Soma Acharya

Hi Everyone! As chance would have it, exactly one year ago, I shared my paintings from the very first little Blue Book called Lost Pages. It was also the beginning of The Girl and Her Cat stories. As I started working on the little Blue Books with a series of paintings, I was finishing up a series of black and white photos taken over the previous 365 days.

These photos played a big part in my life, and I have been sharing them here every now and then. Here is the next set of my Simple365 photos.

Simple 365 – Set 8

Please Click on the image thumbnails to see the photos and read the captions.

Memories from past travels

We went to Italy for our very first overseas trip. After spending a little over a week in Rome, we spent a couple of days in Florence. It was a such a wonderful way to wrap up the time there. We brought back these bottles of wine. Not only did I save the bottles for nostalgia, I also love the beautiful labels. It’s contains a few lines from a poem Rosa fresca aulentissima.

I created a page with all the previously shared photos from Simple365. I continue to add photos to that page as I share them here. This way I can relive the journey through the year via black and white photos like in an old album.

These photos are of the world around me, taken when I hardly left the house. Photographing these little things daily provided me with much-needed focus at the time and brightened my spirit quite a bit.

Distant Pages

In contrast, the third blue book is called Distant Pages.

Adventures tend to begin with a stormy sea

I have been obsessed about the north ever since I had conscious memory. I was given a few books about voyages and expeditions, and about the mythology and stories of those faraway lands. As I got older, the yearning for visiting those lands only got stronger.

So it didn’t surprise me that I ended up making a whole book full of paintings with the adventurous Girl And Her Cat travelling through those lands. In case you are wondering, The Girl And Her Cat is a series of paintings about an adventurous little girl who loves to travel and wander around with her little cat.

By the time I finished hand binding the little book, I could already picture the first painting. These paintings are reflections of my travels to those places, specially Svalbard.

Please click on the image thumbnails to see the pictures and read about their wanderings –

The Girl And Her Cat travel to a stone ship

After walking and playing around for a while, they settled down with packed lunches and made up stories about the stones.

Far Horizons

A painting for my dearest friend who made me listen to the same music album for hours on end while we worked together.

I do hope you enjoyed this set of b&w photos and the paintings from the Distant Pages book. Wishing you a lovely time whether you are in the comfort of your own home, or venturing into uncharted waters… or perhaps doing a little bit of both.

Until next time,
-Soma

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Blue Dicks Photo Print

Hi Everyone! I have something very special to share with you today. There is a trail not too far away from where I live. It’s not a very large trail, about 1.25 miles one way. Parts of it get very steep and most of the year it is completely dry. However, in early spring, I have seen the most variety of wildflowers in that small of an area.

Western Blue Eyed Grass Photo Print

Since a few years ago, I have been taking portraits of these little beauties. I thought I would share them here along with what it takes to get these photos.

They never grow where I can comfortably position myself to take a photo. So, I need to place myself in very awkward positions most of the time. Thankfully, the trail is a quiet one.

Milkmaids Photo Print

Most of them are really tiny, between 0.5cm and 1.0cm. Keeping myself steady and focusing on the right part of the flower gets a bit tricky. I have to use my eyes and not depend on the camera. Not to mention, the slightest breeze throws another wrench in the whole game.

Star Lily Photo Print

I had to play with the camera settings quite a bit to capture something that small. There is not much room for adjustment, so I have to be there at the right time when the sun is not too harsh but the flowers are lit up properly.

Golden Fairy Lantern Photo Print

I really love these little wildflowers. As you already know, due to severe allergies, I end up getting chest constriction if I spend too much time outside. So my dear husband keeps a keen watch on the time. Despite that, I sometimes get carried away by the love of photographing these beauties and pay for it dearly afterwards, but the time I get to spend there is always extremely special.

The Golden Fairy Lantern is a flower that is endemic to Northern California. These two were tucked away by an oak tree. When I went back the week after, I looked for them and, to my surprise, found them too. They were a bit worse for wear, but still pretty. It made me very happy to see them again, like seeing a couple of old friends.

There are little green butterflies that I also see on the trail, the same kind that flutter around in our garden too. They are so sweet and I love seeing them. It was easier to draw one in with the flowers, than trying to capture them in a photo. Those little flowers are challenging enough for me.

Golden Fairy Lantern Photo Print

There’s an immense sense of joy when I get those photos where everything works out. The composition, light, focus all work together to capture the essence of these little ephemeral beauties.

Here is a Gallery of all the Wildflower Portraits together. Please click on the image thumbnails to see the pictures and the names –

Purchase wildflowers photo prints

I have added these photo prints to my shop. I print them on high quality photo paper using archival ink. They can be framed as-is in a 5″ x 7″ frame, used as greeting/note cards, or simply displayed on a small table easel.

They are very special to me and I hope you enjoyed them too. Let me know if you have a favourite.

I look forward to seeing your photos and reading about them.

Wandering Camera starts on the last Thursday of every month. Photos, art and creative-themed posts, including other linky parties are all welcome.

You can continue to link up multiple posts.

Please add a link back to this website.

Have fun!!

I am linking up with the linky parties on my Events And Links page. Please pay a visit to some of them.

Comments (45)

Near And Far

Simple 365 – Set 8

Memories from past travels

Distant Pages

Wandering Camera – Wildflower Portraits