In case you didn’t know, there lives in Australia a talented young lady who calls herself Skinnywench and who writes a fantastic blog called A Word in Your Ear. Every week she chooses a word from her handy dictionary and runs a Word a Week Photo Challenge – this week it’s ‘blue.’

Here’s a slow-exposure shot taken from a traffic island at the end of the Chain Bridge in Budapest. The swirling lights you see were actually a bus that all but disappeared in the long exposure, and you can see the castle and people through it.

Buda Castle and Chain Bridge, Budapest

It was early evening on the lake, and these canoeists were heading home for the day. A serene study in shades of blue.

Canoists, Lake Bohinj, Slovenia

For me the greens and blues of Kauai present a microcosm of the planet as a whole. For more photos and information about Kauai, see our posts on the island’s North and South shores.

Kalalau Valley, Na Pali Coast, Kauai

I’ve always loved morning glories – both wild and cultivated – and the traditional farmhouse seemed a perfect backdrop for them.

Morning glories at farmhouse, Hungary

We took a gulet sailing cruise off the Lycian coast of Turkey, and the water was the most incredible shades of sapphire and cobalt and turquoise. We were lucky enough to swim with sea turtles and capture some amazing images.

Sea turtle, Turkey

On the northern side of the Turkish island of Kekova, the remains of the ancient city of Dolchiste, destroyed in an earthquake in the 2nd century, lie just below the surface of the sea.

The sunken city of Dolchiste, Turkey

A large group of blue butterflies gathers next to a stream, a behavior called ‘puddling.’ They lick up salt and other essential minerals.

Blue butterflies, Hungary

We saw lots of amazing butterflies in Costa Rica, but this tattered wing sitting on a mossy rock next to a stream at the Rainmaker Reserve really caught my eye.

Tattered blue morpho wing

On Lake Bled, in Slovenia, large rowboats called ‘pletna’ carry passengers to an 18th century church on an island in the middle of the lake. Bled’s cool alpine waters are an almost unearthly milky blue hue.

Island excursion boat, Lake Bled, Slovenia

This Expressionist rendering of waves on the beach was made with a slow (5-second) exposure.

Waves at Trinidad Beach, California

Trinidad is a gorgeous little town within easy striking distance of the giant redwoods of northern California. This shot was taken just after sunset, when the evening sky ran from pinks to purples to the deepest shades of blue, reflected in the sea below. Stunning.

Sea stack and island, Trinidad, California