Best of 2013 Photography - May, June & July

I'm a bit behind with spotlighting favorite photos/subjects from 2013. So, today I'll share my picks for May, June, and July:

May

In May I became interested in photographing the many beautiful historical churches in Louisville so that I could participate in the weekly InSPIREd Sunday meme where we share interesting churches and other places of worship.

It happens that many of Louisville's historic churches are Episcopalian.  As I went around town taking photos of them, noticed that they all had red doors from the grandest cathedrals to the simplest stone churches.  Learned that the Episcopalian red doors symbolize many things, but primarily sanctuary and the Blood of Christ and His sacrifice.  This great example is Advent Episcopal in the Highlands of Louisville:

~click on images to enlarge~

June

For June I'll go back to one of my favorite spots for photographs -- Beargrass Creek from the Belnap Bridge in Cherokee Park.  In particular, I love getting shots of this wonderfully gnarled old tree in all seasons and times of the day.  Here a touch of pure summer fun with the inner tube swing hanging out over the creek.  BTW, this is my reminder to you that summer will return, although you may not think so in the frigid cold of this week!

 

July

 

July was not the greatest month for photography here at Summit Court.  First, it was the start of several months of ongoing problems with internet/DSL and my computer's performance which kept me from blogging on a regular basis.  In addition, it was a time when I was dealing with serious health and caregiving issues for my elderly family members.  On the positive, however, it was about this time that I started getting interested in attracting birds to the yard and trying to ID them.  So, I chose this collage of Chet in his favorite spot--lying by the front door and peering out at the birds.  He has taken a very laid back stance on his Roommate's new obsession with birds!

 

 

Picks for August - December still to come!  Am finding that going back though photo archives is a great way to see what happened in 2013.  You?

Best of 2013 - February Photography - Gothic Gatehouse

 

Continuing with a look back at favorite photos/subjects in 2013, for February I choose the Crescent Hill Reservoir and Gatehouse.  This fabulous gothic "castle", built in the 1870s, houses the valves which control the flow of water for the Louisville water reservoir.  This 110 million gallon basin holds water pumped from the Ohio River to be filtered for the city's drinking water. 

 

The gatehouse is ornamented with many gothic architectural details such as the huge water urns on each of the roof points.  An elaborate iron fence runs all around the reservoir.  The path goes all around too and is a favorite walking, jogging and photography site, especially at sunset when you can catch this golden light--if you're lucky!

Mosaic Monday - Tree Hieroglypics

click on image to enlarge

Recently I found this interesting tree in Cherokee Park whose trunk was decorated with many "hieroglyphic" carvings. In the lower right the traditional symbol for love, but what do you make of the rest? I see something definite in each carving. What about you? Can you also see a face in profile in the leaf shadows on the tree?

Linking to Mosaic Monday.

Monday Mosaic - Late Fall on Beargrass Creek

Click on images to enlarge

Each season I try to get some photos of this twisty-trunked old tree on the banks of Beargrass Creek in Cherokee Park.  For the fall shoot most of the colorful leaves had fallen by the time I made it to the park last week.  Instead of being disappointed, learned an important photography lesson: focus on what's in front of you and you'll always find great subjects.  In this instance, found all these different small shells on the creek bank and even on submerged leaves.  Serendipity!

Linking to Mosaic Monday.

InSPIREd Sunday - Historic Methodist

click on images to enlarge

This is the former Middletown Methodist Church, which is my neighborhood.  The church was built in the late 1800s in the gothic architectural style.  The spire and windows are especially distinctive.  The church is listed on the national historic register and is now a community center.  (I took these photos yesterday in the afternoon sun, as you can see!)

Here are a few more views:

Linking to InSPIREd Sunday .

Friday Fences - Locust Grove Split Rail

 

click on images to enlarge

 

Re-visiting historic Locust Grove farm, owned by the family of  George Rogers Clark in the early 1800s.  Clark was founder of Louisville, a Revolutionary War hero and explorer on the western Lewis and Clark expedition. The farm is about 20 minutes drive from downtown Louisville, Kentucky.  I've used these photos of the split rail fence before, but thought they might be interesting in a collage to see how the rails would look side by side when shot from different perspectives.

Linking to Friday Fences at Life According to Jan and Jer .

InSPIREd Sunday - Saint Michael the Archangel Orthodox

 

click on the images to enlarge

A bit late in the day to be posting for InSPIREd Sunday, but worth the wait, I hope.  For the past several months I've been trying to get photos of all the historical churches in Louisville.  Have had Saint Michael the Archangel Orthodox on the list for some time.  Waiting for a day when the sky is bright so it would be a good background for the church dome and blue spires.  This church was established in the 1930s and is described as Pan-Orthodox Christian, serving many cultures and ethnic groups from Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa, and America who live in Louisville.  Your can see the different influences in the architecture, especially the domed roof, brightly colored spires, and iconography.  Hopefully, I can get back to the church in the future to take some photos inside.

Here are a few more photos of the exterior:

Linking to InSPIREd Sunday .

Friday Fences - for the Birds

Still more fences from the Historic Garden Tour of Old Louisville--Garden 14 made a special effort to welcome the birds. Here are a few closeups of the different bird houses and fence decorations. (click on the collages to enlarge)

Linking to Friday Fences at Life According to Jan and Jer . Wish me luck this weekend--installing a new computer(or rather the resident Geek Squad is) and switching to Windows 8 and touchscreen. It's a brave new world and I sure hope the learning curve is not too steep for me to climb!

Friday Fences - Memory Garden

An ornate wrought iron fence surrounds a small, intimate garden planted in memory of members of the Louisville Women's Club for their work on behalf of the community. This memory garden was featured on the recent Old Louisville Garden Tour.

In a carriage house attached to the garden, the Club runs Carriage Trade where fine home furnishing, jewelry, and clothing can be purchased. Proceeds of the sales are used for annual projects. The red fleur de lis napkin weight and three Star of David vases caught my eye. As did the cast iron dog profile over the carriage house door!

Linking to Friday Fences at Life According to Jan and Jer .

Friday Fences - Fields of Gold

Back in the spring I shared quite a few photos of this riding stable/farm in eastern Jefferson County.  Recently  went back to see how it had changed with the summer and found the pastures surrounded by "fields of gold."  Still the classic Kentucky black-painted wooden fence and--even better--Spotted Pony was still in the field.

Linking to Friday Fences at Life According to Jan and Jer .

Friday Fences - very Kentucky

click on collage to get a close look

  This fence surrounds Fleur de lis Farm on the historic Wolf Pen Branch Road in eastern Jefferson County.  The road is narrow, winding, and lined with mature trees.  This fence uses two fencing materials --dry stone and black-painted boards--common in Kentucky.  The fleur de lis is the official symbol for Louisville, recognizing our early connections to France.  And, at the entrance gate to the farm, this is about the cutest mail box I've seen.

Linking to Friday Fences at Life According to Jan and Jer .

Mosaic and Macro Monday - Red Episcopalian Doors

Yesterday for InSPIREd Sunday, I mentioned that I had been photographing all the Episcopalian churches in the Louisville area, about ten altogether. Most of the churches, from simple stone sanctuaries to the grand old cathedral, from historic to contemporary have red doors in common. Throughout church history and tradition, doors were painted red to symbolize sanctuary, safety, and refuge. In early days soldiers could not pursue an enemy beyond the church doors. The red doors signified the Blood of Christ and beyond the doors was holy ground where one could find physical and spiritual refuge.

So, I've put together several mosaics of Episcopalian red doors, beginning with St. Luke's Church:

Church of the Advent

St. Matthew

Calvary

Christ Church Cathedral

So, I hope you've enjoyed seeing this sampling of the red Episcopalian Church doors in just one city. It has been an interesting photography subject to explore.

Linking to Mosaic Monday and Macro Monday 2 .

InSPIREed Sunday - St Mark's Episcopal

Since Sally and Beth started this new meme focused on places of workship and their history, I have been interested in photographing all the Episcopal churches in Louisville. In particular, I admire their, for the most part, simple stone architecture, minimal ornamentation, cornerstone messages, and the many interpretations of the Episcopalian red doors. Above you see the bell tower capped by a plain cross for St Mark's Episcopal Church.

In the collage moving clockwise: view of the church and grounds from left, cornerstone proclaiming the power of Christ, classic Episcopal sign, front entrance, Anglican cross, and arched red doors. (click on collage to enlarge)

Linking to InSPIREd Sunday .

(Note: tomorrow, July 15, for Mosaic and Macro Mondays I'm planning a special post on the Episcopalian red doors of Louisville. Stop by again if this sounds like an interesting topic to you.)

Friday Fences - Quirky

How about a "Peace Out" sign from the 1960s decorating a garden fence as an example of quirky? I spotted this oddity on the Old Louisville Garden Tour last month. Linking to Friday Fences at Life According to Jan and Jer .

Mosaic and Macro Monday - Trees

This was the view from Belnap Bridge looking downstream of Beargrass Creek in Louisville's Seneca Park around 8 a.m. yesterday.  It was a cloudy rainy sort of day.  I came here to get some photos of an especially interesting tree on the left side of the creek.  For the past couple of weeks I've been on a bit of a blogging break because of some ongoing Internet/DSL issues.  While offline I've been using Catherine Anderson's The Creative Photographer, Exploration Cards to Expand Your Creativity for inspiration on photo shoots.  Anderson suggests that you explore themes--pathways, reflections, everyday ordinary, etc.--when taking pictures.  One theme that she suggested was "trees"--take photos of one particular tree at different times of the day, different seasons, weather.  I chose this spot on Beargrass Creek for the water interest as well as the tree.

This tree is wonderfully graceful with its multi-trunks and branches that extend out over the water.  In the first photo I was standing on the hill looking down on the tree.  The second photo I shot from the right creek bank so you can see the twisting tree trunk:

Here are some closeups and macros of moss, lichen and fungi growing on the branches.  And, based on the leaf shape, I think this is an elm.  But I'm no tree expert, so if anyone thinks differently let me know! (click on the collages for a larger view)

A few more shots of the tree (note the tube swing for summer fun), the creek waters, and bridge:

And finally, a closeup of Belnap Bridge and some plant macros growing over the stone wall of the bridge:

Periodically I plan to go back to this spot for more photos, especially with change of seasons or different times of the day.  It will be interesting to see the changes.

Linking to: Macro Monday 2 and Mosaic Monday .

Friday Fences - Old Louisville Hidden Gardens

This is the sign marking Garden 4 of the Old Louisville Hidden Garden Tour.  Each of the 15 gardens that I toured last week was marked by these creatively and humorously designed stick people which gave a hint of the personality of the gardener--and garden--you were about to see.  All of the gardens in this old neighborhood are tucked behind fences .  The fences are just as ornamental as the gardens:

Garden 4 had a weathered silvery gray wooden fence accented, at this time of the year, by plantings of bright pink Oriental lilies, climbing vines, planted pots and garden art:

Here are a couple of mosaics of the garden (click on image to enlarge) :

Clockwise:  cast iron planter, lily pond, mosaic glass gazing ball

Clockwise:  bird bath among the hydrangeas, fence art, topiary puppy, mixed coleus and impatiens

Linking to Friday Fences at Life According to Jan and Jer .

InSPIREd Sunday - Temple Shalom

Using InSPIREd Sunday to highlight the diversity in houses of worship in Louisville--this is the Jewish synagogue Temple Shalom.  This temple has been in St. Matthews since 1989, the architecture shows definite Middle Eastern influences with the sandstone block, domed roof line and evidence of an inner courtyard (although I haven't seen inside to confirm this).  The major ornamentation is the hexagonal Star of David, the secular and sacred symbol of Judaism.  This symbol is repeated on the back of the temple also.  Over the entrance door you see a sacred menorah which is the other important symbol of this faith.  The menorah serves as a "symbol of the nation of Israel and its mission to be the light unto nations" according to Jewish history.

Here are a few other views of Temple Shalom (click on collage to enlarge):

Left to right - front view of temple, menorah over entrance, Star of David window, temple sign

I'll close by wishing you "Shalom".  A common Jewish greeting which means peace, hello, goodbye; shalom is also meant to convey a deeper emotional and spiritual wish for you to experience completeness, well being, and joy.

Linking to InSPIREd Sunday , a new meme celebrating places of worship and their unique architecture and history.  Thanks to Sally and Beth for hosting.