Sit still for a few minutes and see what is there

[ScoutR]

Hi everyone. I have not been able to get out much lately, but last evening was able to walk down to a small holding pond down the street. It's not much really, no bigger than a house sized lot, but it is naturalized and everything is grown over and kids have made paths down to the pond to catch frogs and whatever else kids do at these places. I followed one of the paths to the edge of the pond and sat for 15 minutes or so and took these shots. Maybe I just like them because I got out of the backyard, but truthfully I did not expect to shoot anything at all and was quite surprised.
I'd like to invite anyone to sit still and look around for 15 minutes to half hour in one location, outdoors,inside, city,country, anywhere you please and post your shots here.

Here are mine, sorry there are so many I guess I really do have to get out more

#1. Backlit baby teasle


#2. Queen Annes Lace Bud


#3. B&W Queen Annes Lace


#4. Grass


#5. Blackbird in a tree


#6. Canada Goose


#7. Sticks in the Water


#8. Queen Annes Lace in the style of Katy


Wendy

[Donald]

Take any one out of the set - they are all beautiful. But for me, this is jaw-droppingly magnificent.

You get these moments when you open up a new post, wondering what's going to be there. And an image just smashes you between the eyes and demands that you stop right there and then. This, for me, is one of those.

We could wax lyrical at length about why. Better to just sit and admire it.

[Katy Noelle]

Gasp. gasp, gaspity gasp - I like the last one! Is that really in my 'style'? (do I have one, yet?) because, it looks like it's in the style of one of my favorite photographers - Mary Carroll. I do love a good wash of light! But, I have to say that it's the loveliness of the whole thought - the sitting still for 15 minutes (out of the backyard - I hear you!) and the culmination of wonderful and moody shots - starting with the most excellent backlit teasel. Alright - I need to go out, NOW!

[jiro]

...We could wax lyrical at length about why. Better to just sit and admire it.

Would definitely do the same thing as Donald's, here. That is really a winner for me, Wendy.

[ktuli]

#7. Sticks in the Water

I agreed with absolutely everything said so far.

However, I do want to draw some more attention to #7. Not sure if it is my favorite or not (a very tough choice to select just one from these!) but I have to say I love the play of textures, color, and simplicity of composition in this one. With some of the other "jaw-dropping" and "between the eye smacking" going on here, I think this one could get overlooked, and you'd be very remiss to do so....

Beautiful, Wendy, beautiful.

- Bill

[Katy Noelle]

Wendy..... sitting still.... didn't you get eaten alive? (Midges, aka 'noseeums' are out.)

[mammarazzi]

Really beautiful set, stunning

[ucci]

They are all just so beautiful that they fill me with much dispair. You just set the bench mark at impossibly high levels for some of us! But while I attempt to come to terms with this and try to get over it, I am going back to savour your beautiful posts.
In, " Give me One Word,' to describe them," off the top of my bald pate, I would have to opt for "Inspirational." Pathetically inadequate, I know.
Ken

[arith]

I like #6, in fact I like them all but noticed how good this is.

[Markvetnz]

Beautiful shots. I once saw a dedication in a photography book in which the author thanked his father for teaching him to wait for the shot. These photos remind me that the best shots are the ones which come along when we forget about time and just become one with the picture.

[purplehaze]

Gorgeous, Wendy. #1 is my favorite, too.

[Dave Humphries]

Great idea and great series Wendy

[wilgk]

as has been said Wendy - Stunning!
particularly #1 for me, I could pop that on my wall, along with that other favourite of yours...

[ScoutR]

Thank you so much everyone, your comments are very encouraging and I'm so glad you like the shots. It's so amazing to me that when I walked by on the trail, I wondered why I even took the camera, but I decided to explore. When I sat down and looked around there was so much going on. From a distance it was just a hot dry hazy evening but close up there were so many little things that I would have never noticed if I had not stopped and sat down. I did not even post them all. There was a muskrat, and a flock of red winged blackbirds that did not turn out, golden grass blowing in the breeze against a cloudy blue sky, some yellow flowers that were drying out because of the heat and lack of rain. The colours reminded me of fall, and so many more Queen Annes Lace from all points of view, and I even took a few that were just all different shades and textures of green, they looked better in my mind than they do in pixels.

Katy: Yes you do have a style and a flair for composition. Don't ever doubt it. Oh, and yes I was getting eaten alive, not just midges, I think a few spiders were munching away on me too. I'm sure if I had my other lens I could have gotten some bug portraits too.

Ken: Don't despair, I think you will be surprised what you see if you sit still and observe. I know I was, I don't usually stop unless something catches my eye, but I think it does not matter where you are if you stay still long enough you will be as surprised as I was. I know I plan to try again, but I might challenge myself to do the same thing downtown or in a setting where I am usually too self conscious to take photos.

From Markventz: I once saw a dedication in a photography book in which the author thanked his father for teaching him to wait for the shot. These photos remind me that the best shots are the ones which come along when we forget about time and just become one with the picture.

That was certainly the case here. Except for the teasle all these shots were taken while sitting in one spot and looking to the left, right, above, in front and behind me. The teasle was taken on my way up the bank back to the main path.

Thank you again everyone, you have no idea how much I appreciate the kind comments. I'm so looking forward to see what you all come up with in the next few weeks or months or years - this can be an ongoing exercise

Wendy

[Crovean]

Take any one out of the set - they are all beautiful. But for me, this is jaw-droppingly magnificent.

You get these moments when you open up a new post, wondering what's going to be there. And an image just smashes you between the eyes and demands that you stop right there and then. This, for me, is one of those.

We could wax lyrical at length about why. Better to just sit and admire it.

You said it right Donald "Jaw-droppingly magnificent"

How it highlights the thorns is just beautiful!

[Seriche]

Wendy, the baby teasle moves me too, especially the way it seems to show movement in stillness; a kind of reaching upwards. But I also love #3 for its simplicity. We have a similar wild plant here that often has just one tiny deep red florette in the centre and I think I see the same on yours? I've always thought it was to attract flying polinators.

We scare so many things away when we walk through the countryside, and it takes a whle for them to get over the shock of our intrusion and come out again. As you've discovered, it's better to sit and wait, and it was lovely to hear the story behind the photos. Days like those are timeless and seem to remain unchanged in our memories.

I'm not one for haiku in general, but I like this one, and you made me think of it again

I have been gazing
At the scenery of Sho and Shung.
I realise
I am all of a sudden
Part of the landscape.

(sorry I can't find the poet)

Seri

[RockNGoalStar]

I agree with Don et.al. about #1 - it's beautiful! But I also like #8 very much as well. I think it would look excellent printed on canvas

[JohnC]

Love number 1 too, also 6 .Wonderful shots.

[Wirefox]

Wendy

No1 and No4 are superb. Beautifully captured light. No1 suffers a little with the stem being partially obscured by a leaf but thats being very picky. (dont forget the 10 denier stockings next time) I also like the last image and I think we can now safety coin the phrase Noellesque. For the uninitiated we have a trend on CiC of adjectivisng the name of the photographer to describe a distinctive style. It is highly complementary and a good sign that you are developing a recognisable style of your own.

Great work Wendy

[rob marshall]

#1. Backlit baby teasle

Wendy

I think I could either get to dislike you for taking such a great shot that I wanted to take (boo-hoo it's not fair), or I could want to marry you so I could steal your shots and tell the mugs on this site that "it was mine, all mine...!"

Wonderful - you, and the shot. There, I said it.