CITY DAILY PHOTO THEME DAY, DECEMBER 1: RAINBOW

SITTING ON A RAINBOW

I've always tried to color outside the box on these monthly theme days, and this month is no different. And while I've taken my share of rainbow photos over the last few years, some even right here in Walla Walla, none are current photos. So I almost decided I wouldn't post an entry this month. 

That is until I was taking this shot of my four-year-old granddaughter Lennon sitting upon this rainbow colored puff. It was a present I had given my son in 2015 from my trip to Morocco. Not quite ROYGBV, but close enough for me.

CITY DAILY PHOTO, THEME DAY-NOVEMBER 1: BROWN

BROWN IS THE COLOR OF . . .

My first thought about the color brown is, "Ewwww. Not brown. I hate brown." 

But on second (and third and fourth thought) I realized that brown is the color of nature, which I love. Brown is the warm neutral which provides an earthy backdrop for all of the wild colors of the surrounding flowers, grasses, shrubs, trees and leaves. Case in point.

Autumn on the Whitman College campus never disappoints with the color brown acting as a perfect foil for a myriad of other colors.

For more BROWN photos by other CDP bloggers, click below: http://cdpbthemeday.blogspot.com/

CITY DAILY PHOTO THEME DAY, OCTOBER 1: ORANGE

CDP MEET-UP IN QUIMPER, BRETAGNE, FRANCE

What better to way to bring in the new month that with a bounty of orange seafood from the waters of Bretagne, France?

It was a local seafood feast fit for the celebration of friendship in early September between two bloggers who first met five years ago via City Daily Photo. Versailles de Quimper played host to my partner Doug and me for five days of sightseeing and eating in the Breton region of France. 

This was our first meal at her home in Quimper. It doesn't get much better than this!

Spider crabs, langoustines, and prawns, all washed down with Breton cidre, welcomed us to the bounty of Bretagne.

This prawn came with a little extra--roe.

For more photos by other CDP bloggers, follow this link: http://cdpbthemeday.blogspot.com/

CITY DAILY PHOTO-AUGUST 1, THEME DAY: BLACK

Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival, Encore

The annual Chamber Music Festival is not only a music lover's dream, but also a great opportunity for this photographer to capture a range of subjects. This summer's WWCMF Collage- Special Event 2 at Valdemar Estates turned out to be the perfect venue for this month's City Daily Photo theme--Black.

For more entries by other CDP photo bloggers, follow this link.http://cdpbthemeday.blogspot.com/

In the spotlight: a musician plays from high up on the catwalk above Valdemar's spacious production room.

 

Tools of a musician's trade

 

The entrance to the winery is low-key and spare

 

This waterfall wall creates a pleasing ambience as guests gather to drink wine and taste Valdemar Estate's selection of tapas.

CITY DAILY PHOTO THEME DAY--JULY 1: THE COLOR BLUE

Scenes from the Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival, June 2019

I'll be the first to admit I've been remiss in posting to this blog for two months. Travel and laziness have been my excuses. And even though I had photos selected for the months of May (purple) and June (pink), I never got around to posting them.  

Je suis désolé.

But here I am with "blue" photos for July 1 theme day with a collection of photos I have taken during the 24-day Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival which began June 6 and ended June 29.

The first six photos I took at the Special Event 2--Collage. Quoting from the WWCMF booklet, "Collage is a style of performance in which the entire space becomes a stage." In the case of this performance, as well as most of the festival performances, the setting is in a winery production room. That means the huge steel vats have been pushed aside or removed to make room for folding chairs for the audience and mini stages throughout the space in the catwalks or corners where the musicians perform in front of, above, behind and within the audience. In addition, dance is often part of the artistic collage. And unlike the other performances, miles of lighting and sound cable have been laid to create a unique visual and auditory experience.

 

Blue guitar on black notes

Rob Moose on electric guitar playing "Roundball Rock (NBA on NBC Theme)"

Blue shadow of the trombone player.

Weston Sprott joins the ensemble on his trombone

Moving with the music

Violinist Maria Sampen

Festival Series 4, the final performance of the season, was held at Gesa Powerhouse Theatre. Flutist MingHuan Xu peforms as part of the Piano Quintet in G Minor, Op. 57 by Dimitri Shostakovich. Also pictured are Philip Payton, violin, and Winston Choi, piano.

 

Violinist in a blue dress

CITY DAILY PHOTO THEME DAY-APRIL 1: YELLOW

Objects in the Photos May Appear Closer Than They Are

The first of every month is City Daily Photo theme day, and April's theme is Yellow. Because of our late snowfall in February and March, all of my flowers are behind schedule for blooming. Consequently, there are no yellow daffodils or yellow tulips or yellow forsythia in my garden to photograph. What else is yellow this time of year? 

Admittedly, I had to dig deep for a subject for this month's theme. 

But then a week ago I was driving to Spokane to visit my grandchildren when I came upon a convoy of heavy machinery moving down the highway. I first noticed the big yellow OVERSIZE LOAD sign, and then I saw that each vehicle was also yellow, albeit dirty yellow. VOILA! I had found my subject(s).

Now to capture these rolling behemoths without endangering myself or others. Being an iPhone photographer made it easier because, 1. I always have my phone with me, and 2. It's easy to set it up on the dash and take several photos in burst mode.  It also helped that there was little if any other traffic behind me, so I was never in danger.

These photos should bring out the little boy or girl in all of us who once loved playing in the dirt with their yellow Tonka toy trucks. 

Oh, and the last photo? That's me piloting my yellow snowblower in February. Even at 69, I love pushing around big machinery. (I couldn't resist including it in this month's celebration of the color Yellow.)

To view "yellow" photos of other international CDP bloggers, click here:

http://cdpbthemeday.blogspot.com/2019/03/april-2019-gallery-yellow.html

 

 

CITY DAILY PHOTO-MARCH 1 THEME DAY: GREEN

This Photographer's Dilemma 

The first day of the month is always theme day for City Daily Photos bloggers. In anticipation of this month's them I envisioned taking photos of the young shoots of green that began popping up in my garden in early February. However, that all came to a screeching halt when the first of several dumps of snow hit southeast Washington state, which includes Walla Walla. 

While many people continue to grouse about the late arriving snow, I am openly giddy about each additional snowfall because I simply love snow; and it's just not winter in these parts without that frozen white stuff. But what is there that's green that's not hidden by snow?

My (snow-covered) green bottle tree!

Below are three variations on the theme, using different Prisma filters to create other interesting effects. Do you have a favorite?

To see more "Green" photos from other international CDP bloggers, follow this link: http://cdpbthemeday.blogspot.com/

CITY DAILY PHOTO THEME DAY-FEB 1, 2019: WHITE

Whirling Chinese Pagoda

I guess I missed it, even though it's still February 1 in Walla Walla, WA. What can I say? 

January's been an awfully l-o-n-g month. No snow in Walla Walla to capture my fantasy or photos. Instead, too much rain and fog and grey. 

Perhaps this will spark my energy and creativity for February.

THIRD ANNUAL WOMEN'S MARCH

In Celebration of Women and Issues Important to Women

These are a few of my favorite signs

I'll let the signs speak for themselves.

I love the alliteration. (This was in response to a FB post before the march
that threatened attending with open carry.)