Today’s pictures come from Flickr Photos.

Spectacular places or ordinary places, open country  the heart of the forest, it’s all about the light. Whether it is a legendary landscape or the field next to your house all say something special when the light is right.

Crisp, colorful, edge defining light is and always will be the maker of great photographic images. Just the same, never say no to that light that is filtered through the haze. Whether it skims the horizon on the rolling hills of the Palouse Country of Washington State, or it leaves shafts of light in the woodland at the edge of town, this soft gentle journey is worth experiencing, and worth sharing. I have known people who do not see the qualities that this light provides, Don’t be among them.

Jennifer Nixon, Palouse Country

Dan Stanbaugh and forest light

I have always wished there were Bee Eaters in this part of the world. Day in, day out, I view images from everywhere from England to Africa of these fascinating and beautiful birds.

Jens Steyers captured this pair as a parent feeds a juvenile a snack. I enjoy everything about this image.

Keith Sergeant captured this fly image and while there may be prettier insects, flies make great photographic subjects. When viewed up close, they seem prehistoric. A nice pose and a clean background make this an excellent image.

Let’s finish with a nice abstract of some seed pods by Eni Zanic. I’ve always liked this sort of image. You take something common that most people walk right past, and you show the world just how beautiful they really are.

The term he or she has a “good eye” has been used for 175 years to describe photographers who see what others miss, or to explain why some photographers capture the perfect moment over and over again. Shucks, it’s often used for people who have that knack to pick out the perfect clothing for an event, or the perfect furniture to fit the personality of a room. It is in many ways, the most important attribute a photographer can have. The photographer who sees “everything” in the picture frame, and knows how to arrange it through lens selection and by putting themselves in the best position to make a powerful photograph, will always be a winner. It matters little what or where the subject is, but a lot as to how people see it (their vision).

The good eye is also about “seeing” the light. Light is often more important than the subject when it comes to making powerful images. The light teases the photographer who has a good eye, to put it all together. While accepting what nature (or sometimes man) has given you, bonding together the light and everything that is illuminated by that light, is the essence of image making.

The best photographers I observe, see the light, and use it to produce seductive and captivating images by using “a good eye” to visually compose all that the light shows us.

Have a great day and keep a good eye,

Wayne