Sunday, October 2, 2011

Texture

It wasn't intentional. When I started selecting a few photos for this post, I was simply grabbing some shot which were taken at the cottage last month. Before long, I noticed that each of the images seemed to suggest texture.



Arisaema tortuosum2
This brilliant red plant is called Dragon Root (or Green Dragon, surprisingly). I found some of them growing just a few steps up the pathway which leads from the cottage to the road.





birch bark
Nearby, a small piece of birch bark caught my eye. I was surprised to see it contain shades of mauve and yellow.






fresh cut
A recently-cut tree smells wonderful and offers up the warm textures of wood.




warm rocks
The late day sunlight fell golden upon these rocks, warming them to the touch and to the eye.





shoreline cedar
More rocks, just beside the dock. Despite its inhospitable surface, this brave cedar has managed to put down roots and grow.





floaters
Look into the water on the other side of the dock. This liquid landscape always changes. At this moment, the surface shimmered and shimmied. A pine cone, a cedar frond and an elm leaf were along for the ride.





pine cone in golden sunligh
Another pine cone, sitting in a shaft of afternoon sunlight, creating a long shadow on the sun deck boards.






Bsunset4
And later, when the sun began to set, it shared its texture, colour and beauty as it kissed the lake goodnight.






Bsunset3
Here's that same sunset after we've stepped back a bit.






Bsunset2
And here again from a different angle.

I'll have some more photos for you in a few days.

66 comments:

ADRIAN said...

A grand set for a Sunday morning.
I love four and five....beautiful.

Glo said...

Absolutely breathtaking! The close-up of the golden water actually filled me with a wonderful feeling, a connection of sorts that I can't explain.

Anonymous said...

Oh, I do love the textures and light you've captured!

Anyes said...

Your photographs still speak of a Summer that just left. I am reminded of how beautiful and warm its light was. Thank you Hilary :-)

Maggie May said...

Yes definitely textures! You have captured some really splendid types of texture.
One of them turned out to be sunset on water and there was me thinking it was sunlight on a woven basket. I must get an eye test!
Maggie X

Nuts in May

Vera said...

gorgeous textures!I love all of these photos!

Sueann said...

Oh my!! Beautiful! That first one is so striking!!
Hugs
SueAnn

Dave said...

Nice texture photos Hilary. I specially liked the one of the water with the pine cone, etc floating on the surface - Dave

Bob Bushell said...

A magnificent set of photos, I love the first one, but, they all deserve it.

Jeff said...

All beautiful... The late afternoon sun on a clear day is always a magical time, especially in the northern latitudes

Zuzana said...

Stunning captures dear Hilary, the water images are my absolute favorite.;)
Hope you are having a lovely weekend.;)
xoxo

Brian Miller said...

very cool...the cedar pic and the birch bark are my favs....def some neat textures there...

Anvilcloud said...

Many phine fotos as usual. Special kudos for the rocks and the sun-rippled water (just the water).

Anonymous said...

Lots of good stuff here. Don't you think it's just amazing the way a tree can grow in such a hostile location?

TexWisGirl said...

i love coming here. you share such amazing beauty and love for nature... :)

Pauline said...

Wings, textures, the kissing sun - I always leave here filled with beauty!

ellen abbott said...

I love the way you zero in on the details.

messymimi said...

Photos so clear i felt like i could almost reach out and touch the textures you spoke of.

Leah J. Utas said...

You sure do know how to find and capture the beauty in the ordinary.

Out on the prairie said...

very nice, i liked the 1st water shot best

DJan said...

My heart gets really full when I look at your pictures, Hilary. So glad to get my fix! :-)

Ruth Hiebert said...

WOW!!! and again WOW!!! These are all masterpieces.

Unspoken said...

Oh gosh! I love the first and the one up close of water. texture is just one of the coolest parts of being alive.

Unknown said...

Interesting directing our attention toward texture! Good call! I think I experienced the photographs differently due to your suggestion. One of the photographs in the middle made me feel like I could get a splinter! I enjoyed that very much!

Barb said...

That lake is a wonderful unfurled bolt of silk that changes colors as the light hits it. Great eye, Hilary!

Tabor said...

Stupendous photos and lovely subject...textures. Seems to fit the season.

Frank Baron said...

Very nice. Makes me want to go back to that country, now and forever.

Steve Gravano said...

Beautiful study in textures, I especially like the pine cone on the sun deck

Naqvee said...

all the etxtures were amazing brillinat pictures the golden water shimmering is the BESTTTTTTTTT

pinecones are my favs.

Naqvee♥

June said...

I wish it were still "sit outdoors in the mellow sunset air" time.
The sun-on-water photo is mesmerizing.

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

All beautiful, of course. Favorites are the pine cone and its friends floating in the water and the beautiful closeup of the setting sun reflecting in the water. Gorgeous.

Elizabeth Grimes said...

I love that you noticed the subtle colors in the birch bark. All the photos are so beautiful! Great idea with the texture theme.

Lisa said...

So much beauty here . I love your blog. Gorgeous.

Cloudia said...

masterful!


Warm Aloha from Waikiki;

Comfort Spiral



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Kerry said...

Elegant, splendid photos that make me think I should borrow my husband's camera, not a point-and-shoot.

Those berries!

SandyCarlson said...

What a beautiful collection of textures, however unintentional.

SandyCarlson said...

You tell such beautiful stories with your photos. Thank you.

ds said...

Each one breathtaking in its own way (I could smell the wood), but I have to admit, I love the light on the water best. So beautiful, as though the gold were running right off the screen and into our laps.
Thank you.

ds said...

That is, the warm golden/orange light--not cold hard monetary gold (sheesh, I'm slipping).

Red said...

Great to remind us of summer when we're in October and facing some cold.
Great photos. Nice touch with the sunset to show it off in different locations.

Shrinky said...

Oh, you and Frank have such a beautiful retreat by the lake, it looks idyllic. I love how you can spot those great shots most of us never see.

Anonymous said...

Ah, a real lifter of spirits for the week! Lovely textured photos... Love those sunset ones. Makes me want to rush out and find a coastal scene in real life.

Liz Mays said...

I especially love the dragon root and the ones with the sunlight on the wter!

the Bag Lady said...

Gorgeous shots, Hilary - all of them! You have such an eye for beauty.

Daryl said...

love the large shadow the acorn casts and the ripples.. they are lovely

Cricket said...

Third from the bottom is just stunning. Truly.

And so to call the tune: George Harrison The Answer's At The End from Extra Texture ;-)

Fragrant Liar said...

I am fascinated by textures. The red dragon was especially luscious!

yaya said...

An artists eye for sure....I love the water pics, and the sunsets. Thanks for sharing!

Gail Dixon said...

Oh, my. So much beauty in one post.

Anonymous said...

Such glorious autumn light! Love the water shots, too - magical!

Reena said...

Wonderful photos of nature. Love everyone but especially those warm wood ones!

Hilary said...

Thank you everyone for your always-kind comments. I'm so glad that you enjoyed my texture photos. It's funny how seemingly-random images sometimes work out to be a set.

I hope to be around to visit everyone soon. Time and real life seem to be a tad more demanding these days which leaves me less time for visits and individual replies to your comments. But things will get back to normal (whatever that might be) eventually.

Thanks always for your visits. They mean so much to me. :)

Hilary

25BAR said...

This cottage seems awesome! I love all of these textures.

Pierre BOYER said...

Beautifull pictures....
Regards,

Pierre

Suldog said...

I don't know enough ways to keep saying that your photography is magnificent.

Mage said...

Simply wonderful.
I came back from our long trip with sometimes a thousand photos a day. Unfortunately my newly repaired camera gave me thousands of out of focus pictures. No art to share with you this trip. Thanks for yours.

Anonymous said...

I adore the shot of the 3 floaters ♥ It reminds me of the shot of the curled green leaves that you posted awhile ago. You capture the simple subjects in stunning ways :))

Kerri Farley said...

Faster and faster ~ my heart beating as I viewed your lovely images.
Superb!

photowannabe said...

Divine textures. Each one made me ooo and ahhh.
Love those tiny berries and the watery ride along pinecone. Of course I liked them all.
Thanks for my "battery charge" this morning. Oh my, I just looked at the clock. Its hardly morning any longer....

Claudya Martinez said...

Beautiful. I love them all together.

Dianne said...

the light on the water is delicious!!

Hilary said...

Thank you all!

Unknown said...

The lake photos are breathtaking!

Anonymous said...

Oh so very lovely! As you might know, I adore textures in photographs, and the liquid gold in those sunset photos is exquisite.

lime said...

that shot of the shimmering water is just so calming and soothing to me.

Unknown said...

gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous

( hope you are having a wonderful fall, enjoying the cottage, the unexpected warm weather, and now the blustery prelude to a long winter of course )