vacations – nancy merrill photography

A Photo a Week: Gateways

A couple of months ago, I posted a challenge for fences and gates. This week is similar but with a slightly different focus. By definition, a gateway is any passage by or point at which a region may be entered. Port cities are frequently referred to as gateways. This very picturesque gateway is in Switzerland and led from a castle courtyard into a beautiful, forested area surrounding the castle. It was almost like a fairy portal. And let’s be honest: I love any type of perspective shot with a vanishing point.

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO THAT FEATURES ANY TYPE OF GATEWAY.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ tag.
Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.

A Photo a Week Challenge: Vanishing Point

A vanishing point, also known as the point of convergence, is a key element in many works of art. Think of the vanishing point is the spot on the horizon line where the other lines diminish. It allows us to a create three-dimensional look in drawings, paintings, and photographs.

When shooting perspective images, sometimes the vanishing point is visible. Sometimes it’s not, as in my image. The curve of the vanishing point gives you the feeling that you know what is just beyond the curve in the road.

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO (OR THREE…) THAT FEATURE A VANISHING POINT.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography. Here’s how it works:

Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ and “Photo a Week” tags.
Come back here and post a link to your image in the comments for this challenge.
Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.

A Photo a Week Challenge: Backlit

I seem to be visiting photos from vacations past. It’s probably because we haven’t taken many trips in the last twelves month. Ah, well. While I remember very well where and when I took the photo from last week (Switzerland in 2016), the only things I remember about this circumstances for this photo is that it was during our 2014 trip to Scotland and England and that we stopped because we saw a very pretty church and wanted to go inside. However, I do love this photo and feel that it’s perfect for a challenge this time of year because the stained glass is a beautiful depiction of Christ’s Crucifixion, very timely as much of the Christian world just celebrated Easter and the Eastern Orthodox churches will be celebrating in early May.

I do love stained glass. I love how from the outside of the building you can’t really tell what it is going to show you until you come inside and let the sun do its work. I have visited Notre Dame in Paris, and I was so happy to hear that, even with the tragedy of the fire, the great Rose Window was preserved.

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO THAT USES BACKLIGHTING.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ tag.
Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.

A Photo a Week Challenge: That Face!

As much as I love doing portraits, I really enjoy taking candid photos even more. You get to see someone’s real personality when they aren’t worried about how they look or if their hair is perfect. My niece is actually really good about me taking her photo, whether in a formal portrait setting or grabbing a quick shot like this one.

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A CANDID (SUBJECT OF YOUR CHOOSING) PHOTO OR TWO.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ tag.
Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.

A Photo a Week Challenge: Vacation Memories

This summer, we were supposed to go to Europe. We had tickets to the Passion Play at Oberammergau with plans to travel around Switzerland, Austria, and the Czech Republic. Ah, the best laid plans of mice and men. Hopeful, that trip will happen in a couple of years. In the meantime, we are doing a lot of close-by trips to the mountains. I feel very blessed to live in a place with diverse geography. I have mountains, deserts, and red rock canyons all within a 3-hour drive from my home. One thing Utah does not have is beautiful beaches. This vacation memory is from last September when we took a chance on a mystery trip and landed in Cancun, Mexico. It was so much fun, and I wish we had gone on one of these trips sooner. The travel agents are friends who live in our neighborhood. They had been telling us for years that we should go with them, and this was their last one before retiring. *sigh* At least we have the memories and the photos.

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO VACATIONS PAST.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ and “Photo a Week” tags.
Come back here and post a link to your image in the comments for this challenge.
Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.

A Photo a Week Challenge: Peaceful Place

It seems as though things have gone from crazy to crazier. In the last two days, we’ve experienced two more earthquakes (M4.19 and M4.18) and work up this morning to some snow. Now, snow in April isn’t completely unusual for Utah, but it sure makes you wonder how we are classified as a desert. I’m just sayin’…

With all that is going on in the world right now, I thought we could all do with some beautiful, calming photos. This photo is of the Viamala Gorge in Switzerland. We were supposed to go back to Switzerland in June, but that trip is being postponed for two years due to the pandemic. My husband found this location while doing amazing research for our trip in 2016, and I remember who beautiful and peaceful it was and how glad I was that he insisted we stop here for a look-see. Completely worth the time.

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO THAT BRING YOU PEACE.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ tag.
Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.

Thankful November 7th: Photography

I love taking pictures. I love taking pictures of people. I love taking pictures of places. I love taking pictures of abstract things. I just love taking pictures. My love of photography started with I was very young. Starting from about age 7, if you had asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would have told you, “A free-lance photojournalist for the National Geographic Society.” And I knew what that meant. My parents had a subscription to the NGS, and each month I would pour over the photos from around the world of amazing places and cultures. I got my first camera when I was about 10. I took a photography class in 9th Grade where we learned all about light, f-stops, aperture, and how to develop your own black and white film (yes, film). I got my first really good camera when I was 23, and I loved taking black and white slides. My first trip to Europe (when I was 26), all of my photos were slides. Crazy, I know. But now, with everything digital, most photos are shared online and shown in a new form of slide show. I was just ahead of my time.

Recently, I’ve delved in portrait photography, and it’s been a blast. Weddings can still give me some anxiety, but it is so much fun to capture moments and memories for people.

I had a hard time deciding what photo I would include on this post. I decided to use the first photos I posted when I started this blog seven years ago. I still can’t believe it’s been that long. What an amazing adventure!

A Photo a Week Challenge: Signs

Signs are everywhere. They tell us where to go, where not to go, where we are, and where we want to go. Signs can be big, like this one on Cozumel, or very small.

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO (OR TWO OR THREE) THAT FEATURES SIGNS OF ANY KIND.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ tag.
Come back here and post a link to your image in the comments for this challenge.
Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Circles, Curves and Arches

While visiting Isla Mujeres off the coast of Cancun, who can resist the tasty street tacos served on small, round tortillas (and a bonus circle of a round plate!).

For more from this challenge, visit Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Circles, Curves and Arches.

A Photo a Week Challenge: Sun & Water

I don’t know what it is about mixing the sun and water that always creates such beauty, but I’m really glad it does. This beautiful sunrise was taken at our beach resort in Cancun, Mexico last Thursday.

Two weeks ago tomorrow, my husband and I started on a fun adventure. We signed up for a mystery tour. We were told average temperatures (80-90) and we were told to pack an umbrella and a swimming suit. We were also told to bring our passports. That was it. Two weeks before departure, we were told to meet at the Southwest Airlines check in at the airport at 4:45am (no, that’s not a typo). We went to the checkin counter, gave them our bags, and got our boarding passes for Cancun, Mexico. Whoot whoot! A very nice surprise. We spent the week driving individual speed boats, visiting Mayan ruins, driving through the jungle on ATVs, zip lining (a personal favorite), snorkeling, playing in the water, and taking boats across the beautiful Caribbean Sea to small islands to have lunches on private beaches and do more water-based things. I would highly recommend going on this company’s next mystery tour, but the couple who runs the travel agency are in their late 70s and are retiring. This was their last hurrah, and we are so glad that we caught their final fling.

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO (OR TWO OR THREE) THAT FEATURES THE SUN AND WATER TOGETHER.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ tag.
Come back here and post a link to your image in the comments for this challenge.
Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.