Being a teacher for so many years, I know Vincent Nichols’ statement is right: we’re losing social skills, the human interaction skills, how to read a person’s mood, to read their body language, how to be patient until the moment is right to make or press a point. Too much exclusive use of electronic information dehumanises what is a very, very important part of community life and living together.
Sofia leads us through different moods this week. A wonderful theme, very much needed in this world today. It will be interesting to see how we all react and feel – the same or differently?
The ups and downs in life, in a day, in an hour in a moment… I have tried to find some of those moods. they can change fast, we all know that. Some of them just happen…some of them we can create or change.
I love abandoned places. Walking there I often feel the place wants to tell me something. It is the same mood when I am walking in cemeteries – and in libraries. You feel the prescence of those who were there before you, the prescense of thoughts, words and lives.
What do these images tell you?
I hope they tell stories…
…of those who once lived there or worked there.
Then, let’s try some moods in the rollercoaster of life. Scary, frightening…the mood can sneak upon you when it is getting darker in the forest or in the streets on your way home. For some of us – it’s about monsters hiding under the bed or in the wardrobe.
Mood has to be controlled.
Otherwise, it’s your master.
― Toba Beta
Or, you can create a monochrome madness and play around with it – letting yourself go as dramatically as you want or dare to!
After all this tension, you will need some late evening bliss to calm you down.
But soon, back in the city’s frenzy… in order to survive, there is a need for slowing down again.
Over the years I have found that an artistic mood always makes me calm down and feel good…
… and a festive mood sometimes cheers me up – (but not too often…)
Feeling playful is a great mood for all creatures…
…and so is sheer happiness and love.
To join Sofia’s challenge this week, be sure to stop by her inspirational and beautiful Photographias site. In your own post, please include the lens-artists tag and link to her original post.
In my Backlit challenge last week you inspired me and many of us to use this type of photography more often. Thank you for opening our eyes to all creative possibilities! Next week, it’s John’s turn to lead us, so be sure to stop by Journeys with Johnbo next Saturday at noon EST for inspiration.
In the meantime, I’m hoping that your week is filled with light and creative inspiration. As spring has arrived here, there is much to do in my garden…
Leya 
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Once again great post for the topic, moods have been captured well and they can be felt.
I am glad you enjoyed them – it was a fun challenge.
Wonderful images and narrative Leya. You have evoked so many moods!
Thank you, Susan – a fun challenge it was!
Your opening quote is spot on… it makes me feel that I am part of the problem because I started experimenting with ChatGPT just to see what it is about. >grin<
Hahaha, well…we all are I guess…
I love the dogs and horse photos. The late evening bliss is beautiful
Thank you, Nora. That evening was really…bliss.
Blew me away, AC! You have extended from kits, to building, stree, art workplace… You have taught me to see mood for photography from different angles. Thank you 🙂
Thank you for a lovely comment, Amy!
A very different approach this week. But, I love it. It’s also an important aspect of our personalities.
Thank you – I liked this challenge a lot. Personalities –
👍
This is a wonderful post. I particularly like the two abandoned offices, and the fallen tree. Funnily enough, I don’t find the brightly-lit bar festive. Somehow it’s melancholy – all those people, even in groups, seem largely to be inhabiting their own worlds. But it’s a great photo.
Happy you liked it, Margaret. I must agree on that bar really, maybe it is because I am not a festive person either…
Oh wow! Many moods represented here
Thank you, VJ. I tried to have some…
You’re welcome!
I love the kites, playfully reminding us of happy times together. It’s funny because a few hours ago I told my husband I was going to bring a kite on our trip to Utah this week. Seemed fun and ”happy”.
Like you, I love abandoned places. They do have a story to tell. In that second photo I was thinking how I would want to touch everything and try to gain clues for what was the last thing to happen there.
The monochrome images were a unique take on the challenge. They both evoke a curiosity in me. What WAS the artist trying to say? or feel? And finally, the art studio was a favorite for me. A welcoming place to enjoy creativity. I loved your take on this, Ann-Christine.
I am so glad you liked my take…loved the challenge but first did not have a clue how to start. Artists are fun, strange and creative. I too love that studio. It was closed for the day, but we were let in and could just enjoy the light, the silence and the air of creativity on our own. A great experience.
I think I might want to touch everything. But yes to be present where there is an air of creativity is enough sometimes.
♥
Lots of different moods reflected in this one Ann-Christine. Hopefully the next generation will find a way to excel both at online conversation and face to face interaction. Who knows what the next 20 or 30 years will bring! I really loved the B&Ws this week !
Thank you, Tina! Well, I am rather content knowing I will not be here 30 years on!
Dear Ann-Christine
We suppose that communication is changing like everything changes in time. People like us, who use social media, have to learn to find their style of communicating their different moods. Isn’t it a great challenge to combine text and picture to transport a certain mood. We can learn from illuminated manuscripts in which the artists expressed their mood in the illuminations.
We don’t think we lose social skills. We learn new ones or express the old ones in a new way.
By the way, since the high middle ages people complained that social skills are getting lost (f.e. Walter von der Vogelweide ”Der erste Reichston”) what’s a classic sign of age. We suppose this is good to make place for social skills that serve the zeitgeist – and maybe in a mass society it’s a skill not to communicate in the old ways. We are quite happy that we don’t have to communicate face to face with a lot of people.
All the best
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Thank you for your comment, but I don’t wholly agree this time. The national tests I held in Swedish with my students showed more than a few misconceptions. Both concerning texts and photos/images. Quite a few could not read ”between the lines” and not figure out facial expressions correctly. It is sad. The worst cases are those who misunderstand and start fighting, and what about Japan, where young people are so afraid to meet someone in person, that they have to attend courses to learn how to.
Otherwise I agree it is good not having to meet face to face every time.
All the best
♥♥♥♥
Dear Leya,
we have to learn and decide how we want to use modern technologies.
We are lucky that our beloved Bookfayries don’t need social media. The virtual world is their life.
We just came back from a great holiday in Yorkshire.
All the best
xxxx
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
True! Glad you enjoyed your visit and are safely back home.
♥♥♥♥
Dear Ann-Christine
We had a marvellous holiday and now we have to be busy in our garden. The weather was and is brilliant. It’s great being home again as well.
Happy weekend
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
The best thing with going away – coming back and appreciating what we have at home. ♥♥♥♥
A thoughtful post as always, Ann-Christine. I love the first two as they are close to my own taste of lost and abandoned things/places. Yes, they have a story to tell. They always do, at least in a mind with imagination. All your photos show so much sensitivity for moods. Prague’s street art is wonderful as is the happy face of the girl in your last photo. No one seems to enjoy people watching anymore, stuck as they are on their phones, constantly. I love doing it and I wonder if that reflects in the inability to understand moods and emotions.
I am happy you liked the first two and the street art. The little girl I will never forget. She emitted pure love. Irresistable.
My students clearly showed less ability to understand moods and emotions – both in texts and photos. When we had national tests (everyone must do them), there was more than a few misconceptions. Young people read too little as well. It is sad.
Good point about reading less. I hadn’t thought about that one.
♥
Great photos, great variety of moods. What’s the story with the left side monochrome, body hanging? Looks macabre.
Ahh. If I zoom I see he’s hanging my the arm and not neck.
Yes! And his other hand is in his pocket!
He must keep his gentlemanly decorum. 🤷♂️
Exactly!
It’s Sigmund Freud hanging out from the academy!
Ahhh. That makes sense. I think. Maybe. 🙂 🙂
♥ ;-D
So many different photos for this week that provokes emotions. Love the tree root, it’s just fun and made me smile. Your last photo is pure love 😀
♥ Thank you, Cee. Pure love it is…
I absolutely loved this post. Great images that illustrate various moods. I thought the scary tree was great. And when you brought us back to our reality, the examples were beautiful.
Thank you, Anne! I am very happy you liked the post and the examples. I really loved this challenge, and it seems more than me did.
😊
Each picture is telling a story as you intended Ann-Christine 🙂. Is that man with the umbrella Mary Poppin’s brother 😂? The evening photo is reminding me of my own strolls in the fields here sometimes!
It’s interesting though what story people show in these days of instagrams and tiktoks. There may be a whole lot of chaos behind, while the observers see only the ”good life” part because that’s what was shared, and get dissatisfied about their own lives thinking why isn’t their life picture perfect like the other’s! Oh well…sorry for the long rant…I rather prefer our blog posts than the instas and tiktoks – they feel more from the heart 🙂!
I must agree, PR. I prefer the blogs posts too. And I guess…that MUST be M.P’s brother!
These are all great! And you’ve captured many moods with your photos. Spring has finally arrived here too and I’m busy in the garden too, yay!! Happy gardening!
Thank you – happy gardening!
Yay!!
That’s a really important point about the use of electronic communications and how they inhibit our reading of others’ moods. I really like your first two photos of abandoned places and the light in your evening shot is beautiful. A great variety of moods!
Thank you, Sarah – I liked this challenge a lot. I think many of us did!
I have no idea who Toba Beta is, but that quote pulls its weight. And I think the set you show us this week demonstrates clrar mastery of the emotions.
I love that chap with a briefcase doing a Mary Poppins
Thank you, I.J. And I never thought of Mary Poppins! Of course!
A post that made me laugh right at the start, lots more and smile and ahhhs. Love so many – abandoned buildings are always a favourite as is being in the forest finding all manner of natures fun. Fabulous Ann-Christine, just fabulous 🤗
So glad this resonated with you, Brian! I love seeing fun creatures in the trees, clouds aso. My grandmother used to see things too, even goblins…
Your grandmother was a special person
Yes. she was. I am still missing her.
🤗🤗
Tish’s comment provided the right words for me – a ”fine mood gallery” is a great description. For me, the joy of the header captured and held my attention.
Thank you, Frank – that day was one of my most joyful ones for years!
Such a heartfelt essay, A-C, and fine mood gallery. You make such crucial points about losing our capacities for human interaction. And now the younger generations are being lured by AI and chatbots, as if interchange with machines is a measure of human progress rather than the opposite – the distinct risk that we will surrender of our powers of creativity and intellectual discretion.
Yes…I am really concerned about the future – in every wqy.
way…
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