This week, Tina Schell asks us to put a colorful foot forward in our challenge responses. She writes simply, “So go ahead – find some colorful captures to make us smile. ” You can read her entire challenge post here. Well, I don’t know that my challenge posts are worth smiling about, but I believe they meet the challenge of being colorful. In the opening photo, Mother Nature demonstrates how colorful she can be every autumn. The shot above was captured at Maplewood State Park in Minnesota.

When it comes to veggies, Mother Nature provides an infinite color palette as can be seen in this vegetable market in Seattle, Washington. The Public Market is a tourist attraction of some repute where fishmongers, florists, grocers and even the very first Starbucks Coffee Shop are steps away from each other.

If you want to see lots of color, head to a Native American Powwow sometime. You’ll find no end of colorful costumes worn by the participants. I’ve only been to a couple of these, but I plan to attend more as my schedule meets their locations.

I’ve shared this photo before, it’s one of my favorites. The colorful lights of Nashville’s Honky Tonk Row are greatly enhanced by the street during a fit of Mother Nature, a quick-moving thunderstorm.

My last entry for this week’s challenge is a more pastel image, the San Antonio Riverwalk presents plenty of opportunities for photography. The colors of the greenery and umbrellas are reflected in the water of the canal.

John Steiner