In last week’s Picture to Ponder, I featured a scarecrow on a balcony in Sedona, AZ. Back home in Boynton Beach, FL, on a neighborhood walk, one evening, I saw this scarecrow happily placed in the middle of 3 palms. I couldn’t resist coming back with my camera, the next time we had sun. Check the Picture to Ponder link, or scroll down here to the previous post to see the Western scarecrow. Enjoy!
{ 2 comments }
Today’s Picture to Ponder Photos
a scarecrow on the balcony of a home in an elite residential neighborhood in Sedona, AZ, plus cloud reflections in an upper story window in the same home
The Story
No big story today. I was once again searching through my Arizona photos for possibly one last photo from the trip to share with you.
The above scarecrow brought a smile to my face, and still does every time I look at the photo, so I thought I’d bring him to you, simply in FUN! Also, although I’ve never decorated for holidays, there are many of you in the States whom I’m sure have decorated for Halloween. I, thus, thought the somewhat seasonal image would be enjoyable.
And, putting all that aside, I love the aesthetics of the photo, the play of the natural materials, the wood of the railings, the lines, shapes and textures. Although I know in reality it couldn’t be so, when looking at the photo the walls “feel” like suede to me, another intriguing aspect of the photo for me.
I’ve included the second photo for those who might think something is missing from Picture to Ponder, if there is not a Nature photo in the issue. I figure the “clouds” qualify. Again, I like the lines and contrast though much simpler than those in the balcony photo.
Today’s Self-Reflecting Queries
It seems, as I complete writing the last section, that today’s queries move in the direction of fun and also on our taking actions consistent with what we think others expect of us.
Pretty funny, the latter statement; I say I think you expect Nature pictures. I really have no idea what you look for here, other than photographs you think are “good” and to which you relate in some way. Obviously I am laying my judgments on you. I love nature so I think Picture to Ponder “should be” about that.
Today, I invite you to look into your life to see:
1. Are there places in your life right now where you are moving “full steam ahead” to satisfy what you think or “know” someone wants AND you’ve never checked with them?
If you see something here, I invite you to pause, reflect on what it is you are doing, who it is you are attempting to satisfy, and then have a conversation with the other person or persons. Be open to what they might be wanting and check out any interpretations you are adding.
2. Do you pay attention to your smiles? Know what it is that’s FUN for you? If the answers are “yes”, I invite you to have more of them. If “no’, I invite to pause for a moment when you feel a smile coming on, observe it and then take a simple action.
As always, have fun with these queries and this week look for something in your environment that brings a smile to your face!
Reminder – Through and From the Lens is being offered in-person for the first time in South Florida on Saturday, October 25th. “Connections” are one of the bonuses of the course. See Saturday Playshop It will be resumed as a teleclass series starting in November.
To be on the list for more details for these classes, fill in your name and time preference on the form on the blog.
{ 2 comments }
A lady in the top photo with a very wide collar and a “blowfish” in the lower photo. Neither was posed as such. The top photo was a random arrangement of art peels and the lower “simply” a half orange. I was mainly interested in playing with the contrasts of the ceramic dish as background.
Have fun seeing whatever you do/will in the photographs.
{ 0 comments }
Phases of a Cantaloupe Being Readied for Consumption
Time is running out for the day. I committed to one or more fruit photos per day this week and the cantaloupe, sitting in my photo folder called out. This particular cantaloupe is long gone. Earlier today the images were inspiring poetic thoughts. Not jotted down, they are gone. Maybe later.
The place mat on which the subject poses was made in India – 80% of it is from the banana plant. A cousin of mine who lives in India gifted me with this set. She knows I love my banana “tree” – which is actually an herb. In India, she shared with me, EVERY part of the banana plant is used in some way!
{ 0 comments }
Transitioning from the Vegetable theme to Fruit with mixture of grapes, broccoli, mushrooms and scallions to
berries in a ceramic bowl.
In yesterday’s Picture to Ponder, I committed to posting at least one photo of fruit per day, for the next week. One of the subscribers wrote and asked if I had any grape photos she could use for the cover of a book she is writing. I do not have any current photos of grapes and I went back in my files to discover these photo/drawings.
Given I had not committed to their being new photo, I thought these would be great to also introduce new people to my work to my photo drawing art in my Cafe Press Gift shop. The top image can be found on ceramic tiles.
{ 0 comments }
Today’s Picture to Ponder Photos
Sections of a dehydrating Gold Delicious Apple that had been in the refrigerator for some time.
Today, as I started clicking through photos in my MacIntosh’s iPhoto program to make a choice for feature photos, these apples caught my eye. It was the humor I saw in the sideways glance and winking eye of the apple half in the lower photo that first grabbed my attention.
In the upper photo, I think it’s the somewhat unexpected structure of the apple that we see that I find so interesting. And, “yes,” for those of you who, along with me, see faces in my photos, I do see the two eyes.
Today’s Self-Reflecting Queries
Today, I invite you to look into your life to see:
1. Are there things you’ve been saying you would do and then haven’t?
2. If “yes,” is there an intention you wish to declare, something that will make it easier for you to follow through?
3. Are there any games you would like to create for yourself to have them happen, especially when you get stuck?
4. Are there “permissions” you need to be giving yourself? – Perhaps, simply allowing yourself to have fun?
My Story of the Day leading to these queries:
Last month, you may recall, I documented the peeling away of the layers of an onion. If you missed it, you can see some photos and start following on the SECOND PAGE of the blog.
When I started out photographing the onion, my original plan had been to do daily postings on the blog of vegetable photos, continuing with fruits the next week. In preparation for the latter, one day I pulled an apple from my refrigerator. I discovered that it had been in there long beyond the time for tasty eating. The apple did, however, make an enjoyable photo subject.
In the meantime, I got so caught up in the Onion Story that I went well beyond the original intention of one week of vegetable photo posting and totally lost interest in continuing on with the fruits.
As usual, after I made my choices I started second guessing them, “Should I even do the apple? Is this the right choice? What about the lighting, color, quality, etc. etc.” And I decided to stick with my first instincts, at the same time uploading onto FlickR several more of the photos which you can see by simply clicking on APPLE- INSIDE VIEWS.
As always, it’s when I start writing that the SRQ themes develop and for today, I saw, that once again they are falling into the Intention – Completion realm, with a little bit of the “trust” factor thrown in. The latter for today is trusting that there are those of you out there for whom something in these apple photos, and subsequent queries, will be making a difference for you.
On the lighter side, it could be as simple as checking your refrigerator for the credible edibles.
In terms of completions and incompletions, I have been looking this week at places in my life where I have incompletions. Mainly they seem to be in those areas where I had set intentions. And, I’m taking little steps this week, stages of completion.
As I’ve stated, in prior issues of Picture to Ponder, when I remind myself of my stated intentions, it becomes easier to complete and there is a lot less brain “chatter”. And, sure enough, a couple of major things have been accomplished already, beyond what I thought was possible, in some long lingering projects I had dropped, as well as in current ones.
To conclude here, insofar as it relates to today’s discussion, I am commiting for the next week to the daily posting of fruit photos completing on the earlier expressed intention of a month ago, staying open to what might occur.
Given, I’m making up the game, I will also give myself the permission to use some photos I took a few weeks ago when I thought that would be my next activity.
Is there anything to which you would like to commit for the next week, something that might not already have been on your list?
As always, do remember to have fun. You can even divert momentarily and have some fun with
FIREFLAG PLAY
In the nature of fun, check out FIREFLAG LEAF, TALKING IN THE WIND, an 18 second video clip I posted on YouTube. I suspect many of you could create some great expressions that could be coming out of his/her “mouth.”
{ 0 comments }
Last of the Sunset in my Boynton Beach, FL Neighborhood – 8/24/08
Photo today for you to simply enjoy, or query, until tomorrow’s issue of Picture to Ponder when I’ll feature more, plus the story and queries.
{ 1 comment }
Yellow Hibiscus flirting, inviting us to stay out and play on a beautiful, sunshiney day in Florida.
Or is she saying, “Come in and play, with lights and shadows, textures”?
I responded by taking my camera, photographing the hibiscus, and then going inside to work on my book. During breaktime, looking for a photo, this one winked at me again and asked to cheer you on the web.
Happy SUNday.
{ 0 comments }