Close-up of a Southern Lapwing on cracked gray pavement, showing its thin black crest, red eye, pinkish bill, black breast, white belly, and iridescent bronze-green wing feathers.

Quero-Quero: Striking Gold in a São Paulo Parking Lot

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When we were in São Paulo in June 2026, I felt a bit under the weather all week. I rested as much as I could and also took advantage of my youngest nephew’s willingness to drive both Keith and me … Read More

Black-and-white night view across Praça Tiradentes in Ouro Preto, Brazil, with a cobblestone street, lamplit colonial buildings on both sides, the granite base of the Tiradentes monument on the left, and the Palácio dos Governadores on a walled rise at the far end.

Black Gold in Black and White

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Leanne’s Monochrome Madness is hosted by Ritva this week. It sent me back to Ouro Preto, in Minas Gerais, Brazil, a town that seems made for black and white. The name means “black gold,” after the gold that prospectors found … Read More

A Rock Cafe bar and restaurant at night, its neon sign shaped like a red and blue electric guitar glowing above an outdoor patio with diners seated at tables under leafy trees in Albufeira, Portugal.

What Moves You?

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Lens-Artists Challenge #416: Music I often hear people say that music is the universal language. At some level, music touches people and goes beyond language barriers. Whether it is sacred music, opera, pop, folk, country, jazz, soul, hip-hop, rap, or … Read More

Black-and-white collage of two São Paulo scenes: the cable-stayed Ponte Estaiada under dramatic clouds above, and the mirrored glass grid of an Avenida Paulista office tower reflecting neighboring buildings below.

Sampa in Shades of Gray

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São Paulo is home to close to 12 million people — 11.45 million in the 2022 census, and the city keeps growing. Most visitors describe it with words like huge, busy, and gray. I decided to lean into that last … Read More

Three-panel collage of wildflowers — a magenta Panicled Ticktrefoil bloom with unopened buds on a hairy green stem, a cluster of lavender-purple Queen’s Wreath flowers with dark violet centers, and two yellow Rock Flax flowers on a thin curling stem.

PQRfectly Floral

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We now reach the PQR flowers in Terri’s Flower ABC challenge. Initially, I thought it would be hard to find flowers beginning with the letter Q. I found a few in my catalog. What surprised me even more is that … Read More

Collage of five photographs: a gilded Baroque church interior, three turquoise and silver necklaces, a private yacht docked in Venice, the front grille of a Rolls-Royce, and an ornate palace ballroom with crystal chandeliers.

Lens-Artists Challenge #408: Over the Top

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At one point or another, we all come across things that simply don’t fit our personal definition of regular and common. We look, pause, and say, “Whoa, that is over the top!” A common definition of over the top includes … Read More

View over the red-tiled rooftops of Congonhas, Minas Gerais, seen from the terrace of the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus, with green mountains under a bright, cloud-filled sky.

Aleijadinho’s Masterwork — A Pilgrimage to Congonhas

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Lens-Artists Challenge #405: Adventures Welcome back from the Lens-Artists short break! This week, Ann-Christine has asked us to share adventures we have experienced “from long ago or lately.” I wholeheartedly agree with her that “every day is an adventure.” Take … Read More

A Striated Heron stands on wet, leaf-strewn mud at the water’s edge, its gray-and-cream streaked plumage and yellow legs catching the light as it fixes on the shallows. Ibirapuera Park, São Paulo, Brazil, 2023.

The Same Heron, Two Continents Apart

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Back in December 2023, I wrote about my first Striated Heron, spotted while we walked through Ibirapuera Park in São Paulo. On weekends, the park’s 390 acres (158 hectares) fill with thousands of people, so I was surprised to find … Read More

Cobblestone boardwalk trail winding beneath a dense green forest canopy in Parque do Cocó, Fortaleza, Brazil.

An Urban Oasis: Fortaleza’s Parque do Cocó

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When we were in Fortaleza in June 2026, one of the things we wanted to do after spending time with family was explore parts of the city we hadn’t visited before. Since this is my hometown, there wasn’t much left … Read More

Four-panel collage of the Santuário Arquidiocesano São Francisco de Assis in Pampulha, Belo Horizonte: exterior side view with parabolic vaults and azulejo panels, interior vestibule looking out toward Pampulha Lake, interior nave with Portinari altar mural, and front entrance with the freestanding bell tower

Perspective, Depth, and Scale at the Santuário São Francisco de Assis

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Lens-Artists Challenge #403: Tools of Photo Composition: Perspective, Depth, and Scale This week’s Lens-Artists Challenge is hosted by John. He continues his series of compositional tools in photography. Specifically, he wants us to focus our attention on the “tools that … Read More

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