I will admit to thinking twice about responding to this challenge since I severely neglected my photography hobby this past year, but I still managed to take a lot of pictures. The photos below make me smile for various reasons, and you will probably pick up on the fact that most of them are whimsical. I look through the lens of my camera for a reason. It brings me joy. Sometimes the moment I capture lifts my spirits and sometimes my spirit lifts the scene. I will leave it to you to decide which is which among these images.
Close-ups – Tuscany
Skylines – Miami
Whimsey – Quebec City
Still Life – Experimenting with Light
Nature – Hutchinson Island, Florida
Landscapes – Provence
Caribbean
Food – celebrating color
Doors – Charleston, SC
Tranquility
The Lens-Artists Photo Challenge is hosted weekly by a team of talented photographers. You can find their schedule here. This week our host is Anne at Slow Shutter Speed and the topic is Best of 2023.
Picture Retirement 
Suzanne, there’s so much to love about this post that I can’t pick just one picture to single out. There’s the cup of coffee sitting in the snow, the wave hitting the rock and the lavender field. Wow.
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Thank you. My version of Iced Coffee, a day at the beach, and lavender splendor. I appreciate your comment and thanks for hosting.
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Beautiful photos and such great reminders of the wonderful adventures you’ve been on. Looking forward to seeing more of your photography in 2024!
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Janis, I love scrolling through my photos for the same reason-they are great reminders of the past. I had a good time composing this while having my morning coffee. So many beautiful moments. Thanks for stopping by.
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Your photos are beautiful and varied. I love your ability to capture all the colors in our world. Like the Charleston door the best, but then I’m a nut for Charleston in general.
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Ally, you and me both. Charleston never gets old, it just gets better. I’m glad you enjoyed my photos.
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Stunning photos, Suzanne and they certainly brought me joy. You are so talented and could have an exhibition of your work. You inspire me to try harder with my photos rather than just ‘click and run’. Beautiful work and thanks so much for sharing your post. Here’s to more photography in 2024. x
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Sue, Like any hobby or personal pursuit, photography takes dedication and I have been remiss for too long. I have committed to picking up my camera a little more often in 2024. Thank you for your kind words of encouragement.
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I love all of these, Suzanne. I can see why they are your favorites. I especially enjoyed the coffee cup in the snow and the splashing wave in Florida. Thanks for sharing them.
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Hi Christie, I am glad you enjoyed my photographs. They are not all technically sound, but they are favorites nevertheless.
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Hi Suzanne – I always love your photos. They seem to be so personal and I can always understand why you’d have wanted to capture them. I’m not a photographer and rarely have my phone out, but I still enjoy seeing through the eyes of others and what catches their attention. x
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Leanne, when I started Picture Retirement, that is exactly what I wanted my photos to convey – personal insights into who we are. I like the ones that show my artistic or creative side too, but displaying just those would make my blog very boring.
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I like all of them! And what a nice way to put them into categories, rather than time, you’ve got topics and subjects together. That’s really nice.
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Dawn, I thought that grouping by topic worked well too. Thanks for noticing
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Gorgeous photos Suzanne, well done indeed.
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Thanks for stopping by Gilda. I’m glad you enjoyed my photos.
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Suzanne, I really like the way you approached this challenge. Your photos are all wonderful but I think the crashing waves and the lavender field are my favorites.
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Thanks Beth, the lavender fields were fun to photograph and of course I can’t resist the beach on a windy day.
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Looking at these no one would think you’d neglected your photography last year! Loads of excellent shots, from which I’d pick out the beetle in Tuscany, the ocean spray and the lavender field in Provence as particularly striking. The iced coffee made me smile too 😀
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Sarah, thanks for the encouragement. But, I hope to do better this year.
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Suzanne,
Your pictures brought us joy as well. They’re all well done, but my favorite is the Miami Skyline. That is not an easy shot, but you captured the light very well. Looking forward to seeing more in 2024. Joe
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Joe, It was a situation of trial and error, not skill that landed that shot. I have several of that shot in the daytime, but that was my first decent one at night. Glad you like it.
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Oh Suzanne, so much to showcase and for us to live. Yes the coffee cup for sure. But the lavender fields, the beach, the lone tree, All in fact, wonderful. Hope you’ll pick up that camera it looks like you have fun, and we can all learn from your whimsy.
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Thank you for the encouragement. I do have a lot of fun with my camera, although lately, I’m lazily resorting to my phone. The quality isn’t great, but it is more expedient. Working on changing my mindset. I posted the coffee cup on Insta and captioned it Iced Coffee – clever me.
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Your postings bring beauty and stimulation into our lives. We believe life is a series of chapters- each one progressing where the last one leaves off. We are not in the last chapter yet, but getting closer. Your postings remind us about what is most inspiring in life.
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Thank you, John, there are all sorts of ways to ‘smell the roses.’ I think you and Linda have that figured out. Thanks for stopping by.
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Suzanne, your photos are gorgeous, and so diverse! You really capture the richness of your life through your lens. You certainly had many wonderful experiences, even with the challenges you faced last year. I like your positive approach of looking for joy. May this year bring you and Malcolm an abundance of joy!
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Laurel, thank you. One day at a time…
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Hi Suzanne – looks like my comment disappeared – I don’t think you moderate? – anyways, I save a copy in my file and I will try again via copy/paste 😊Hi Suzanne, I am late reading your post. A house full of company the past while and expecting more soon. Thank you for sharing how you and Malcolm have a philosophy for caring for your MIL and your loved ones in general. “…let her know she is loved and to keep her safe” A challenging time…You remind me how the many cliches are there for a reason…one day at a time…not putting your lives entirely on hold…As Janis says, “so many joys too.”
Awesome about the Senior Games! Gorgeous photos! I always love seeing the ‘before pictures.’ Beautiful then and now! I love how you arranged this post, taking stock of the year. Wishing you and Malcolm a happy and healthy 2024. Hugs. 💕 Erica
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Hi Erica, WP has been doing some strange things lately and most days I can’t even access my blog. We are still figuring out if it’s a WP problem or a connection issue. Sorry for the inconvenience, but thankful for your persistence. I hope you enjoyed your company and are now recovering. I love having company, but after about three days, I’m ready to see them go.
As for the situation with my MIL, I often resort to cliches these days as answering the question ‘How is your MIL doing?’ seems to have taken over my life. ‘One day at a time,’ is something that people understand and can relate to and it keeps me from having to relive her condition over and over. That part is depressing.
Speaking of the ‘before’ pictures. Last night we watched home videos from the late 80’s. Man, did we have hair!!
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Huge smile about the home videos, Suzanne😊I am sooo behind on some of my fun photo projects. I need/want to revisit New Zealand 2019. I may do a throwback on instagram…I find this site easy peasy and I can spend minimal time on it and I enjoy seeing you there! Take care with everything! 💕
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Thanks, Erica. New Zealand is on my list also.
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I’m happy that you entered the photo challenge because you have some excellent photographs.
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Thanks, Karen, I am happy with the way it turned out. Happy New Year.
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