urban sun

My apartment in New York City is just one block off of the Hudson River.  Luckily for us, we have a view right between these two tall apartment buildings which are part of a set of five large residential towers that line the river in my neighborhood of Washington Heights.

Each year, as the sun moves north along the horizon, we see these amazing sunsets from our windows looking out over the river and New Jersey. They last for about a month, then disappear for a while as the sun continues its journey to the north throughout the summer, and they return in all their blazing glory as the sun travels back to the south at the end of the season.  It's amazing how you notice the movement of the sun so much more when it is between two stationary objects that you see every day.

As much as I love my personal urban sunset, I also love a good urban sunrise, with all their sparkly goodness coming off the the buildings.  Amaeye's photo from Chicago is so wonderful.  I love the mood and the light of the morning commute...and the contrast of the white bird is over the top!

I hope you enjoy your sunsets and sunrises this week.  See you soon.

~christy of urban muser

crossings by amaeye

I heart you sun!

I also really heart fences and flare!  So today I am giving a little shout out to Fence Friday and Flare Friday on Flickr (whew, that is a lot of F's)  You can search for some groups, there are tons that are very active.  Now random segue to my feelings...  I have to say it has been really uplifting hearing the muses talk about the sun.  I feel now that spring is finally springing, and the sun is out longer and longer each day that a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders.  I feel rejuvenated, and inspired and excited to participate in activities.  Thank you spring, and thank you sun!

April of April Newman Photography

A few of my favorite things by souptraveler

memories of flare

Last year I tested out my homemade lemon sorbet on Ella and her best friend. This is probably my favourite picture of the two of them; how comfortable and happy they are when they are together never ceases to amaze me. But it's the magical addition of flare that really adds the mood to this picture and now gives it such a nostalgic feel. I hope when they are older, they will look back and remember that evening with as much happiness as this picture gives me on a regular basis.

Misty Croney's picture gives me that same feeling of golden evenings resulting in happy memories. And you can almost hear that guitar.

I feel all blissed out and ready for next week's post on relaxation.
kirstin of fleeting moments

Martin by Misty Croney

the star of the shot

I am always looking for the light with my lens, and still learning ways to shoot it. Most of the time I look for ways to capture the light so that it will enhance the subject. On occasion, I find an opportunity to make the sun the star of the shot. Sometimes it is a planned shot, but just as often, it is luck and seizing the moment. I shot this statue previously, with lights illuminating it at night. But when I found myself walking around the same park in the daylight, I decided I wanted to get a fun shot. I moved around and around it until I got it just right. It looks to me as if Pinocchio caught sunshine in his hand.

I love the way Kristine chose to use the light, to catch the warm rays of sunshine between a pair of hands and turned the light into the star of her photo.

maureen of Cottage 960

the heart by blue elephant photography

open fields of sunlit grass

“If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things in nature have a message you understand, Rejoice, for your soul is alive.” 

~ Eleanora Duse

As a child, I have vivid memories of playing in the grass on a sunny day. I specifically remember my mom playing a game of "Duck, Duck, Goose" with one my kindergarten or 1st grade class on our front lawn. She rarely ever said "duck." Rather, she preferred to use any other word or phrase: toilet paper, peanut butter, squash, grasshopper, etc. We would giggle in delight at the silliness of using such words to replace "duck" until she finally got to "goose," in which whoever had been tapped would immediately jump up from their spot on the grass to chase her and then repeat the pattern.

I have other memories of playing in the grass...in particular, my brother's early attempt at playing tee ball. He was always a designated outfielder. As such, during the course of the game, he would sit in the tall blades of grass in the outfield and pick single strands almost as if he was playing "she loves me, she loves me not." Needless to say, he didn't become much of a jock in later years.

I find myself falling into these memories when I see open fields of sunlit grass - these moments of time that fill me with joy as I reflect on days past and imagine days to come. Aimeelmk's photo gives me that same feeling of nostalgia...it makes me feel alive. You can almost hear children running with laughter on a sunny day.

Until next time,
Ashley of Ramblings and Photos

Morning Do!!!! by Aimeelmk

hello sunshine

Why, hello kitty. 

Along with pictures of my shoes, I take an inordinate number of photos in my dining room.  Not only is it where my family gathers to eat, spend time together, do homework, and where teetering piles of mail accumulate, it is the first place the sunshine touches each morning.  After months of winter when our house does not get any sunshine at all, the sun slowly creeps high enough over the hills, and it's our dining table where I sit with steaming cups of coffee and soak in those first rays.  And take photos.

Although my choice of reading material might differ from that of my daughter, I understand the impulse to linger after breakfast with the sun on my neck and a scintillating piece of literature - or People magazine - in my hands.

Anika obviously felt that same impulse to pick up a camera on a recent morning as the sun slanted through her blinds.  It makes me want to start the day all over again.  

cheers,
mosey of mosey along

morning light by anika alonzo {Little Piece Images}

beautiful flare

In Germany getting flare is not very easy. Many, many times I've tried, bent over and did everything imaginable to get it to work. It took me a long time to realize I might not have looked for the right spot to get the flare. After I found it, I thought "Ah, this is what people talk about when they mean flare!"
Trying things out for myself especially in the creative business is very important to me. I have to try until I get it and if you hand me books, I won't read them. That's how I roll.
Nevertheless practice pays a rewarding result in the end.

I love the picture by soupatraveler because it pictures Germany in all it's cliches and for me this is and will be my home.

See you in 9 days,
Love,
Suki of sukiphotographyblog

German Flare by soupatraveler

good morning light

I don't know about you but Here Comes the Sun is pretty much the best thing I've heard since September. Man winter was a long cold mean bastard this go around. (can I say bastard?) Where I'm from, in the cold dark tundra as Maureen likes to call it, we don't get the longest garden season, but we survive. We decided we would get a jump on the growing season this year so we planted some seeds inside this month. I do a lot of time lapse so when Matt suggested I do one of our early garden, I had to oblige. I hope you don't mind me sharing a movie with you. This time lapse is over a period of eight days and is complied from over 900 photos.

Happy Spring! Hope you all have an amazing summer!!

Michel -xox
wishfulthinkingblog.com
and soon!
ampersandgrey.com

{16/52} April Child by farmgirl in flipflops

big dog

When I first started shooting, I discovered a blog by Joe McNally, a veteran photographer with thirty years experience including twenty years as a National Geographic, LIFE, and Sports Illustrated contractor.  One of my favorite posts is on common mistakes by beginning photographers.  He talks about changing your viewpoint, shooting more photos, carrying a camera with you at all times, and more.  I have revisited this post several times and the following words have stuck with me...

"Try not to shoot outdoors in harsh, bright high-noon sun. (At least most of the time.) The sun is a big dog, and you don’t want to fight with the big dog."

Most days, I try to capture the "cooler" early morning light or in the late afternoon when it is creating gorgeous long shadows.  But sometimes I am compelled to look that "big dog" straight in eye and say...

"You don't scare me. You big bully."

Today, I encourage you to grab your cameras and point them at the sun.  Like Lukinosity, show me that you too will not be intimidated.

xo

tammy lee
the little but feisty dog at bliss and folly

lens flare walkies by Lukinosity

the next theme is... HERE COMES THE SUN!

For nine glorious days, we will be having a special guest at Mortal Muses.

Ahhh... the light by Tammy Lee Bradley

After a long winter, it is the much-anticipated return of the spring SUN.

liquid sunshine by maureen nichols

Share with us your photos of  flare, sunsets, sunrises, and more in the Mortal Muses flickr group.

{53::365} by Urban Muser

Then make sure to visit as here as we pay tribute to our long-absent friend.

xo tam