lens-artists photo challenge: soft

Regret that dropping sun’s dusk;
Love this cold stream’s clearness.
Western beams follow flowing water;
Stir a ripple in wandering person’s mind.
Idly sing, gazing at cloudy moon;
Song done—sound of tall pines 
~ Li Po  (Translated: Arthur Waley, The Poet Li Po The Project Gutenberg
Nikon D750 f/3.2 1/1600s 40mm

Pale green night and flowers all melting into one 
    in the soft haze–
Everywhere the moon, glimmering in the Spring night
~The Sarashina Diary (cited: Court Ladies of Old Japan)

Nikon 750 f/3.2 1/1600s 40mm

Wait on, never forsake your hope, 
For when the plum-tree is in flower 
Even the unpromised, the unexpected, will come to you.
~The Sarashina Diary (cited: Court Ladies of Old Japan)

Nikon D750 f/3.5 1/800 40mm

morning-glories
softly floating…
in the teacup
~Issa (cited: haikuguy.com)

Nikon D750 f/3.5 1/1000s 40mm

Hop on over to Leya‘s to share your interpretation of Soft

departing tears

Dragonfly wings ... shining silken garments. Now my heart is aching. Who will give it rest?
Young Dragonfly wings ... rich embroidered garments. Now my heart is aching. Who will give it peace?
Dragonfly bursting its cocoon ... plain white linen garments. Now my hearts aching. Who will give it love?
~The Book of Songs (cited: Anonymous,The Jade Flute.  Project Gutenberg
departing tears…Nikon D750 f/3.2 1/4000s 40mm

my eyes traveled there…

I have seen a road that wanders in green shade, that runs through sweet fields of flowers. My eyes have traveled there, and journeyed far along that cool fine road.

But I will never really walk that road; it does not really lead to where she lives.

When she was born, they bound her little feet with leather bands; my beloved never walks the road of shade and flowers.

When she was born, they bound her little heart with leather bands; my beloved never listens to my song. 

~Anonymous (cited: Various Authors, The Jade Flute Chinese Poems in Prose.  The Project Gutenberg
Double exposure…Nikon D750 f/5.6 1/400s 170mm

remembering Margret

Looking backward ... I cannot see the ancients of days.
Looking forward ... I cannot see ages yet to come.
Only heaven and earth have remained,
And will remain forever ...
I am alone, I grieve, I drop tears into the dust ~Chen Tzu-ang 

(cited: Trans: Anonymous, The Jade Flute Chinese Poems in Prose. The Project Gutenberg

Nikon D750 f/5.6 1/400s 300mm




lens artists photo challenge: striped and checked

Once upon a time
A tiny striped caterpillar
Burst from the egg
Which had been home 
For so long.
"Hello world," he said. 
"It sure is bright out here in the sun."
(excerpt from Trina Paulus, Hope for the Flowers)
Nikon D750 f/5.6 1/500s 85mm 100 ISO
Nikon D750 f/5 1/400s 56mm 100 ISO
Nikon D750 f/1.8 1/4000s 35mm 200 ISO

Fun striped and checked findings for Leya’s lens-artists photo challenge!

lens-artists challenge: it’s a small world

today’s heavenly gift
again is small…
billowing cloud
~Issa (cited: haikuguy.com)

apple leaf Nikon 750 f/3.5 1/40s 40mm 100 ISO
egg’s reflection Nikon D750 f/5.6 .05s 40mm 100 ISO
breakfast Nikon 750 f/5.6 1/100s 40mm 200 ISO

micro images (AF-S micro nikkor 40mm) submitted in response to slow shutter speed’s lens-artists photo challenge.

be safe…be well…be sage.

lens artist photo challenge: favorite photos of 2020

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,

“it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness,

“it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity,

“it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the winter of despair,

“we had everything before us, we had nothing before us,

“we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way

“– in short, the period was so far like the present period,

“that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received,

“for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.” ~Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities.

Quote from Charles Dickens’, A Tale of Two Cities, and images submitted in response to Travels and Trifles first photo challenge for 2021.