JUST PHOTOS (#1) 2016-2024

"To photograph is to hold one’s breath, when all faculties converge to capture fleeting reality. It’s at that precise moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy...."  -Henri Cartier-Bresson

(A look back at some of my best photos from View Bug Photography Site competitions worldwide.......)

             (Winter 2019 Top Shot winner." The Cusp" Mt.Washington Range, B.C.)

                  (Aug 2023 Final Contender for Visual Poetry Project...."Painted Rose")

(Dec 2023 Achievement in Originality, May 2022 Curator award, July 2022 Halfway Award, Year End Award 2022 Staff Favourite......"Marshmallow World")

(Sept 2022 Top Pick Award...."Pine Siskin")

(Dec 2023. 1763 out of 22,106 submissions.  top 10%. "Winter Thaw"

(July 2023  1763 out of 22,106 submissions. Top 10%))

                                                                (Jan 2023 Gem Award...."Varied thrush")

(Summer 2023  1712  mention...." Fire in Campbell River, B.C.")

(Dec 2023  "Cordelia" . Ranked highest 10% out of over 10,000 submissions in Cat photos)

(March 2022 Top Shot Award..."Sunset in Winter" )

(Fall 2023 Epic Contest. 7554 ahead of 7998 submissions. "Witch at Tyee Spit")

(Dec 2022. "Patience"(Cordelia's housemate). Top 10% out of 10,000 submissions in Cat Contest along with Cordelia's pic)

(Wintr 2023  Epic Contest. 1203 over 14,371 submissions. "Stellar Dinner")

                           (Spring 2023  10,342 ahead of 23,321 submissions. "Vintage roses")

(July 2024 Best Shot award. 1701 over 16,43 submissions. "Yes, dear")

 

                                                                (Summer 2023 Image Award......"Columbine")

(March 2023 Aperture Award......"The Range")

(Aug 2024 View Bug Nominee Award. ..."Two Finches")

(Dec 2024 World Wildlife  Contest. 1351 over 12,741 submissions. Top 10 %.

"Nom Nom sleeps"  Fall Contest 2023 top 10%)

(Winter 2018. Community Choice Award...."Flicker")

 (Summer Selection 2016, Zenith Award 2022, Nov 2023 Action Award, Oct 2023 Chatter Award. "Cordelia Prays") (One of my fav pics.)

(Oct 2024. Talent in Focus Award. "Happeeeeeee Mini")

(April 2023 Spring Award. "Look at Me")

Photographs 2025 

FIRST DAY.......

"Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved, and believes in the goodness in people..."-Roy T. Bennett

"And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been...." -Rainer Maria Rilke

     "Without faith , nothing is possible. with it, nothing is impossible.."

                          -Mary McLeod Bethune

"Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 book. Write a good one..." -Brad Paisley

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love..." 

- 1 Cor 13:13

"For last year's words belong to last year's language. And next year's words await another voice..." 

-T.S. Eliot

      "We love because He first loved us...." -1 John 4:19

"You do not find the happy life. You make it..." -Benjamin Franklin

"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden..."

                             -Matthew 5:14

"Three hundred and sixty five sunrises to start over...." -E.McD.

"Be gutsy. Hold onto that grace...." -John Piper

"Kindness, kindness, kindness. I want to make a New Year's prayer, not a resolution. I'm praying for courage...." -Susan Sontag

.

"So I close my eyes to old ends, and open my heart to new beginnings..." 

                                                                                                                    -Mandy Hale

"You really have to let go of everything and say, God your will, not mine.." 

                                                           -Danny Gokey

"Celebrate endings.....for they precede new beginnings...."

                      -Jonathan Huie

"The object of a New Year is not we should have a new soul..." -Gilbert K. Chesterton

"You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step...." -Martin Luther King

"God is so good to give us new days and New Years , since He knows we need to start many times over.." 

                           - Lacey Sturm

Photographs 2025                         Happy New Year....
 

FOREVER HOME (a Christmas story for Brinley)

            “Blessed is the season, which engages the whole world in a                              conspiracy of love….” – Hamilton Wright Mabi

Snow. It fell that Christmas Eve. In the quiet of the day, and early night. Candles burning in shining windows. So quiet. So  beautiful. So lost she was in their light. In the white world beyond the place where she belonged. Her dreams engulfing her in a warm embrace.

Brinley (photo credit Suzanne Smith)

 Lost. Not so long ago.....or so far away. On a moonless night, such as this. A magical night.  Just stars above and heaven below. Showing her the way on sweet ,new snow.

Footfalls soft and gentle. Snow  whispering on her lashes. Eyes lifted up to the darkening forest, dense and overgrown. So alone was she. 

Branches dripping and dragging. Crystals sprinkling  from  sky torches held aloft, above the trees. That endless sky of starlight shine. Night of nights. She stepped carefully,  as not to disturb the loveliness.

She remembered a warm fire. Candlelight  glow. Peace and endless love. And The Dog. She had not forgotten him. The Dog she loved so well. Curled up by the fire. And she. Waiting for angels.  Gentle voices, telling her she was loved, beyond all measure.

She was drawn out into that world of icy white velvet. Where were the angels. Where did they go......

Tranquil night of her heart. She was lost in the soothing, still air, catching snowflakes , dancing before her. She felt beautiful.........

The angels spoke in quiet words. Above the snow and stars. She closed her eyes, imagining herself home. To be home at last. Forever. For she was lost in the galaxy, searching for her way.

                                          

To be safe and cherished. Forever. To be loved. In the darkness she heard  her angels whispering again. Somewhere in this cold night. Where were they....

          For she was lost. Mountains towered before , wrapping her path in forbidden fog......

 

 

 To be without fear at last. To be home. To be at journey's end. She wondered a lot of these things. Keeping her thoughts close to her heart. 

Once more she heard the angels. They were close this time. Very close. She twirled in the soft snow, feeling warm arms scooping  her up. Holding  her up to their hearts. This night of nights. 

 "The true spirit of Christmas is love...."  -Linda Willis

For the rest of Christmas Eve, she stayed by her window, in the warmth of the fire, with the Dog snoring blissfully beside her. She saw the last star fade away, then morning shone over the horizon. She still heard the angel voices. Sweet and low. Surrounding her. For that would never fade. Now she was truly home. ....

“Angels come down, with Christmas in their hearts, Gentle, whimsical, laughing, heaven-sent; And, for a day, fair Peace have given me.” —Vachel Lindsay

Photographs 2024  with thanks to Suzanne S. and Peter G. 

Stay tuned for more stories in 2025......

Merry Christmas, with love......

          Brinley (photo credit Suzanne Smith)