Playing Catch-Up

In an effort to keep up with the assignments, I'm combining two in one post.

Assignment Number 7: Spring Wildlife
Somehow I managed to miss the deadline for submitting an image on this assignment as well. It doesn't matter, my blog doesn't have any deadlines for sharing.

I had hoped to find new wildlife other than my dog, who is also wild and full of life though rather domesticated. The one day I was out looking for creatures that share their habitat with us, they were all in hiding.

Back to my archive I went. I found a photo of a resident from the wilderness at Pinnacles National Monument in Central California, taken during a camping trip last year.

© Anna Irwin

This lizard was sunning himself (or herself?) on a rock in the bright sun. As soon as I took the photo, it realized it had been spotted and scurried off quickly!

Assignment Number 8: Memorable Shots 

Although I missed the deadline for the previous shot, I was very early for this assignment. It asked participants to revisit their archives and share their most memorable shots of any subject. I didn't have to think long about the image I wanted to submit. 

© Anna Irwin

This is Mount Rainier in Washington state, reflected in Reflection Lake. On our way to view the mountain a bit closer, we drove by this lake at just the right conditions. I jumped out of the car to take this shot and felt lucky to be able to do so. Not five minutes later the clouds rolled in and obscured the mountain or parts of it for most of the day. 

It was a truly awe-inspiring view of this impressive volcano. That alone makes this a memorable shot for me.

-ai

Assignment Number 6: Wildflowers

My sixth assignment was Wildflowers, however, I missed the cut-off to submit my entry by less than a day! And it looks like they're back on track at O.P., because they already have two new assignments posted. More on those in later posts.

I'd still like to share what I would have contributed, had I been on time. I have photographed many wildflowers over the years, and it was hard to pick just one photo. The "winner" is one I greatly enjoy.

© Anna Irwin

I admit, this is not a recent photo, and I have no idea what kind of wildflowers these are – my knowledge in this area is sorely lacking – but I hope you will enjoy it anyway.

-ai

Assignment Number 5: Water

For my next assignment, I admit I was a bit stumped. I have many photos with water: lakes, streams, oceans, etc. However, I wanted this assignment to be original, something other than what I have done before. That is what the challenge is all about after all!

I was racking my brain, trying to think of what I could capture that was related to water. As it got closer and closer to the deadline – which is midnight tomorrow – I got more and more worried. Where was my inspiration?

This morning, after I returned from my morning run, inspiration found me again.

© Anna Irwin

The leaves of the day lily were covered with dew drops, as if they were decorated with glittering gems of different sizes. One large one in particular reflected the surroundings and the sky. I ran inside to get my camera and capture it immediately.

What did I learn from this experience? Sometimes I have to stop looking for a subject, and let the subject find me.

-ai