Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Toys

When I was a child growing up in London, I yearned to possess a doll house such as the one my friend owned.  It was a large, three-storied wooden house with furniture and lighting and I was green with envy.  I was too young to understand that my parents couldn’t afford to gratify my craving for such a lavish toy and when they did eventually buy me a small, metal 4-room house, I can remember the feeling of bitter disappointment which I hope I managed to hide. Perhaps this is why now, as an adult, I can’t resist the occasional urge to buy a wooden dollhouse and splurge out on fixtures and fittings or gaze longingly at really fancy houses and miniature furniture in museums such as those pictured below at the Stephenson County Historical Museum in Freeport, Illinois.

I’m currently renovating an old house that I bought at a thrift store and every time our granddaughter visits she looks to see how far I’ve got with the decorating, her little fingers itching to rearrange the furniture.  I want to tell her that this is not the kind of toy that you play with. This is just for looking at, not for touching, but then I remember the house that I longed for when I was her age and I have to relent. “OK kid, but be careful.”

For more on Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge go to Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Teddy Bears, Dolls, Toys

Cee’s Which Way Photo Challenge – Rails

Railway tracks running through Glenwood Springs, Colorado.  I’m not sure which way they were going or from where they came but on a rainy day, when the chance for further exploration was limited, it was one of the few sights that seemed picture-worthy.

For more on Cee’s Which Way Photo Challenge go to Cee’s Which Way Photo Challenge – June 16, 2017

 

A Photo A Week Challenge – Boats & Ships

The current subject for Nancy Merrill’s A Photo A Week Challenge is Boats and Ships.  My earliest recollection of boats comes from when I was a small child and we went on a sightseeing trip down the river Thames in London.  Since then my water-going experiences have been limited to a ferry-crossing to Mackinac Island, the occasional trip down the Chicago river, a couple of outings with the Des Plaines Yacht Club on Lake Opeka, and one or two other sightseeing excursions on rivers and lakes.  I’ve never been on an ocean liner or cruise ship so I don’t know whether sea sickness would be a problem and since I’m never likely to find out, it will forever remain a question unanswered.

A ship and a boat at The Tall Ships Festival at Navy Pier in Chicago.

A boat docked in Sturgeon Bay, Door County in Wisconsin.

A sightseeing boat passing through the lock at Sault Ste Marie, Michigan.

A ferry boat crossing over to Mackinac Island.

Competitors with the Des Plaines Yacht Club in a race on Lake Opeka.

Sightseeing boats making their way up the Chicago River.

For more on Nancy’s A Photo A Week Challenge go to A Photo a Week Challenge: Boats and Ships

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge – Lights

Lights! Camera! Action! This week, Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge puts lights in the spotlight. I hadn’t realized how many pictures of lights I had until I went through the photo files looking for suitable images.  Here are just a few.

Light stands in Maggie Daley Park in downtown Chicago.

Still in downtown Chicago. Kids enjoying some summer fun at the Crown Fountain in Millennium Park.

A chandelier at the Chicago History Museum.

Traveling north to Door Country in Wisconsin, a close-up of the lighthouse on Cana Island.

Two set pieces including lamps at Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina and Glensheen Mansion in Duluth, Iowa.

Lights on a vintage car at the Joliet Historical Museum in Illinois.

Lights on a terrace at the State Capitol Building in Salt Lake City, Utah.

For more on Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge go to Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Lights

 

Weekly Photo Challenge – Focus

This week we’re getting in or out of focus, however the fancy takes us, for the Photo Challenge set by David at The Daily Post.  I have a multitude of images that are unintentionally out of focus. I’ve even tried using them for competitions, claiming artistic license, although the judges just weren’t buying it.  I do have  a number of pictures that, all things considered, are quite sharp. And then there are those that, by some miracle, just seem to have the right balance.  It’s sheer luck when this happens as I’m not one to fiddle around making adjustments to the camera when I’m out shooting. Even if I spent time reading the manual that comes with the camera, I’d probably never remember all the technicalities.

 

I like this shot of a swan at the Chicago Botanic Garden for a couple of reasons. The flowers in the foreground add some color to the picture but also, being slightly out of focus, give the impression that we are hiding behind them watching as the swan goes gliding by.  A similar effect can be seen in this image of a moose taking it easy at Snowbird Resort near Salt Lake City in Utah, although who was hiding from whom I’m not sure.

I think the following images benefit from having the background out of focus, allowing us to concentrate more fully on the subject: flowers at the Green Bay Botanical Garden, a young man playing the part of a soldier at the Fort on Mackinac Island and a goldfinch enjoying some sunflower seeds in our garden.

For more on The Weekly Photo Challenge at The Daily Post go to Focus

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Pots and Pans

Cee has given us quite a choice for her Fun Foto Challenge this week, ranging from pots and pans to dishes and silverware, none of which feature heavily in my photo files.   I really must widen my field of subjects. Who knew pictures of my old Pyrex dishes might come in handy some day! However, I did come across one picture that I thought might work.

The pots and pans in the kitchens of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville are quite impressive.  The service area of the house is located in the basement and includes the main kitchen, pastry kitchen and rotisserie kitchen as well as walk-in refrigerators and a laundry room.

For more on Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge go to Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Dishes, Pots, Pans, Silverware

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge – Buildings

Instead of dodging about all over the place for Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge this week, I thought I’d stay in one place and feature the buildings of Heritage Hill State Historical Park in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

This 54-acre site, opened in 1977, showcases 24 historical and reproduction buildings typical of the early history of Northeastern Wisconsin between 1672 and 1940. The Cheese Factory, pictured above, was built in 1894 and was originally located in Kewaunee County.

The Moravian Church, built in 1851, is a popular place for weddings.  It was originally located in downtown Green Bay but was relocated to Heritage Hill in 1980.

Baird Law Office, built by Samuel Beall in 1835, was bought by Henry Baird in 1841 and was relocated at Heritage Hill in 1975.

The YMCA Library, built in 1873, was originally located on Chestnut Street and moved to Heritage Hill in 1977.

The Smithy, built in 1897 by Henry DeWitt, stood on the corner of Danz and University and was moved to Heritage Hill in 1976.  DeWitt specialized in decorative blacksmithing and later the building was used as an auto repair shop.

The barn, pictured above, was owned by the Lampereur family and is part of the Belgian Farm at Heritage Hill.

The Franklin Hose Company No. 3 was built in 1887 for the purpose of a volunteer fire department. It was disbanded in 1891 and moved to Heritage Hill in 1975.

For more on Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge go to https://ceenphotography.com/2017/06/08/cees-black-white-photo-challenge-buildings-2/