March 8, 2020 • 83

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #87: Reflection

Time and reflection change the sight little by little ’till we come to understand. ~Paul Cezanne

This week, we extend a warm welcome to Miriam of The Showers of Blessings. our second guest host.  She has chosen reflection for her theme–which can be interpreted in a variety of ways.

As I searched through my archives, I found this late afternoon shot of the Arno River in Florence.  The light that day was remarkable, as well as the color of the clouds and sky, which were reflected in the water.  I didn’t add any filters to this shot when I was editing it–so you can see the natural beauty of this magical place, which is so dear to me.

Downriver on the Arno, Florence, Italy

Life is a mirror and will reflect back to the thinker what he thinks into it.~ Ernest Holmes

More recently, Tina (our very talented Tina of Lens-Artists) invited us to explore the natural beauty of Kiawah Island–a place she loves.   When I squatted down and took this shot at the beach, I caught the seagulls mirrored in shallow pools of water along the shoreline.  I can see why Tina loves this place.

If you look closely at this shot taken in the cupola at the top of the Sheldonian Theater in Oxford, you will see multiple reflections.  You will also see a selfie–of me and my camera.  I processed this shot in black and white to highlight the details.

I had to include this shot, taken several years ago at RPM, one of our favorite restaurants in Chicago.  I loved the reflection of the window and plants amidst the bubbles of Prosecco.

Romantic Ambience. Shot with a Samsung Galaxy S7.

This final shot was taken outside Scotland’s Parliament Building in Edinburgh when the autumn leaves were blazing red and gold.  I was fascinated by the unusual shape of the reflecting pool and the trees reflected in the water.

As the troubling news of the COVID-19 virus swirls around us, I am mindful of the value of another type of reflection–the interior kind.  Instead of simply reacting (or over-reacting), I am trying to take time for introspection, which is always valuable, but in times of stress, even more so.

Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful. -Margaret J. Wheatley

In closing, I would also like to thank our community of creative people here at Lens-Artists who graciously share their photographs, thoughts, and unique perspectives.  Your responses to my Change Your Perspective challenge last week were marvelously inventive and fun.

For the rest of March, we will follow the usual schedule.   Next Saturday our host will be Ann-Christine at Leya.

My closing words for this week: stay well and keep creating!

Categories: Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, Photography

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83 replies »

  4. A lovely response, Patti. For me the serenity of the Arno is the winner, but the seagulls is such a crisp shot and the tower in Oxford had me scrolling down with interest. Value for money 🙂 🙂 Thanks, hon! Have a good week.

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    • Hi, Jo. It’s wonderful to hear from you. It’s been a crazy week–trying to decide if we were going to Europe, but we’re staying here (in the USA) for a while, it seems. I’m glad that my response to the prompt was calming. I was aiming for that–for myself as well as others. 🙂

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  9. Wonderful captures, Patti. I hope you had a great trip.The Arno River in Florence is surely magical. The bubbles of Prosecco was a fun and tasty shot. The wiggly reflection of the autumn colors in the pool made an artistic creation.

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    • Thank you, Miriam! I appreciate your kind words. We aren’t going to Florence this year.
      This shot was from 2019. I’ll be dreaming of another trip to Florence in 2021!

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  11. A beautiful post with sensible quotes and words, Patti. I love the colours of Italy, which you have caught at their best. And I also love the happy bubbles of the Prosecco shot. A harmonious post, just what I needed.

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  12. Love your shot of Florence and your bubbly glass Patti but of course my heart went directly to your Kiawah image :-). So glad you made the effort to come visit. We’re just back from NYC and virus-talk was EVERYWHERE. So much fear and overblown reporting. yes, it’s serious but there are ways to be careful and you’re so right – introspection and keeping our perspective (hmmm where have I heard that before?!) are so key in troubling times. Wonderful post as always.

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    • Thank you, Tina! I was wondering about your trip to NYC. The “talk” was just starting when we were there and I know it will continue to escalate along with the worry. But, as we both know, level headedness is needed in these times. I’m glad you’re back in your wonderful Kiawah!

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  13. A beautiful series, Patti. Ah… Arno. So glad to hear you trip to see Tina.
    Yes, “…time for introspection”, wise words Thank you for the reminder. 💖

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    • Thank you, Anne! I was hoping it would have a positive reaction. It was a beautiful moment/reflection. I’m so glad I captured it. I appreciate your kind words, tool.

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  26. All of these are wonderful! I love the seagulls! I’m quite jealous of them as I’d like to be at the beach right now. 😉 The glass of Prosecco captures the romantic ambiance perfectly. 🙂

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    • Hi, Amy. Being at the beach sounds good to me, too! I am so glad you like the wine shot. It was a wonderful moment during a great meal. I love those special moments! Hope all’s well with you.

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  32. Lovely photos. That light on the Arno must happen now and then. During a month in Florence, I saw almost the same scene once: the same light that you see in so many of the area’s painters. It is enchanting.

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  34. A beautiful sequence of reflections Patti, I especially love the scene in Florence and the seagulls on the shoreline xxx

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