Welcome to Friday Foto Flogging, a place to share your photos and photography news. We were inspired by the folks at European Tribune who post a regular Friday Photoblog series to try the same on this side of the virtual Atlantic. We also thought foto folks would enjoy seeing some other websites so each week we’ll introduce a different photo website.
This week’s theme: Random. … your choice!
Website of the Week: National Geographic Photo Galleries. The world in pictures
AndiF’s Choices
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An April Mayapple
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Sawtooth Moutains, Idaho
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Visiting the Underworld
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Random olivia
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Path in the grass
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Rumpelstiltskin grass
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Path by the river
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- Next Week’s Theme: Hard and Soft. Do they go together like love and marriage (or did I just want to sneak some Frank Sinatra?)
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Previous Friday Foto Flogs
Loving the asiatic lily, and when a shot doesn’t turn out right you just play with it and turn it into a Georgia O’Keeffe watercolor:
Cool beans!
I love the crinkly edges in the first one and the otherworldliness of the second.
Love those colours!
Very sexy! And colorful too!
Beautiful, SN! I’d like to have the second image on my wall. I’d find it very cheerful.
Those colors are amazing. Beautiful shots!
I like both. The red on the anthers just glows.
for creeping out the foto flog, but I had a visitor last night that was polite enough to sit for a portrait:
Not creepy at all. Like I said last night, I think this would make a cool sculpture. Do either Owen or Jackie ever work in that medium?
The wings are amazing … like stained glass.
It’s always great to get a good look at the wings of flying insects. Fascinating & beautiful in their delicacy — but what strength!
I don’t find these images nearly as creepy as I’d find, say, a picture of Dick Cheney in front of the US flag.
yep — and no need to even have the flag to make it creepy …
Yeah, I tried to shoot some dragonflies but they’re too fast for me. Love the “stain glass wings”.
I think it’s a crane fly.
I think mosquito hawk and crane fly are interchangeable.
Great set, Bob. I love the way you’ve played with angles in the 3rd and last shots.
The first shot is spectacular — even though I’m not sure what it is. I think it’s a petal or leaf but I’m prepared to be wrong.
Thanks Andi. The third is the new extension of the Atlantic Center For the Arts. It is a beautiful building both inside and out. I’ll post some more shots of this next week as it fits the ‘hard and soft’ theme.
Everyone was certainly on the right track with the leaf.
Hi Bob. Perfectly random … love it. 🙂
I like the lizard peeking its head out. And the tulips w/ the drops of water. I’m w/ Andi on the first one, a leaf or it looks like the lines you’d see on a close up shot of a tulip petal.
Thanks Olivia, The lizard is one of my favorites. He’s always in that tree year after year being ignored while I photograph everything else, so I thought why not.
The tulips were blooming in Virginia. From our last trip.
I really like that first shot!
The first shot is the shadow of the main stalk of the flower seen through a lower shade leaf of the plant. I know what that plant is(I`m visualizing it) but don`t know it`s name. Just guessing obviously.
I love the “Green Overlord” .
You got it, its a red canna leaf with stalk on the other side, sun shining through the leaf.
Howdy, Bob!
I’ve gotta say that I like this version of the shot better. I like the framing of the shadow within the shape of the leaf, contrasted with the palm fronds. I like the green/gold contrast too & the very pretty light/shadows.
Thanks,
Did the first as an abstract theme for a portfolio. The original’s motivation was the light/shadow theme as I was doing a lot of light study at the time.
It’s a wonderful shot for that theme.
Speaking of, Andi is asking for help with future Flog themes. I wonder if we’ve used that one .. must check the archives.
I’m glad you posted what it is just to satisfy my curiosity. I couldn’t tell if I was looking at stained wood, a flower petal, or a close up of a painter’s brush strokes.
The close up is so beautiful.
Love this collection of colors, Bob!
The shots I like best are the two featuring rectilinear structures in contrast with green, organic forms– a very familiar place for me.
Entertaining 63 students and 17 adults with 8 ping pong balls
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Folding the flag
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Taking the measure
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LOL, hi Jim … 🙂
Laughing over the name of that first pic. Were these from the recent trip? What were they testing the water for? I like the look of concentration on his face. I also really like the idea of having 2500 acres in which to play.
I took a bunch of photos at the camp with my 6th graders. He was either getting a water sample for a pH test or dissolved O₂ as part of a water quality study.
Ah, the life of a mentor! I’m sure its very entertaining at times! Nice set.
Jim, great crowd you got there.
What`s behind the tables & the ping pong balls?
We take our sixth grades to a camp for 3 days each spring. One of the evenings, we have to entertain ourselves with skits, games, and puzzles. The picture is showing a game we’ve played for years called Halitosis Ping Pong. 8-10 kids surround a table and just using their breath try to keep the ball in motion and on the table for as long as possible. The parents can participate, but usually they are the judges and timekeepers. The winning table kept a ball in play for 50 minutes this year – a new record!
These shots speak volumes, Jim — most especially, for me, the flag shot. Quite magical metaphors there, for this particular time & place — and Felix too!
Felix was a prize from the halitosis ping pong game the night before. He has shown up at school several times since the trip.
There is something about kids and flags. KnuckleHead’s shot of his granddaughter comes to mind. Last year’s class raised some money to buy a large flag for the music teacher to use during her Veteran’s Day program. When they presented it to her, they did it as kids would.
What a great shot!
Not sure if I should ask, but: what is halitosis ping-pong? You open your mouth & the ball leaves by itself .. ?
I described halitosis ping pong upthread a few messages. They don’t actually put the ping pong ball in their mouths, but if it would control talking in class ….
Shame on me. Sometimes I have to shift my browser window to read whole posts & I’m too friggin’ lazy.
Hopes Dreams & Aspirations
At the age of reason, we begin to see ourselves as what we would or could be, in numerous fantasies. These are manifested in dreams sometimes & in daydreaming at others. It would seem natural, that these reveries would usually cast us in a good light & unintentionally, always steer one away from the dark side.It has always been my fantasy that the dreamers of the world, the young ones, with the purity of their aspirations & hopes, should have theirs fullfilled.
Goodbye, My Friend
Our cat died yesterday after living 20 years, with a one-eyed view of the world.
Black Magic
Rubber Check
LSD On Mushrooms
Eegstatic
Dark emotions
Campfire Songwriter
Ainsbury Archer
A Working Man
Antique Rose
Computer Bug
Iris Beauty
(rb137, Where`s your husband)
The Immigrant
Seventh Heaven
Well that’s a random random bunch. 🙂
Antique Rose sets a wondrously evocative mood. Definitely my favorite of this set.
Thanks Andi,
I would like to mention that the three you`ve posted are individually stunning, but the underwater “sky” is pure magic.
Thanks. All the fates were in perfect alignment — time of day, slant of light, water level of the lake, state of the plants, me with camera.
I agree with KH. “Visiting the underworld” seems more like a painting to me than a photo. Really, really intriguing.
Tampopo,
Exactly, damn, I`d be playing with that shot.
It`s a storm sky, it`s everything.
I love that shot.
Thanks, tampopo. It’s weird. I’ve walked past that spot hundreds — maybe thousands — of times and never seen it look that way before. So noticing it and getting the picture really was a massive stroke of luck.
Hi Head.
So, so sorry about Milo … I’m glad he didn’t linger in discomfort, but I’m sorry that you’ve lost your friend. Hugs …. {{{}}}
Love the randomness of your post. The last shot is stunning.
Olivia,
Thanks,
I was just reassuring my granddaughter Chloe about how he was comfortable to the very end. When she came over today & found out, she started crying.
The last shot is “7TH Heaven” for the 7 shots it`s made from.
Actually, I love it also.
As usual, taken from my deck.
Sorry for the loss of your friend.
Thank you Tampopo.
But friends do have to go on.
We should wish them well on their forward journey.
Another fine set! Spectacular sunset! My favorites this time would be Black Magic and Antique Rose.
Indianadem,
I`m presented with these sunsets by just looking over the monitor & across the room to the large framed mirror over the fireplace which reflects the sunset to me through the large floor to ceiling window behind me. Or, I can just turn around. Hah.
Then, it`s out onto the deck, my roof, or the lower yard to shoot these marvels.
As for the other two images, it seems like they do go together.
BTW, “Black Magic” is a composite of two shots. The Raven taken in bright daylight, & the full moon, in the dark of night.
You`ll notice that though the theme is “Random”, my rebellious side, picked all images with a (not random) black background.
Thank you.
reflections got me paying attention.
I stepped outside and happened to look back through the door and saw this reflection:
Today I saw both the reflection of the tree and through the door’s window to and through the window beyond:
Perhaps I might get motivated to clean windows 😉
Tampopo,
You`ve found the door to the enchanted forest.
Please write.
Another gorgeous set, ‘Head. This week, my favorites are your rose, the guitarist, your self-portrait & your very loving portrait of Milo. Wow, what a terrific cat! His personality just shines out from his image. I wish him blessings on his way.
Could be the color palette of these particular images that I respond to, once again: warm, earthy & subtle.
I’m thankful that I’m able to actually see your pix this week. Probably the early hour.
Sorry to hear of your loss. It seems they’re only in our lives for a brief moment.
I like the Dark Emotions sculpture, Glass sculpture is a weakness of the both of us, it’s all over the house. Always hard to do glass justice.
Thanks BobX,
Besides it`s reflective quality, the transparency also presents problems at times.
I`ve experimented alot with glass imaging.
Great set. 7th Heaven is my favorite – wonderful color and texture.
Thanks Jim,
Luckily, I`m presented with a daily choice.
It does make it easier to look out the window & decide if it`s worthy, but I still watch them every night.
I forget which camera I used but hopefully I got many more shots of that one.
I think you put a bug in my head. I`ll go look at my files on that one.
Whenever a sunset is rather spectacular, I take as many shots I can, including panoramic sets at different focal lengths, & from different locations at my place. The roof, the deck, & the lower yard.
Going down to the beach would have been better possibly, but I wish I`d done a triple layer panoramic shoot .
As you can see, there`s much more to it, overhead.
Another old friend, also departed some years ago.
You weren’t planning to use this desk, were you?
Same question, different location
In honor of dada
“In honor of dada”,
That`s a great one Indianadem.
And that`s one huge friend you had.
Thanks KH. She was a real clown personality and we still miss having her around a lot.
They’re all put-a-grin-on-your-face pictures but the last one is irresistible.
She was a rare one;-)
Your third photo is priceless, ID. Gotta love kitties with a real sense of humor — they just blow the common perception all to hell.
🙂
That third one is great, going into LOL cat territory.
I M in yr hart
Peekin out at u!
LOL ID … that last photo is fantastic. 🙂
I was reading a post on lifehacker yesterday about various contraptions people build to entice their cats off the desk space: shelves, wine crates nailed to the wall … This post: Recycle a wine crate into a cat perch.
Andi and olivia, your sets this week are especially intriguing! Love the underworld and the river path!
Thanks ID. Ain’t spring grand? 🙂
Thanks ID … 🙂 It’s one of the nicest paths along the river here, I think.
Slipping in here to comment. I really like your “Rumpelstiltskin grass” – I would love to see that poster size and on a wall during the winter. Sting’s “Fields of Gold” popped in my head 😉
Tony the orphan wombat wanted out (or at least something to gnaw on).
Petting the koala.
Feeding the emu from a sensible distance.
That koala is beyond adorable.
And that niece is very good at choosing aunts. 🙂
Of course, the biggest hit at ZooDoo was the inflated “jumping castle”. We had to go back there several times. We also had to feed each and every one of the deer – some of them twice.
I’m thinking the native wildlife may have become a bit blasé for our rural lass.
I’m w/ Andi … that Koala bear is just beyond cute.
Oh – to touch a koala! What a wonderful photo for your niece (and us).
When I was 10 or so I found out about koalas in a library book (when books were a major source of new information) and decided that I wanted one. Then I found out about eucalyptus trees. My plan became:
I woke up ridiculously early this morning. I finally looked out a window and realized that I was supposed to see this…
This doesn’t really do the sky justice, but it’s the best I could do at 6:30 this morning.
and a very good capture of it. Just beautiful.
What a lovely shot! Very serene, with the motion of the clouds very clear.
Good to see you!
Nice sky-blue-pink. We’ve been having some interesting skies in the morning too. It must be the weather systems we’ve been having lately.
Hi Toni!
That’s really pretty — looks like your trees are well on their way (leaf-wise).
The April Mayapple shot is amazing.
Thanks Toni.
It’s really great to have you here and posting pics.
Of course, a picture of Andrew would make it perfect. 🙂
Miriamieh Church (St Mary Church), Old Damascus
Mosque near Mariamieh Church, Old Damascus
Lottery Ticket Seller, Bab Touma Street, Near Bab Touma (Thomas Gate) of Old Damascus, Near My House
Vegetable Seller, Bab Touma Street
Flower Shop, Bab Touma Street
In the Courtyard, Marionite Church, Marionite Archdiocese, Just off Bab Touma Street
Inside the Maronite Church
I just love the buildings with the lights coming from the windows.
The first one is the bell tower of the church, and the second one is the minaret of the mosque. The church is very big, one of the landmark churches in Damascus. The mosque is about a block away, but it is not unusual to see churches and mosques right next to each other. In fact, there are some very interesting historical stories about the relationships between churches and mosques here. Maybe when I have more time…
Good to see you, Hurria. Thanks again for lovely images. Your street scenes are my favorites — lovely complexity & motion.
One of my favourite things to do here is to just walk or hang out and watch the scenes on the streets – and take pictures, of course. I missed some incredible shots yesterday, and it just broke my heart, but things happen very fast, and I try to take “stealth” shots of people so they don’t become self-conscious and pose or avoid, or whatever, and sometimes the shot goes away before I can get the camera ready. Still, I used up two batteries yesterday, and am thinking of trying to buy a couple more today.
The challenges you mention (aside of power supply issues, which are just a drag) are a good part of what I like about photography; you’re forced to direct & focus your attention so that you may ‘capture’ the optimum moment. It’s easy to be upset at lost photo ops — it’s all so fleeting! — but there are always others sure enough.
I always come around to a realization of being-in-time; the saying that ‘one never steps into the same river twice’ seems to apply to the art of catching water in the palm, that is like taking pictures.
Thanks again for bringing a far part of the world into our lives here.
Very wise, but still I was close to tears yesterday over what could have been some incredible shots of a boy about 1.5 years. Nothing I actually got came close to what those could have been. And it was my fault because I turned to the man standing next to me, and said “look at that boy” and laughed when I should have been busy shooting. I acted too late.
Oh, well, we miss many kinds of opportunities in life, some far more devastating than lost snapshots.
Yes, that’s right.
We have many other reasons for tears, too.
Thanks for giving us a glimpse of life in yet another place. The picture of Miriamieh Church is especially fine.
Thanks Andi. The area where I am living now is full of very old churches. I visited one yesterday that dates from the very earliest years of Christianity. Did not get any pictures then, because I was with the lady who owns my house, and she did not seem to want to take a lot of time, so I will return another time by myself.
And that will give something to look forward to for the next FFF. 🙂
The night shots are great!
I like the flower shop. The reflection of the man makes the shot for me. It’s a shot that suggests a story. As usual, an interesting set.
Hurria,
The lit belfry is great.
The inside views of the christian church & the shrines, bring memories of my rural upbringing in the catholic church, though I`ve not been inside one for many many years.
It`s nice to see the everyday life that seems filled with people not so encumbered with the stresses we seem to live with here, though I could be wrong.
Remember, panoramas.
I do hope you did receive my email about them.(sent when you mentioned I could email you a few weeks ago)
Thanks KH. The Maronites are part of the Roman Catholic Church, but they have their own liturgy, which is mainly in Arabic and Aramaic (which sounds a lot like Hebrew), and some rules of their own. For example, a married man can become a priest, but if a single man becomes a priest he cannot marry. I have relatives by marriage who are Maronite, and so I try to get some pictures for them when I can.
Life here is much more people-centered – family, neighbors, and friends – than it is in the U.S., and work is less central to life. People have their worries, of course, but they also tend to have a strong and broad human support system.
Yes, I did receive your e-mail, and have tried to take some shots that I can turn into panoramas. I don’t have Photoshop on this computer, though, so it will have to wait until I get back to my other computer.
I am sitting now in a cafe near my house that has free wireless, and there is a wedding going on nearby. There was another wedding around here yesterday, so we have had quite a bit of excitement.
Good one Hurria,
First, as I said in the email, the importance is to shoot them.
I always take the central shot of a panorama a few times bracketing the “zoom” & do shoot the panoramas at differing distances. That way you have single shots & ones that can be merged into panoramas, from the same numerical chronology.
I didn`t want to reveal a possible ignorance on how Catholic the Maronite shrine & church interior looked but I most certainly was ignorant of the rules regarding marriage.
I`m from a family that was quite impacted by the rules in the catholic church having had a father who had done his seminary studies to become a priest, only to be rejected because of “hearing” problems that would have impacted on the validity of a Mass, if he could not hear the altar boys` responses to the prayers. Out in a world he did not know about, because of the cloistered seminary life he`d lived since Elementary studies in the Jesuit classical schooling, through Methode, Syntax, Philo 1 & Philo2 then seminary & noviate schooling
& marrying a Unitarian mother who had to convert to Catholicism to do so, while having to live with being “cast out” by her family for doing so, you can believe that the problems this caused led me to question religion at a very early age. Thank God (hahahaha, I love my endings.)
Sorry about the ranting
Hi Hurria!
I really enjoy your street scene photos as well … there are so many things for the eyes to take in. And the first two shots of the lighting at night are beautiful.
Andi & Olivia! I love all of your shots. Just love the greens & golds & the variations in these graceful natural forms — grasses, plants & rock.
Thanks FFF. Olivia and I have a good time planning each FFF, though I have to admit coming up with new themes is getting to be a challenge (hint, hint for any suggestions).
I hear you.
I guess that if you’re ever at a real loss, you can just open up the dictionary at random, point & shoot. As I shall do presently.
involution (the detailed design)
recollect (the web of memory)
turbulent (rough seas, howling winds)
wanderlust (seek & ye shall find)
roof (a roof)
Thanks for these. Nice to have some new ideas to ponder.
Don’t thank me; thank the Concise Oxford Dictionary, Fifth Edition.
🙂
dada suggested this one too ww. Opening the dictionary at random, picking a word and going w/ it … We’ll have to do that.
Bob’s just suggested another theme: light/shadow.
Could be really interesting!
Thanks ww!
Olivia, ‘Path by the river’ is a magical shot.
Yesterday & today.
I like all of these, but especially the portrait in b & w, as I like to try those m’self on occasion. I’ve always had great difficulty getting candid shots like that, probably because I’m very people-person and my first instinct is to interact with the subject rather than set up and take the shot!
In portraiture, I’ve spent more time on the model’s side of the lens than the photographer’s side.
My memory is that interaction isn’t harmful to the process as long as the photographer remains the photographer. It’s best if there’s a boundary there for the session, even if we know each other well.
Photo above is a self-portrait (1998); in that case, the danger wasn’t too much interest in the subject, but boredom.
wilderness wench,
The portrait is even more impressive now that I know it`s a self portrait.
I think that self portraits are one of the hardest images to take & to self judge.
Excellent work
I just adore the candle shot. The last one reminds me of Robert Frost’s “The Mending Wall.”
Interesting that you should say that! For this Foto Flog, Mending Wall was my first inspiration.
Hope you caught the secret!
😉
wilderness wench,
Very nice portrait.
It reminds me of some of the black & whites from the great depression. Very good composition.
The “chipmunk cave” in the wall, is a great capture.
Has anybody else noticed it?
It is a good quality, for an image to be viewed with a ‘double-take’.
It`s just a rock wall till you see it`s really an image of a chipmunk.
Thank you for your thoughts, ‘Head!
Re: the chipmunk, I had only 2 -3 seconds to catch it. An amazing little event!
The portrait is just outstanding. It even outshines the candle.
Love the close-up of the stacked stones too.
This is yet another stone wall — in this case, a long retaining wall holding the earth away from the house.
Thanks for your encouragement, as always.
I love the portrait – so much on her mind – and the hidden chipmunk.
I thank you for your encouragement, SN!
I also have it on good authority that the model’s mind at the time of the photograph was basically pretty empty. As usual.
Yeah, I’m not buyin that one…
The shot that draws me in is the bolder strewn hillside. I want to be there.
This is a very special & serene place at the very top of this old farmland, near the summit of Red Hill & one of the Catskills’ remaining fire-towers.
If you’re ever in the area, get in touch. I’m sure the rocks will wait.
😉
Hi ww. I just love your photos … the etherial quality of them. I agree w/ the others — that portrait is wonderful! I love the candle too. Nicely captured.
Thank you, Miss O!
ww – wow!
I like the candle’s reflection on the plate.
Your self portrait is stunning – in a way I find the shadows more important than the light, if that makes sense. How did you take it?
Your misty rocks are familiar as I have spent time near Bear Mountain. I love the trees growing around, between, and on the rocks.
Having read comments, I knew to look for the chipmunk. Quick reaction on your part. What caught my attention was the round river stone resting on the flat wall stones. Chipmunk home decorating?
Good to see you, tampopo. Thanks for your thoughts!
Round stone was probably the result of weeding in the flower bed against the wall. Or maybe someone, some time, liked a stone they found in the uphill creek & put it there.
Just one of those things ..
I think I might’ve taken the self-portrait with a timer. Alternatly, I held the camera at arm’s length & used a macro setting (more likely, after much practice & a sugar-free diet).
I understand what you mean about the shadows. Absolutely.
Not a photographer – just playing around. I’m still working on that ‘clickable’ thing.
pussyfoot
pussywillow
peaches
pals -“I had a farm in Africa” or, I had a dog in Georgia
And lovely photos they are. And what a shock — the bottom one is my favorite.
These show a really nice sense of color! The critter photos are my favorites, because of a very definite mood each one has.
Focus on the kitty’s hind foot & its amazing fur is pretty great.
Those peaches don’t look ripe yet, but I like the color. Do peach blossoms smell like the fruit?
Hi Alice!
Great to see you in the flog … 🙂
I love the tufts of fur in the pussyfoot. (I’m w/ ww – love the critters, and esp kitties. 🙂 And the peach blossoms are wonderful.
Thanks guys, you’re very kind. Now there’ll be no stopping me. If I could only remember to carry the camera and then use it.
I really like this one and how it came out, as well as how it’s framed. I hope you do to.
Very nicely framed. I was struck by the juxtaposition of the regimented bricks with skewed i-love-america sign.
I really liked the skewed sign aspect of it. Very old-timey feeling, IMO. It just seemed to represent Americana well.
Funny the things you find by chance.
Stand Strong,
Very nice composition with the vignetting also.
The sign seems to be the kind that has two sides, with the other side being “out to lunch”, or ones that say, “gone fishing” .
It`s also hung on a flag display bracket implying a fluttering one would be there on the 4th of July & like days.
What would be funny is if it did say “Out to lunch” and then with the end of George Bush, was flipped back over to reveal the ‘I Love America’ sentiment seen here.
Wow. This picture speaks a thousand words, like other photos you’ve posted. Quite beautiful.
Thank you, Wilderness Wench.
I’m not someone to wear my patriotism on my sleeve, or rather, a yellow ribbon magnetic bumper sticker but the image does kind of stoke my positive feelings for my country.
It’s a feel good kind of image, I think.
Interesting — this must be the type of image that speaks directly to the viewer’s mindset.
I see a rather battered sign, faded & weathered, against a brick wall — a common metaphor for something impervious to change, influence or improvement (‘like talking to a brick wall’, as the saying goes). There’s a way past the wall, but it’s not accessible to the viewer. The color red is its own metaphor, too — aside of a ‘truer’ match for the stripes in the flag than the stripes on the sign.
All in all, I see a metaphor for the national character at this point in time, how it may be interpreted by those ‘looking in’.
Thanks again for posting another very sensitive image.
Yeah, reminds me of areas of Boston with the brick, iron and the hanging. It has a very familiar feeling.
Nice one Stand.
That’s just deep.
But good.
Very, very good.