Posted on by Anne Sandler · 44 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #297: Music to My Eyes

I can’t carry a tune. I can’t find the beat. But I love music!

Music fills my heart and soul with joy, love and sometimes sadness. I don’t care, I’ll sing along with my favorites no matter how bad I sound. Most of my favorites catch me because of their lyrics. They have to have meaning to me, and it helps if the instrumental portion is as beautiful as the lyrics.

However, Egidio challenged us to see the image and relate to the music it brings forth. For me, it came backwards. I feel the music and see the image. Kind of a twist, but that’s not unusual for me. Here are six of my favorites.

Here Comes the Sun. When I’m depressed, sad or just feeling down, I play this song. Written by George Harrison and made popular by the Beatles, I like Richie Havens version the best. His instrumental gets me dancing. By the way, I can’t dance either, but this song gets me moving and feeling the sun around me. Soon I’m out of my funk.

First light. Yosemite National Park.

Supermarket Flowers by Ed Sheeran. If you’ve buried your Mom, this song can’t help but bring back sweet memories. I think of my mom often, but especially when I listen to this song.

Tulips, Ananda Village, Nevada City

Piano Man by Billy Joel. I love this song for it’s message and instrumental. Joel’s lyrics take me out of my reality and into a bar filled with smoke and lonely people. Plus I enjoy listening to a piano, and this tune is exceptional.

Dave Bennett at the Sacramento Music Festival

Sound of Silence by Paul Simon. I’m not the first to pick this song as a favorite. I’ve been reading and listening to your posts and three of you have also picked this. Written by Simon and performed by Simon and Garfunkel, this song reaches my soul and I want to scream out we must do something. That something depends on what is happening in the world.

Lassen National Park

Forever Young by Rod Stewart. This song fills my heart, remembering when my children were infants and the love and light they brought into my life. I also remember seeing my grandchildren for the first time. Welcoming a child or grandchild into your life is an amazing experience and one never to be forgotten.

My younger set of grands at the Sacramento Zoo. Now they’re teens, but will be forever young to me.

Walking in Memphis by Marc Cohn. This song brought me to Memphis and Beale Street during our cross country trip. Oh my, I just soaked it up. The small cafes with music inviting you in. I did ask one of the gals singing if she knew this song. She did and sang it for me. I don’t know where my mind went, but it was euphoric.

Beale Street, Memphis, TN. Can you guess it’s biker night!

Yes, music is an important part of my life.

Thanks Egidio for taking me on this musical trip. When you post your response, please remember to link to his post and use the Lens-Artists tag. Last week we all enjoyed doing and seeing abstracts as requested by Ritva. Next week Tina will be leading the challenge so be sure to look for her post.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 21 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #122: The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow

I’m sure we’re all waiting and hoping for new beginnings right now. This pandemic is getting old and depressing. We need some sunshine in our lives. This challenge from our guest host Ana of Anvica’s Gallery, is about sunshine and how it helps us get through difficult times with a little self help.

Here’s what she says: “Not every day can be wonderful.  There are times in life when suffering is there, for many reasons, and it is difficult to overcome.  Those moments are part of life and no one gets rid of them.  But how we live those situations and what we learn from them, is within us.   Although a pleasant ray of sunshine always helps, right?”

However, in photography the sun helps us in many ways. First it makes shadows for us.

It can brighten up the gold colored Tower Bridge in Sacramento.

It can help the sunflowers smile and form a sunburst to pop through trees in a forest. It can also be a light at the end of a natural tunnel.

And at sundown it can create magical beauty.

The sun helps us see positivity and can brighten our world. In his blog regarding this challenge John RH quoted some lyrics from “Here Comes The Sun” by the Beatles. Here are all the lyrics:

Here comes the sun, doo da doo doo
Here comes the sun, and I say
It’s all right

Little darling, it’s been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it’s been here

Here comes the sun, doo da doo doo
Here comes the sun, and I say
It’s all right

Little darling, the smile’s returning to their faces
Little darling, it seems like years since it’s been here

Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun, and I say
It’s all right

Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes

Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting
Little darling, it seems like years since it’s been clear

Here comes the sun, doo da doo doo
Here comes the sun, and I say
It’s all right

Here comes the sun, doo da doo doo
Here comes the sun
It’s all right
It’s all right 

Yes, one of these days, it will be alright especially if we do some self help. Oh, if you look for the song, try to stream the Richie Haven’s rendition. I’m playing it now, and I’m feeling better. Thank you Ana!