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Phantom of the Lake

Ashley & Zachary Vemwell

United States of America

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Stillness overwhelmed the landscape this particular day.

The fog danced across the glassy surface of the bay with effortless grace.

As we sat along the water’s edge, we drank in the sweet energy of nature. Experiencing in silence and with empty minds the beauty unfolding before us.

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Honorable Mention

A Dance With Fog

One brisk spring morning in the valley, we happened upon an eagle perched amongst the still landscape.

As we sat in each other's presence, meditating and breathing the cool air into our lungs, we shared space, time, and energy.

After a few moments, our new friend spread their wings and took flight

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Nominee

Encounter

We sat and watched the scene gradually evolve, feeling gratitude for the honesty of nature.

A peaceful exercise of observing with full awareness of one’s senses in relation to the surrounding world.

Some scenes omit this energy effortlessly, while others test the endurance of your presence.

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Bronze

Fall Transitions

Life on the coast.

A landscape or dreamworld filled with wonder, simplicity, and endless expression.

Constantly transforming, yet always the same.

Sand, salt, tides, and clouds. Dense forests along cliff sides. Minimalism mixed with chaos.

A love letter to our hearts and nourishment to our being

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Low Tide at High Noon

An extraordinary day witnessing the mystical play of clouds gracefully exploring the mountainous terrain.

Amongst the snow, sun, and clouds, there was a constant evolution of curiosity, fleeting and almost aloof with manic energy.

A delicate dance between serenity and chaos.

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A Dance With Clouds

We sat and watched the scene gradually evolve, feeling gratitude for the honesty of nature. A peaceful exercise of observing with full awareness of one’s senses in relation to the surrounding world. Some scenes emit this energy effortlessly, while others test the endurance of your presence.

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Silver

Surrounded by a dense, misty blanket, silent creatures of the land eerily would make themselves known through the sheen of gray and white.

Out of the mystical abyss, four swans, in perfect succession, flew across the bay. Graceful and surreal, they glided through the sky like a painting in motion.

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Four Swans

In the matter of being, time is not linear but circular.

Painting with long exposures, we sat with The Puget Sound and witnessed her weave stories of the land and her creatures. These minimalist scenes of these diverse lands and waters, part of the Salish Sea, overflow with ancient wisdom and love.

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Layers of the Sound

One soul incarnated on earth as two, mirrored as one.

An energetic balance of equal parts opposites and likeness. All beings, whether human, animal, plant, fungi or even earthly elements, manifest this energy and can be observed with simple awareness.

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Twin Flame

Clouds masked the expansive horizon. But in one glance, they broke, revealing a window of these four towering peaks.

The mountains looked right back at us—infinite, unyielding, protective.

The veil lifted, and all energy became clear—known without question—to see and be seen with eyes unclouded.

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Four Guardians

The lifeforce of this lush forest is the glacial river that flows through it—effortlessly composed by the delicate, chaotic symmetry of evergreen.

Molded by the flowing water against the earth, a whimsical calm emanates with power—a symbolic presence of abundance, tranquility, and vitality.

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Hearth

Despite the harsh challenges of their environment, these inquisitive creatures thrive in their habitual state. Enduring with grace and strength, they utterly accept what is amongst the chaos of living in the high Alpine.

Their presence is a testament to time—a resilience, even will, to evolve.

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Keeper of the Alpine

Not the slightest wisp of wind could be felt as rain fell vertically upon the glassy lake surface with perfect execution.

A single cloud drifted eerily across the water. Heavy and low, a phantom in true form. Gliding hauntingly, immersed in our world. Watching, observant, and silent.

Mirroring the circle of life—the eternal journey of growth and evolution—embracing the natural rhythms of existence.

An eternal oasis to the living—deeply respected and lovingly nurtured. This symbiotic relationship is a guiding hand, a reminder of what it is to live in harmony.

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Awakening of the Valley

Curious and commanding, a waterfall is a place for the mind to wonder.

To release all tension through the sensual experience of flowing water, lulling into fluidity with accepting ease.

Finding oneself in the benign frenzy of sound, mist, and motion.