unexpected beauty

"The real voyage of discovery consists of not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes." ~Marcel Proust

The other day while driving I spied something I wanted to photograph.  I pulled my car over as I often do.  Kids snug in their car seats,  not batting an eye at my behavior.  I am sure they both look at each other with a look of knowing... there goes mommy, taking a picture...  Autumn is in full swing here in Maine and the past few days have been beyond beautiful.  Everywhere you look, eye candy.  The trees glow in the sunlight.  That is what brought me here, to this spot, those glowing leaves.  My neck should hurt right now from constantly looking skyward at them.  As I got out of my car, camera in hand, i carefully side stepped a puddle breaking my focus from my intended subject just for a moment.  It was just an ordinary puddle on a dirt road,  a place where many cars pull off so a mix of oil from some other vehicle had leaked into the puddle. I was mesmerized.  The darkness of the puddle,  the swirling opalescent colors of the liquid, a lone fallen leaf floating in the mess. I was transfixed by this beautiful swirling canvas.  

I eventually made it past the puddle to the giant orange tree,  but those shots were not the favorites of the day like i assumed they would be.  No, this shot, this strangely beautiful, unexpected shot was the one i loved and keep coming back to.  

What unexpected beauty have you captured lately? Share it with us here today.

Comments

[cigi]

Beautiful shot. Some more unexpected beauty in a heretofore unexplored place:
http://instamaticgratification.wordpress.com/2010/10/12/261365/

[Marcie]

What an absolutely stunning image Kristin. I just love the unexpected mix of colors.
As for me - it's the unexpected morning mist that's captured my attention and eye:
http://marciescudderphotography.com/index.php?showimage=1327

[Jamie Solorio]

I am in love with your picture! Who would think that something so harmful for the enviroment could be so beautiful at the same time!

My picture is of a mom who picked up her child to take her back to the car. There is a simplicity here that I love that makes this image so neat to me.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49026977@N05/5080197001/

[christine]

http://just-travelin-through.blogspot.com/2010/10/revisiting-venice.html

[marina]

wow!!! amazingly beautiful, Kristin! those colours are so rich, and their shapes, and the reflections of light!!!

here's a photo of the colours and playfulness which can be captured in a tiny detail of everyday life:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36167691@N03/5026917920/in/photostream/lightbox/

[Jill F]

http://fingerontheshutter.com/2010/09/21/twisted-trees/

My husband and I were out for a walk to a place we had been many times before. How could we have missed this?

[Heather]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/htekmo/5042262329/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/htekmo/5037221105/in/photostream/

These webs were totally unexpected. As I opened the door to get the kids to the bus - we were greeted by glistening webs and morning dew.

Kristin, I love the puddle shot - it is liquidy autumn golden goodness...even if it does include some motor oil.

:)

[Audra Van Vliet]

The voyeur in me loves to sit back and watch my prey for a while before I shoot them.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hellsbellarina/5080587962/

[wendy]

Your photo is stunning.

http://awebert.wordpress.com/2010/10/14/unexpected-finds/

[Becky Sue]

You really have an eye for finding the unexpected. It's a real challenge for me since life is always so amped and usually the unexpected comes when life is moving a bit slower.

Yesterday I took a walk with a friend up into the orchard and while I took several photos of the apples and foliage these two unexpected finds were my favorite.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rslaflam/5079994606/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rslaflam/5079400355/in/photostream/

[Puna]

Very interesting photo. I have a little perspective and scale issue today.

http://lifesignatures.org/wordpress/2010/10/october-14-comeonin/

[Tina]

I would have had to take your photo too. I love when we see something that makes us actually grab for our camera with a thrill.

I thought this photo had 'gone wrong' completely, because I wasn't focusing where I'd intended.
Once downloaded, I found that I loved it. It summed up the feelings of the event.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/greenhillphotography/5079091507/

[melissa]

exquisite artistry...thank you for sharing this photo.

[Amy]

I went to the now-empty fairgrounds this weekend looking to photograph the barns, but I never made it that far. Instead, I found this corral for pony rides, and the rust was just so striking I had to shoot it:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15772313@N07/5072126952/

And on my way back to the car, I walked through an empty field in desperate need of mowing, and this prickly weed just drew me like a magnet:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15772313@N07/5069038406/

[Melissa M.]

Love this image!

[Angie Willis]

Wow! I love this - it reminds me of those old books that have marbled paper in the insides of the covers.

[Chelsey]

Wow! That is a beautiful photo!

This is my unexpected beauty: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thepapermama/5034057480/

[lorna]

Love your picture! Here's mine...http://bodalorna.blogspot.com/

[spread your wings]

i was out of town over the weekend driving around trying to find specific places of interest (historic homes and formal gardens and such) but it was when I was lost and turning around on country roads that I found unexpected beauty.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/autumnsun/5071709248/in/set-72157625016734411/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/autumnsun/5071103899/in/set-72157625016734411/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/autumnsun/5071708390/in/set-72157625016734411/
it's oftentimes off the beaten path that i get the most excited about what i'm seeing.

[Lauren]

Oh, do I LOVE this image!!!!!

Here's one of mine: http://www.flickr.com/photos/18572605@N02/4259155213/

[Lisa G.]

this thread!
http://flic.kr/p/8JwiG5

[life in eden]

I love fall! This is amazing.

A surprise on our hike the other day http://www.flickr.com/photos/32837589@N07/5081483521/

[Sharon]

Amazing photograph. Thanks for the inspiration to stop, grab the camera and see what can be seen.

[brandi]

*sigh* you are absolutely right on mesmerizing!

[Stephanie]

I try to find beauty in the mundane, the average, the everyday. I like to find new ways of looking at things that you would typically overlook. http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephaniecourt/5082335927/

[kristin]

thank you for sharing your unexpected beauties with me.
xo~kristin

[Rebecca]

absolutely gorgeous.

[Aubrey]

gorgeous! More power to the mommas who stops to take those few minutes to play...my kids do that exact same "there she goes again" thing....
http://www.aubreyplays.blogspot.com/

[Sally]

Absolutely amazing. I thought it was a "set-up artsy shot" until I read your post. It's beautiful either way - but even better knowing the story...

[Becky R.]

My vision of beauty is considered different from the norm. What I find to be beautiful is usually considered morbid and awkward. I'm ok with that.

I did capture a lot of unexpected beauty on a recent trip to Eastern State Penitentiary. I know I will go back there soon.
http://flic.kr/p/8KEZNA

[Nan]

What a gorgeous photo! Such mystery.

Off topic, but perhaps timelyl: do you think you might create a 2011 CD calendar template for us again this year? Of all the ones I've found on the web, yours is the best---because it allows the maximum space for the photograph (and isn't that what we all want!)

Thanks for a beautiful website!

[Aia]

wow! very unsual & yet so beautiful!

i found this puddle in the backyard & i was happy to see a beautiful reflection all for me!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aclamp/5083053218/in/photostream/

[tanning]

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