Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Macro (and Hellebores)

10 April 2017

Lens:

1. Hellebores Photomontage; Copyright © 2017 Sally W. Donatello All Rights Reserved

2. Hellebore Macro; Copyright © 2017 Sally W. Donatello All Rights Reserved

Click onto each image to enlarge. Let me know which you prefer. Prints are available upon request.

Pens:

Spring’s offerings begin with one of my most coveted florals. Hellebores stun the senses and sensibilities with an eloquent and royal character. They display a quiet gentle bouquet of manners—manners that seem to have dissipated in human nature. Their heads hang downward, as though asking for attention and even a conversation.

What is underneath that array of delicate petals? When a flowerhead is lifted, curiosity is rewarded. We can learn much from the quiet gestures of flowers, and their ability to ask for our thoughts. Each detail of its architecture requires a study, and I succumb to their design and features.

Daily I turn to nature to reassure me, to shore my spirit. And for the last few weeks a large circle of Hellebores have not only entertained and enticed, but also has given me an entry into the season that this year rose slowly to allow for true appreciation of each arrival.

The wonder of spring is that as a snowdrop or crocus or magnolia blossom appear, my mind acts as though it has never seen such delicacies. My gardens are mature and I selectively bring another companion to this area or that, so I know what spring days will bring forth.

That matters little, because the mere appearance of Mother Nature’s gentle bits of life bring such spiritual warmth that they always, always seem a new gift. But also they inspire new ways of seeing and understanding Spring’s palette of jewels.

Tip of the Week:

April is an important month to celebrate Mother Earth, and now she needs all the help that we can muster. Hope that you are able to support one or both of these efforts. Click on each event’s name to get more information.

Earth Day is 22 April. This year’s campaign is Environmental & Climate Literacy Education. From their webpage: “Earth Day Network’s mission is to broaden and diversify the environmental movement worldwide and to mobilize it as the most effective vehicle to build a healthy, sustainable environment, address climate change, and protect the Earth for future generations. Growing out of the first Earth Day, Earth Day Network is the world’s largest recruiter to the environmental movement, working with more than 50,000 partners in 196 countries to build environmental democracy. The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, activated 20 million Americans from all walks of life and is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement.”

People’s Climate March: March for climate, jobs and justice. The event will be held in Washington, D.C. It will begin promptly at 12:30 p.m. Location is 3^rd Street near the Capitol Building.

Excerpts from their webpage: “On the 100th Day of the Trump Administration, we will be in the streets to show the world and our leaders that we will resist attacks on our people, our communities and our planet. We will come together from across the United States to strengthen our movement. We will demonstrate our power and resistance at the gates of the White House. We will bring our solutions to the climate crisis and the problems that affect our communities to our leaders in Congress to demand action.”

If you cannot attend the march to the Capitol, you can search for sister marches that will occur at the same time around the world, and, hopefully, in your community.

View other entries for this week’s challenge:

https://sustainabilitea.wordpress.com/2017/04/10/open-wide/

https://angelinem.wordpress.com/2017/04/10/sally-ds-mobile-photography-challenge-ive-got-yourback/

https://piecesofstarlight.wordpress.com/2017/04/10/17613/

https://ohmsweetohm.me/2017/04/10/

https://chasingtheblooms.wordpress.com/2017/04/10/sally-ds-mobile-photography-challenge-macro/

https://zimmerbitch.wordpress.com/2017/04/11/sally-ds-mobile-photography-challenge-macro-3/

https://traveller2006.wordpress.com/2017/04/11/sally-ds-mobile-photography-challenge-macro/

https://nowathome.wordpress.com/2017/04/11/sally-ds-mobile-photography-challenge-macro-nasturtiums/

Note:

As always I welcome comments about this post or any part of my blog. My photographs for the mobile photography challenge are taken with an iPhone 6.

****If you would like to buy a print of any of my photographs or have any questions, please view the Contact Information found on the masthead. Thank you.

If you’d like to join this Mobile Photography Challenge, please click here for details and history of the challenge. If you have any questions, please contact me. Below is a reminder of the monthly schedule with themes for upcoming challenges:

1st Monday: Nature.

2nd Monday: Macro.

3rd Monday: Black and White.

4th Monday Challenger’s Choice (Pick One: Abstraction, Animals, Architecture, Food Photography, Night Photography, Objects, Panorama, Portraiture, Photomontage, Still Life, Street Photography, and Travel).

5th Monday: Editing and Processing with Various Apps Using Themes from the Fourth Week.