What I like about ... sunshine

"S" is for sunshine.
Who doesn’t like sunshine? Aside from its obvious importance as energy, light and heat source for all living things on earth, I like sunshine because of the ever changing mood it produces on people and things.

We are of course familiar with SAD or seasonal affective disorder (also known as winter blues) which is usually brought about by decreased sunny days, but of course that is not the reason why I like sunshine.

I like sunshine because of the happy mood it brings to people. Do you still remember John Denver’s song, “Sunshine on My Shoulder”? It goes like this...
“Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high....”

Then there is the Beatles’song, “Here Comes the Sun” with the lyrics...
“Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
and I say it's all right

Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it's all right....”

And of course, one of my favourite songs, “I’ll Catch the Sun” by Rod Mckuen...
“I'll catch the sun and never give it back again.
I'll catch the sun.
And keep it for my own.
And in a world where no one understands,
I'll take my outstretched hand,
And offer it to anyone...”

There are many other sunshine songs, but I think those three will suffice to prove my point. Sunshine does make everyone happy, right?

The other thing I like about sunshine is its effect on things. It can also change the mood of things and I speak especially of the mood in photographs. Since I love taking pictures, I am very much aware of how sunshine changes the mood of scenes and even portraits. For example, the presence of filtered sun rays through the leaves usually gives a dreamy effect to a photo. Or photos with backlit effect can be very dramatic.

I can go on and on about the effect of sunshine on photos but I think I should stop here already.
I just want to reiterate that...
I like sunshine ... isn’t it obvious?

what I like about ... ribbons

It's "R"'s day today. I have already posted several "Rs" before...roses, rainbows, reading, just to name a few. Still, I did not find it hard to come up with another "r". So it's "ribbons" turn today.

I like ribbons because they are so... colorful, graceful and versatile.

One can do so many things with ribbons...
... we can use them for tying hair,gifts,books,and practically anything that needs tying up.
... we can also make them into decorative pieces...just as themselves, as ribbons... but we can also make them into flowers, buttons, markers, beads
... then, they can be made into borders, frames, tassels, bracelets, necklaces, anklets, and other doodads...

Yes, ribbons are so versatile. One wonders what happens to a world without ribbons.

What I like about ... quests

“Q” is for quests. This is what immediately came to mind when I thought of “q”.

Quests always remind me of heroes, of knights in shining armour, of impossible dreams.

Just look at Don Quixote and his impossible quest, or Sir Galahad and his quest for the Holy Grail, or even Frodo and his quest to destroy the one ring. All these fictional characters had to undergo numerous difficulties in their quests but all of them became triumphant in the end.

But stories of quests do not have to remain as fiction. We have heard of many true-to-life stories wherein somebody overcomes great difficulties and obstacles and emerged as present-day heroes.

Quests bring out the heroic feeling in every person. They make us dream bigger dreams and we become stronger and more determined in the pursuit of our goal.

Quests remind me of the lyrics of the song, “Impossible Dream” from the movie “Man of La Mancha”...
... “ This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far

To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause

And I know if I'll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest

And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star.”....

what I like about ...patterns

One of the many things I look for when I compose my shots during photography is to look for patterns. So when I thought about "P" as my topic for today, I immediately thought of patterns.

We find patterns everywhere... in things at home, in the office, in school, in nature.

Just look at how crayons are packed or how bottles are stacked. Take a look at the leaves, or the flowers, or the stones. Observe the things in your closet, or your bag, or your desk. You will find patterns there, everywhere.

The challenge in photography is to present these patterns in such a way that they create pleasing pictures. This is the challenge that always excites me. That's why I love taking pictures.

What I like about ... orchids

"O" made me think of orchids. I love orchids. Even the simplest of them always look so attractive, so elegant, so graceful.

Orchids always remind me of exotic places...tropical rain forests...colorful maidens...

Orchids also remind me of special occasions ...weddings, debut, proms, graduation, inauguration, anniversaries, beginnings, endings.... We always make corsage and floral arrangements for these occasions.

Among the flowers, orchids also have one of the most exotic names ...
...Dendrobium, Phalaenopsis, Cattleya, Cymbidium, Masdevallia, just to name a few.

Easter Greetings

Hello Everyone,

May the miracle of Easter bring you blessings and happiness.

Happy Easter!

What I like about ... magic

I have already posted two “ms” before ... mother and morning. So I had to think of another “m” for today. And I got it ... magic!

Who does not like magic? I love magic. I love the mystery ... the fun ... the excitement ... the discovery....

Isn’t it fun to ask the question - “How did he/she do that?”

Don’t you feel elated if you figure out how something is done “magically”? That’s always a high point for me ... discovering how a certain trick or magic is done.

Magic makes me...
... feel good
... excited
... alive
... eager to learn
... young

Magic is ... magical!

What more can I say?

what I like about... lamps

Lamps are one of those objects that also never fail to attract my attention. So my "L" day reminded me of lamps.

Why lamps? Well, when lighted they always draw attention of course. Plus their designs are most of the time graceful and symmetrical. Some designs are minimalist while others are ostentatious and sometimes even outrageous.

When looking at lamps, I feel that I am also looking at some architectural design.

However, the one thing that I like about lamps is the shadows they create. The interplay between light and shadows always fascinates me. I can create many stories with this interplay.

Just take a look at the shadows created by this lamp. What does it remind you of? I'm sure something comes to your mind, right?

what I like about ... kittens

It's "K's" day so I thought about kittens.

What I like about kittens is they start as shy and cautious individuals but once they become familiar with the surroundings then they become playful and fun to be with.
This is what happened to this kitten. For the first few weeks, it always stayed close to its mother and would only look at me with soulful eyes. It never budged from where it was, beside the mother. Later, it started to explore its surroundings and ventured away from its mother. Then it played with anything I would place near her.

Why is it that when kittens grow to be cats they become less playful and actually boring? Cats just sleep practically all day. They don't play anymore. Do you notice the same thing with your cats and kittens?