When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.
― Ansel Adams
Egidio is our silent guide this week, and silence is one of our most precious gifts in life. Please visit Egidio’s inspirational site to learn more about the challenge and American photographer Robert Adams’ use of silence in photography.
Trees, forests and water are my main sources for portraying silence. And as always, Light. My favourite places to go for complete silence – only allow the sound of wind, water or bird song.
Silence is a source of great strength.
– Lao Tzu
In silence there is eloquence.
– Rumi
Let silence take you to the core of life.
– Rumi
Silence speaks louder than words.
– Thomas Carlyle
Silence is not the absence of sound but the presence of a deeper meaning.
– Unknown
Silence is a true art; it teaches us to speak without words.
– Unknown
A massive thank you to Ritva for last week’s challenge based on Leonard Cohen’s poem. I loved the variety of responses to this creative challenge. We hope you will join us again, and remember to link back to Egídio’s original post with the Lens-Artists tag, so we can find you in the WP reader.
Next week it’s Patti’s turn, Saturday 9th November. Patti’s challenge will be In the Details, as she asks us to choose a subject (a statue, a person, a place, street art, etc.) and take a series of photos ot it. Getting closer and closer to the subject, focusing on a particular detail(s). We can vary our shots by changing perspective or angle of shooting – or even lens. Post three photos of the subject, but feel free to shoot another series on a second subject.
Until then, stay safe and creative.
This morning I had an appointment for Milo – his annual big haircut, bath and spa (if I can call it that…). He has a love/hate thing with it. He rushes to his beloved Mia – and doesn’t want to have an ordinary walk before the ordeal. But after suffering a couple of hours at her hands, he then emerges as a RENEWED DOG.
While he is there, I take a long walk in my old surroundings, where I worked for about 20 years. This walk was always a pleasure, and now, with some colours still lingering – it’s a treat.
Please walk with me even if it is damp and foggy in the morning –
– it will get brighter when the sun has soaked up the mist.
And it’s on its way now…
I can feel it!
The forest is silent and the air crisp and clear. Autumn at its best.
Now when Milo was his loveliest self again, he happily jumped into the car to go home. But first another walk where I always used to stop after work – The Old Mill. See you there next time!
I often have Japan on my mind. Not only for the beauty, but also for the amazingly kind and helpful people. My children had told me about it, but I still was overwhelmed.
I loved the streets in our area in Tokyo and Nara. Empty or crowded, morning or evening, the special light and people hurrying by on bicycles. It made me remember our first visits to China – thousands of bicycles in those days (1989)!
The Japanese are very disciplined, queueing patiently for their turn. If you look lost, within a minute, someone is there to help you. Smiling and good humoured. We were very grateful, because it was impossible to find the way with no street names… Our first day here, a truck driver even parked his car and accompanied us all the way to our hotel.
That first day, we went to Tokyo Sky Tree, as we wanted to see Tokyo by night from above. I have posted on it earlier – an experience to be recommended.
But, when we tried to find our way back through the darkening streets (they still had no visible names ), we realised we were lost.
And there was noone out in the street to ask. The shops were closed, so no chance there either. My husband is usually good at walking in the most probable direction…but not this time.
We kept walking, rather tired now, when I saw this shop – a must have photo. Strangely enough it cheered us up!
That is just another wonder with Japan – you don’t have to be afraid of empty streets or dark places. Not at all. A taxi would not have been wrong though, for tired legs.
We finally came across a biking man who could direct us towards Asakusa, where we lived. We realised we were kilometers away from our hotel. And hungry. It was one of those sooo good moments to be back in our own street!
Lost again? No, the bamboo forest is like an uplit highway through the grass – for it is a grass – that is fast-growing and very versatile. From bowls to knickers! I guess all of us have got something made of bamboo in our homes. And it is such a beautiful plant too with its marked stems and thin leaves. I hope not all of these were planted the same year, because bamboo dies when it has flowered. And it only flowers once.
More of Japan will pop up over time – it is one of the most special places I have ever visited.
Ritva challenges us this week to think abstract. Abstract photography breaks the normal rules of realism. She explains that it focuses on the shapes, colors, textures, and patterns of the subject rather than its literal representation. Please visit her extraordianry site for more inspiration and examples!
Abstract, sometimes reality is just as abstract – this tree in Bhutan surely has an abstract quality.
Art has a voice – let it speak”
― Rochelle Carr
A gallery from the archives tells me I do like abstract…or non figurative. I think we all do, but maybe we just don’t think of our photos as abstract. We fall in love with certain qualities of the place or thing or anything that makes us create a photograph, be it abstract or not.
Techniques – and luck – used in the gallery are close-up, double exposure, collage, reflections, steam and light play.
There is no abstract art. You must always start with something. Afterward you can remove all traces of reality.
– Pablo Picasso
The gallery above was made with ICM on a walk in the surroundings of my old school last week.
To participate in this challenge, link to or leave a comment on the host’s original challenge post and please use the #Lens-Artists tag so we can easily find you in the Reader.
And if you want even more information on the Lens-Artists Challenge, please click here.
Last week Donna’s wonderful post invited us to rock, and what beautiful rocks and places we got to visit! Next week Egídio is hosting, I am sure his theme and beautiful photography will once again give us wonderful inspiration.
Until then, stay calm and wait for the next bus. I will be on the road for the next three weeks, but trying to stay in touch!
Posted for Debbies Six Word Saturday.
Anne is in the lead this week, and she has got a fabulous challenge in store for us – Filling the frame. Please visit her beautiful site for more inspiration.
Filling the frame offers a sense of completeness, clarity, inclusion, and comfort. We essentially “dive in” and experience the true essence of what the subject has to offer.
– Lucas Martin
So what does it mean – to fill the frame? Let’s see…
Prayer flags in Bhutan fill the frame in many respects – with cloth, letters and words.
Porto offers a staircase of sorts – it really fills up both us and the library/bookstore…
Filling the frame with a filled frame is hopefully allowed too? Beautiful stones of Georgia.
This random gallery of manmade and naturals ends with the rusty remains of a ship on a shore somewhere in Iceland. Filled with holes, but it still fills my frame. (Click to see the whole pictures)
Macro’s make us come really close, and leaves almost no empty space anywhere – maybe there is some truth in this quote from Robert Capa:
If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.
Fernsfernsferns – they are irresistible! Even the back side of them…
And, this is key to why I love it when an abundance of small pieces fill the frame –
– like these Icelandic icicles. To me, maybe it is also a matter of colours. Few colours, all hues in harmony, make the frames complete – or what do you think? I left a monochrome in the header… for us to keep pondering – is this a filled frame – or not?
Finally, a fiery frame from our walks this weekend – Autumn filled it from ground to sky. Lucas Martin was right.
Thank you, Donna, for a marvelous asymmetry challenge last week. We’ve learned a lot and had a lot of fun, haven’t we! Next week James of Jazzibee will be our guest host, be sure to look for his site for inspiration! Remember to link to the original post and tag with Lens-Artists.
If you would like to participate weekly in our Lens-Artists Challenge, click here for more info.
Leya 
Du måste vara inloggad för att kunna skicka en kommentar.