“Green, green, forty shades of green

I close my eyes and picture

the emerald of the sea

From the fishing boats of Dingle

to the shores of Donaghadee” – Johnny Cash

Green is the color of life signifying growth, healing, and renewal.

This past June I went on a wonderful tour of the UK and Ireland. Ireland really is as green and rainy as everyone says. But, it is in fact, this rain that influences the dramatic Irish landscapes. The influence of the gulf stream and the moderate climate combine to make Ireland well-balanced – no hot hots or cold colds. However, I did find myself with quite the unexpected sunburn after a day riding bikes on Aran Island.

Anyway, I decided to make a little project out of the proverbial wonderful Johnny Cash song, “Forty Shades of Green.” Below is my interpretation of Ireland’s many shades.

This morning I woke up to a backyard full of fog, dampness and random rays of sunshine. The morning/sunrise and the evening/sunset make for the most interesting light, so, forgetting my other obligations for the morning (finishing a report, going to the bank…etc), I grabbed my camera and ran outside.

I find that using a macro lens in the forest makes everything look like there should be Fae or little gnomes running around, sitting on mushrooms or laying on ferns. Something about the light this morning also enhanced this feeling for me. What do you think?

I love when the background is so out of focus that it is just soft colors that blend together…

Maybe this is someone’s home?

No matter how many photos of water drops I take, they never come out crisp. Maybe it has to do with the fact that my tripod was gently balancing on layers and layers of wet leaves = not so sturdy. Someday I will get the perfect water splash…but that day is not today…

That’s all for now!

~more later…