Lens-Artists Challenge # 336 – Only One Picture

/ Leya

This week it is my turn to present a challenge – and I mean to give us all a real” test”. I tend to use several pictures in my posts, and some of us often do – so the challenge is to use only ONE picture. One that you find important, meaningful to you, maybe sending a message – and then explain why you picked just that picture. It is not meant to be a ”favourite” picture of yours, not at all…so…

– here is mine.

This is a 13 year old picture from Segovia, Spain. I was walking this city street, eagerly looking for the famous aqueduct… and suddenly it appeared in front of me, the impressive, Roman construction going right through Segovia. I was left standing in the middle of the street, gasping, filled with awe. How small the modern buildings seemed! After some 5-10 minutes, two men, old friends I guess, came slowly walking by. Three legged – but strong.

Two major thoughts entered my mind. The importance of knowledge – never stop learning – and stay open and curious. (I was a teacher…) Then my thoughts started wandering.

I have seen several aqueducts on my travels – but nothing like this one. My greatest love is Pont du Gard in France, from a trip in 1976. The old Romans were skilled architects and builders, and although they had better mortar than ours, the Segovia aqueduct was built without it, just stones on top of stones. It was built in the first century AD to carry water to the city from mountain springs 17 kilometers away. The complete archade consists of 167 arches – and it was in use until 1973! Incredible.

Nothing we build today has the strength to last for 2000 years… I am sure. It should trouble us that we are losing old knowledge every day, and one day, maybe there will be no computers to ask. – Someone or something, someday will surely pull the plug. During my last working years, many of my student’s turned to Google instead of learning from books. Sad. Critical reading is taught in every subject in school, but somehow young people seem to believe too many things found on the internet…and forward things without checking their credibility. I also think it is wise not to stop learning things by heart – even the smallest things – and you will be exercising your mind and brain, keeping them alert.

My eyes followed the two old friends – how I would have loved to ask them about their lives, their world and their thoughts about the future! But, unfortunately I don’t speak good enough Spanish. And that is another thing we are losing – languages. It’s a fact that, if we lose a language we lose the culture connected to it as well. That is the way cultures are lost – in Sweden we are losing the Sami culture, because not many people speak their language anymore – despite diversity treasures like having more than 100 words for describing snow, and words from their nomad life with reindeer.

I wish we would listen more to older, experienced people. There is so much collected knowledge to treasure. Instead, if we listen to what they have experienced and what history has to tell us, we don’t seem to care about it and we certainly don’t learn from it. We should try harder to change that.

I believe parents have a great responsibility. Please take care of the knowledge handed down orally, written and worked by hand! Don’t wait until it is too late. Once gone – forever gone.

A big thank you to Patti for last week’s challenge Colour vs B&W – a brilliant possibility to exchange thoughts and experiences of how to look at editing and photography! In fact I decided to use B&W in this post because of what I learned. Life long learning is essential not to wither and grow old too early!

Don’t forget to link to this post when you participate, and use the Lens-Artist tag. We are looking forward to seeing your choices! Next week Sofia will be our host – be sure to visit her inspirational site to find out what she is up to!

Until then – please stay safe, kind and curious

172 reaktioner på ”Lens-Artists Challenge # 336 – Only One Picture”

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  8. Hello, I like how your elderly guys with cane are walking towards the the Segovia aqueduct – and most folks in the photo seem head that way – and it almost makes it feel like we are walking with them with all of them facing that way. (Side note, my photo for this week’s challenge also has some folks walking, but my people are zig zagging around – and not in sync like the ones I felt here).

    I am shocked and excited to hear that this used until 1976 – and you are so right that things today are not built to last. I used to take photos of the cracked cement at places that were new builds. It puzzled me that they would beging to break down so quickly.

    I also enjoyed your thoughts about not losing knowledge and the Sami culture being endangered. Also, not sure if you heard the movie called ”The spy who was a catcher” – well I just watched it recently and it is about Moe Berg, a former Major League Baseball player who served as a spy for the OSS during World War II. Well I guess that Moe Berg spoke seven languages (and knew a bit about five more) and I marveled at that because nowadays just to be bilingual is a big deal….

    Svara

    • Thank you, Yvette – just came from your post – loved it. People walking – yes, and naturally some standing still, looking, thinking, photographing…And, you analyse it so well and make us feel grateful for Life. A good thing.
      Moe berg I have to look up, unknown to me. And the movie I do not recognize – will have to be on the lookout for that one.
      Do you speak more than one language? I speak two languages very well, a third one average, a fourth one I can only understand and only speak a little (Spanish). My strong belief is that everybody should take some latin at school, because so many languages are built on the old language, which makes you easily understand them today even if you cannot speak them!

      Svara

      • I knew you spoke more than one language – and while I have taken German, Spanish, and French, I am not very fluent in any of those, I used to be able ”read” French and could get through short stories – but without practice it has not stuck with me. By the way, on Saturday we attended a wedding and I thought of you because it was bilingual. There was a translator there and even during the vows, the translator interpreted each part. Pretty cool. Oh and I agree with you on the Latin…. and I hope your week is off to a great start – peace

      • Thanks, Yvette! My sister-in-law married a Swiss man, and there they speak Swiss German – nobody understood what they were saying…so we also had a translator there. And I agree – too little practice makes everything disappear. I guess if we took it up again it would work?

      • Hi – yeah, I think I have the foundation there – maybe —
        and the Swiss German combo sounds super fun…
        and speaking of culture rich weddings, one of my favs was an India girl marrying a Jewish man…. three days of festivities with various culture things woven in….
        Hope your Friday is going well
        XXX

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  16. This is a very interesting challenge A-C and one which has attracted a huge response. I really enjoyed reading about your story. I had to think hard about this and decided upon something which I see every day, but had quite an impact on an important decision.

    Wheal Alice

    Svara

    • Wonderful decision, Jude. And I loved your post from start to finish – such a lovely landscape where you live! And you had to work hard to get there – but it seems to be the right place in the end.

      Svara

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  19. What a beautiful post, Anne-Christine. I love the picture and the idea to learn from older generations as well as from history in general. I bet the world would be a much better and more interesting place. The same counts for cultures and languages. Diversity is not just beautiful, but also important, and without it, I believe, humanity faces a great loss. – Thank you for this wonderful challenge…It was indeed quite a ‘test’;).

    Here comes my contribution: https://beingamazedcom.wordpress.com/2025/02/20/%f0%9f%93%b8waiting-for-the-light-lens-artists-challenge-336/

    Svara

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  23. this is one of the most inspiring photo challenges and would make a good theme on a fairly regular basis so thank you this. I loved visiting Segovia with you as I only saw it briefly on my way to the start of a walking holiday. The fact that you chose this couple as centre stage gives the whole photo a slow promenade look about

    I chose one from 9 years ago full of memories

    A slope where trees grow – PoetryPix

    Svara

    • It is so good to hear from you, Laura – and I am happy you liked the challenge! Good idea to use it more than once – thank you for the feedback.
      I just came from reading your post. Enjoyed it completely…

      Svara

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  39. There’s a story behind every photo we take, no matter what the subject is. And yours, is just remarkably such an amazing one!

    This is indeed an thought-provoking prompt, Ann-Christine 🙂

    Svara

    • Thank you, Hammad. I tried to make it a bit of a tough one for us all…! I so enjoy reading all the interesting answers too. They make me look extra at the picture and follow the thoughts of the writer.

      Svara

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  42. Hi Ann-Christine. I love this challenge and the stories that come with the photo. Your thoughts mirror mine…in terms of losing valuable knowledge. I remember going to an antiques store once in the USA and saw a dozen hand tools. When I asked the owner what the tools did, he didn’t know. So sad. All that knowledge lost. And what knowledge is being kept ”alive”? Is it factual or speculative? Remember the song, ”Teach your children well?” I hope we are within our communities. Here’s a link to my post and story. Enjoy! https://pilotfishblog.com/2025/02/18/lens-artists-challenge-the-power-of-one-photo/

    Svara

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  50. That’s a wonderful photo indeed. The contrast between the obvious age of the two old men and the seemingly ageless ancient construct is amazing. About one of the points that you make: I think it is technically possible for us today to make something that lasts a couple of millennia, but the fact that we value human time more now than the slave society of Rome did makes it economically unfeasible. I find it worth thinking about your question in various ways, but I my why can’t we always becomes a why don’t we.

    Here’s mine for the week: https://anotherglobaleater.wordpress.com/2025/02/17/light/

    Svara

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  59. What a wonderful photo, it tells many stories. I agree also with your comments. We should take more note of what our elders say. This is an interesting challenge, i will need to think about it.

    Svara

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  65. Such a thoughtful and thought-provoking post! You’re so right about the loss of culture when a language dies, and about the modern tendency to believe and share anything read or seen on the internet – although I don’t believe it’s only young people who do that, sadly.

    I’m away and wouldn’t normally join in the challenge as I tend to draw on my archives, but I hope you won’t mind me tagging one of my Postcards as a contribution. It seemed to fit the spirit of your challenge and also relate a little to your reflections here: https://www.toonsarah-travels.blog/a-postcard-from-abu-dhabi-louvre-museum/

    Svara

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  78. Wow, Ann-Christine this challenge can take us in many ways. These two gentlemen are friends and friendship lasts through all sorts of change–very much like our old structures. Both tell our histories and can foretell our future.

    Svara

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  81. Great image Ann-Christine and I love the story that you have told us about it. So very true. I’m so with about architecture. Everything we build these days has a time stamp, not like older buildings. The two guys, I wonder about their story true. Though sometimes the story you think of yourself can be better. Thank you for the challenge this week.

    Svara

  84. This photo has moved me too . . . two pictorial displays of ‘old’, a term oft not thought of, its importance disregarded . . . ‘once gone, forever gone’ – how true . . .

    Svara

    • Sweet Eha, thank you for a beautiful comment! That day I can still recall, and the feelings stirred. Since then I have lost both my mother and my father, so I know what I am talking about.

      Svara

  85. This post has moved me, almost to tears. I feel the compassion and the emphatic plea in your warning.
    And it all began with one photograph.
    I hope I can answer your challenge with at least half as much keenness as you have put forth in your post.
    Beautiful post!

    Svara

    • Dawn – what a beautiful comment! Thank you! I really was both uplifted and sad that day, and I still remember the feeling so well. Looking forward to seeing your choice!

      Svara

  86. A great challenge – and a brilliant execution on your part. The aqueduct behind the ”modern” buildings look stunning, and the street scene with the two gents compliments it beautifully. I totally agree with le pont du Gard – we must have been there around the same time. I spent my summers from ’74-’79 in Provence in our town’s twinned city with French friends of my parents and le pont du Gard was on the sightseeing itinary every year.

    I went minimalist on your challenge: https://picturesimperfectblog.com/2025/02/15/vision/

    Svara

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  89. Once I got past my dismay about featuring only one image Ann-Christine, I found your challenge truly challenging!! I thought I’d end up with a favorite from our travels but no, I found my response just down my street at my favorite place for musing, energizing and sometimes much-needed solace. Of course I loved your choice and the thoughts behind it. I too would have loved a conversation with your subjects who must have so much to share! An excellent challenge and an excellent example for us to follow. Wonderful as always. My response is here https://travelsandtrifles.wordpress.com/2025/02/15/lens-artists-challenge-336-only-one-picture/

    Svara

    • Tina – so glad you liked it in the end! And what an amazing choice you made. The picture is wonderful, plus the fact that it is one of the places you love the most. Loved your thoughts and words about why. Very thoughtful and very much you.

      Svara

  91. #339, not #336, I believe, judging from your L-A post last week. Outstanding photo, mixing millenniums old with the new, and VERY thoughtful commentary. 👏👏👏

    Svara

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  96. Oh, my! This will take some deep exploration and thought, which I actually enjoy doing. I love your comments about losing cultures and history, and how technology is stripping us of much of our humanness.

    Svara

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