Photo Challenge: Beauty In Silence
“The quieter you become, the more you can hear…” Jalaluddin Mevlana Rumi
Photo Challenge: Beauty In Silence
Photo Challenge: Beauty In Silence
Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom. Francis Bacon
Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself, and know that everything in life has purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
What does silence look like to you? For this week’s challenge on the topic of SILENCE, I went back to my favorite spot, at the Hudson River Park, and spent a cold morning there reflecting on the beauty around me… It was the perfect place to capture the quiet that pervaded the place after a snowstorm; it is usually teeming with playing kids, parents with strollers, fast walkers, and the occasional jogger. In the warm weather, local teams gather to play sports or hang out with friends. The geese gather too, hoping to be fed. In the cold winter, the place attracts photographers, meditation enthusiasts and the odd brave kayaker.
“Silence is as deep as eternity, speech as shallow as time.” Thomas Carlyle
Photo Challenge: Beauty In Silence
Photo Challenge: Beauty In Silence
YOUTUBE: Beauty of Silence in Winter
Somewhere we know that without silence words lose their meaning, that without listening speaking no longer heals, that without distance closeness cannot cure. Henri Nouwen
When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence. Ansel Adams
When I arrived at the park, a handful of people were walking or sitting in their cars, chatting. The sun shimmered over the Hudson River, no longer frozen but very still. Slowly, the place emptied of walkers, and all that remained were the two in cars and the expansive snow-covered park. I bundled up and headed out of my car to the edge of the water for a better look, and soon I found a pole with a message inscribed on it that seemed apropos for all who visited the park… it said “May Peace Prevail On Earth” in three languages. I shot some video of the quiet park, and as it got colder, I took a quick walk around and captured the photos you see in the collage.
More Below!
“I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet, strange, I am ungrateful to those teachers.” Khalil Gibran
Photo Challenge: Beauty In Silence
Photo Challenge: Beauty In Silence
Silence is true wisdom’s best reply. Euripides
We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls. Mother Teresa
Like a typical Zen koan, I too ask myself: what is the sound of silence? Is it the quiet we feel inside when we come across beauty in nature, in art, and in other creative expressions? Is it what the eyes capture that words can never fully articulate? Is it the quiet hum of the universe working out her dilemmas as she tackles the challenges pervading our atmosphere? Who knows… One thing I know for sure is that we experience profound silence in our entire being, and when we sense that silence in nature around us, it resonates deeply, and we feel cleansed and healed… for a moment. In silence, all things are discovered and revealed.
This post is inspired by a prompt from WP Daily Post: SILENCE. What does silence look like? Show us your take in a photograph. How would you capture silence in a photograph? Is it a positive image like this one, showing a much-needed break? Or is it the opposite, revealing the lack of communication in a friendship or the dangers of not speaking out? Show us your interpretation in a new post.
Positive Motivation Tip: In silence, all things are discovered… and revealed.
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos from my personal collection.
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
Trackbacks
- Silence – Street Light – What's (in) the picture?
- WPC: Silence | Lillie-Put
There is such beauty and calmness in silence…. living in a city I can’t really recall the last time I experienced it. I just have to say that your photographs this morning are absolutely gorgeous!!!! I’m loving looking at them!!
Beautiful post Elizabeth
I don’t I’ve ever saw a photo the Hudson River look so calming. I think it has a lot to do with the snow, but it look peaceful a place that you can really go to hear your own thoughts.
Silence is so much for me. It is strength in keeping quiet when I want to rant and rage. It is peace and acceptance of all that I face. It is the calm when I feel surrounded by storms.
I love the look of water, at any time but especially in winter. That picture is what silencemeans to me. Your pictures are always stunning and I look forward to seeing more!
Silence is very important to give your mind reset, And admiring beauty of nature is great way
This is so beautiful! I’ve never seen snow like this. What a beautiful version of the Hudson river.
That park looks like a perfect place to go to reflect. I think it’s so important to stop and meditate in silence.
Absolutely beautiful. I’m not afraid of silence, I used to be, I thought having time with my thoughts not a great idea but now I enjoy it. I love the quote from Rumi, it is so true. I enjoy taking in my surroundsing and nature with silence, sometimes you catch things you’d otherwise miss.
Moments like this make you appreciate the world that we live in more. It’s really beautiful and I enjoyed looking at all the photos that you took.
Wow the Hudson River Park is a beautiful place! What a wonderful place to have your quiet time. This is so important to so every so often.
Wow these photos are so peaceful. I love this scene. Wish I could visit in person.
wow beautiful! I need to learn how to be more silent
Winter photoshoots can create such beautiful portraits. I love when the sun is out and beaming on the snow which reflects off your subject.
You take some great shots! I personally think your first photo remains me of silence as well.
When I think of silence I do actually imagine still water as well, so your choice to go to Hudson river searching for the perfect shots was very inspired. The entire scenery covered in snow looks so serene.
I love winter time! I love your theme “Beauty in Silence” as I watch the snow slowly melts while the sun sets down. It’s really nice!
These are beautiful photos. I would absolutely look at winter and white snow as serenity in silence. I absolutely love the photo with the trees surrounded by blankets of snow. So peaceful.
Your post always uplifting me. It gives me more positivity in life whenever I am reading it. Thank you for sharing this beautiful post.
I love the quotes you use, fun inspiration!
Your pictures surely show silence! Silence is beautiful to me. It is right up there with nature uninterrupted. I used to love camping for this very reason. I would wake up first and there would be silence. I could think or think of nothing at all and enjoy.
While I was in NYC this past weekend, I went to Central Park early in the morning to watch the sunrise. Yes it was cold, but it was so beautiful and peaceful to enjoy my coffee before all of the hustle and bustle began!
What beautiful pictures of the Hudson River in winter! You captured “silence” perfectly in these pictures.
This is such a nice post. I am glad i got to read it . I also really like the quote by Francis Bacon, Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom.
these pictures are so crisp and beautiful. I actually feel like i’ve been transported here. Just stunning
Some of my favourite moments have come when I’m sitting alone in absolute silence. I find a great deal of beauty in these moments, because your mind is free to reflect on and fully appreciate all of the beautiful things around you without distraction.
This is such a great post. and I really like the quote that attached to the photo you’ve chosen. So inspiring to everyone.
Silence sometimes can be so deafening but sometimes it can bring you so much calmness. Those are great captures you took.
Such a beautiful location. I always think snowfall makes things so peaceful. Funny that it makes me feel that way when snow brings about the craziness of shoveling, bad driving and dangerous situations. 🙂
great job. beautiful shots. makes me want to go out and play in the snow now lol
It’s so funny – I love how beautiful and serene the snow and winter wonderlands can look in pictures. That said, it doesn’t make me nearly as happy when I see it outside my window. Thank you for reminding me to find the beauty in winter.
I think you did a fantastic job of showing the world what silence means to you. Lovely photos!
What a lovely spot! I’d love to try this challenge sometime.
Silence can mean a lot of things. For me, silence is a great way to rethink about my life goals and what the future holds.
These photos are gorgeous, it looks so peaceful and serene. These definitely are pictures that show beauty in silence.
These photos are absolutely beautiful. Too many times we surround ourselves with so much noise. I think people do it to drown out their thoughts. I don’t know how people function like that.
This theme is my favourite…I actually love admiring beauty in silent things and often sit peacefully and introspect about my life and learnings of the day…that alone time in silence is scared to me and helps me to refresh my mind..
So many people feel like they always have to be busy. There is so much beauty in just enjoying the silence around you.
These photos are so beautiful. I love how quiet and beautiful winter can be.
Your photos are lovely – it really does look so silent and peaceful. Looks like a great surrounding to contemplate life.
Interesting. When I look at your pictures I definitely get the zen vibe! Great pics.
Powerful images. Great post, thank you
Hey it kind of looks like that here in Indianapolis. I am ready for Spring. But without winter we wouldn’t appreciate it so much.
What an awesome topic! I also relate snow with silence! I love when it snows a lot here (it doesn’t in my home country!!) and all the usual sounds are actually dimmed because the snow creates a different acoustic atmosphere. The sound of the steps when you walk, everything is softer and more silent!
I really love all of your photos of the snow. They are so peaceful and beautiful!
What a gorgeous place to just go and be silent! I would have had chattering teeth, for sure! But it really does look peaceful!
I love the quote by Rumi. Your photos perfectly capture quiet solitude. We got a lot of snow here in NC this past weekend, and I was looking out the window, and noticing how snow brings with it a quiet peace; you dont hear the birds outside, and traffic noises cease, because everyone is inside. Its the perfect time for quiet reflection.
I love this – to be honest, it’s one of my favourite reasons for solo travel. I see so much more when my ears aren’t buried in words, you know?
I’m a big fan of silence! I don’t get much of it any more, which means I cherish it even more than I used to, that’s for sure!
As person though I am not a silent type but I have experienced the depth of silence in meditation and I find answers to my most of problems when I sit in silence.
I love the Rumi quote. This has really inspired me to not only look for the quiet in my life, but to embrace it.
Truth be told – I am a recovering type A. My respite is Stillness and Silence, but not after many years of learning the gift of this lesson. I now NEED it as it fuels me in all I do.
I like to sit in silence too, sometimes, especially if I am outside. You picked the perfect location to reflect.
I love it! “Without silence, wordslose their meaning.” Sounds like you have tackled the art of being one with yourself. That’s awesome.
All the surroundings is plain white and silence speaks loud in this kind of envronment
Silence is so valuable sometimes. These are really fantastic pictures of what silence may look like. There’s something about snow that just absorbs sound too. It’s always beautiful.
Beautiful pictures. I hate being out in the cold, but the white winter scenes are so beautiful and calming to watch
This pictures are amazing. Even though it’s winter, you still see the warmth of the sun peeking behind the clouds. Great captures!
I love this concept! I am totally a believer there’s beauty in silence. Sometimes you just have to take it in. Some things are also too breathtaking and you find even find those right words to express how beautiful something is. That’s why I love looking at nature photos. They are so beautiful and you don’t even have to experience it first hand to just look and just be like, “WOW.”
Beautiful pictures of Hudson River Park covered in snow! It is so important to understand the beauty of silence because it is in silence that we can find the answers to most of our questions.
Really missing that weather, and its true, something happens when snow falls and you just have to be silent to really enjoy it. Thanks for sharing this!
Very beautiful photography. To me silence isn’t peaceful I can hear way too much. If you were going to capture silence maybe a picture before a storm or after one.
For years I have avoided the silence as it made me feel lonely. But now I embrace it, and enjoy the small quiet moments so I can really hear.
I’ve been enthralled with the conceptualization of silence ever since I read the series of The Kingkiller Chronicles where silence is something that each character has to deal with at some point.
Silence is something I struggle with. I enjoy it sometimes but only for a short while. On the other hand though I wish everyone had the bravery and support to speak out when they need to
I love this photo challenge. The photos are so nice and relaxing. Not sure I am expressing myself right but looking at them is soothing. Like you know watching at them that it is quiet, calm, at peace!
One of my biggest desires is to have enough quiet time. My family won’t ever leave me alone in silence! There is always something they need, something to do, something to attend to. I am so wanting to scream and tell them to leave me some quiet time. This is my one need I think my family must understand how important it is for me.
Stunning! Very peaceful and the images are amazing. Need to go to that place now:) haha
XOXO
Ophalyn
@ letmommybe.com
Such amazing post, love the quotes here. The beauty of silence in winter is what gives you the clear sight, when you can discover yourself and have the sight to compare the past to the present and plan for the future. This silence has the voice of its own which you are able to listen and follow.
I think I enjoy the silence this time of year brings. I just wish it would also bring some much needed sunshine and less snow!
We all need silence time. Looking at those photos make me feel so calm. This is such a simple retreat.
I believe silence makes you see things differently, appreciate more things around you. Silence is what makes us think deep, since we can only hear ourselves in silence!
Silence can help us reflect on so much and help us make some sound decisions. It’s important to find time just to be silent with our thoughts or even to meditate.
This is so fitting for January. Where i live, it is freezing – literally colder than Alaska. And it’s so serene with the ice, snow, and quiet trails. My favorite is to walk or run those trails with the sunshine hitting the snow. Silence allows us to notice and really hear.
Silence is heavier than words in some cases. I think everybody should be silent sometimes, just to reminesce and meditate on the words in their own head…
How lucky are you to have this beautiful oasis in the middle of the city where you are able to fine some peace? Great photos as always, girl!
I’m not a big fan of snow in winter in general but it always looks striking on photos! thanks for sharing!
wow these pictures are so surreal! as a mom of three i LOOOVE silence, but at times its too eerie for me and I need a little bit of background noise. you’re an incredibly talented photographer 🙂
This post reminds me of the song “The Sound of Silence” lol… it is important to find quiet, though
Beautiful photos. What an interesting theme of silence – I wouldn’t have known where to start with that one.
Your photos are so peaceful!
Seeing snow in pictures often make me feel cozy and cared. It seems that the snow brings me wonderful feelings.
There is beauty in silence. The beauties of silence are the serenity, peace, and contentment it often brings. Sometimes, noises around us are vexations to the soul.
❀ Grace ❀
I love silence and the power that it has. I stayed in a Spanish village once, 2 people lived there and it was off the beaten path. The silence was deafening.
These photos are all so beautiful! I live in 95% noise in my life and it’s so hard to find any silence. I need to make more time for it, that’s for sure!
Wow what beautiful and tranquil photos. go with the silence theme completely. is winter the only silent time? i wonder
Serene and beautiful. I admire your photography sill.
I love being outdoors when it’s quiet and I can hear nature whisper as the wind blows across the snow. In love the photos thanks for sharing
There is definitely beauty in silence. When I was younger I hated to be in silence, now I have moments where I love it. I believe it’s where I am at my best and where I do my best thinking. Thanks for sharing.
These words or quotes are really wonderful to see, I’ve learned a lot of them. I also love all of your photo challenge!
Perfectly timed! I was just playing a nursery rhyme to my daughter about an owl that hears a lot and speaks less!!!
This looks like the perfect winter break and an ideal place to practice meditation. Thanks for sharing.
The winter scenery is really magnificient.. HOpe I can experience winter one day..
Beauty in Silence… I wonder if photos will be any different when they are taken by everyday people and people who have impaired hearing… It’s a random thought as I pondered over your words~
“I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet, strange, I am ungrateful to those teachers.” Khalil Gibran
This quotes really resonates. Thanks for sharing!