A Photo a Week Challenge at https://nadiamerrillphotography.wordpress.com.  This week: Happiness is… (https://nadiamerrillphotography.wordpress.com/2016/08/25/a-photo-a-week-challenge-happiness-is/)

“In a new post created for this challenge, share a photo or two of things that make you happy or show happiness.”

A few things that create happiness for me…

A Photo a Week Challenge at https://nadiamerrillphotography.wordpress.com.  This week: Cut by a River (https://nadiamerrillphotography.wordpress.com/2016/08/18/a-photo-a-week-challenge-cut-by-a-river/)

“In a new post created for this challenge, share a photo or two of things created by water.”

From the majestic…

To the morning-saving sublime.

A Photo a Week Challenge at https://nadiamerrillphotography.wordpress.com.  This week: Natural Monuments (https://nadiamerrillphotography.wordpress.com/2016/08/11/a-photo-a-week-challenge-under-the-lights/)

“In a new post created for this challenge, share a photo or two of two or three tricky lighting situations.”

I love taking pictures at night – more than taking pictures when it’s sunny out.  I still haven’t figured out how to make sunny work for some shots.  But night?  They can be fun and mysterious even when you can’t really see what’s going on!!

I don’t tend to use flash in the dark to maintain the atmosphere, but I do pump up the ISO and lower the old shutter speed.

Here are a few photos I took one night when we walked out on the breakwater:

A Photo a Week Challenge at https://nadiamerrillphotography.wordpress.com.  This week:  Waterfront (https://nadiamerrillphotography.wordpress.com/2016/07/28/a-photo-a-week-challenge-waterfront/)

“In a new post created for this challenge, share a photo or two of water.”

You asked for it!!  Here are two of the water photos I took today while wandering around with my camera.  Both featuring something else in the distance.

This one is obvious.

This one, perhaps not so much, but I am wondering who enjoys the lawnchair at the end of the sidewalk that goes nowhere?

A Photo a Week Challenge at https://nadiamerrillphotography.wordpress.com.  This week:  Eateries  (https://nadiamerrillphotography.wordpress.com/2016/07/21/a-photo-a-week-challenge-eateries/)

“In a new post created for this challenge, share a photo or two of favourite places to eat.”

I have a few of places we’ve eaten once – they were memorable (the winery in Osoyoos, our dining room…), but technically they can’t really be classed as “favourite” eating spots if we’ve only been there once.  So, I am going to NOT break the “rules” and stick to places I’ve been to more than once because we wanted to go back to them.

First, the Tree House Cafe on Salt Spring Island.  My friend/colleague Sue and her daughter Isla and I have made Salt Spring an annual hellebore run, and we always eat lunch here.

Not only do they have a good huevos rancheros, but they have an elf house!

And then there is Olo – our favourite restaurant in town.  Hands down.

So good, I forget to take pictures of the full plates and only remember when they are completely empty.

A Photo a Week Challenge at https://nadiamerrillphotography.wordpress.com.  This week:  Out in the Country (https://nadiamerrillphotography.wordpress.com/2016/07/14/a-photo-a-week-challenge-out-in-the-country/)

“In a new post created for this challenge, share a photo or two of the country.”

The Saskatchewan countryside…I do miss this.

A Photo a Week Challenge at https://nadiamerrillphotography.wordpress.com.  This week:  Hands (https://nadiamerrillphotography.wordpress.com/2016/07/07/a-photo-a-week-challenge-hands/)

“In a new post created for this challenge, share a photo or two of hands.”

A Photo a Week Challenge at https://nadiamerrillphotography.wordpress.com.  This week:  Hats (https://nadiamerrillphotography.wordpress.com/2016/06/30/a-photo-a-week-challenge-hats/)

“In a new post created for this challenge, share a photo or two of hats and various forms of headgear.”

We have a lot of hats…