This week, Ann-Christine focuses on the theme Delicate. She writes, “Coming back from a beautiful journey – I was so inspired by Japan, that Delicate seemed a natural choice… And, now we want to know: What is delicate to you? Feel free to use it in any meaning: exquisite, fragile, subtle, elegant…etc.” You can read her entire challenge post here.

While walking through an outdoor venue in Mexico, I noticed a leaf on a countertop. Then I looked again. What appeared to be a dead leaf was a beautifully camouflaged butterfly. If the butterfly were in a tree, I’d have never seen it for what it was. That delicate wing design is but one of many species of butterfly that appear to look like dead leaves. The Internet tells me that this specimen is known as a ruddy daggerwing.

One foggy September morning, I went looking for moody images along the river and found a few subjects for macro photography. This grass captured many dew drops from the very moist atmosphere.

It’s hard to capture a dragonfly. They don’t stay still for long, and they are so swift, it’s all but impossible to capture them in flight. I considered myself lucky to capture this specimen sitting on a leaf.

The design of a hummingbird’s wings is nature’s example of a light but strong structure. The translucent nature of the wing’s design is visible because of the strong backlight from the sun. That light also shows the sheer nature of the flower. The semitransparent petal of the flower allows us to see the hummingbird’s beak inside the blossom.

At the North Carolina Aquarium, I captured an image of a seahorse in a small aquarium. It’s interesting what a person learns when a photo needs to be described. I knew that seahorses don’t gallop, but I never gave it a thought as to how they maneuver. In editing this image, I noticed the translucent appendage on the seahorse’s back. A quick Internet search told me it is a dorsal fin, the primary power for forward movement. The delicate structure moves at high speeds. Smaller fins near the head provide directionality to travel.

In Arches National Park near Moab Utah, one of the major attractions is Delicate Arch. Though it looks quite small, the arch is 52 feet (16 m) tall. It was formed over millions of years by erosion from wind, rain, and snow. The sandstone from which it is composed is relatively soft and prone to erosion, especially along the joints and fractures. Over time, these elements have carved away at the rock, leaving behind the delicate arch we see today.

To view my gallery of images in HD, I’ve posted them on my Flickr site here. Last week, Patti’s Hopeful challenge was a timely theme. The many responses to her challenge left me with feelings of hope for the future. Next week, Sofia shares her images reflecting the upcoming theme. Be sure to follow her here so you don’t miss her Saturday post. If you’d like to join in responding to the challenges, but aren’t sure how to get started, you’ll find more information here.

John Steiner

Looking through my gallery of sunsets, I happened upon two images capturing long pastel bands. Fortunately, the two images featured a shared border that allowed me to create a brand new panoramic image just for this post. This pastel sky was visible over the west edge of the White Tank Mountains near our home in Buckeye.

As the sun faded into the west, this view of the sky was captured to the east at the golf course near our house. It is a prime example that it’s a good idea to look behind you, even if you think the major attraction is in front of you.

Arizona doesn’t have a monopoly on pastel skies. The sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean at North Carolina’s Outer Banks Islands is a prime example.

No delicate challenge would be complete without the sharing of a pastel flower. This Mexican Primrose qualifies. Thanks again to Ann-Christine/Leya for this week’s challenge. If your browser supports the function, you can click on any image above to get a better view.

John Steiner