I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine.From ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ by William Shakespeare
It’s Midsummer’s Eve and time for a scavenger hunt! Whether you live in the city or the country, here in Nova Scotia or on the other side of the planet, you’re welcome to participate.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to photograph five natural subjects that each captures the essence of one of the following elements. Each one is characterized by one or several colors that may be substituted for a literal image of the element.
- Fire (Red)
- Water (Blue or Black)
- Metal (White, Gold or Silver)
- Earth (Brown or yellow)
- Wood (Green)
Over the past five Saturdays, I’ve written a weekly post about some of the shapes that are found repeatedly in nature: the meander, the spiral, the circle, the branch and the star. Incorporating these shapes into your photographs is not necessary, but doing so will breathe more life into them.
Here are some examples:
Red Poppy (Fire)
Trees Reflected in Birdbath (Water)
White Star of Bethlehem Flowers (Metal)
Garden Snail and Leaf on Stone (Earth)
Tree Trunks (Wood)
The hunt will end on July 20th. Your photos can be uploaded in a blog post (add a link to your post in the comments area) or they can be emailed to me for uploading on my blog. Prizes will consist of prints from Drawing Conclusions. Get outside and look at nature in a different way. Have fun 
June 21, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Oh how fun! How fun! Can’t wait to have an opportunity to do this…and will promote it, as well, on my blog. (if not today, tomorrow.) Your photos are absolutely lovely. I say YOU win first prize already…
So glad you’re doing this.
June 21, 2009 at 5:51 pm
Thanks Kathy. I’m so glad YOU’RE gung-ho to do this too
June 22, 2009 at 11:34 am
This sounds super fun. I am definitely in. I will post this on my blog a little later.
Jessica
June 22, 2009 at 7:50 pm
[...] the U.P.) you would probably say, “Hey, yous guys, there’s a scavenger hunt over at flandrumhill’s blog!” Please click on the link to learn the exciting details. We had a scavenger hunt [...]
June 22, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Jessica, great to know you’ll be taking part
June 24, 2009 at 11:09 am
Very creative mission, Amy. This is going to be fun. My devious brain is already thinking up ways to bend the rules.
Summertime is work time around here, but surely bloggers are entitled to a little playfulness . . .
June 24, 2009 at 6:20 pm
Good to have you aboard Gerry
Summer=fun
June 24, 2009 at 11:01 pm
[...] at Flandrum Hill—a blog about Nova Scotia that I enjoy very much—posted a Midsummer’s Scavenger Hunt. This is the sort of game dear to bloggers, and Amy has come up with a creative example of the [...]
July 2, 2009 at 8:59 am
[...] between the elements and color in nature, as first introduced in my earlier post about a Midsummer’s Scavenger Hunt. [...]
July 2, 2009 at 11:36 am
I cane to check the date. Phew! Still time left. Will post a link on my blog soon. Thanks for the inspiring idea.
July 2, 2009 at 5:35 pm
No worries pj. Lots of time still left. Have fun
July 3, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Here is mine: http://themagicalmundane.blogspot.com/2009/07/midsummer-scavenger-hunt-challennge.html
Yeah I know I initially added one too many n’s but Blogger doesn’t allow you to change the post link. LOL It is spelled right in the title
Jessica
July 4, 2009 at 12:21 am
Thanks for adding the link to your post Jessica. It’s well worth the trip over to Michigan to see what Jessica’s come up with. She’s also added some helpful background information about each of the elements.
July 7, 2009 at 7:33 am
[...] A Midsummer’s Scavenger Hunt [...]
July 14, 2009 at 7:46 pm
[...] another sign for you all: REMEMBER THE SCAVENGER HUNT OVER ON FLANDRUMHILL’S BLOG!! The contest ends next Monday, July 20th. C’mon, everybody can play. All you need is a [...]
July 16, 2009 at 7:54 pm
[...] that may be substituted for a literal image of the element. We must then post ona blog or email flandrumhill (the organizer of this hunt) with the depictions by July [...]
July 17, 2009 at 7:06 am
[...] where the goal is to complete tasks or find items on a list. The Mid-Summer Scavenger Hunt outlined earlier involves taking photos showing each of 5 elements in nature: water, earth, fire, wood and metal. [...]
July 17, 2009 at 9:40 am
[...] season. It’s one of my favorites. I think that all by itself it could be an entry in the Flandrum Hill Midsummer Scavenger Hunt. All the elements are there: Earth, rising in a sandy bluff above the shore. Water, in a dozen [...]
July 17, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Here is my post – this is fun!!!!
http://scenethroughmyeyes.blogspot.com/2009/07/midsummers-scavenger-hunt.html
Thanks for hosting this.
July 17, 2009 at 2:04 pm
I remembered in the middle of the night that we were suppose to post our blog/photos for the scavenger hunt here. My post is:
http://centria.wordpress.com/2009/07/16/scavenger-hunt-in-a-12-x-12-foot-patch-of-earth/
We’re so happy you hosted this, Amy!
Smiling, Kathy
July 17, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Hi – I want to join the fun too! So here is my contribution to the game.
http://sahlah.wordpress.com/2009/07/17/all-the-cool-kids-are-doing-it/
Wonderful fun to play, thanks. Dawn
July 17, 2009 at 8:39 pm
[...] A Midsummer’s Scavenger Hunt [...]
July 17, 2009 at 10:05 pm
Well I am late as usual and it looks like everyone is having fun…I have checked out some of the shots and they are so good! I don’t know if I’ll have time to take part by adding photos of my own, but I am enjoying what the rest have done. What a great idea Amy!
July 18, 2009 at 4:03 am
It would be great if you could add some photos millhill – you still have until the end of the day on Monday. I too am so impressed by what I’ve seen already. The idea for an outdoor scavenger hunt was started by Kathy this spring at Opening the Door, Walking Outside. I had so much fun participating that I offered to host a summer hunt.
July 19, 2009 at 9:25 pm
Here are my five elements:
http://booksinnorthport.blogspot.com/2009/07/where-i-live-five-leelanau-elements.html
July 19, 2009 at 9:46 pm
Thanks for participating Pamela, I’ve added your submission to the list