Sara L. Chapman's Fave Photos Blog

Longboarder on Dungeness Bay

Sara L. Chapman — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 03:26:32 +0000

On a recent morning, this woman was calmly paddling her board across the shallow waters out towards the deeper waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, or all the way to Canada for all I know. I love the look of still water, and reflections are a bonus.

Visit Watery Wednesday, Blue Monday, Outdoor Wednesday and Weekend Reflections for more interesting photos with a theme.

While you are here, you might as well explore a bit. Click on a new tag. Blue, perhaps? And if you’ve arrived via a link, be sure to click on Sara’s Fave Photos to see the entire blog.

Dahlia with red stripes

Sara L. Chapman — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 05:52:09 +0000

There might be a special name for this kind of marking on flower petals, but I don’t know it. If you do, please clue me in. [later: Striated! Thank you!] They aren’t really stripes; more of spots and stripes mixed together. Anyway, I just love the way it looks. I took this in Seattle’s Volunteer Park dahlia garden that I just discovered this week, maintained by the Puget Sound Dahlia Association. Enjoy!

Visit Ruby Tuesday for more ravishing photo redness and SOOC for more straight-out-of-camera shots.

If you got here by clicking on a link, it might not be the latest post—Sara’s Fave Photos above will take you there. Be sure to try a tag or search for “dahlia” and see what you get!

Cactus close up

Sara L. Chapman — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 22:08:50 +0000

This cactus macro lives at the Volunteer Park Conservatory, in the succulent area. All cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti, you know. This one is about as wide across as my hand on top. I’ve been to the American Southwest and you develop an appreciation for how beautiful they can be.

Visit Macro Monday, Mellow Yellow Monday, and a new meme, Cactus Monday, for more interesting photos. If you’ve arrived here from another link, you can access the latest blog posts by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos, above. But before you leave, try visiting a new tag or category here. “Close up” tag, perhaps?

Red rose

Sara L. Chapman — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 05:13:19 +0000

Roses in the sunshine may not have the tender delicacy they show in overcast, soft lighting, but they practically sing their joy in bright light. To me, anyway.

Visit Shadow Shot Sunday for more intriguing shadows and Scenic Sunday, and Today’s Flowers for great photos. If you’re here from another link, you might want to click on Sara’s Fave Photos above to see if there’s an even more current photo. And you might try the “rose” tag while you’re here. There are a quite a few rose photos, I promise!

Note: There’s now a little surprise if you scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page. Hope you like it!

Seattle dahlia garden

Sara L. Chapman — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 16:05:50 +0000

I discovered a gem of a dahila garden in Seattle, in Volunteer Park. If you are leaving the Conservatory at the north end, it is in the big field in front of you to your left. There appear to be maybe a couple of hundred different dahlias blooming, all staked and named and perfectly groomed. I was in heaven. The sign says it is maintained by the Puget Sound Dahlia Association and I say Thank You to them.

Here’s a pretty pink one for Pink Saturday. Also for Macro Flowers Saturday. And visit Color Carnival, too!

While you are here, try clicking on the Dahlia tag for more lovely blooms. And if you’ve arrived by the permalink, you can always get to the latest post and the full blog by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos, above. Thanks for visiting!

Misty sunset

Sara L. Chapman — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 04:52:16 +0000

Here’s a misty sunset from that bluff trail in the Dungeness Recreation Area near Sequim, WA. I haven’t seen the sun set over the water in a long, long time—not since I was in Venice, California many years ago. I love the opalescent look the water gets reflecting the late day sky. I’ve posted this entry my Best Post of the Week.

Visit Skywatch Friday for more skies seen round the world. Also, Scenic Sunday is well worth a visit.

While you’re here, you might try a category like Waterscape, just for grins. And if you’ve arrived via the permalink, the way to the latest post is right here, Sara’s Fave Photos.

Wildflowers near a river

Sara L. Chapman — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 04:48:53 +0000

Continuing a theme, here is the Sol Duc (pronounced Sole Duck) River in the background swishing over the rocks. The Sol Duc is within the Olympic National Park in Washington State, in the Pacific Northwest.

There’s an unknown wildflower in front. Anyone recognize it? [later: Clairz says it's fireweed! Yay, Clairz!]

Check out Scenic Sunday and SOOC (straight-out-of-the-camera shots). Before you do, browse around here a bit. What appeals today?

You can always return to the latest post by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos, above.

Sol Duc River & Madison Falls

Sara L. Chapman — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:00:13 +0000

I’m going to try to embed the link to the youtube video here.

It worked! But here’s another photo for you for Watery Wednesday and Outdoor Wednesday and Scenic Sunday. It’s of Madison Falls right off the Elwha river, same Olympic National Park and pretty close to the Sol Duc. The waterfall is about 40 or 50 feet high, but the great thing is it’s only a five-minute stroll from the parking lot. So cute, and you can get there in a wheelchair if you want to (if someone will push you up a mild grade). I was disabled at one time and there were so many things I couldn’t do, so I really appreciate a scenic delight that is accessible to people who cannot walk well.

If you’ve arrived via the permalink, just click on Sara’s Fave Photos to access all the photos here.

Red orchid

Sara L. Chapman — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 03:17:53 +0000

I think this orchid is a kind of phalaenopsis, or butterfly-shaped one, but I can’t be sure, because when I am photographing flowers all thought of identification flies out of my head. I just see how beautiful they are and yearn to capture them perfectly. This beauty lives at the Volunteer Park Conservatory.

To all my international visitors, I hope the addition of Google Translate makes your time here more enjoyable. People from around the planet visit this blog and I am so grateful and happy that tools like Google Translate exist. Welcome to all!

Visit Ruby Tuesday for more ravishing redness, Color Carnival for more brilliant colors, and SOOC for more straight-out-of-the-camera shots.

If you like, search this blog for Volunteer Park Conservatory and see what other gems I’ve captured from there. And return to the latest post, always, by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos above.

Peace roses

Sara L. Chapman — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 04:17:35 +0000

These are from my Peace rosebush a few weeks ago. There are still blooms out there, but not in the full heady flush you get in July. Enjoy their vision of perfection.

Visit Shadow Shot Sunday for more interesting shadows, Today’s Flowers for more lovely blooms, Macro Monday for more wonderful close ups and Mellow Yellow Monday for more photos with a splash of yellow. If you’ve arrived via the permalink, you can find the latest posts at Sara’s Fave Photos. Don’t be shy; click it and see what’s new!