Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Festival of the Solstice..earth, water, wind & fire.....


I took these shots during the huge bush fires southwest of Perth in February 2012. Started by a lightning strike Perth felt the residue of nature's fury as the flames roared through thousands of hectares of bushland destroying everything in its path. With no hope at all of any rain the fight was left in the hands of the many brave firemen who worked day and night to put out the flames.  Five minutes away from me on the beach, the sun going down a fiery red, the sea breeze enticing the smoke up along the coast, the waves crashed onto the beach unaware! Looking down the coast below it's almost impossible to see the houses on the hill behind the point, it made me smile that despite everything the youngsters here were having fab fun in the surf. I sometimes wonder if disasters like this are Mother Nature's way of reprimanding us for our negligent treatment of our environment..c'est possible oui! Enjoy more Festival of the Solstice images here. Happy Wednesday, take care.....


36 comments:

  1. Fairly empty beach - we sometimes have haze here, mostly from California wildfires, like a few weeks ago.

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  2. Looks like volcanic haze- vog


    Nice shots, G:-)

    Aloha

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  3. Where I live, the danger of wildfire is ever present. The naturally occurring fires are bad enough, but it REALLY gets to me when the crazies go out and set them. Nice photos!

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  4. Having lived in Montana for a number of years, we grew sadly accustomed to the yearly forest fires. I do agree with Pat, it does get to me as well that so many crazies seem to take great pleasure in destroying any and everything these days! An amazing capture! Scary and beautiful at the same time!

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  5. That top photo reminds me of a painting by Turner. He painted a lot of seascapes that were hazy or as in this case smokey. Both of these photos are beautiful.

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  6. I agree with Sharon, it does look a bit like a Turner. Unfortunately you could have done without the fires. Beautiful shot though!

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  7. Stunning photography Grace .... bush-fires seem to give that ethereal look to the landscape .... dramatic to look at but scary for those living in the line of fire.

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  8. Atmospheric images and perfect for the mid-month theme.

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  9. Wild fires are such scary things. I can't imagine living in their path.

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  10. A horrible event, but the photos come out well.

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  11. Quite a statement, Grace. Beautiful images with a stern message from Mother Nature, as you suggest. (Well done for participating in CDP Theme. I just couldn't manage it this time round.)

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  12. very nice colors ! looks good... yes, of course that occasion was really bad !

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  13. I sincerely Love the first photo!

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  14. Oui, very possible! What a beautiful photo, so ethereal as others have said, even if it was 'birthed' from such a terrible event. Bravo indeed to those hardworking firemen.

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  15. Brrrr... be on the beach and don't have sun :-)

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  16. I have to agree that Mother Nature is probably wiser than we are. Great shots for the theme, Grace.

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  17. I haven't seen skies like that too often... but every once in awhile, if there's a forest fire off to the north and the winds are right, some of the smoke will filter down into the area. It makes for dramatic skies.

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  18. I know that haze oh to well. I just hate fires.

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  19. Wow that's dramatic. I had forgotten about the theme day. The group on the bottom has an ideal plan for watching the fire and then cleaning off the soot.

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  20. Yes, Grace, I guess nature is hitting us back - the bad flooding over here again now, shows it, too, non?
    Fascinating pics you shot!

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  21. Nice job! I haven't come up with anything for that theme.

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  22. Beautiful beach and the wonder of its tonalities!

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  23. Awesome pictures dear Gracie, so wonderful feeling of happiness, a perfect day, perfect time,perfect feeling... enjoying life!
    :) girl, you are a talented photographer!
    Léia

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  24. Great post for the Festival of the Solstice Grace. The teenagers having fun against a backdrop of smoke highlights how enduring the human spirit is.

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  25. Lovely smokey sunset Grace. I hate forest fires and the debris and smoke they leave but there's no denying that they offer up stunning sunsets.

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  26. Amazing how such a sad thing, the fires, make for a very beautiful shot. I love the top one! Great take on the theme,. Grace.

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  27. Reminds of that great photograph of the crowd in the stands watching intently the football game with a house fully engulfed in the background. Now, that intensity!

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  28. We know all about fires here in Colorado. There have been over 500 homes lost in the Black Forest Fire near Colorado Springs....It does seem as some of us are being punished..

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  29. Excellent contribution for Festival of the Solstice, yet it seems more of a huge trial when humans and nature collide.

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  30. Bush fires or not, these are fantastic shots, Grace.
    Great contribution to this theme day!

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  31. We've had a lot of brush fires here in the US. I'm happy to say none of them are where I live.

    Beautiful photos, as always!

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  32. What a beautiful wonder! Looks so dramatic! Nice shot for the theme Grace!

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  33. Bonjour ! J'adore la première photo, sa composition, ses couleurs ! Superbe.

    A bientôt.

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  34. love these, gracie, they have such ambiance!

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