Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Looking Up At Things

Things are looking up! At least they are for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge this week.  Once I got started on this one, I couldn’t stop, so I’ve tried to limit myself to just a few of the images that I found in the photo files. We’ll be traveling around quite a bit for this challenge, starting with downtown Chicago.

Looking up at ‘the beehive’ atop the Metropolitan Tower on Michigan Avenue and ‘The Spearman’, one of two bronze statues standing as gatekeeper on Congress Plaza.

Looking up at a chandelier in the State Capitol Building in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Looking up at a rather fierce-looking statue of an eagle, looking down at us at the Lee Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin.

Looking up at the trumpeter atop the Mormon Temple in Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Looking up at George Washington on Mount Rushmore, South Dakota.

Looking up at a giant lantern at the Chinese Lantern Festival in the Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, Missouri.

And lastly, looking up at the trees on the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.

For more on Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge go to https://ceenphotography.com/2017/02/28/cees-fun-foto-challenge-looking-up-at-things/

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Looking Down At Things

This week, Cee has us looking down at things for her Fun Foto Challenge and there are plenty of those in the photo files.  During our visit to Utah we seemed to spend half our time looking down on things.  When you’re in the mountains you can’t help it.

The view looking down from the lift at Snowbird Ski Resort in Utah.

Looking down at the glass fountain at the Conference Center in Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Looking down at the beautiful architecture of the Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City.

Looking down at the city of St. Louis, Missouri from the top of the Gateway Arch.

Looking down from the fort at the harbor on Mackinac Island, Michigan.

A brave youngster looking down from the top of the slope at the ski jump in Fox River Grove, Illinois.

Looking down at the House of Representatives in the Illinois State Capitol, Springfield.

For more on Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge go to https://ceenphotography.com/2017/02/21/cees-fun-foto-challenge-looking-down-at-things/

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Things That Look Like Faces

This week, Cee has us looking for faces in everyday things for her Fun Foto Challenge.  Here are a few of the faces that looked out at me from the old photo files.

A unicorn magically appears in a tree trunk at Spring Valley Nature Center in Schaumburg……..

while these vintage cars seem to have taken on personalities of their own at Bluesmobile Cruise Night in Mount Prospect, Illinois.

And a giant face glares out from the rocks at Arches National Park in Utah.

For more on Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge go to https://ceenphotography.com/2017/02/14/cees-fun-foto-challenge-things-that-look-like-faces/

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge – Glass

The subject for Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge this week is glass and going through the photo files I came across a few items that I thought might work. It’s funny how, when you see the theme for a certain challenge, you wish you’d taken pictures of some things you’d seen that would have been great! Oh well!  If only we could see the future as easily as we can see through glass.  For more on Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge go to https://ceenphotography.com/2017/02/09/cees-black-white-photo-challenge-glass-2/

Chihuly artwork at the Visitors Center in Columbus, Indiana.

Too much time on my hands; this was a photographic experiment that I set up on a dreary day just for something to do.

A stained-glass window from the former Ottawa Street Methodist Church which is now part of the Joliet Area Historical Museum.

Glass ceiling at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Glassware on display at The House On The Rock in Spring Green, Wisconsin.

Paperweights on display at The Art Institute in Chicago.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge – Music

Cee invites us to listen to the music for this week’s Black & White Photo Challenge.  I remember my uncle once saying to me many years ago, “How can anyone live in a world without music?”  Good question! I know I couldn’t.  Not that I can play any kind of musical instrument and I certainly couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket, as the saying goes, but I can appreciate listening to those who can.

The late Oliver Colbentson, onetime Concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, showed a wonderful passion for his music. I always enjoyed going to the recitals that he gave later in his life and he graciously allowed me to take photos at one such performance.

A sing-song on one of the pirate ships for Halloween some years ago at Navy Pier in Chicago.

This gentleman kindly allowed me to take some shots as he prepared to play for the Orchid Festival at the Chicago Botanic Garden a couple of years ago. I think his name is David Chiriboga and he did a splendid job.

A guitarist with a slightly different style of music playing at the Farmers Market at Wheeler Historic Farm in Salt Lake County, Utah.

Another performer at the Farmers Market in Utah, this young man’s enthusiasm for his music seemed inexhaustible.  He played for what seemed like hours.  It was definitely different!

For more on Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge go to https://ceenphotography.com/2017/02/02/cees-black-white-photo-challenge-music/

 

Thursday Doors – Peace

I had planned on using a different set of pictures for Thursday Doors this week, but after reading Norm’s thoughtful and moving post this morning they seemed much too frivolous. Instead I found a few images that I hope will convey my feelings.  Wherever and however you choose to worship, may you find peace.

The BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Bartlett, Illinois.

The Assembly Hall on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah.

St. Peters Church at Old World Wisconsin.

St. Joseph Cathedral in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, Missouri.

St Matthias Church in New Fane, Wisconsin.

The Baha’i House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois.

For more on Norm’s Thursday Doors go to https://miscellaneousmusingsofamiddleagedmind.wordpress.com/2017/02/02/thursday-doors-february-2-2017/comment-page-1/#comment-13736

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge – Public Transportation

This week, Cee invites us to take public transportation for the Black & White Photo Challenge.  My first thought was that I rarely take public transportation, pictures or otherwise, except for the train into downtown Chicago and that, only rarely.  But then I realized that the term ‘public transportation’ covers a good deal more than just trains and buses so I went through the photo files and came up with quite a diverse collection.

A more leisurely style of transportation; a horse and wagon awaits passengers at the Wade House Historic Site in Greenbush, Wisconsin. A great way to get from the Wesley Jung Carriage Museum to the Old Wade House.

Taking the lift up the mountain at Snowbird Resort in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah.  It was the first time I’d ever ridden in one of these and was too busy taking pictures to be nervous.

A more conventional form of public transportation; one of the tour buses that takes visitors around the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.

This was another first; a ride on the Star Line hydro jet ferry that took us from Mackinac City to the Island.  Although I’m always apprehensive about being on water, being a non-swimmer, I found this form of public transportation very exhilarating.

A more familiar form of public transportation and one seen in many towns around this area; Metra trains are a comfortable and convenient way to get around and certainly beat sitting in traffic jams for hours on end and paying exorbitant parking fees when you get there especially in downtown Chicago.

One kind of public transportation that I don’t plan on taking any time soon is the airplane.  The only time I was on one of these was when I came over to the US from England.  Like many people, I can’t explain my fear of flying.  The flight over here was good, nothing to put me off of doing it again, but there it is; an irrational fear of flying.  I suppose if it was an emergency and I had to do it, I could, but it’s not something I would do by choice.

For more on Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge go to https://ceenphotography.com/2017/01/19/cees-black-white-photo-challenge-public-transportation-2/