your Mother. and how it sparked your creativity.
B. Listen to Your Mother is a spoken-word show on Mother’s Day which features women telling their stories. The audition process itself was a big leap forward for me and made me consider myself a writer/performer more seriously.
All of Brigette’s content and photography are copyrighted and not available for use unless you’ve been given permission.
One of my favorite posts is Photography: Mountain Retreat Like many of her posts, there is a collection of photographs and you’ll find beauties like these in this post.
As always, all photos were taken by me with an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW. Let me know if you have a favorite and have a wonderful week.
Be sure to say hello and while you’re there check out her archives.
Melinda
Wordless Wednesday-Pink Lilly
I’m glad you joined me on Wordless Wednesday and I hope to see you soon.
They bring a smile to my face each Spring and they last all Summer.
Melinda
Blogger Highlight-Leanne Cole
Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series over the past two years. I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week, we highlight Leanne Cole’s blog. I have followed Leanne for a long time and am amazed by every photo she posts. I’m drawn to her infrared photos; they are like no other I’ve seen. She lives to take photos and challenges herself to get the best of each one.
Leanne Cole
Trying to live a creative life
This is about me and this blog is about my photography and what I’m trying to achieve with my photography.
Ultimately I am a middle-aged woman who loves making the world into my vision.
I’ve been taking photos for over 25 years. That’s if you count from first SLR, though I have been taking photos all my life and got my first camera when I was around 10.
Photography was expensive and I wasn’t allowed to do a lot. We didn’t have a lot of money for that sort of thing.
While doing that I was also drawing as much as I could. Being an artist was something I really wanted. I was born to be an artist.
All photos are copyrighted to Leanne Cole, she was generous enough to allow me to include a few photos.
Questions I asked LeAnne
M. Is there a type of photography you would like to improve on?
L. Most definitely, I want to get a lot better at still-life photography. I really think I suck at it, and I love paintings of still life, so I want to get better at it.
M. What is your favorite type of photo and why?
L. I love architecture and macro flowers. Why, I don’t really know why. I love macro because I can do it in my garden. I’ve spent a few years trying to get my garden to a stage where I have flowers in it and can take photos out in it.
I think I like architecture because I can do a lot of work to the images in Photoshop. I love working an image and taking it from what the camera sees to what I want to see.
A recent favorite post is Looking at the Mallee through the lens of an Infrared Camera. Leanne’s infrared camera captures more than light can ever express. Be sure to check the entire collection of photos in the post.
Leanne also participates in several photo challenges each week, and it’s so interesting to see how she tackles the prompts.
Pull up and chair and browse her archives, you’ll be amazed.
Melinda
Wordless Wednesday-Plummer Building In Rochestor, Minnesota
I’m glad you joined me on Wordless Wednesday and I hope to see you soon.
The second photo was taken from their website; the majestic building shines through. David took the first photo through a window in the Mayo Clinic buildings.
Highlights of the building include:
- Bas relief caricatures – These images provide visual variety on the lower levels of the building’s exterior and represent themes ranging from St. George, the patron saint of England, slaying the dragon (honoring the Mayo family’s English ancestry) to a happy elephant and sad donkey (reflecting the presidential election of 1928, the year the building opened, when Republican Herbert Hoover defeated Democrat Al Smith).
- Bronze doors – Standing 16 feet high and weighing 4,000 lbs. each, they are always open, closing only for great solemn events such as the death of Mayo Clinic leaders and national tragedies. In earlier years, Joe Fritsch, nicknamed “Joe Clinic” served as doorman and unofficial goodwill ambassador.
- Carillon – Mounted in the tower of the Plummer Building, the 56-bell carillon brings the gift of music to downtown Rochester. Learn more about the Carillon.
- Lobby – Marble from around the world adds beauty to this area. A mosaic of inlaid marble highlights the large registration counter. Note the bronze tablet on the wall near the lobby entrance. On August 8, 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt presented the plaque to the Mayo brothers on behalf of the American Legion.
- Elevators – The elevators were originally run by an operator whose job it was to safely bring patients and staff to the various floors. Now automatic, the elevators still retain their vintage charm.
- Historical Suite – The third floor of the Plummer Building contains the offices of Dr. Will and Dr. Charlie Mayo, in addition to the elegant Board of Governors Room with the brothers’ diplomas and awards. Other artifacts in the Historical Suite include the 1950 Nobel Prize for discovery of cortisone. Formally named the W. Bruce Fye Center for the History of Medicine in 2015, this area Historical Suite is open for self-guided tours Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Read More »
Melinda
Blogger Highlight-etikser
Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week we highlight the blog of etikser. I have followed both blogs for a long time and truly enjoy the poetry as much as the photography.
etikser
My story is a simple one. About five years ago, I decided to start a blog where I could post things I write, as well as some of the photos I take. I found etikser one day when I was shopping for plants. The stone sculpture was sitting on a wood crate, surrounded by outdoor pottery, green plants in plastic pots, and tables and tables of colorful flowers. Something about its friendly face caught my eye, and I named it etikser, and made it the representative of my blog. The word ‘etikser’ started out with the words, ‘red kite’, which is to me a visual symbol for freedom. It ended up etikser, just because I liked the way it sounded.
I post at etikser whenever I have something I want to share (approximately once or twice a month), although I host another blog at clover and ivy, where I post mostly nature photos and ‘a flower for your friday’ each week.
Questions I asked
M. Why did you not use a capital letter in each blog’s name?
E. I believe I started the blog with the lowercase ‘e’ in ‘etikser’ because it seemed more simple and more unpretentious, and I liked the way it looked, as opposed to ‘Etikser’. My blog design was rather simplistic and ‘Etikser’ just doesn’t feel or look right to me. Once I designed the blog with the lowercase ‘e’, it felt natural to me, including with ‘clover and ivy’. The bottom line is it was simply a style thing, and I didn’t give it much thought.
M. What is your favorite post and why?
E. My favorite post? That’s a more difficult question than it should be. “Ferns” is perhaps my favorite. I love fern pictures, and the writing in that post represents how I feel about nature, how we experience nature, and its charm, with our senses and emotions. I always try
to write the way I think, and “Ferns” represents to me the way we think and interact with the most basic elements of nature.
He loves nature and this is one of his favorite posts is fern.
A post that resonated with me is grounded.
Be sure to pull up a chair with a nice warm drink and enjoy reading through the archives, and before you know it, hours will have passed. No doubt, you will want to follow.
Melinda
Why does the post look correct when I’m writing yet when I proofread the last sentences are way down the page? Oh yeah, it’s WordPress.
Wordless Wednesday-White & Burgandy With A Twist
I’m glad you joined me on Wordless Wednesday and I hope to see you soon.
I was treated to a large arrangement from Costco last weekend. They are larger than Kroger’s, so I’m always happy when he makes the monthly trip. The white pumpkin says it all and I’ve left it in the arrangement because it matches my Fall decorations.
Melinda
Blogger Highlight-The Rusty Ruin Journal
Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week we highlight the blog The Rusty Ruin Journal. Steve’s blog is addictive if you’re into photography and learning about the cameras he uses. His posts are informative and I appreciate him for often taking several photos of the same item in another view. Steve’s use of color grabs you and pulls you right in.
The Rusty Ruin Journal
My name is Steve and I and my family live in South Australia. Yes, it’s a long way from many places and there’s so much beautiful scenery to photograph. We like to travel, hike, and see the sights. I have too many cameras to mention, both digital and film; also, too many books on the shelf; and boardgames aplenty that are often played with friends. In between work and family, I try to squeeze in a range of other interests apart from photography, including making music, painting, and writing. Honestly, I never thought I could do any of those things until I decided to stop telling the same self-limiting stories about myself. It was then that I picked up a big camera and taught myself how to use it. I decided that being creative wasn’t about being the best, but about expressing oneself without judgment, ego, or fear. It’s wise to remind myself of that as often as I can.
I asked Steve three questions you will find interesting.
M. How old were you when you took your first photo and what was the photo of?
S. Hmmm, that’s a tough question! I grew up with film but I never had the money for big and expensive cameras. My family were never into photography and our little cheap cameras only came out on special occasions. I’d have made a few casual photos back then, I’m sure, but the first photo I remember making where I was really interested in the framing and composition was of the Pink Sand Dunes in California. I think I was 26 or 27 at the time.
M. Do you display your photos in the house, or elsewhere and what does your family think about your hobby?
S. Actually, most of the things on our walls are my paintings! Of course, we have family photos framed and on display too. I’ve sold a few paintings and photos over the years but I’ve not had any photos framed properly and on display. I should probably fix that, but I never put my ego into my photos so it doesn’t bother me not to see them everywhere. I think my family are likely a bit jaded by all the camera gear I have spilling out from shelves and boxes…haha! There’s a bit of a running joke amongst family and friends that I tend to stop at every patch of rust and get the camera out because I find it interesting, hence the name of the blog. I can’t deny that I like texture, colour, and abstraction!
M. What are your favorite posts and why?
S.
https://rustyruin.blog/2024/08/10/rubble-and-ruin-on-the-side-of-the-road/ – Apart from the fact that I really like ruins, this post also includes one of my favourite ever poems.
https://rustyruin.blog/2024/08/27/ruins-marketing-and-megapixels/ – I think that sometimes people get too obsessed with gear and the latest and greatest and I question that idea in this post. The post also contains photos of lovely rust…haha! 🙂
I enjoyed this recent post called Red paint and contemplation.
For me, photography is about connection with the subject, the environment, and why it caught my eye in the first place. I take plenty of photos of flowers and plants but that is not the type of photography I’m talking about. Like the most recent photos of art from The Mayo Clinic, there was a connection, and they pulled me in. Steve also has connections by being in the moment outside of taking photos. He takes in the environment and appreciates the scenery around him.
Be sure to stop by Steve’s blog, The Rust Ruin Journal, say hello, pull up a chair, and dig into his posts. You will get hooked as I did.
Melinda
Blogger Highlight-Peerless Cynic
Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series. I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week, we highlight the blog of Peerless Cynic. I have followed Charlie for some time now and thoroughly enjoy his posts. I’m not usually one for poetry but his is short, makes total sense, is seamless, and not to mention the photos he adds photos that are a perfect fit.
Peerless Cynic
Where derision meets concision.
From the serious to the satirical, modest musings on topics ranging from politics to culture to nature, with a side dish of photography. Or, an ill-defined adventure destined for great pings. In any case, how can we avoid being cynical?
My name is Charlie and I hail from Nova Scotia, Canada. I’m a semi-retired IT consultant who has traveled throughout the U.S. and Canada and also a nature photography, a hobby I started PeerlessCynic mostly as a way to express political commentary and satire, always with a good dose of humor. While I still write about those topics the blog itself increasingly became mostly about nature. Over time my love of nature photography expanded to include little vignettes or stories about the pictures themselves, a kind of attempt, for better or worse, to capture that peaceful sensibility of the woods.
My hobbies include playing guitar, reading and hiking. I am most definitely a hobby writer rather than a published writer, but I do enjoy it and hope from time-to-time others do as well.
All my photos are from my travels around Nova Scotia, the many lakes and hidden gems. I have so many favorites and each one has its own story. But a few stand out for sure. One photo under the title of ‘Faraway Woods’ is special, as that trip was one of the last I took with my father before he passed. As I took the shot, he was nearby enjoying that beautiful vista. Fishing and being in the woods were his favorite things, and I guess some of that rubbed off on me.
And probably one of the most visited spots for me is a well travelled place called Triplet Lake, one in a series of lakes not too far outside Halifax, which inspired the poem ‘By the Lake’, a piece that in a way sums up my love of the woods.
I asked Charlie a couple of questions that you will find interesting.
M. How and when did you get into writing poetry?
C. I’ve always had a special affinity to nature even when I was very young, in fact as far back as I can remember. When I began the nature photography, I just suddenly had all these ideas in my mind that I had to get down on paper, which began probably around 2013. I was imaging the forest and the rivers and so on in conversation with each other, the connectivity of the natural world. So I suddenly created an interesting outlet for myself with the poetry to try and express those connections, as well as the harmony of nature. The results are mixed as you can see, but I do enjoy the challenge of creating these little stories, of recreating that feeling of peace that I’ve always had while in nature.
M. Your photography skills are breathtaking, when did you pick up photography?
C. I’ve always had a fascination with expression mainly through writing but also nature photography, a hobby I developed rather late in life.
Here is a recent post I truly enjoyed.
The Autumn Light
The words of the poem and the photo are symbiotic, I love how the beautiful colors unfold around me.
Stop by Charlie’s blog, say hello, pull up a chair, and stay a while. You’ll be so glad you did.
Melinda
I’ve Tweeked My About Me Page, Please Have a Look And Let Me Know Your Thoughts
I get bored easily so I work hard at keeping my content fresh and up-to-date. Most of the changes are esthetic but I think they add some flair into who the person behind the words are. Please check out the updated page and share the good, bad, and ugly, I can take it.
About Me
I want to take one minute to thank all that have stopped by my blog over the years, left comments, the good conversations we’ve had, what we’ve learned from each other, and most importantly your friendship. The past 24 years of my life has been a learning journey, full of ups and downs but many of you have been there throughout the years and I send a special hug to you.
If you think something is missing in my description of my blog or about myself, please let me know that as well, that’s important information to have.
Thanks for coming along for the ride. What a ride it’s been.
Melinda
lookingforthelight.blog 