Nature nominee

This is a set of photographs of lichen, nature's rock art. When traveling, there are a variety of things that catch my eye and I like to photograph, lichen being one of them. The photos included in this submission were taken in Iceland; Dingle, Ireland; Skye, Scotland; and Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. I generally like to submit black and white photos in these contests, but the contrasting colors of lichen and rock add a lot to their form and texture.

My interest in photography began several decades ago when I took a photography course in high school. Inspired by Ansel Adams, I went on a prolonged trip to see and photograph the western US, after which I realized that my interest in photography should be as a hobby. After a family picture phase, I started using photography as my creative outlet. Being fortunate enough to have traveled extensively, photography has helped me see and experience many wonderful places, and has provided me with a variety of interesting subject matter from distant landscapes to abstract close-ups. I still love black and white photography and thanks to the digital age, focus on converting some of my better images to black and white.