All posts tagged sunrise photography

ShadowLands

Moon Shadows Moon Shadows

“Shadow is the obstruction of light. Shadows appear to me to be of supreme importance in perspective,

Sun Shadows

because, without them opaque and solid bodies will be ill-defined;

Cinderella Shadows

That which is contained within their outlines and their boundaries themselves

Snow Shadows

will be ill-understood unless they are shown against a background

Long Shadows

of a different tone from themselves.” ~ Leonardo da Vinci

Shadow Friends

“Friendship is the shadow of the evening, which increases with the setting sun of life.” ~ Jean de La Fontaine

Tree Shadow

“The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection.” ~ Michelangelo

Me Shadow 🙂

“Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows fall behind you.” ~ Walt Whitman

Peace,
Alexandria

This is my contribution to the Weekly Photo Challenge theme of “Shadow”. I hope you enjoyed. 🙂 Click here for more interpretations.

3 Comments

by Alexandria Sage on February 14, 2017 • Permalink

Posted in Enjoy Life

Tagged enjoy life, photo essay, photography, quotes, sunrise photography, Weekly Photo Challenge

Posted by Alexandria Sage on February 14, 2017

https://simplysage.org/2017/02/14/shadowlands-2/

Fire and Ice | Weekly Photo Challenge: Early Bird

It was back in January and I am up before dawn, carving a wondrous niche of solitude for myself at the early bird hours.

And it’s January. Frigid and dark. And so begins my worst time of the year. Curled up in my fluffy robe, I hug a steaming cup of coffee. In the clutches of deep suffering, my heart is a solidified mass of stone. (See Reward’s of Winter)

But suddenly out of the darkness, a glint catches my eye. I peer out the window and there it was.

There it was, all melting the chill that seeped into every crevice of my stone-cold heart.

A purple haze of light rises. Oh January, why beckon me! Why taunt me! I’m all cozy and wrapped up tight! Just like my heart! Wrapped up tight these days! The last thing on my mind is taking pictures! You know I don’t like you anyway! Oh January!

Beautiful and brilliant it was! All fiery and cold. Stepping onto the porch I press my nose against the ice cold screen.

The holidays are a mere memory. Blah, bleak days are here. Days that drag on … and on … and on. But here comes January, showing off.

And here I go, throwing a down coat over my robe and running out the door with only an iPhone. Oh January, I know you’ll run from me if I don’t get out there! And YOU, only YOU could do this to me! But anyway, you got me out here. Now show me what you’ve got!

And so, January delivered–an early show filled with purple’s and magenta’s, lights and darks, glaring and glinting off bare branched trees and surly cloud covers.

Fire and ice mingle and I’m in near tears over it. Oh January, perhaps the reason I don’t like you is because I am so much like you.

Fire and ice.

Stubborn. Determined. Self-centered. Show off. Oh, look at you, January, you show-off!

Cold. Rude. Impatient. Angry, a fire-brimming volcano. (I’m not proud of that.)

And so loud sometimes! Stop it, January!

But alas, I see you are all of those things and none of those things. For what I’ve come to realize is you are just filled with … passion. You come on so strong because of your complexity.

You are passionate about life, love, passionate about everything.

All fire and ice.

You’re so, so … so …
human.

Human … just like me.

Why would I ever treat you with such disdain? Oh, January, I’m so sorry. Come near, my friend. Every year come near, and keep me company.

You’re so beautiful.

This is my response to the Weekly Photo Challenge theme of Early Bird, in which we were challenged to get up early and explore the morning light. As usual, nature’s visual’s carry my mind to the endless lessons I learn about life. I hope you enjoy.
Peace, Alexandria

10 Comments

by Alexandria Sage on April 24, 2015 • Permalink

Posted in Enjoy Life, Stay Close with Those You Love

Tagged friendship, photo essay, relationships, sunrise photography, Weekly Photo Challenge

Posted by Alexandria Sage on April 24, 2015

https://simplysage.org/2015/04/24/fire-and-ice-weekly-photo-challenge-early-bird/

Serenity Lost and Found

Serenity Lost

I sought for signs so I could hear
The sound of solace to my ear
To comfort raging heart within
But sound of silence deafened In-

side the corners hid from all
I could not walk but only crawl
Hands clenched tight
So filled with fright,

Endless tossing turning night
Roadblocks loomed, no end in sight.
My breath escaped, my heart did pound
The grief at loss, with nothing found.

But suddenly I heard a voice
Within the wind, the sea—a choice.
A child’s touch upon my cheek
So soft and warm, my eyes did peek.

And clenched hand opened with that touch
Unfolding quiet, in a hush
And fingers joined upward to reach
In prayer position to receive

The grace one needs to live each day
And hear the voice in dawn’s sunray,
In children’s laughter, birds that sing,
Crickets chirp and bells that ring.

Living, loving intertwine
And peace shines forth in rain or shine.
I look for signs and I do miss
The loudness shrieking in my midst.
For He is here
And He is not silent.

Serenity Found.

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.”
~ Psalm 19:1-2

“Wisdom shouts…”
~ Proverbs 1:20a

{Poem and photography by Alexandria Sage}

6 Comments

by Alexandria Sage on January 24, 2015 • Permalink

Posted in Devotionals, Simply Poems

Tagged Children, Christian devotionals, Christianity, joy, photo essay, poetry, sunrise photography

Posted by Alexandria Sage on January 24, 2015

https://simplysage.org/2015/01/24/serenity-lost-and-found/

ShadowLands

Moon Shadows Moon Shadows

“Shadow is the obstruction of light. Shadows appear to me to be of supreme importance
Sun Shadows

in perspective, because, without them opaque and solid bodies will be ill-defined;

Cinderella Shadows

That which is contained within their outlines and their boundaries themselves

Snow Shadows

will be ill-understood unless they are shown against a background

Long Shadows

of a different tone from themselves.” ~ Leonardo da Vinci

Me Shadow 🙂

“Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows fall behind you.” ~ Walt Whitman

Peace,
Alexandria

10 Comments

by Alexandria Sage on January 11, 2015 • Permalink

Posted in Enjoy Life, Just For Fun

Tagged Cinderella Castle, Disney photos, fun, inspirational quotes, moon photography, photo essay, photography, sunrise photography, WordPress

Posted by Alexandria Sage on January 11, 2015

https://simplysage.org/2015/01/11/shadowlands/

A Golden Hour Collection | Weekly Photo Challenge

“Nothing is more beautiful than the loveliness of the woods before sunrise.” ~ George Washington Carver

“The grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never dried all at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor is ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal dawn and gloaming, on sea and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls.” ~ John Muir

“Two golden hours somewhere between sunrise and sunset. Both are set with 60 diamond minutes.” ~ Horace Mann

“Someday you will find the one who will watch every sunrise with you until the sunset of your life … Just be patient.” ~ Unknown

“I like that time is marked by each sunrise and sunset whether or not you actually see it.” ~ Catherine Opie
“Every sunrise offers renewed hope to carry out the reflection after the sunset of yesterday. A time to let go of yesterday and embrace the new day.” ~ Alexandria Sage

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness.” ~ Lamentations 3:22-23
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This week’s Photo Challenge theme is “The Golden Hour”, known as the hour of sunrise and sunset. No one can deny the colors and lighting are breathtaking. How many times has this Golden Hour stopped you dead in your tracks and caught your attention? It amazes me how God built into nature two times every single day to get our attention, to bless us with a glorious start and a reflective end. Simply captivating.

Nearly every camera captures them easily. However, it was so nice of WordPress to host the Photography 101 series to help us along. And this week we were given a lesson by one my favorite photographers, Wenjie Zhang of A Certain Slant of Light. I only have one tip to offer about the Golden Hour. Be prepared and don’t hesitate. Get that picture. If you wait even one minute it will be gone.

To end with, when I saw the challenge theme I immediately thought of a song I’ve recently heard and come to love, aptly titled Golden. It is filled with a bittersweet mixture of hope and reality that intertwines the journey of every person— the rhythms of life, the ups and downs, the fickle moments, the grand ones.

Life can become a tangled mess sometimes. But through it all, the resounding truth in the last quote above, from the Bible, offers a hope that holds us firm in the hand of God. Is it not He who chose to shout His love, mercy, and faithfulness through two glorious golden hours of each day? Though the sun sets and the day ends, His mercies never come to an end. And every morning once again He shouts His love to carry us through.

His faithfulness is constant, not because of who we are, but because of who He is.

Peace, Alexandria
Credits: Golden (youtube lyric video. song by Amy Grant).
Guest Author, Stephen Deal, for his sunrise photo.

28 Comments

by Alexandria Sage on July 19, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Devotionals, Remember--You Are Loved--No Matter What

Tagged Amy Grant, Art, Christianity, devotional writing, God, Golden Hour Photography, inspirational quotes, love, philosophy, photo essay, postaday, quotes, spirituality, sunrise photography, thoughts, truth, Visual Poetry, Weekly Photo Challenge

Posted by Alexandria Sage on July 19, 2013

https://simplysage.org/2013/07/19/a-golden-hour-collection-weekly-photo-challenge/

Somewhere Down the Road | My Neighborhood

Somewhere down the road, there’ll be answers to the questions …

Somewhere down the road, though we may not see it now …

Somewhere down the road, you will find mighty arms reaching for you …

And they will hold the answers at the end of the road …

Oh, they will hold the answers at the end of the road …

“Somewhere Down the Road” ~ song lyrics sung by Amy Grant

This is my contribution to the Weekly Photo Challenge with the theme of “Phoneography—My Neighborhood”. The intent is to capture photos of our neighborhood with a smartphone. So this is my “neighborhood”. My “backyard” is two-hundred acres of farmland. I live “somewhere” down this road and these song lyrics entered my mind when I took the first picture. The simplicity of their truth is what I cling to when I can’t figure out all of life’s mysteries.

All photos taken with iPhone 4.
Enjoy.
Alexandria

For more phoneography visit the Weekly Photo Challenge link: