Busy photographs can be an awful lot of fun to look at, and even more fun to take, but sometimes less is more. I’m still thinking of the clean lines of the reflecting pool I just wrote about at the Bloedel Reserve, so I’ve been looking through my images for some shots that speak to me of simplicity.

Walking through the Seattle neighbourhood of Ballard, my eye was caught by a drift of clematis scrambling over a wooden fence. Against the overcast skies it struck me as an interestingly simple colour study.

I love sudden weather outbursts when I have my camera to hand; there’s usually something wonderfully unexpected to photograph. This shot was taken after a massive hailstorm in Seattle earlier this year. I like the simplicity of the two contrasting elements; soft green moss and huge white hailstones. I also liked the fact that the moss was located close to a doorway I could duck into after I took the shot because those hailstones hurt!

When there’s a whirl of colour and activity going on all around you, sometimes it can be more interesting to focus on just one element of the big picture. This is one of my favourite photos of the Holi Festival of Colour I attended in Maple Valley earlier this year. I was watching a group of teenagers helping each other to get ready, sharing bags of coloured powder. At one point I noticed all their hands were upturned in a circle and took this shot. While other shots I took captured other aspects of the festival, this shot for me revealed something beautiful about the essence of community at the event.

So now it’s your turn to revel in the uncomplicated. If you would like to join in this week’s travel theme (everyone’s welcome!) here’s what to do:

• Create your own post and title it Travel theme: Simplicity
• Include a link to this page in your post so others can find it too
• Get your post in by next Thursday, as the new travel theme comes out on Friday
• Don’t forget to subscribe to keep up to date on the latest weekly travel themes. Sign up via the email subscription link in the sidebar or RSS – I’m in the process of changing over to a new website host but will give you all a heads up when the changeover happens. If you’re following via email there won’t be a change but if you’re following via WordPress you will need to sign up for email or RSS.

xxx Ailsa

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo da Vinci

“If you can’t explain it to a six year old, you don’t understand it yourself.” – Albert Einstein