Photo Challenge: Favorite Places
“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” Elliott Erwitt
Photo Challenge: Favorite Places
The planet is a vast and beautiful place, full of exciting and wonderful people. Ashlan Gorse Cousteau
If you are in a beautiful place where you can enjoy sunrise and sunset, then you are living like a lord. Nathan Phillips
Cherish sunsets, wild creatures and wild places. Have a love affair with the wonder and beauty of the earth. Stewart Udall
Favorite Place(s): Can we pick more than one? The photo challenge assignment called for a singular place … immediately, I felt overwhelmed. How could I possibly pick one place that I love to visit when so many dance before my eyes? Should I stay local or go international? If I choose one place, will I forever be haunted by the spirits of all the other places that have given me solace? I decided to go rogue and create a collage of some of my favorite places stateside. I figured that since there are many places around the world that I love, it would be hard to edit myself. While venturing beyond my locale might create anxiety and feelings of guilt, I had to remind myself that stressing out over favorites was NOT the point of the exercise… I dove right in and picked a few of my favorite spots; these are my go-to places that never bore or wear me out. So, join me on a walk through some of my favorite places. Some of them you might be familiar with because I write about them often. A few on my list might be new to you but, it’s all good.
“When you leave a beautiful place, you carry it with you wherever you go.” Alexandra Stoddard
Photo Challenge: Favorite Places
French Montana – Unforgettable ft. Swae Lee
Try to leave the Earth a better place than when you arrived. Sidney Sheldon
And, obviously, as one who likes to travel around myself a lot, I think the Earth is a beautiful place. And, I’m looking forward to some new perspectives. Duane G. Carey
Favorite Places: Where are your Happy Places? Like great music that lingers in your head and heart, happy/favorite places do the same. They are unforgettable. Lyrics below. Enjoy the music. When I think of my Happy Places, outside of my home, I think of spaces that make me come alive and that fuel my creative spirit. In the last 5-6 years, I have faced some challenges that, but for grace and the presence of such places, I might not have been able to write about them. So, I went back to the places that have nurtured and sustained me. The Croton Aqueduct, the Hudson River and its adjoining Hudson River Park, top my list for obvious reasons: they are in my neighborhood and have provided me with many hours of respite for years and during all the seasons. I never tire of their offerings and the crisp, fresh air that fills my lungs when I am in those places. I included other places in my collage because they have given me creative succor, joyful memories, and an appreciation of the grand scheme we call life. Nature and all its magical parts feature heavily in my selections and that would make sense. I thrive in nature because the changing seasons are a reminder that all things change and even our hardships, like the dead of winter, have an expiration date. Can you guess which other places I added? Take a close look as you might recognize some of them.
Unforgettable by French Montana (feat. Swae Lee)
Lyrics
[Swae Lee:]
It’s not good enough for me, since I been with you
It’s not gonna work for you, nobody can equal me (I know)
I’m gonna sip on this drink, when I’m f&*&d up
I should know how to pick up
I’m gonna catch the rhythm while she push up against me
Ooh, was she tipsy
I had enough convo for 24
I peeped you from across the room
Pretty little body, dancing like GoGo, aye
And you are unforgettable
I need to get you alone
Why not?
A f&*&g good time, never hurt nobody
I got a little drink but it’s not Bacardi
If you loved the girl then I’m so, so sorry
I got to give it to her like we in a marriage
Oh, like we in a hurry
No, no, I won’t tell nobody
You’re on your level too
Tryna do what lovers do
[French Montana:]
Feelin’ like I’m fresh out, Boosie
If they want the drama, got the Uzi
Ship the whole crew to the cruise ship
Doin’ shit you don’t even see in movies
Ride with me, ride with me, boss
I got a hard head but her ass soft
She want the last name with the ring on it
‘Cause I pulled out a million cash,
Told her plank on it
[Swae Lee:]
And you are unforgettable
I need to get you alone
[French Montana:]
Now you wanna choose
Just pop the bubbly in the ‘cuzi
[Swae Lee:]
It’s not good enough for me, since I been with you, ooh
I’m gonna sip on this drink, when I’m f&*&d up
I should know how to pick up
I’m gonna catch the rhythm while she push up against me
Ooh, was she tipsy
I had enough convo for 24
I peeped you from across the room
Pretty little body, dancing like GoGo, hey
And you are unforgettable
I need to get you alone
Why not?
A f&*&g good time, never hurt nobody
I got a little drink but it’s not Bacardi
If you loved the girl then I’m so, so sorry
I got to give it to her like we in a marriage
Oh, like we in a hurry
No, no, I won’t tell nobody
You’re on your level too
Tryna do what lovers do
[French Montana:]
Oh oh, you ain’t enough for me
Too much for you alone
Baby, go and grab some bad bitches, bring ’em home
Know the jet’s on me
I’mma curve my best for you, you know
So pick up that dress for me
Leave the rest on
Too much convo 24 hours
When you stand next to 24 karats
She left her man at home
She don’t love him no more
I want your mind and your body
Don’t mind nobody
So, you don’t ever hurt nobody
Baby girl work your body
Work your body
[Swae Lee:]
And you are unforgettable
I need to get you alone
[French Montana:]
Now you wanna choose
Just pop the bubbly in the ‘cuzi
[Swae Lee:]
Why not?
Oh, like we in a hurry
No, no, I won’t tell nobody
You’re on your level too
Tryna do what lovers do…
MORE BELOW!
“I love new places, new people, new ideas. I love cultural differences, and I’m fascinated by the truth – all the different versions of it.” Martin Henderson
Photo Challenge: Favorite Places
Photo Challenge: Favorite Places
A nomad I will remain for life, in love with distant and uncharted places. Isabelle Eberhardt
It was one of my dreams as a child, growing up in my little village with my cousins. We used to walk together, and I used to say, when you look at the world map, ‘This town is there, that town is there, that river is there.’ I used to say, ‘One day, I’m going to travel these places.‘ Jimmy Cliff
What’s your favorite place, near or far? Did you recognize any of mine? Well, let’s start from the top left photo. It is of the arc at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn. Before I got married and had my twins, I lived in Park Slope and it was a place I enjoyed walking to, to enjoy the space and beauty of the area. Prospect Park is around the corner so, it was an easy walk from our apartment. Recently, on a trip to the Brooklyn Library, I walked through it again and was flooded with warm and happy memories… Come back for the rest.
This post was inspired by a prompt from WP Daily Post: – Favorite Place – For this week’s challenge, share an image of your happy place, a secret spot you love, or a faraway location you return to again and again. What’s your favorite place, near or far? Share an image in a new post!
Positive Motivation Tip: Cherish the memories of your favorite places and build new ones.
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos from my personal collection.
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
I carry images of Turkey and Africa in my mind. I also carry St. Andrews in Scotland in my mind too because that’s where my husband proposed to me. Although, I have to admit, my favorite places… Are places where I am with my husband 🙂
I get that for sure… we carry our fond memories and those places hold a lot of meaning.
That is why I love San Francisco. I got engaged there.
I didn’t add any to my collage because when I moved back to NY, I packed away my West Cost photos… still in storage.
Hahaha! <3
I carry a few places in Florida and a city in PA with me. I want to revisit but I don’t want to see them changed from the simple beauty they once were. I’d like to know the history behind your pictures in NYC. I love the bench in front of the water with the geese.
Thank you Gladys. Most of the shots are local to me and are of places I have spent time in. They all give me joy and so they fit the bill of “favorite.” 🙂
Love your photo challenges…. Nice.. All these are my favourite places…
Wish to go there one by one and explore..
Would you? Hahaha! Let me know if you come to New York. 🙂
I really don’t have a certain favorite place. Nature is my favorite place, I just like to walk around in the forest near me and just be one with nature.
I love nature too… I find it healing but there are also actual places that hold special memories for me. 🙂
The photo challenge is amazing! I would love to be able to visit those beautiful places!
Wow, Instagram perfect! Photos are great. Image is the soul of your blog so I always challenge myself to catch a perfect shot and I’m learning a lot, so I bought courses about photography. It’s hard to pick because everything is beautiful, But I’m carried away with lakes..so I choose photos with lakes!
Good for you. I love bodies of water too.
I loved Hawaii! I’ll never forget the view from the top of Diamond Head. That is forever ingrained in my mind. I also love the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in Tennessee. Niagara Falls was also amazing! There are so many more beautiful places I want to visit in my lifetime!
This is such a great challenge! I live in NYC and there are so many of my favorite places that I should be taking pictures of to capture my love for them.This has definitely inspired me to try this out!
My happy place is definitely my hometown… I go home as often as I can but just driving into town I feel a peace come over me and I feel more relaxed….
I love your pictures. It makes me want to immediately travel to the amazing places!
It’s so nice to see a glimpse of all of these beautiful and meaningful places. I carry places from home in Canada, home in New York and calming places in California with me.
I love the pictures you posted in this article. I think it’s impossible to pick only one place as there are so many beautiful places in our neighbourhood. Can’t wait for spring to go out for walks more often. 🙂
Great observations about photography and the power of “place” to impact our mood and well-being! I agree that the art of a good photo is the attentiveness of the photographer to the moments around him or her. My happy place is anywhere you can see turquoise blue water– the sound of the waves crashing on the sand—and the color… the color of water feels almost spiritual to me. A cottage in Door County, Wisconsin offers that happiness (although it’s limited to the summer months).
I hear you and agree. 🙂
Love this post and this challenge! There are so many great photos you’ve captured of the nature!
xo Sheree
My favorite place in nature is any climb-able tree LOL I love climbing trees because it makes me feel a part of nature – the wind in my hair, the rough feel of the bark, the thrill of the height.
This is so pretty. I love visiting peaceful corners of the world while traveling and imagining the events that have happened there. We’ve found many great places for memorable family walks.
I love this quote by Elliot Erwitt – “Photography is an art of observation. It has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them”
A similar thought comes to mind every time I click my camera. Also, photography is the art of real life but sometimes, manipulated, and real life creates true art.
I love this idea. You can find something new when capturing a favorite place. It can be the people or unexpected scenery. It’s all about the Magic that it makes you feel.
My happy place has always been this one specific spot in my garden where you can see the vastness of the Andes mountains. It’s my spot for reflection, meditation and silence among the beauty of nature.
I really have to do my own version of my favorite places. It’s so pretty!
This was my first encounter of the quote, ‘when you leave a beautiful place, you carry it with you wherever you go.’ It is so very true. I absolutely love it, as I do your photography. Always so very stunning!
Nice photographs. My favorite place to take photos is in NYC.
My fave place in the whole wide world is Central Park. Amid the towering buildings in The Big Apple, Central Park is the perfect place to relax and chill. What a brilliant idea to put a span of nature in the middle of a busy world class city.
I carry so many images in my mind. So many revolve around my family. Your pictures look so wonderful!
This is a beautiful post, anywhere in the country or by the sea will be classified special to me. I don’t recognise any of the places listed above as I live in the UK 🙂 However, looking at the pictures I can only say that the US is gorgeous ( always look forward to visiting) I do like parks in London and country walks around the UK.
I don’t know that I have a favorite place. We ride motorcycles and take long trips several times a year. The Blue Ridge Parkway certainly has been one of my favorites.
I always capture beautiful photo whenever I go travel. I love seeing it back, do some editing and keep it as memory. Is not easy to capture a nice photo.
I really adore your photo collections. I have mine and I really want to revisit it this December. I want to have time with my family and relatives in the Philippines.
I know it’s cliche, but my favorite place is Disneyland. I love the colors, the attention to every detail. It really does make me so happy just to be there.
I am a frequent traveler and there are so many places that I love. Some places really bring me joy and peace and some bring me some inspiration. My recent trip to Grand Canyon was awesome as I never seen something like that. You are lucky to live in a neighborhood that is surrounded with plenty of nature and fresh air! So easy to access.
I loved your collage!! You seem to love the nature, the green colors are peaceful and nice! For me it’s also difficult to pick a favorite place but I would say is the Egypt western desert during sunset! <3
I love traveling in general so it is very hard to have a “favorite” I wish l could lol Btw, love this song!!
I can see why these are your favorite places – the seem very tranquil.
I can relate to being overwhelmed about coming up with such a list as well. It probably be easier to come up with lists of places or restaurants I would never visit. hahahaha
I have so many favorite places! This would be so fun to do – to have all of my favorite places represented in one image.
I’ve never thought of a “happy place” before. It’s usually a happy memory or a song… Now to think of it, I never really had one. I think it’s a good challenge to have one.
What a beautiful post! My favorite place is my native city in India where I spent my childhood and all those happy memories when all my family and extended family used to live together. I love travelling in general and have many places which I want to revisit and many in the bucket list which are already favorite from even the idea of thinking about them.
TY! Terrific idea…
I’d love all of your special places, nice music too, happy spring lovely lady!
Likewise… I enjoy your photography too. You have a great eye.
One of my happy places is my best because it symbolizes calm and peace! But asides from that I’d say some of the Greek islands I’ve been to – My sister got married in Santorini so it’lll always hold warm memories.
I totally get what you felt about choosing just ONE place. That seems very difficult! I am not sure which I would chose, but this challenge seems a great opportunity to remember those spaces that had special meaning to us.
Love the Elliott Erwitt quote, so relatable. We have a sort of park here (that we locally endearingly call “great forest”) and I always feel peaceful and happy when I go there. 🙂
I would never be able to pick one happy place. Mostly I am a home body. I love spending time along in my home. But when the weather is good I enjoy going to a pack, by the lake or anywhere outside.
My favorite place would be a place I frequent, not just a place that i just want to remember in my mind. I guess the thought is subjective but I can imagine people going to a city, town or country and just spend the rest of their lives wishing they can go back again. It’s still a form of bliss.
Beautiful places. I think if I were going to choose, I’d include my home town and our place in NYC. It’s where most of my beautiful memories were made and they hold a special place in my heart.
I think it’s a fun theme, makes you reminisce about the places that you’ve been to and which ones are your favorites! I enjoyed looking at all the pictures.
Gardens, conservations, and parks are all good places for pictures. They are beautiful and peaceful environments with tons of opportunity for perfect pictures.
Lots of pretty places! Makes me anxious for spring and seeing that green here!
This is such a great photo montage. I feel that images are so important as they capture memories, and in some way so do songs. That one you shared is a favorite of mine.
Nailil
Likewise… thank you! <3
I love walking through the park. It gives me a sense of calm. I wish it didn’t include Canaidan geese though..lol 😉
I can definitely see why these are some of your favourite places! The photos you’ve posted captured the beauty of these spaces so brilliantly. 🙂
Thank you. nature rocks!
I think every place I ever visited is now in my mind and there are so many to discover. I love the place where I grew up with my family and grandparents in Czech Republic, but also where I grew up from my 10th birthday, in the Austrian province Burgenland, that is near the city Vienna, but it was middle of beautiful nature and sea.
Good for you… all begins at home.
Oh wow, as an avid traveler, it would be very difficult to pick just one place. Even in my own city!
Indeed. 🙂
OMG! I would have never succeeded in doing a blogpost for this challenge? To choose 1 place as a favourite place would be impossible!
Hahaha! you will do fine
I always carry any part of Boston with me. That city makes me feel so alive…it’s unforgettable. 😉
xoxo
Idora
I love Boston too
We seem to share a love for quiet outdoor spaces 🙂 One of my favorites is from when I studied abroad in Austria: my residence had a gorgeous rooftop terrace where you could overlook the whole city!
Yes, I love quiet spaces… 🙂
I love the idea of this post and I love how you captured all of your favorite places! I should do that, we forget that because we take so many pictures for blog, Instagram that we forgot these things. I’m from Serbia, Belgrade but I love going to my grandma at the village to one river that is covered with a lof of beautiful forest. I love going there and exploring it without my phone and with my family, I just looove how beautiful and fullfiling is that place. I feel so happy and calmed there, the river is called Gradac and it is so clean that you can drink water from it. It’s so beautiful, I can’t wait to go there!
You should document it on your blog. It sounds special.
I always love the quotes you incorporate and unforgettable is my favorite song! Some lyrics it has! xoxo
Hahaha! I love that song too… especially Swae Lee’s hook. <3
There are a lot of places I love, places that inspire me. I love ruins of old castles, they tinkle my imagination. I love peaceful and quite nature spots, the help me to recharge. I love busy streets in the city, they make me feel powerful!
Everything looks so peaceful in here. 🙂