Shadows and Light

Today, I have a collection of shadow and light photos shot recently. All of them were taken on sunny days - some indoors, some outside. I hope you enjoy them.

Shadows from the vertical bars combined with the horizontal lines of a Venetian blind created a woven appearance across the seat of this chair.

Deep within the shadows, one single fruit remains on this twig while the sunlight dapples the branches behind it. If you look closely, you can see that a tiny feather or seed clings to the right side of the fruit. I couldn't tell which, as this was taken from a significant distance with awkward terrain between me and the subject. Plus, I only noticed it upon uploading the image.

At my cousin's house last week, I happened to notice a Star of David window ornament as it caught the light and reflected in the glass of her buffet. It took about a dozen shots before I finally captured the red sparkle that my eye was seeing but the camera was not.

Most of this bush was in shadow but the sun warmed this single branch of berries. This plant is what keeps the Mockingbird (seen in the previous post) coming back.

This is my beautiful Zephyr with sunlight streaming in on his soft, silky coat. He's incredibly affectionate and we love him dearly. He is also an enormous klutz, unintentionally knocking things down at least twice a day. How embarrassing for a cat which is ordinarily such an agile creature, you'd think but he's quite oblivious to his furry deeds. Zephyr is not the brightest cat I've ever had, nor is he close to as curious and sociable as his brother, Skittles but he will almost always "purr on demand" - at least for my son and me. He also responds to his name with a quick meow. I've had long conversations with him as we each utter a sound to one another in response to the previous word or meow. One day, I'll try to record one of our chats (which also happens to be French for cats) and post it for you.

The section of the pond which melted last week remains open despite the drop in temperatures which followed shortly afterward. On this late afternoon, the sunlight illuminated that point where ice meets water, and where ducks and geese warmed their feathers while some napped and others rummaged for food.

Thanks for joining me in the shadows and light.

Shadows and Light

It was time for a change - long overdue for this blog which hasn't had a face lift since it started over two and a half years ago. The yard sale critters header is gone and in its place one of my favourite photos of a rose which grew in my front yard a couple of years ago. You can see the post which talks about that rose here.

The photos below are from a recent trip to Campbelford - a small town situated on the Trent river in southern Ontario. All of them depict shadows and light. This new layout now allows for larger images than I had before. They'll still increase in size a bit if you click on them.

"You can't have a light without a dark to stick it in." ~ Arlo Guthrie

A late afternoon walk across the bridge which spans the Trent river. The sunlight produced some interesting shadows through the guard rails.

“For light, I go directly to the Source of light, not to any of the reflections.”
~ Peace Pilgrim

Just a few hours later, we walked into town near the edge of the river. Colourful lights dotted the opposite shore.

“Find beauty not only in the thing itself but in the pattern of the shadows, the light and dark which that thing provides.” ~ Junichiro Tanizaki

A nearby chair at the restaurant where we had a very pleasant dinner.

“There is not enough darkness in all the world to put out the light of even one small candle” ~ Robert Alden.

And here's part of what made it such an enjoyable meal. My Shiraz, Frank's beer and the candlelight - each providing their own warm glow.

“There's something about shadows because you make your own mind up about what's lurking in them.” ~ Richard O'Brien

I hadn't noticed the pair of glasses folded up beside the lamp until I uploaded the photos. I was simply trying to capture the light and shadow.

“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within.” ~ Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

We walked past a beautiful old home which was being renovated. This stained glass window caught my eye, begging to be photographed.

“It was still quite light out of doors, but inside with the curtains drawn and the smoldering fire sending out a dim, uncertain glow, the room was full of deep shadows.” ~ Kate Chopin

Early the following morning, the rising sun revealed this pattern on the motel room drapes. There was a sunrise happening on the other side...

“Shadows are in reality, when the sun is shining, the most conspicuous thing in a landscape, next to the highest lights.” ~ Bayard Ruskin

A peek to the right presented the rich colours of the early sunlight.

“I'll tell you how the sun rose a ribbon at a time..” ~ Emily Dickinson

And across the river, a beautiful start to another perfect day.