Vineyard Summer through my lens

When I go on vacation I always take the same kinds of photos. The ocean, boats, doorways, pretty houses. It gets kind of boring.

While we were on the Vineyard, my sister was looking for photos of what she calls doers. She wanted to photograph people doing things. These photos would serve as references for her live event painting business.

I thought this was a great idea. I almost never have people in my photographs and it might prove to interesting. So here are my photos of doers.

This child was just too cute. He was trying to fly a kite and I loved the joyful look on his face.





And this is the rest of the family. That's quite the camera that budding photographer has.



I took this shot of a woman and her dog in Oak Bluffs. This was one of a series of shots.



I thought the splash of pink made this photo more interesting.



Is he a doer? I don't know but he sure was cute.



This girl was very good at her job at a cupcake shop in Vineyard Haven.



Don't worry, these people were not crushed by that oncoming ship in the left of the photo.



Diners at the Black Dog Tavern.




We spied this grandfather and son from the window at the Black Dog Tavern. The child had amazing hair and they were having such fun I just had to take some photos.



The man was teaching the child how to skip stones on the water. It was fun to watch the interaction between the two.



I was searching for some sunset shots and took notice of these girls walking on the rocks.



One of them had cool sandals!





The girls were having a great time. Why not they were by the ocean on the Vineyard!




When I spied these dogs I just had to take the shot. The driver saw me and actually pulled out of traffic so I could take another one! Too funny!

I think this year's vacation shots are definitely more interesting than last year's. And I can thank my Sister for that. What a novel idea, having people in my photos!

Illumination Night on Martha's Vineyard

Half the fun of attending the Grand Illumination on the Vineyard is to go to the campground in the afternoon and see the preparations. So much work goes into the decorating of each cottage.



If you only attend the nighttime event, you don't get to see the true colors of the cottages and the lanterns.



I love to see parasols added to the decoration of a cottage.



They vary in shape and design.



You know I had to photograph a cottage named Two Bad Cats.




I am sure I have a photo of this cottage from my last Illumination Night.



Wow, fans, lanterns, parasols, this took a lot of time.



This one had some very interesting lanterns. I love the ones with the tassels.



Pretty pastels on some of the cottages.




Lovely gardens too!



Some cottages had vibrant colors.



Poor puppy! He wanted to go out and play but he was safer on the porch.



The party has already started. Many cottage owners and guests enjoy food and drink on their porches.




Look at the lacy scrollwork, just beautiful!



A pretty combination of colors.



All ready for the festivities.




I need to look up Klonschnack.




I had just enough time to take a few shots in the dim light. Nighttime photography is not my forte.



Before the lights were illuminated there was a community singalong at the tabernacle. A musical journey through American History and lots of patriotic songs.




Ok, are you ready for some lanterns?




Some were made of silk and actually illuminated by real candles.




Some had very interesting shapes and fringe on the bottom.



Some were very old and some were not.



We missed seeing those in costume strolling the area but we caught them on their porch.



They added to the festivities.



Mesmerized by the beauty of the lanterns, I hardly noticed it had started to rain.
During the concert, we were standing under a tree and couldn't feel the raindrops.



We strolled around the main area near the tabernacle and then walked down the small streets of the campground.



I tried to take as many shots as possible of the beauty all around me. It was so magical.




But then the skies opened up and there was no denying it, we were getting soaked and the paper lanterns would not survive the downpour. Luckily, the bad weather held off just long enough to see most of Illumination Night.

And it was worth getting soaked to the skin!

Martha's Vineyard Memories

I have so many memories to write about and so many photos I could post! It's hard to narrow it down but I'll try. This post is about a walk we took around the park and area near the beach at Oak Bluffs.



I would live in any one of these homes. Each one was beautiful and unique. This one had a lovely garden out front.



I am not that fond of yellow but I don't mind it on this home. Maybe the green helps.



The flowers were unbelievable.



We turned the corner and there was this beautiful gate, yard, and garden.



A pagoda in the yard! Gorgeous!



And the front of the house was not too shabby either. Wow, was all I could say.



Looks like they're having a party. He's setting up the bar. How can I get myself invited?
I would love to sit on this porch all night.

We later found out from our innkeeper that this is the home of Peter Norton of Norton Anti Virus fame. And yes that is him in the photo.

The home was destroyed by fire and rebuilt to it's original grandeur.



And here was my second favorite, it's called Cinderella Cottage. Our innkeeper told us that this is the ex Mrs Norton's home.



Again, lovely landscaping.




And very ornate. I love that bump out, don't you?



This blue and white home also bordered the park.




Another pretty house overlooking the park.



I love weathervanes and this one was especially decorative and perfect for it's location overlooking the Atlantic at Oak Bluffs.

This is the first in a series of posts about my mini vacation. Please come back and travel to the Vineyard with me.

I'm Back!

I'm back from the Vineyard and I have oodles of photos to go through before I post them. We had a great time and there's lots to tell but not just yet.

Stay tuned and have a great weekend!

A Little Rest and Relaxation

A little R&R is in order for the next few days. Will post again at the end of the week.

Enjoy your week!