Welcome to week 2 Steemit Photogs!
Last week was amazing, the entries were gorgeous and loving and so many of your descriptions of what home means to you touched my heart <3 It was insanely difficult to pick just one winner.
Watching how everyone interpreted home was beautiful and enlightening.
The winner of Week one is @jctdesign with this entry, what I like to refer to as a "pocket" home :)
Congrats @jctdesign!
The photo you took from inside your tent, still in your sleeping bag, made me feel like you were not at the mercy of an alarm clock, with only the sun to gently nudge you and tell you it was time to face the world :)
Honorable mentions, with the photo, the description, or both, were @emdesan @labakj @ysathewriter @sawi @syehlah @wilramos @josediccus @pizzanniza @visualcontent & @jewels3
Thank you everyone for entering! You all touched my heart and made me smile.
Home is where you make it, home is truly anywhere, it doesn't have to be in a shelter.
Home is where your heart is <3
Week 2! Hidden Gems
This week we are looking for Hidden Gems- special places or findings in your hometown.
It could be a cool little dive coffeeshop, a random piece of street art hidden in an alley, a sweet little meadow you fell in love with, or an unusual piece of history almost lost by time or development. Where in your hometown do you think of when I say Hidden Gem?
Capture it with any camera and post in the comments for a chance to win $10 SBD!
Rules:
The photo must be your own. No plagiarism or you will be disqualified from any and all contests.
Add a sentence or two telling us where it is, why it's a "hidden gem", and anything else you'd like us to know.
The photo must be submitted in the comment section of this post.
Any medium or format- camera, smartphone, drone, tablet- use whatever you want to take the photo.
Basic processing is allowed.
Color or Black and White, your choice.
Only one image entry per user. If you submit two, only the first will be considered.
Entries will be judged by relevance, image quality, creativity, and general aesthetics by myself and a guest judge. Yes, it is subjective. You do not need to be a professional photographer to enter! You just need to have a camera (even your smart phone will do) a place you call home and a heart :) If you would like to be a guest judge one week please let me know.
This will be an ongoing contest with different themes each week. The point of this contest is to share the beauty we surround ourselves with. And just like with writing, photography takes practice! The more photos you take, the better you become :)
Please resteem this post to grow the contest and your rewards! I will be upvoting entries daily and the more visibility this contest gets the bigger the prize pool each week! I encourage you to upvote and comment on your favorites. By interacting with and supporting your fellow Steemitzens you build community and friendship, making our Steemit home a better place for all of us!
This weeks contest runs from now to Sunday January 28 at midnight PST.
Good luck everyone!
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A Buddhist spirit house at sunset, hidden away at the end of a beach...
(I don't have a home town, but this was my home for many years...)
Gorgeous! What is the purpose of a Spirit House?
To hold the whiskey and vodka, silly!!!
.....or it could be to provide a house for the benevolent spirits of your land.
To protect them. House them.
Food and drink are left there regularly, there for them to eat and drink.
I have never seen one outdoors like this! How wonderful :)
Wonderfully captured. I like the way the (admittedly glorious) sunset is relegated to a secondary, background position, with the focus on the stark silhouettes of the spirit house and the bush.
the same spirit house - quite magical ....
Very much so. And the expansive sea in the background makes this photo just as impressive as the twilight photo.
The boat from Kolocep Island to Dubrovnik, Croatia.
The last boat back to the mainland leaves at dusk, this was taken from the restaurant where I was celebrating my 50th birthday last year.
Hello, arbitarykitten, maybe I will send you my whatsapp number so that I can share my link with u for ur upvote, please... 08069777509
https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@philipugwuzuo/inroduction-about-my-humble-self
https://steemit.com/family/@philipugwuzuo/the-ungrateful-polygamist
https://steemit.com/myth/@philipugwuzuo/the-spartans
I do not have whatsapp. You must post your entry photo here on the comments.
Oh wow, and that sky... The perfect icing on the cake of your birth day <3
A quiet, little coffee shop called Playground 11 is tucked away in urban Makati where Starbucks are in every corner. A refuge in this concrete jungle.
The owner now knows what you always order because on restless nights you go here to gather your thoughts as you start to type the stories in your head.
This is where you go when the demons attack. With its brightly colored pastels and wall full of positive thoughts for a moment you receive reprieve and get your matcha green tea latte and an order of a black bun burger topped with loads of bacon fix.
A pretty girl comes in and she smiles. You smile back and you get back to typing and adding her to your story where you had more confidence and the charm to pull it off.
I love it! Do you write? You certainly painted a vivid picture for me <3 I absolutely love your description!
Well I try but not very good. Thank you for the compliment and it's a nice little cafe.
They even have these homemade icecream which they call rainbow icecream but I suggested that they name it Unicorn's breathe haha
That's a great little intro to what seems like a wonderful little cafe. I love the phrase "when the demons attack."
I'd go there solely because it's a great place to avoid both Starbucks and the demons. And in the hope of having a pretty girl smile at me.
Nice photo, too.
Thank you! Yeah I like neighborhood cafes and support local coffee beans.
It is quite relaxing there and the coffee is nice too.
I do hope to see her again haha.
Your words paint a beautiful picture to compliment your photograph.
I wish you well.
Especially with the girl!
;)
xox
The hidden Temple
This temple is very old and situated in the middle of the forest. Most of the people dont even know that that there is temple inside the dense forest and those who knows dont come here to worship because of fear of wild animals.
Thanks for hosting this type of contest. It encourages us
Amazing! In what country is this?
It is Nepal . You might have heard of our country.
It sure looks like its far off the beaten path. I can imagine being on a day-long trek, coming into a clearing, and coming across this ancient temple.
That is a beautiful photo!
The Secondhand Bookstore, Harwich, UK.
Tucked down a narrow side street the secondhand bookstore draws the passerby in with the promise of well thumbed, fusty pages brimming with facts and fiction.
An honest photograph taken with my trusty Sony Experia.
:)
(Thanks for organising this fun competition).
xox
Bookstores are the very best kind of gems!
Impossible not to leave without some wee gem tucked under the arm eh!
;)
xox
Great capture! It feels comfortable and serene, and terribly beaconing!
Good luck!
Thank-you for the opportunity to share.
:)
xox
Makes me want to search for bookstores out here. Am sure there are some downtown, but that area makes me nervous. I love finding old books. I even found some that I grew up reading, where back then it only costs 50 cents for the books. They are treasures I am keeping.
I tend to listen to most of my books these days but still find myself drawn to old books ~ loving the stories woven in the pages and wondering who has read them prior to me.
Be safe xox
Same here. I have so many books on my tablet. I have most of my paperbacks in a backpack, and some in a cabinet. I haven't gotten into listening to the audio books. I should give them a try, especially on nights I wake up and fight to sleep. Thank you for reply. Not sure how I missed it. :-)
Take me there now!!! You had me at books!
Haha ~ bit of an addiction eh!
xox
Cebu City Sports Complex Pool at Cebu, Philippines
This swimming pool is my home, and a hidden gem, I would say.
I have a lot of memories in this pool. I became a competition swimmer 4 years ago and ever since, I have become a better person. I used to be an introvert (like very bad at socializing) until I decided to try swimming. I met a lot of friends there.
I also met this amazing girl in the pool. Sad to say, we will remain only to be friends because circumstances got in the way of things lol. Thats okay. Swimming is <3 anyways haha
I love the feeling of being in the water especially in the morning. Not a lot of people go there early in the morning. Whixh makes it like a gem as well! I usually ride my bike towards the pool and spend hours doing laps. I could spend half of the day there, no wonder my skin is so tan right now lol.
When I am sad I divert my attention to swimming. Its a therapeutic way to ease my emotions. Truly, there is no other place like this pool. There is no other place like home.
Oh my, that is the longest pool! How peaceful <3
This place is called alausa not far from my home, did you see two statue?
Those were the statue of the men that were involved in fighting for the independence of the country so we decided to immortalize them with that statue
That is very cool! What are their names?
Abiola MKO and Awolowo. yeah
Awesome :) Thank you! And good luck!
Certainly lol 😁😁😁😁😁
click image to view full screen
I consider this wonderful place as hidden gem because you cannot easily find it. I mean it is located on the top of the mountain such that when you are there enjoying their infinity pool you will feel being amalgamated with nature, and be captivated with its natural beauty.
You will surely love the stunning scenery underneath where you can see mountains, trees, river and those houses scattered below not to mention the beautiful blue sky in mid-day and both sunrise and sunset at dawn and afternoon respectively.
Location: Ultra Winds Mountain Resort
Brgy. Pualas, Baungon, 8707 Bukidnon, Philippines
(30 minutes ride from my home)
A mountain top is a superb location for an infinity pool. You're right in that it gives us a great sense of the awesome nature.
Yes it is thank you sir. This place is now my hidden gem, i would love to come back there every now and then and feel the cool fresh air with the natural sound of birds singing...
The perfect prize for a difficult journey :) How amazing!
Thank you @arbitrarykitten, I love this challenge of yours, hope to participate in all your future prompts....
This picture was taken at a hot spring just outside Eugene, Oregon. This hot spring isn't marked from the main road and has short trail near a dirt parking lot. I'd never have known about it if a friend hadn't told me about it. It's a really nice place to go for a dip, although it's still on the cold side in January.
A true hidden gem! Sometimes we have to be really quiet about some of them, lest everyone and their brother appear- which all too often leads to destruction.
Lol that does seem to happen here in the Pacific Northwest. Some of them seem to have permanent residents; I visited one in middle of the night and there was already a group of ten people there so I went home.
Oh my!
With so many pieces that I have to consider my gems, this one stands out the most.
Year 2013 when an orphanage who give shelter to the Street Children was wiped out due to the World strongest Typhoon ever recorded "ST HAYIAN/ YOLANDA local name"
And this building I managed to construct as a great replacement to their ruined home.
The GEM is behind the making and it was just a pure joy to me. It was birthed through the childrens dream. They were the one who do the workshop and conceptualize on how their HOME should look like and a Storm tested one. You will see that its almost open that is because when the storm comes they will just open all the windows to passthrough the wind. Guess what, these street childrens who used to live homeless just made this building that once their dream to win "the World Architectural Award 2017"
Picture i took a night before turnover ceremony.
Absolutely amazing! Thank you so much for sharing. It is truly heartwarming to see such an awesome thing come from such a terrible chaos <3
It is! Thank you maam!
This is an ivory carving from the acient city of Benin, Nigeria,made by craftmen during the potugues slave trade.
Oh wow, the detail is astounding!
Thanks for entering!
Thanks dear for your appreciation.
How cool!
I enjoy this tremendously :) Thank you for your entry!
Gracias a ti por el apoyo al arte urbano. Espero sigas haciendo concursos
Tucked away in a far corner of modern, cosmopolitan Singapore is the old village of Lorong Buangkok, the last remaining kampong (traditional Malay community) in the city-state. This tiny village is just steps from a main road, but I cycled past it numerous times (on a well-paved cycling / jogging path) before I ever noticed this entrance and discovered the pleasant little enclave behind all the bushes.
[Click Here to Enlarge Photo]
Lorong Buangkok remains home to only a few dozen families, who live in simple wooden houses with basic utilities, connected by dirt paths. Only 50–60 years ago, most of Singapore comprised small enclaves such as this. Unfortunately, this area is slated for development, and the residents will eventually have to move out.
Oh no, to have to be displaced from such a gorgeous and tranquil setting... :(
The bike is the perfect touch <3 Thank you so much for sharing!
"Tinago Falls"
This is "Tinago falls" which means "Hidden falls" for it is literally hidden in the forest and for you to get there you need to walk down the steps which is more or less 500 steps. It is indeed a Hidden Gem because once you reach the bottom you get to see the majestic view of this Hidden Waterfalls found in Mindanao, Philippines.
Beautiful shot! Thank you so much for sharing!
You’re welcome! :)
One of the hidden gems in my town is located at the end of the longest path through the Botanical gardens. It's quite a long walk, so many people don't ever get this far, and the gazebo often is empty and is a beautiful place to spend a lazy summer afternoon!
Not being lazy often pays off ;)
Thank you for sharing!
This building in La Ceiba, Honduras was where the second commercial bank in Honduras, Banco Atlantida was established in 1913. So this building which now houses a branch of the same bank is 105 years old, it is still in perfect shape as the bank gives it permanent maintenance, inside it is what I guess all bank buildings back then were like, the floor is marble, the counters and benches are marble. When you go in there to make a transaction, it feels like you enter a different age.
Oh wow! Sounds beautiful <3
My hidden gem is in plain view. It's totally FREE. All you need is a bike! Here in Southern California at low tide you can ride for miles and miles!
YES! The Pacific is gorgeous <3
My Hidden Gem for this week!
This is a quaint and simple little restaurant I discovered a few weeks ago in my new city. It's my hidden gem because the food far exceeded my expectation! I clearly can't turn down an excellent bowl of Pho as I have ordered it every week! I took advantage of the awesome theme this week to go pay another visit to this place!
Any time with Pho is a good time ;)
The rock cathedral waterfall is a hidden gem and attract lots of tourists on a daily basis. The waterfall never stops year in year out and it is very sacred as it is assumed to possess healing powers. It is located in my home town at Lekki Nigeria 
Are people allowed to get the water on them, or do they sell healing waters from there?
Este espacio es una solitaria parte de un concurrido parque llamado Fernando Peñalver en Valencia, Venezuela. Yo le llamo a este lugar La Arboleda Sagrada, cuando necesito un respiro vengo aquí para conectarme con mis pensamientos, organizar mis ideas, tomar un respiro y porque no recibir algo de revelación personal, sus grandes y altísimos arboles y lo poco transitado de este lugar lo hacen un lugar perfecto y especial; en esta foto está mi hija con sus amigas quienes me insistieron en que les tomara una foto posando en este lugar como si fuesen los ángeles de Charlie....jajaja...Valencia es realmente una ciudad muy concurrida y tiene poco lugares donde desestresarse este es uno de ellos por eso es una gema escondida..Saludos @arbitrarykitten
Thanks! Good luck!
Pozo el El Humo en el Río la Cumaca, San Diego, Estado Carabobo, Venezuela
Para mí este lugar es Una joya escondida, una vez al año suelo ir de campamento con las chicas jóvenes de la iglesia, basicamente usamos 3 días para conectarnos con la naturaleza, leer las escrituras y hacer algunos retos de como resolver problemas bajo circunstancias extremas; hemos ido a este lugar de mi ciudad natal unas 3 veces, el lugar es solitario, su río de agua dulce y muy fría te relaja de todas esas presiones del mundo, allí te olvidas de todo, este lugar esta a los pies de una gran montaña con neblina por donde también hemos caminado para explorar y hemos encontrado otros lugares ocultos; la parte más relajante en este pozo es poder respirar ese aire totalmente puro, escuchar a todos esos pajaritos y sonidos propios de la naturaleza y aunque está en una ciudad este lugar es una piedra preciosa por descubrir.
Thank you for your entry <3
It was fun to do. Grats to the winner and runner -ups. That lake view looks amazing to see the first thing in the morning. Makes me miss camping.
That is so awesome to hear!
It totally made me want to find a quiet, out of the way mountaintop lake and start a campfire :)
I hope to see your entry this week hun!!!
Thank you. I was getting ready to attempt it last night but I'm so picky about what photo I use, lol. I try to use mine before resorting to pixabay or pexel. Am going to grab a camera and go searching for photos. :-)
I miss camping. We grew up doing that almost each weendend during the summer. It rains so much here that camping just died off for many.
Thanks! I really liked that campsite when I set up the tent, but I didn't pay too much attention to the direction, so the sunrise over the lake was an unexpected, and pleasant, surprise.
Indeed, and that makes it even more special. Did you fish in that lake? Nothing beats a fresh breakfast. :-)
My son and I did fish in the lake, but we didn't catch anything. Still great time spent together though.
It looked so relaxing, even if the fish didn't bite.
Thanks!
Cool
Do you have an entry? I'd love to see it!
Wow thank you for choosing me as one of the honorable mentions. 😊😊
Thank you for your beautiful entry <3 I hope to see one this week from you too!
Very cool theme!
I’ve got one I’m going to show you when you get here! I hope you like pho! 😊
Oh yes, very yes, lol!
Pho is Vietnams gift of health and yummy to the world <3
I'm craving it tonight! I might go get my photo in a couple hours. :-)
Oh cool! I may join this round :)
Please do! I look forward to your entry!
Wow...thanks so much. I am so honored that you selected my photo.
Thanks for organizing these contests. It really is fun to see how different people interpret the themes you choose.
Thank you for sharing your "home" with us <3
wall this is amazing
Your challenge was added to Steemit Contest Compilation (22.01-28.01): Win free SBD and STEEM (more than 50 contests!) for current week.
Thank you @arbitrarykitten for giving Steemians (especially minnows) a chance to get free SBD.
Awesome! Thank you!
Awesome! Thank you!
Good choice of winner in @jctdesign and I really enjoyed reading through all the comments here. All so good that it's difficult to pick a favourite :). Thank you.
Thank you so much!
I'm just scratching my head trying to find something lol. Guess that shows how much of a hermit I have become with this rain. Hopefully I will find something before this ends.
LOL!
I wanted to take a picture of something really cool yesterday, but our route took us around it. I can and will still share it when I get a shot, even if it is not in this post. :-(
I live in Birmingham, UK. It is a very industrial city with many hidden gems! My personal favourite is the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal! It is pretty touristy around the Brindleyplace with its restaurants and tourist attractions. However, it gets more hidden the further you go! So the parts of the canal that are away from the tourists and locals I call hidden gems! And here is the evidence:
The canal is going down, below the roads with heavy traffic and surrounded by the residential building blocks! But it is exciting to witness the historic canal with many gates and even try to open one for yourself!
Here is another image which is tucked away from the main tourist route (I understand that it is not counted towards the contest):
