“It never failed to amaze me how the most ordinary day could be catapulted into the extraordinary in the blink of an eye.”
― Jodi Picoult, Handle with Care
Sometimes during those challenging moments in life, the day seems to be whitewashed, stripped of color. And then in unexpected places and in unlikely moments, we stumble upon the extraordinary. Sometimes it is “hidden” in plain sight and flashes across our consciousness like a flare of light. These moments linger with us, bringing us comfort, reassurance and joy. They make me realize (yet again) that life is ordinary only if we shut ourselves off from its beauty.
This is exactly what happened to me last week when I was walking along several Florida beaches. Fortunately, I had my camera with me and a new zoom lens (the Canon 55 to 250mm STM lens), which is a vast improvement over my stock lens. (A special thanks to Maria at the Tropical Flowering Zone for recommending it!) Here are a few of those wonderful moments.
Say Hello To My Little Friend. I almost walked past this little sand crab, but fortunately my sister spotted him.
Say Hello to My Little Friend. Cocoa Beach, Florida. Shot with a Canon 70D.
Seagull Solo. Another seagull? I hardly pay attention to them as they flap and flutter around me. But this one called out to me.
Seagull Solo. Shot with a Canon 70D.
After the Storm. The rains came to the East Coast last week in the wake of Hurricane Joaquin. The color of the sky and the cloud formations were striking for days afterward.
After the Storm. Hollywood Florida. Shot with a Canon 70D.
Early Morning Play: A mother and her son got to the beach early after the rains ended. I loved the intense color of the sea and sky and the many shades of blue.
Early Morning Play. Cocoa Beach Florida. Shot with a Canon 70D.
Beach Silhouette. Hollywood, Florida. Shot with a Canon 70D.
Rainbow Over Cocoa Beach. And just to confirm the importance of keeping my mind and heart open for these extraordinary moments, nature provided me with a grand finale–a rainbow.
Rainbow Over Cocoa Beach. Shot with a Canon 70D.
In difficult times, have you been surprised and comforted by these moments of extraordinary beauty? I hope they have given you many memories and much happiness.
To see other responses to Cheri’s (Extra)ordinary Photo Challenge, click here. And have a great week, everyone!
Categories: Photography
P.A. Moed 
The ocean is truly extraordinary … have many faces … love that little crab. Great gallery.
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Thanks so much, Viveka! The ocean has so much variety. It is extraordinary. I hope all’s well with you. I’ll check out your post next!
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I like the seagull!!!
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He does have a personality of his own–doesn’t he?
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An extraordinary personality Patti!!!
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Extraordinary 🙂 Really love the crab!
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So do I! It’s sad to say but I’ve never seen one that was alive before! It is far cuter that way than floured and fried on a dinner plate! Thanks for your thoughts!
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Amazing photos. They are all special although I love the rainbow the most!
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Hi Max. Thanks so much. I see you have a rainbow in your gravitar too. 🙂
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Very nice images Patti, I love the rainbow!
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Hi Maria. So glad you like the rainbow! Thanks again for your recommendation for the lens. The quality is far superior to my other one.
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Wonderful shots of details of a day. Really love the crab.
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Thanks, BB! He is a cute little critter.
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These are all lovely Patti – the little crabs are so photogenic aren’t they? and don’t you just LOVE having a nice zoom!? We call a lens like that a “walking around” lens because you can shoot about anything well with that much flexibility. you put it to great use this week!
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Hi Tina. Thanks! It is a great walking around lens. The clarity is wonderful. I’m experimenting with my “travel kit” lenses. The other is a 17 to 70mm Sigma. What are your “go to” lenses for travel?
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Extraordinarily captured extraordinary.
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Hi Norma. Aren’t you kind! Thanks! Next, I’ll see what you’re up to on WP.
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Gorgeous photos, Patti! This is a terrific idea for a theme. As writers, it’s our job to notice the ordinary. When I’m teaching a creative writing class, I ask students to keep an image journal and write down what they notice as they go about their day. Be observant and you’ll be handsomely rewarded! 🙂
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Thanks, Jackie! I am a great observer too of human nature and human quirks. A journal is a great place to record the “seeds” of your next novel, story, poem. It’s fascinating how the mind picks up these details.
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Beautiful pictures. Love the crab shot.
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Thanks, Sonya. He’s a cute little fellow.
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