Have we really been in Ecuador for three weeks? In some ways it feels like three days; in others, three months. We spent the bulk of the past one in Quito taking advantage of great internet and catching up on work — and torrential downpours played along by allowing us to spend the days indoors guilt-free. Eventually we caught a bus to Mindo and soaked up every possible minute of this beautiful nature-lover’s playground.
In some ways Ecuador has felt quite dream-like (I’ve really been here for three weeks?), as we’ve dedicated a lot of time here trying to figure out what comes next — Anders looking for a summer diving job before starting a degree in the fall and me trying to figure out my next major moves. Much has changed since I last made a big travel plans announcement, and I hope to share a peek behind the scenes sometime this week.
In the meantime, onto the Photo of the Week candidates!
Photo A
Colonial Quito
Photo B
Beautiful butterflies in Mindo
Photo C
Wild orchids by magnifying glass
Photo D
Finding patterns… nature is the best designer
Photo E
We probably saw over one hundred hummingbirds in Mindo!
Which photo is your favorite? And can you tell which one was taken with my iPhone?
I am choosing B because it is so colourful.
Thanks Steve! And guess what… that’s the one I took with my iPhone 🙂
Photo E., I LOVE hummingbirds! They are so fragile looking, yet so powerful! And beautiful of course.
Girl, if you love hummingbirds you’ve got to get to Mindo! I saw millions! Okay, slight exaggeration, but perhaps 30-40!
As usual tough choices. But I think B because of the color, which I have never seen on a butterfly before, and the all-natural setting.
Funny enough while we went to an excellent butterfly garden (and watched butterflies be born!) that one was taken with my iPhone on the side of the road. Ha.
Has to be D, I love the patterns of nature. Wondering where you’re off to next.
nice snap of the humming bird
Thanks Chris! Those buggers are not easy to photograph 🙂
B because of the symmetry of the butterfly and the flower
I love when you guys tell me why 🙂 Thanks Stephen!
I’m choosing photo E this week!
I have many more hummingbird pictures coming your way, Stef 🙂
B is sooooooooooobeautiful!!!!!!!!
Thanks gram! I knew you’d love the “mariposas” as they are called in Spanish!
C for creativity, A for the unique angle & for managing to get that flock of birds in just the right spot in the frame.
Thanks Becky! Those pigeons were a stroke of pure luck.
Love Quito especially riding around on bikes on the Sunday. Are you going to the Galapagos?
Sadly not on this trip. I’ll definitely be back to Ecuador someday to see them!
i like D! do you have one of those phone accessory lenses? i’ve debated getting an olloclip but it won’t fit with my otterbox- and i’m too clumsy for no case!
Nope! Nothing but the iPhone. I would never go case-less either! I switch between a waterproof Incipio case and one of the battery-boosting ones.
I’m going to be a little different and go with A. Hard to describe why but I’ll try. I feel like it gives a good idea of what the space is like and it’s as if I just suddenly turned my head to look up at the birds flying. Typically I don’t like photos that aren’t straightened properly (in the center of the image) but I noticed the building is actually straightened, it’s just on the right side of the image instead of the typical center. Anyway, that was an attempt to answer why but in general I just like photo A. 🙂
I know how you feel — the first thing I do to 99.9% of my photos is straighten the horizon line 🙂 Every once in a while there is a creative exception!