Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge- Dark Red

With limited travel and photo opportunities, it’s been quite a challenge to come up with recent pictures rather than dipping too far back into the photo archives, but here are a few shots, taken in the past few weeks, that I thought would fit in with Cee’s theme of Dark Red for her Fun Foto Challenge.

The last of the roses at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

The barn at Volkening Heritage Farm in Schaumburg.

Two places of interest in the historic shopping district of Long Grove.

And lastly, a leftover guest from our Family Fall Festival.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Leading Lines

This week, Tina has chosen Leading Lines as the topic for the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge. The following images were captured at the Chicago Botanic Garden, Spring Valley Nature Center, Navy Pier in Chicago and Volo Auto Museum.

 

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Silhouettes

This week, Patti has chosen Silhouettes as the subject for the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge. I should probably state at the outset that I don’t think I’ve ever taken a picture of something or someone specifically as a silhouette. They’ve just turned out that way, either due to my woeful inability to manually set the camera to cope with the stark contrasts of light and shade or the failure of my camera’s auto mode to do the same. The following ‘silhouettes’ were captured, however inadvertently, at the Chicago Botanic Garden, Volkening Heritage Farm at Spring Valley, Old World Wisconsin and the Stephenson County Historical Museum in Freeport, Illinois.

 

 

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Framing The Shot

This week, Amy has asked us to Frame the Shot for the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge.  Occasionally, when I’m taking pictures I make a conscious effort to compose a framed shot. Sometimes it happens without me even realizing it.  The first two images were captured earlier this year at the Chicago Botanic Garden. The next two were taken at the Milwaukee Art Museum. And the last two in downtown Chicago.

APAW Challenge- Crossing That Bridge When We Come To It

This week, Nancy Merrill’s topic for the Photo A Week Challenge is bridges.  My daughter always had a horror of crossing bridges, especially in a car, and would close her eyes tightly if we were going over an especially long one. I don’t know how she manages, now that she’s a mom who has to do all the driving. I imagine it’s still a white-knuckle experience but hopefully she keeps her eyes open. It isn’t always easy to plan a trip without crossing some kind of bridge or other.  Rather like life, you cross that bridge when you come to it.

The Serpentine and Zigzag bridges at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Crossing the Mississippi River in Cairo, Illinois.

A bridge across the train tracks in Milwaukee, part of the Hank Aaron State Trail in Wisconsin.

Crossing the mighty Mackinac Bridge in Michigan.

For more on Nancy’s Photo A Week Challenge go to Bridges.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge – Tables and Chairs

This week, Cee has asked us for tables and chairs for her Black & White Photo Challenge.  The two images below show some tables and chairs in the McGinley Pavilion at The Chicago Botanic Garden, both their setting and the view onto which they look.

For more on Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge go to Any kind of tables or chairs.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge – Steps

I’m a bit slow off the mark with Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge this week so I’m taking steps to remedy that right now.

Here are some steps at the State Capitol Building in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

And some steps inside the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center at the Chicago Botanic Garden. For more on Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge go to Steps: Indoors or Outdoors.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Looking Up at Kites

This week, Patti is encouraging us to Look Up for the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge and I was certainly doing that at the Chicago Botanic Garden Kite Festival recently. Despite the fact that there was almost zero breeze, the kids (and many of the dads) were able to get those kites flying, making a very colorful show.

For more on the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge go to #13 Look Up.

 

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge – The Path Taken

This week, Cee has given us plenty of scope for the Black & White Photo Challenge with the topic Ground: Sand, Dirt, Grass and Paths. I was particularly drawn to the last on the list so here are a few paths that I have taken. The first two, more formal paths, can be found at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

 

The paths at Arches National Park in Utah were a little less structured.

And the ones at Alta in Utah were downright rugged!

For more on Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge go to Ground: sand, dirt, grass, paths

Seven Days Black & White Photo Challenge – Day 4

Seven days, seven black and white photos of my life. No people. No explanation. Day 3.  Challenge someone every day.  Today I challenge Lin’s Doodles

If I pick you and you don’t feel like participating or if you’ve already taken up the challenge, that’s fine.  I understand.