Sofia has set this weeks Lens-Artist challenge and asks us to post images following a theme of mellow, calm and relaxing. Sofia’s original challenge post can be found here.
This weeks theme really is a challenge for my portfolio as conceptual photography isn’t something I’ve concentrated on in the past. The stock agency I sell with, Alamy, isn’t really that sort of place. A quick search through the Alamy database, using the word mellow, just brings back pages of images featuring branded items featuring the word mellow.
A search on istock photo brought back many more conceptual, mellow images of people relaxing and interacting. However, the reason I love these Lens-Artists Challenges is that, for me, they are just that, a challenge. Something different from what I have been shooting and gives me inspiration to go and grab a few different images for myself. Until I do that, here are a few images that loosely meet the brief.
Thank you to Sofia for hosting this weeks challenge. You can find out more about the Lens-Artists Challenge here.
All images: ©Stephen Hyde 2007-2025 – All rights reserved
Steve Hyde 
well you sure rose to the challenge here and that mellow yellow vase of flowers photo was filled with energy and warmth.
Also, how cool to have tea companies give away Munkehs – and it reminds me of when these little ceramic figures used to come in certain teas – do not recall when it stopped –
Thank you. The Munkehs were good fun. How times have changed. I doubt anyone gives anything away free now 😦
I know, times have changed for sure
Great pictures, Steve! My favorites are the first Rhodes pic and the misty field of hay bales. Interesting how sunshine and mist can be equally mellow.
Thank you Joanne. We went back to that misty field a few days later and it was a completely different atmosphere in the sunshine 🙂
Well done, Steve. It’s always good when we step out of our comfort zone and produce good results, such as these.
Thank you Egidio 🙂
Nice response to the challenge, Stephen! I love those mellow, yellow sunflowers!
Thank you John 🙂
It might be outside your comfort zone but you took it and ran with it. I particularly like you have an Autumn shot, when most of us, included me, were thinking of summer and summer alone. It’s a fantastic shot.
Thank you Sofia. Great challenge 🙂
Great pictures Steve 😀
Thank you Jim. Sorry for the late reply, WordPress put your comment in the Spam folder for some reason!
No worries Steve, WP is a law unto itself sometimes!
Lovely sunset photo, Stephen.
Thank you 🙂
The first image is so cute and funny Steve, and my favourite. I think you managed to find some very mellow images.
Thank you Leanne. I once used that image on the back of some business cards. It worked really well for that and it meant the cards didn’t get immediately ditched in a bin 🙂
Loved your first and last images especially Stephen. Also happy to read we’ve given you some motivation for expanding your subjects,
Thank you Tina. The challenges are definitely giving me ideas and inspiration. There’s a monthly photo competition, I normally partake in, amongst the Alamy Forum members. Trouble is it’s always going to be based around a stock image. This has replaced that , for me. I actually look forward to every Saturdays new Lens-Artist Challenge. Sometimes I can dip into my portfolio to find suitable images but most times I can’t. I then enjoy browsing through the posts to see how others have interpreted the challenge and working out what I’m going to do.
That photo from Rhodes is beautiful. Not only is it a very relaxed, the circle of dark framing the beautifully sunlit subject is a lovely compositional device.
Thank you. I went in close with the very next shot but it didn’t work so well. Going wider in my composition is something I’m trying to do more.
Stephen, I love all of these images. The sunflowers and the wheat field are my favorites.
Thank you Beth 🙂
Great choices, Steve – the hay field hit me softly!