A difficult choice

The following photos are new on my blog. Some have been posted on flickr, some were just waiting to get out of my archives. They were all taken in 2011 with different cameras.   Scott Thomas Photography’s challenge at Views Infinitum “Your Best Photos in 2011″

http://stphoto.wordpress.com/2011/11/02/assignment-16-best-photos-of-2011/

was a great opportunity to bring them to light. Today, November 16, is the last day to present your three best pictures of 2011 (or more) if you feel like participating in Scott’s assignment.

I do not really consider them as my “best” but certainly they are favourites of mine. Each for its own reason. I did not take many pictures in 2011: loss of my  camera (Sony Cyber- shot), loan of another one (Canon) for a while  and finally getting a new one I need to get accustomed to (Panasonic Lumix ZX3). Nevertheless here are some pictures I am  very happy to share with you.

A Winter sunset in front of  my home. The day had been cold and the walk to the forest went at a brisk pace. I love how the light branches of a birch tree added a decorative frame over the landscape.

Snow fell heavily, sky and earth were of the same pale shade.  The dark wooden barn stood out in all this whiteness. I wish this image would make you feel the intense silence that was envelopping  the whole landscape. No cars,  quiet birds, even the wind had stopped howling.  A white silence all around.

The Joy of Spring after a long and harsh Winter ! Countless shades of green under a warmer sun. The soft sounds of grasses  brushing against one another was a real delight to listen to.

“To see one blade of grass at a time rather than simply a mountainside of green makes every element of life important”
Joan Chittister

Nino, of course, is one of my favourite models in photography. On that day, he was keeping a low profile…hiding in a field, looking rather worried. What you do not see are three black and white cows grazing peacefully a little further away. He is afraid of them although he has made progress during the Summer. Cows are everywhere around here, so many pastures for grazing.

I thought he was sleeping after his recent disturbing experience. He looked so comfortable and relaxed in his sleep but as soon as  he heard my “click”, he opened an eye ! “One does not disturb a dog who is sleeping”, we say. Yet, I did, just could not resist taking a picture …

On a sunny afternoon I was driving near a farm. I caught a glimpse of an extraordinary water- jet ! I stopped and looked at this beautiful sight : the sun was shining on the drops of water as if a rainbow had fallen onto the field. The sight was even more surprising when I downloaded the picture. Almost unreal.

A white swan gliding silently on a canal reminds me of a peaceful Summer walk.  There were fishermen, small boats, ducks and this lone swan hoping for some pieces of bread that I did not have.

Last October I visited friends in the South with my family. Ticino state is the only Italian-speaking area in my country. A little bit of Italy here and there. This door is the entrance of a pleasant B&B, an ancient house of the XIXth century, nicely restored and welcoming guests all invited to the same wedding. What a wonderful stay and wedding party !

Autumn arrived slowly, with days that looked like Summer so mild and sunny they were. Yet, little by little, terraces were deserted, leaves started falling, temperatures dropped.  Mornings are frosty and the forest is covered with a precious and rustling carpet, night falls around 6pm and soon the trees will be bare. Snow is just around the corner and next year too. With more pictures !

I hope you enjoyed this short travel through some of my favourite pictures. Thanks for traveling with me  and thanks Scott for another enjoyable assignment.

Autumnal sun

Fall and its warm shades is at the door but  Summer does not look ready to leave yet. And why should it ? Both are so enchanting ! The warmth of Summer and the colours of Autumn.

Fall greets us with an early morning fog that the late Summer sun dissolves during the afternoon.

Flowers never seemed as shiny and luminous as now. A bright farewell to their Season as they lead the path to the softer autumnal shades.

What a wonderful  and colourful transition in the year !

A sunflower, tournesol in French which could litteraly mean “turning toward to sun”. This particular sunflower was attracting the late afternoon sun.

Pretty, delicate and fragile,  undulating in the slightest breath of wind, cosmos are in full bloom right now. A real delight for the eyes.

Fog in the Alps comes and goes. Sometimes you think your day will be a rather dull one and all of a sudden sun shines from across the mountains  and lights up the landscape. I often walked along this path and experienced all kind of weather. This changing of mood in nature is a favourite of mine.