Hey there my Hive friends and followers!
Welcome to the 197th round of my special weekly photo challenge known as Appreciate Beauty of Nature with @phortun :)
Important note: I have been hosting this challenge in the same format for almost 4 years but I recently decided to introduce some major changes to it so please read all the updates below. The essence of this challenge stays the same though so the intro part will be the same as it was before.
I know a lot of photo contests with nature as the main theme were/are/will be hosted by various people on the Hive blockchain but I wanted to come up with something more than just another photo contest where participants would submit their best natural photos. Therefore, I decided to go for quite an unusual concept that I am going to introduce in the following lines.
The aim of the Appreciate Beauty of Nature with @phortun photo challenge is not to make you dig up your photo archives and submit the best pictures of nature that you have ever taken. Instead, I want you guys to go out and appreciate the beauty of our nature right now.
The internet (and the Hive blockchain as well) is flooded with picture perfect shots of landscapes, mountains, forests, beaches etc. taken years ago. But this is not what I want to see in this challenge. I want to see shots that may not be necessarily stunning but they must be fresh, proving that you have just physically spent some time outdoors in the fresh air. But remember that nature comes in many forms. It doesn´t have to be a pristine jungle or a deep remote forest. An urban park, a botanical garden, a little grove on the outskirts of your town - pretty much any place with some trees, plants, rocks, bodies of water or any other natural features would be just as fine ;)
HERE COME THE UPDATES
Originally, the prizes for the winners were just my full upvotes given to their entries but since, unfortunately, I lately had to power down significantly, my upvotes are not that big and motivating anymore so I decided to reward the winners of each round with additional 1.5 Hive each. So now, the winners get my full upvotes on their entries plus 1.5 Hive each. All of the other valid entries will be rewarded with some smaller (usually 50%) upvotes too so that all participants get rewarded for their engagement in this challenge.
In the past, I usually hosted this challenge on Thursday but because of the reasons described below, I cannot guarantee that anymore so now, I may roll out the new round on Thursday, Friday or even Saturday so if you guys don´t want to miss out on the fun here, please check out my blog regularly.
Also, in the past, I always tried to lead by example and thus open each new round with my own fresh natural photo taken during the previous 7 days. However, as you might now from my recent posts, me and my wife are now taking care of our newborn baby and it takes just so much time and energy that I simply don´t have the time to go out and take fresh natural photos anymore (btw late autumn and winter here in Central Europe are not favorable seasons for natural photography anyway) so instead, I will be using my old photos from cool natural places around the world that I have been to. Hopefully, in a few months, I will be able to go out to nature regularly again and take a nice fresh picture for each round just like I did it over the years but before that happens, I will show you some beautiful natural places that I got to see during our travels. It will also be a nice way for me to remember and relive those moments from the times when it was just me and my wife, traveling around the world - happy, young and free :)
THE RULES
I want to keep the rules of this challenge as simple and benevolent as possible so let´s agree on just this:
Only one entry (photo) per person per round.
The photo must be yours and not older than 7 days.
Add a few lines about the photo (at least 50 words) including the date and location.
You can start submitting your entries to this round in the comment section below from now until the next round. If you want to create a separate post as your entry, you can do that but please always remember to submit your entry in the form of a comment here under this post as well. I only check the entries submitted here as comments.
Prior to publishing the next round, I will pick 3 winners, give my full upvotes on their entries and send them 1.5 Hive each as the prize. The winning entries will be featured in the next round of the challenge. I also give smaller upvotes on the other valid entries as I mentioned before.
So that´s it. Let me now open the new round of my photography challenge called Appreciate Beauty of Nature with @phortun :)
As if I was not behind the schedule enough already, I just got sick and I´m writing these lines from the bed with a fever and horrible headache. It´s just around 3 PM here in Prague but it´s already getting dark outside. It´s cold, gray and depressive. Therefore, I decided to browse a photo file from my very favorite country in the world and that´s Costa Rica. Reliving those amazing memories from the land of Pura Vida seems so comforting and yet so distant and unreal right now... The picture that I picked is from the Black Beach (Playa Negra) that is located just outside of the lovely coastal town of Puerto Viejo. Our rented cottage was so close to this stunning place that we could hear and smell the Caribbean even when lying in the bed. Le sigh, I miss those moments so much...
In the last round of this challenge, we had 8 participants. After some thorough consideration, I decided to pick these 3 winners:
@triplug with this entry from Romania:
Hello everyone. I want to share with you in round 196, the round launched by @phortun, a picture I took yesterday, but unfortunately I didn't get to upload it right after I took it although that's what I wanted when I took it. Yesterday morning I woke up to a wintry atmosphere outside, windy, cold and very foggy. So I took my drone and raised it above the village where I live here in western Romania, although I lost the signal a few times (I was a bit afraid of losing it) I managed to capture a few photos that I hope you will like. On the left side of the image you can see the village over which a blanket of fog spreads, and on the right side you can see the hills with vine plantations on them. I wish you all a wonderful Sunday.
@friedlymoose with this entry from the Netherlands:
What a great entries last week! It's completely understandable that you have less time for other things when you have a newborn. Just enjoy the time. Soon you'll be walking in nature with your little one. I'll keep on following and try to join more often. Yesterday, I made a nice walk in the mist where I took some cool shots like the one above. Greetings from the Netherlands!
@himalayanwomb with this entry from India:
This photo has been clicked on 3 December 2023. What happened was that Aman (my friend) and I had gone to visit Sahastradhara (India), my plan was to swim in the river located there but in search of a good pond and a good location, we reached a dead end while walking along the river bank. And from here we chose trekking to come back and after climbing the mountain in front, we reached the road after about an hour.
Congratulations guys! It was my pleasure to give you 100% upvotes on your entries and sent 1.5 Hive each, you can check that out in your wallets :)
I am looking forward to what you all will come up with in this round :) Have fun everyone and don´t forget to... Appreciate Beauty of Nature!
I post this series in the Amazing Nature community, a great community for all nature lovers. Feel free to check it out ;)
This post was created by me for the Hive blockchain exclusively. All rights reserved.
Wow, those were some really beautiful photos by @triplug, @friedlymoose, and @himalayanwomb! Congratulations!
This was the photo that I took this morning on my walk... Altea, Spain, December 15, 2023! Clear skies, not too many people walking, so peaceful... There was a bit of wind, but as can be seen from the photo, no big waves or such...
Wow, that must have been a very nice and relaxing walk :) Thanks for this lovely greeting from sunny Spain!
Thank you very much @ph1102, by the way, your picture is very beautiful.
This weekend, I am finding myself immersed in the serene beauty of the village of Papingo, nestled in the heart of the Vikos–Aoös National Park in Epirus, Greece. The village, now part of the municipality of Zagori, is divided into two charming hamlets: Megalo Papingo and Mikro Papingo.Papingo is a haven for nature enthusiasts, attracting hikers and mountaineers from around the globe. Surrounded by deciduous forests and graced by the snowcapped Astraka peak of Mt Tymphe, the village offers a picturesque escape.
Wow! That´s a spectacular place! Thanks for sharing it with us here in my challenge :) Excellent entry.
I've been forgetting to join the contest for a couple of weeks, but once again everyone has submitted great photos. I took this photo from the garden of my house in Ermenek, Karaman. Winter is not that cold yet and when the sun rises it feels good to go out and walk around or watch the mountains and the sky.
Hey buddy, good to see you here again! That´s a very nice view, wow, thank you! :)
Sunbathing on a tree stand somewhere in Czech Republic while my dog is impatiently waiting down there 😁
What a weather change! A week ago, there was thick snow cover and temperature attacking -10°C. Today thermometer shows 14°C and the field is green again. Wonder what the next week be like😬
Maybe a tornado, hailstones or a scorching heatwave. Who knows in these extremely unstable and unpredictable times. Cool entry though, thanks! :)
Hello @phortun !
I hope you get better soon and that the headaches and fever go away soon, buddy
I'd like to share with you a photo that I deliberately took today on my way to have breakfast with some friends. The walking distance from my house to the meeting point is just over 8 kilometers, but it's always a great pleasure to do this walk on a Sunday morning... It feels so good not to have to take the car to get between points.
Although there are quite a few built-up areas on the route, there is one part where a beautiful open field of green grass gives you a perfect view of the coastline and the sea in the distance. I don't know if you can see what I'm describing.
Although my participation was small, I didn't want to miss out on it, so I took a photo on purpose, so as not to go to my archive with more spectacular photos...
Best wishes for a speedy recovery, my friend!
Hey buddy, good to see you here! That must have been a very nice and relaxing morning walk, the landscape looks beautiful :) Just to be sure btw, the location is Portugal, right? ;)
Good afternoon, @phortun !
I hope that you are feeling better today. You are absolutely correct, and to be more precise, it in Vila Fria, Oeiras - near by Lisbon city. Location
Cheers!
Going through your contest @phortun and seeing so many beautiful entries and even though I had an extremely busy week so far (you know Christmas is coming and there is a lot of stuff to do for this holiday) this morning I stopped for a few moments on a street in my commune (I live in western Romania) and photographed this beautiful sunrise.
I took the picture around 8 am in the morning, the sky looked like it was on fire, I don't know exactly what's going on but I can see these colours in the sky more and more often, I don't remember when I was a child seeing the sky like this.
This is my entry for today and I hope you enjoy it, and once again I apologize for coming so late.
Hey there my friend, this is a truly spectacular view and I´m really sorry that the winners for this round were already picked before you submitted it, you would definitely be one of them with this stunning shot. But thanks for your participation anyway, I really appreciate it :)
Dear friend, in a few hours I will be going on a holiday where I will not have my laptop with me and so I will be torn from the hive, so I use this way to wish you a Merry Christmas (in three) and a Happy New Year that will bring you joy and the fulfillment of all your wishes.
Hugs from Romania.
Well, it´s hard for anyone in my country to enjoy the holiday after what happened here in Prague yesterday but thank you, I really appreciate your kind words and wishes. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family, my friend.
Ah my friend, no problem, my gain here is that I was able to participate and yes, I will gladly participate whenever I get the chance.
I had the opportunity to capture the photograph of this beautiful plant species belonging to the genus Heliconia, known in the area where I live South of Lake Maracaibo Venezuela with the name of platanillo, this plant emits that beautiful flower that you can see in the photograph, they adorn the tropical ecosystem since, it has an explosion of colors and a very particular shape.
The photographs were taken at the beginning of the week, in an agricultural area of the region where I live, Colón Municipality, Santa Bárbara de Zulia.
Congratulations on your baby, being a parent is beautiful and any efforts you make will be worth it.
Amazing plant, we saw it in Costa Rica :) Thanks for your cool entry and lovely wishes. Btw which one of these two photos is your official entry? :)
Hi, @phortun the first photograph, since the description you make depends on the plant, and the second photograph is to highlight the very beautiful flower that emits. Of course, the second photo is striking because it was photographed nearby, but without the plant there would be no flower that is part of its organs.
See you later, have a great weekend.
I'm sorry you're ill @phortun, hope you get well soon. 3 pm and it's already dark, cold, gray and depressive? 😵🥶😩 that sounds terrible 😬.
Too much sad photos here in this post, flowers make our hearts happy so I send you this beautiful white rose that bloomed in my balcony on Monday 😃☺️ hope you like it and it makes you feel better 🤗
Aww, thank you amiga! :) So kind of you. I already do feel better ;)
☺️ nice to know that you feel better 🤗
Nice photos you have here 🙂
I will use one photo from my walk in the forest on Fruška Gora, Serbia, this weekend, 12/16.
In a valley, I came across a tree with an interesting hollow. a cut part of the tree, and the water that has deepened it for years, will cause the center to be hollowed out, so that water is retained. Water that froze, meaning the temperature was not above freezing, even though the air temperature was around 2°C.
Hey there, welcome to the challenge! That´s a very interesting "natural water reservoir" hehe :) Thanks for your entry!
Hello everyone, how are you @phortun and your family? Hope everyone is well.
This will be my entry for this round. This photo was taken yesterday (December 19) at Anapog, San Remigio, Cebu, Philippines. An army of hermit crabs which I witnessed for the first time. As I was walking in the mud of the sea, I heard an unusual sound and to my curiosity, I waited for something in a hole, they came out one by one and you have to keep steady because if you move they will go create another hole and hide. An amazing experience for me though.
Wow! Looks at this massive crowd of crabbies! I have never seen so many of them in one place. Cool entry, thanks! :)
Yes @phortun, I was amazed too that's why I never let the chance pass to take a picture... There's a lot of them only if I move they will dig a hole in a snap they were gone.
Hi @phortun
I am prety late in noticing this post, but as I comes across now, here is one of the gifts of nature mostly found in India and few neighbouring places. A kind of flower that grows in in paddy fields and considered to be weeds. Here is my post link made a little while ago before discovering this contest.
Very interesting flower, thank you for this nice entry! :)
@triplug @friendlymoose @himilayanwomb
Thank you very much @ninahaskin and have a wonderful weekend.
Thank you!😊
Hope you have a fantastic weekend too! @triplug
❄📯🎄👨👩👧👦🎄🛷❄
Hope you feel better soon! Bad time to be sick especially with the added responsibilities of a newborn. Rest when you can and drink plenty of fluids. Close your eyes and dream you're back at the cottage on the lovely Black Beach in Costa Rica! @phortun !LUV
Aww, thank you Nina! If only teleport was already invented and we could go back to all these lovely places from the past in a second... Bad time to be sick indeed but I´m already feeling better today, thanks ;)
I have gone through your blog.
You started a good initiative.
I will take part in this competition.
Nice effort dear.
Cool, we will be looking forward to your entry :)
[Eng-Esp]The beauty of nature, always remarkable in all places dear @phortun and his photographs through @amazingnature are
proof of it.
La belleza de la naturaleza, siempre es notable en todos los lugares estimado @phortun y sus fotografías através de @amazingnature son
constancia de ello.
Thanks for your kind feedback and feel free to join us with your own entry :)
It is winter anyway, not much opportunity to take nature photos mate :|
Unless you live in the tropics or subtropics where the vegetation is green all year round, I know that taking nice natural photos in winter can be difficult. But you can still go to the beach and take some nice pictures of the sea for us ;)
Get well soon, friend. The weather is certainly not helping but get some activity, good food, and meds in you. I am sure it is easier said than done, right now. The picture of the beach is certainly bringing some nice and warm feelings to me. It has been a very long time since I had a nice walk on a warm beach and a dip in comfortably cold salty water.
Thanks mate! I´m sure if I could teleport to that beach right now, the sickness would be gone right away :) Btw this is the first time I´m hearing a doc telling a patient with a fever to get some activity :D Quite innovative approach :)
To přímo láká ke koupání :-)
Doufám, že to přiláká i pozornost poroty.
Všiml jsem si, že naší porotě v poslední době exotika nějak přestala chutnat, takže vítězné ambice nemám :) Spokojím se s tím, že se to místo (i ta fotka) líbí mně :)
Po pár hodinách hlasování to zatím nevypadá na propadák :-)
Jak říkám, výsledky v soutěži už neřeším :) Prokopák ani nic jiného z Prahy, co by s velkou pravděpodobností u poroty bodovalo, teď fotit (z časových důvodů) nemůžu a stejně mě focení "na zakázku" nebaví :) Místo toho vzpomínám na různá zajímavá místa z cest. Zvlášť teď v zimě takové tropické vzpomínky i hezky zahřejí ;)
:-D
I'm so glad @phortun that you liked the picture I shared with you and even more glad that the picture is among the three winners, thank you so much for all you do here in this great community.
Have a wonderful weekend my friend.
My pleasure mate, that was a great shot and well deserved win ;) Have a nice advent weekend too!
You're welcome my friend.
Nature is a wonderful gift and also one of the best things God has given us
Congratulations to the winners
They all deserved the upvote because they have done well
Thanks for your feedback, glad to know that you approve of my picks :)
Yay! 🤗
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Very great and interesting entries.
Thanks for checking them out :)