Photo Challenge December. . . . . .

The season surrounding Christmas and a coming new year gives us many 
opportunities to take and share our photos.
Posting on what Christmas means to each of us, and adding our photos taken
around our home, or of family and friends and holiday celebrations,

 allows us freedom to express ourselves in many ways.

Because of Donna, our gracious hostess for the Personal Photo Challenge, 
we have snapped and gathered our photographs to share with one another 
each month throughout the year. . . . and what a lot of fun it has been. I have 
always looked forward to every fun challenge.

December's topic, Christmas Scenes (and perhaps we'll also be treated 

to some Hanukkah scenes which would be nice) is an easy one, hardly a 

challenge, more a modern way to wish one another holiday greetings when we 
may not have a mailing address to send an old-fashioned card.
So, here's to you dear friend - may your Christmas 
be full of special moments and many blessings.

I took several photos this month as I decorated the house and garden for the 

holiday season. I love Christmas, I love tradition. I have however changed

my decorating style indoors over the past several years, not because I no 

longer like bright reds and greens, more because silver and gold, cream and 

white, make it easier to keep many of my year round items in place. I then  
add Christmas decor and natural items such as live greenery, and of course this 
year the wonderful brushed nickel pumpkins I shared in this recent post .

The gazebo at dusk dressed for Christmas 

Outside, the garden in December becomes bare and almost colorless when you 

live in a non-tropical climate, but at Christmas you can light it up easily. Then the cold, 

dark nights take on a special brilliance.

Here in the southeast we still have plenty of leaves falling, but there are tall pines,
winter grass, ivy, and even shrubs which stay green despite the chill in the air.

All pics taken with the Nikon Coolpix S6400. 
PicMonkey is responsible for a little editing 
including  the 'dusk' effect.

Go HERE to visit Donna's Personal Photo Challenge blog and share your 

holiday photos.

As most of you know, sadly this will be the last 'challenge' for a while.

Donna is very busy caring for, and staying close to dear Mr. Jim during his

 illness. We are praying for them both during this difficult time.

Photo Challenge October - Still Life

• I enjoyed this month's challenge
• I love taking still life photos with all four cameras I use
• I still need to learn more about the Canon 7D-DSLR
• I will cry if my older Olympus SP-590UZ ever dies on me
• I will always be thankful for my reliable little Nikon Coolpix S6400 point & shoot
• I'm loving my new iPhone 5S which takes much better pics than my old version 

For the challenge this month I'm showing still life photos taken around my home. I like that they have an autumnal feel to them. 

I read that still life photography means to make a picture rather than to catch one - I think that says it all!

I pruned my New Dawn Rose on the back fence last weekend. 

The clippings included several stems with rosehips which I 

decided to add to this simple black glass vase from IKEA.

I love how the shadows appear almost  like writing on the dining room walls. 

I used the Nikon Coolpix S6400 for this pic.

I would love to have this pic made into an iPhone case - anyone know how 

you can do that?

I think the dark background for the pumpkin is quite painterly, and with some additional 

PicMonkey editing, I've tried to get that same feeling as seen in those old oil paintings  

by using darks, highlights and textures. Taken with the Olympus SP-590UZ.

Old hotel silver spoon, fresh apricots and a peach - on my wood topped kitchen island - used the trusty Olympus again, my go to camera for food pics.

Hope you stop by Donna's place HERE to see more great pics for the October

Personal Photo challenge.