I like the theme of this week’s Weekly Photo Challenge which is “Beyond”.
For a couple of hours, I have been shortlisting my photos for the challenge. I find it rather difficult to come down to just a handful of photos; I have too many photos which in my view should take the viewers’ eyes beyond the subjects in the foreground and I don’t really know how to choose between them. So, in the end, they are all here.
To start with, here are some photos from my China tours. The first one, taken in West Lake, China shows the willows and other trees in the foreground, leading the viewers’ eyes to the grass and trees further away.
I can’t help showing two photos taken on my Three Gorges cruise. The one below was taken while the sun was setting. On both sides of the river, there was an endless series of hills in different shades of grey.
The other one was taken during the daytime. While travelling up the Three Gorges river, you wonder what was beyond the river bend.
Rivers seem to flow on forever. Here is a river scene taken in Yunnan, China. While I was interested in the reflection in the river, I was also curious as to know where the river was leading to.
Up in the hills of ZhangJiaJie, we saw trees and limestone columns in the foreground; there were more pillars and hills further from our eyes.
Outside China, the views are equally lovely. While travelling from Cairns to Lake Barrine, Australia, our eyes were caught by the open view of the blue mountain ranges and white clouds further beyond.
In Cappadocia, Turkey, our sight line was attracted further away from the cave dwellings in the foreground.
Beaches are our favourites. In Langkawi, Malaysia, looking through the leaves hanging down from the palm trees to the sandy beach and islands beyond was just inviting.
This picture below was the only beach we have visited in the Baltics. The beach in Estonia was more or less deserted but our eyes were taken further to the somewhat dramatic clouds beyond.
While the UNESCO city of Vilnius, Lithuania was picturesque, we could see chimneys and other structures at a distance.
On a good day, you could see forever. . . . . . . . . . .
Absolutely stunning, you win in my book bro!
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They are all awesome! Thanks so much for sharing!!!!!!!
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All beautiful! You’ve been a lot of really nice places!!
There are also a lot of places which I haven’t been and wish to be there! Thank you for your kind comment!
Stunning indeed!
Thank you, have a great day!
I particularly like the sunset on the Three Gorges.
It appears this is the most favored photo. Thank you for your kind comment!
Wow! You hit this one out of the park! (American for really great) I so enjoy your photography.
Glad to know this is what it means in Amnerican English. Thank you for your kind comment!
Spectacular!
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So I’m an engineer and just bought a Leica because its a good lens. Did you take photography lessons? I feel like the nice places I’ve been are wasted on me.
Hi Colleen, I have never taken any photography lessons. Leica is a good camera; although it may be a bit expensive for me. I suppose practicng taking photos is the best way of improving one’s skills. Thank you for your kind comment!
Absolutely love the sunset on the Three Gorges tour! It would make a great painting as well! Thanks for posting all of these! http://ohtheplaceswesee.com
This appears to be the most favored picture. Thank you Rusha for your kind comment!
Beautiful photography! So lucky to have seen these places.
Thank you John for your kind comment!
The photos from the Three Gorges are exquisite. Thank you for sharing Michael!
Glad that you like the Three Gorges pictures. Thank you for your kind comment!
As always, each picture says so much, but my favorite in this serious is the sunset…
Glad that you like the sunset picture. Thank you for your kind comment!
Very beautiful pictures. Thank you for sharing them. I was especially overwhelmed by the beauty of the picture taken during your Three Gorges cruise while the sun was setting.
Hi liliessparrowsand grass, thank you for your kind comment!
Wow, I understand why you had to put in all these photos! All of them show the possibilities of ‘beyond.’ My heart leaped especially the Three Gorges and hills of ZhangJiaJie photos.
I wouldn’t want to miss anyone of the pictures. Thank you for your kind comment!
All the photos are gorgeous, and you illustrate the theme so well! I especially like the Three Gorges River in sunset.
Glad that you like the sunset photo. It’s my favourite too. Thank you for your kind comment!
Reblogged this on wishstory and commented:
Have a great Day~
Thank you for reblogging this on!
Thanks. Michael Lai, Have a great Day~
Have a great rest of the week!
One day, I would like to float down by the rivers of china. Cappadocia is magical place as far as I remember.
Hope your wish wouldcome real. Thank you for your kind comment!
Have to say my favourites are the Three Gorges River photos, but all are gorgeous.
Thank you Rita for your kind comment!
Glorious images, what a beautiful world this is.
Hi, what I am showing is only a small part of our beautiful world. Thank you for your kind comment!
That second photo of the sunset on the Three Gorges cruise is so achingly beautiful! ~ Kat
Thank you Kat for your kind comment!
STUNNING PHOTOS!
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!
Thank you Francine for your always kind comment and blessing!
Lovely pictures. My favorite two are the sunset and the one with the limestone columns. Those two are both so peaceful looking. Thank you for sharing.
Think you are the first one to respond that you like the limestone columns as well. Thank you for your kind comment!
Very Beautiful… Thank you for sharing these
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So lovely! I’m so glad you didn’t limit your image choice to only one. A gorgeous journey into the great ‘Beyond’! Thanks so much for sharing these.
I couln’td resist to submit all the photos. Thank you for your kind comment!
The last one literally took my breath away.
You are the only one to like the last one; I must say it has a very 3D feel. Thank you for your kind comment!
I’m sure you have MANY silent admirers.
I hope they also comment every now and then. Thanks for the kind comment!
It is good to know someone is out there. I mean those blog stats ,,,who trusts that??
I like these blogs providing a platform for “meeting” each other fromn different places of the earth and they are real people!
Yes, like you WAYYYYY over there!
Thank you!
Amazing!!!
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All of these are just GORGEOUS views of Beyond!! Love them all!!
Hi Jennay, Thank you for your kind and encouraging comment!
fascinating pictures. I just love all of them, Michael
Many thanks for your kind comment!
Wonderful shots, Michael. We loved the Three Gorges cruise.
Sure you enjoyed the cruise; I like that very much too. Thank you for your kind comment!
Wonderful shots, Michael. We loved the Three Gorges cruise.
Thank you Jane for your kind comment!
These are all lovely photos Michael. Did you know that the mountains in Australia look blue in the distance because of all the eucalyptus oil in the air from the gum trees?
I didn’t know that; thanks for this information. Regards, Michael
Love your photos
Thank you Decima Wraxall for your kind comment!
All very lovely.
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Awesome selections!
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Amazing phototgraphs…especially the second one of the setting sun.
Hi travtrails, Thank you for your kind comment! Regards, Michael
Hi Michael,
the first three gorges picture is amazing. It almost looks like the fjords here in Norway, but with sun!
I like the comparison to the fjords. Thank you for your kind comment!
That evening photo along the river is just so spectacular! It’s as though time just stopped for you there!
For a long time , we were travelling towards the sun; literally, time seemed to have stopped. Thank you for your kind comment!
All your photos are magnificent but that second one is out of this world… absolutely outstanding…
Hi bulldogsturf, thank you for your always kind comment!
They are all excellent but the second in particular is stunning – the surface of the water is like liquid gold.
The river was a bit muddy but it looks like liquid gold as you said in the sunset. Thank you for your kind comment!
How nice in 张家界?
Yes Linge, one of the pics is ZhangJiaJie. Thank you for your kind comment!
Wow! Beautiful! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you friendlytm for your kind comment!
Thank You!
Wonderful every one of them – the sun setting .. is my favorite and the top one with the park. Something in the park picture that drags me into it … come let see what is future on. Stunning again, Michael.
Hi Viveka, thank you for your kind comment! I always like having an opinion / response from you as they make a lot of sense.
Glorious. Another vote for the Three Gorges.
With so many readers voting for the Three Gorges sunset photo; I am sure this is the most favored one. Thank you for your kind comment!
Truly amazing, Michael! I can only find two from my recent album, and you have ten.
My favourites are the closer to home, the China shots.
I am just lucky. Thank you Opalla for your kind comment!
Yep like others I love the sunset on the Three Gorges but Langkawi comes a pretty close second, especially as I write surrounded by snow at present! Well done Michael, another spectacular effort!
Hi Karen, the tropical beach is indeed enticing at this time of the year. Thanks for the kind comment!
Gorgeous, I have a feeling if aliens ever do fly in from distant galaxies we are doomed, who wouldn’t want to live on plant earth? It’s stunning thru your lens anyways.
I count myself luck; having the opportunity to visit some of the beautiful places in planet earth. I am sure the aliens will be envious. Thanks for the kind comment!
That Malaysian beach ! I could use a little of that about now. Beautiful shot, and the limestone columns and Three Gorges photos are wonderful. Great choices.
The Langkawi photo seems to be the most favored runner up picture. Thanks for the kind comment!
These landscapes are so gorgeous! I’m tempted to try and paint them lol!
You are also into painting. You must be a very talented girl!
Just started some fun courses
Glad to learn that. Have a great day!
The Three Gorges view is so nice–the mountain look flat in the light–and the beach in Malaysia is where I want to be right now! (It’s going to get down to about 10 degrees F tomorrow in the New Jersey.) http://bmoreenergy.wordpress.com
Understand the Three Gorges were more beautiful before they built the dam and raise the water level. Right now, the beach really look inviting. Thanks for the kind comment!
At this point in my life, I can only dream of visiting these places. Your beautiful photography inspires me to some day turns these dreams into reality. You have a gift. Thanks for sharing it.
Sincerely hope that your dreams will one day come real. Thanks for the kind comment!
breathtaking!
Thank you!
You’ve certainly travelled to some wonderful countries and captured some beautiful photographs . I love the Three Gorges and Capadoccia in Turkey particularly .
You are the first one to like the Capodocia picture. Thank you!
Beautiful collection of photos again, difficult to choose between them. My favourite is the 2nd, with the golden sunlight reflected in the water and the sloping sides of the gorge stepping away into the distance, each one lost a little more to the mist. Fantastic!
This is also my favourite photo. Thank you for the kind comment!
Michael,
These are all beautiful as usual but I especially like the sun set one and the river scene from Yunan China.
Hi sued51, you are the first one to say you like the Yunnan photo. Your response helps me to decide what to upload in the future. Thank you for the kind comment!
I noticed no one else had said they liked it. I’m surprised because I love the misty mountains and the beautiful sun!
Thank you sued51!
Thank you for sharing such beauty. The world, so great : )
Sweet greetings, Summer
Thank you for the kind comment! Regards, Michael
Your photos are breathtaking!! Thanks for visiting my blog!
You are welcome. Thank you for the kind comment!
These are all great – I especially like the second one!
Thank you for your always kind comment!
Excellent photos, some of them even look like paintings
Glad that you like the pictures. Thank you!
Michael, all of these photos are extraordinarily beautiful — even breathtaking. You do such great work. I noticed what you said about liking windows, and I wondered if you knew about the “windows photo” challenge. Several months ago, I started a challenge called “Thursday’s Windows,” in which I posted a new windows photo every Thursday, and invited others to post theirs and leave their link on my site. I love windows and find them so fascinating for many reasons, but I was surprised at how many other people out there felt the same. We got some wonderful photos. But staying on schedule got to be a problem for me, and I did not want everyone else to have to wait on me to post their windows, so I decided a couple weeks ago that I needed to close the challenge.
However, one of the other bloggers who has been sending in her photos asked if she could take it over, and, of course, I thought that was great. So the challenge is actually still going — under a slightly different name — in case you’d like to join in.
To see the photos we’ve enjoyed over the past several months you can go back to my “Sandra Conner … By the Book” site and click on the “Thursday’s Windows” category in the right sidebar:
http://sandraconner.wordpress.com/
And to see what’s going on at the new site now hosting the challenge, you can go to this link at “Lingering Visions.” http://lingeringvisions.wordpress.com/
I think the new site calls the challenge: A Lingering Look At Windows.
Hope you can take part with some of your terrific photos.
And thanks for the “Like” on my site.
Thank you for letting me know the history. I’m particpating in Lingering Vision’s challenge and will contribute when I have suitable photos. Regards, Michael
I love your photos! We have a beautiful planet. Since I can’t see much of it for myself, I enjoy pictures like yours. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Linda, thanks for liking my pictures. Regards, Michael
Excellent photographs Michael. Thanks for sharing your travel!
Thank you for the kind comment!
Hohohohoh! It’s a lovely-great traveling. So envy!!
Thanks for the kind comment!
I think they all captured the spirit of the challenge very well-and the picture of the sunset is stunning!
Many thanks for the kind comment!
I pinned the second photo down on my “color photography” board on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/gaylealstrom/photography-color/
It fits well into your page. Thank you!
you make me wanna quit my job and start traveling again…wow!there is so much to see!
Travelling is very enjoyable; there is just so much to see! Regards, Michael
I missed this on my last visit to your blog. I am glad I found it, what great photos.
I’m glad that you have found this post and like it. Have a great weekend!
Great snaps and the first one of the Three Gorges is absolutely stunning! Fantastic depth, colour, and composure.
Many thanks for the kind comment!
I LOVE the sunset on the Three Gorges photo! It reminds me of a Georgia O’Keefe painting.
I don’t know Georgia O’Keefe; must find out more about the painting. Many thanks for the kind comment!
All of these are so beautiful and make me want to go there! My favorites are the Three Gorges river ones and the limestone columns.
Glad you like the pictures. Many thanks for the kind comment!
Beautiful pictures! And the one with the sunset across the water is inspiring enough to paint!!
Suzy
Many thanks for the kind comment, Suzy!
Such beautiful shots but that sunset is breathtaking.
Many thanks for the kind comment!
Hi Michael. Your photos just now, in these wee hours (almost 2:00 a.m.) have given me a moment of wonder to inspire my weary mind. Have you ever been to the Campania region of Italy? I could possibly find myself there in the not too distant future. If you know how I could get good travel info for that area, I’d appreciate the help. Thank you so much for the support you’ve shown me these past few weeks. I don’t know If I would have kept blogging without the encouragement of a few folks like you. I love wordpress so far. And I love it because of the people I am getting to “know” through their blogs– a few amazing souls. I’m honored.
Hi day30f, unfortunately, I have not been to Campania and would not be able to assist in this regard. I’m glad that you continue blogging andlike the people you are meeting in WordPress. Thank you for your perusal and the kind comment!
You are welcome. I very much enjoy your photography. I’ve never traveled overseas. I won’t mention it again until travel is imminent because as yet, I can’t believe I’m going.But, I really love your perspective in travel photography. Thank you for getting back to me.
Thank you for your undrtstanding. Regards, Michael
Wow stunning beatiful photo collection of yours.:)
Thank you for your perusal and the kind comment!
I went down the Three Gorges also. I sat on deck and sketched with another artist. We didn’t understand each other’s languages but we communicated through our art.
I guess art is a universal language. Trust you enjoyed the cruise. Thank you for your perusal and the kind comment!
Nomadicchique is right: that first (shades of grey) Three Gorges photograph is like a Georgie O`Keefe painting. I literally drew breath when it first unrolled on my screen…
I’m glad that it is like a painting. Thanks for the perusal and the kind comment!
The photos taken China are mind blowing ….I should visit China
Hope the photos give you sufficient impetus for you to go to visit China. Regards, Michael
The sunset is superbly awesome, Michael — with the edges of the mountains leading to it. Breathtaking!!!
Hi Fernando, glad that you like the photos. Thank you!
“Gorges”-ous photos! Especially love the sunset.
Thank you 24/7 in France!
This is simply amazing, Michael!
Thank you!
I know I would have a difficult time deciding on which photo’s to showcase if I had as many wonderful shots as you. The Three Gorges cruise group of photo’s is my favorite. The orange sun is magnificent. Your eye for capturing special moments is great.
Hi, the views from the Three Gorges cruise was great. Thank you for your kind comment!
All your photographs are wonderful, beautiful.
Many thanks for the kind comment!
Great photographs, I especially enjoyed the sunset on Three Gorges River. Truly a fine photo. Thanks for sharing Michael. All the best, Alex
The photo on Three Gorges sunset seem to be most favored by readers.Thanks for the kind comment!
Very beautiful photos — you’re a wonderful photographer!
Thank you for your very kind comment!
Oh my goodness, what beautiful photographs! So glad I got to see them. And thank you for stopping by my blog — come back any time!
Will swing by again. Thank you
Stunning photographs! You make me want to travel.
Lisa
http://sheslosingit.net
Thank you for your kind comment
Lovely photos!! You have traveled around a lot! My favourire is the Yangzte River photo, I was there last year and it is absolutely beautiful!!
The Yangtze river photo stands out from the rest. The place is absoultely beautiful. Thank you for the kind comment!
Beautiful set of photos of ‘beyond’.
Thank you
That setting sun is spectacular!
It is almost like a painting. Thank you for the kind comment:-)
nice post…thanks for liking my post
You are most welcome!
Thanks for visiting my blog! I love the photo featuring the sunset during your Three Gorges Dam cruise. My mother always wanted to visit that place, but worried that the recent construction has marred the area. When did you go on your cruise?
Hi Juliana, my trip to the Three Gorges was in the Summer of 2011. The construction did not mar the area. However, because of the damming of the river, the water level has risen. This has made the view less dramatic, as otherwise, you will be seeing from a lower level on the river and the views are more like fjords. Thank you
Good choices for images. I like your eye for composition, to reveal as much as possible while still keeping a subject obvious to the viewer. Certainly jealous of your travel destinations!
I am flattered by your comments. Thank you