EXTRAORDINARY THINGS!!!!!
I made the beads and the bracelet and this extraordinary woman offered to model it!
I ran into these jaws on the beach and not in the water. Extraordinarily lucky!!!
Have you ever seen a sunset that wasn’t extraordinary? So many combinations of beautiful!
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_photo_challenge/extraordinary/
Pagans in a Modern Age
A few years ago, three friends and I went on a scouting party to find new artists for the Maestros del Arte Feria. Somewhere near Puebla, we took a back road and chanced upon this strange sight. We never did figure out what to make of it.
It was in farm country–no rare commodity in Mexico, where rural is the norm. This farm looked modern in most respects.
But as we zeroed in on the details, it felt as though we were going back in time to some pagan rite.
Was it a joke? Some local custom? A random coincidence of someone finding the doll’s head and sticking it on the stick in the middle of the crop rows? We’ll never know, but as you can see, I couldn’t resist pulling over to take a few shots. Not the weirdest thing that happened on our trip, but certainly the weirdest sight.
http://ceenphotography.com/2015/10/11/cees-odd-ball-photo-challenge-2015-week-41/
Zeroing In
The Prompt: Show us a couple examples of your work where you have a strong, easily identifiable subject.
I like lots of detail in pictures of rooms and people because those details tell a story.We can tell by the nacimientos on the buffet that it is Christmas time. That little two-necked clay cup on the table will create an entirely different story soon after this picture was taken. You can see that story HERE.
But I think this is a better picture composition-wise. There are still a number of details, but they are more unified as they are all grouped together on the table.
I like this portrait of my friend a lot.
Yet when I crop the portrait down to the eyes, they seem to tell a complete story of their own.
I took many pictures of my friend Audrey the day this photo was taken, but this was by far my favorite. It shows her good nature, reveals her camera and in my estimation, is more intriguing due to the limb she is behind.
************
Okay, now on to the second challenge. For the Gold Star Award, Find examples of your work that illustrate these three emotions: something that is beautiful or inspiring, something that makes you laugh, and another that makes you feel sad or melancholy.
Here is another portrait that I love because they are both so happy. It is inspiring to me that they are obviously good friends who know how to enjoy themselves. I cropped this picture to make it more intimate and I think the cropping turned out right.
These two shots of the same subject make me feel melancholy. Which do you prefer? In this case, I like the one with more detail because it is within those details that the story resides.
I took this picture at carnival (mardi gras) Iin Ajjic. It is a raucous, flour-throwing, rowdy time. And of course, these fellows made me laugh.
Travel Theme: Intense
I believe Diego was ready for either breakfast or dinner. He had tried his hardest to be polite, but his mom was intent on her blog, so finally he let his wishes be known vocally. Things always get intense at my house around meal time!
Little boy lost or simply little boy somewhat overwhelmed by a tall world? Either way, he looks intense to me!
I think my friends Lach and Becky look very intense as they entertain a crowd at La Rueda. Alas, they are back in the states and La Rueda is no more, but the good news is that although they came to visit, they ended up buying a house and will be back down soon! We did the same thing. Came for one day, stayed ten and by the end of it had purchased a house. Mexico stirs up intense loyalties in those who get bitten by the bug!
http://wheresmybackpack.com/2015/10/02/travel-theme-intense/
Confetti Eggs
If you are looking for color, Mexico has it no matter what your focal length is–from far and near. I couldn’t resist this pile of confetti eggs in the Ajijic plaza. The idea is to break them over the head of a friend–not by throwing, but by getting him/her in closer focus and then crushing it over his/her head. This creates a colorful friend and a big mess, so don’t try this at home, kids!
Part of focusing in is deciding what to focus in on from the larger scene. Did I want the confetti to show? Did I want the contrast of the eggs imprisoned in the plastic bag as opposed to those let free and then the futher freedom of the confetti that had already been released from its prison?
Or did I want to go with aesthetics over theme and just zoom in on the eggs and confetti alone? We still have the theme of confinement vs. release, but just on two levels. It did make for a more attractive photo without the bag, I think.
But if I came in closer and from a slightly different angle, might the bag work? Not really, because now I’ve lost the confetti!
This was my final shot–in close so I lost most of everything but the eggs. A bit of confetti showing, but losing the fluidity of the spill and pooling of the confetti. Somehow, this shot seems too rigid.
All in all, although I usually prefer closeups, I think I like the third shot the best. What do you think? Any advice?
Photo Retablo
When my camera conked out in Wyoming, I stopped at Best Buy to buy a new one, then realized I needed a spare battery. Thinking it would be cheaper on the internet, I decided to wait, but I quickly learned the battery for this very new model was not available online. Researching camera stores on Google, I discovered that one of only two camera stores remaining in Wyoming was in Casper, which we were due to travel through on our route to Cheyenne. When we found it, there were three members of the military being served so as I wandered the shop–basically one long counter, I found this retablo, I had to photograph it. How better to worship at the shrine of photography?
When it was finally my turn, I asked why there were so few camera stores in Wyoming and received an answer I should have guessed. The internet and large chain stores such as Best Buys and Costco had made dedicated camera stores obsolete. I was very grateful to have found this one. I was also pleased to find that these rechargeable batteries last at least 5 times longer than the batteries in my old camera.
http://ceenphotography.com/2015/09/27/cees-odd-ball-photo-challenge-2015-week-39/
Operation Feed is a local organization that distributes food weekly to 92 families in San Juan Cosala, Jalisco, Mexico. This year they’ve added meat, fresh vegetables and fruit to the staples formerly provided.
Good Still Exists Everywhere!!!
In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Pay It Forward.”Tell us about a time when you responded to an act of kindness with one of your own.
Today, for some reason, I did something I have never done before. Instead of writing to this prompt, I decided to read what others had written first. Why this was so, I don’t know. Perhaps it was because I had the feeling many probably had that it is embarrassing to talk about this subject. How in the world do you write about it without sounding (and being) narcissistic or self-congratulatory? There is no way to talk about our own good acts without sounding either falsely humble or like a braggart.
I say perhaps this is the reason, because I was not even conscious of registering what the prompt was. I just went to the first page listed on the Daily Prompt page and clicked on the first square I saw. Unfortunately, it was at this exact moment that I got called away by Yolanda to talk about some household matter, and when I came back, I saw these words by Marilyn Armstrong:
“In Judaism, you lose points for telling anyone about your good deeds. The only ones that really count are the ones you do in secret. Pity that has never really caught on :-)”
Thinking it was her blog I was reading, I responded with this comment:
“I have never heard this before, Marilyn, but it sounds like it would make a great theme for a story or poem. I think we need to hear about the positive things that happen in the world. We are all so weighted down by the terrible ones. But perhaps the secret is to broadcast the good acts of others rather than your own. If you look at blogs like Mark’s or several others whose names have slipped my mind, they are often publicizing gross wrongs in the world and encouraging people to draft letters of protest or sign petitions or to give their support by other means. He is not blowing his own horn, but speaking out of a desire to effect change in the world. These are acts we can all see and in promoting them and him, we can spread the word of positive acts not our own. I am not disputing what you say, understand. I agree that people who constantly tell you of all their good works are irritating. On the other hand those who merely demonstrate their own good works by their actions are such wonderful role models that they have no need to blow their own horns.”
But now, the plot thickens. After hitting the “Send” button, I scrolled up to realize that the blog I was writing on was really The happy Quitter’s blog. The statement by Marilyn was just a comment! So, it became necessary to fire off this comment to its author, nonsmokingladybug!
“Darn. Ladybug, I came back to my computer and saw Marilyn’s comment and thought it was her blog I was writing on so addressed this comment to her! I can’t erase it from your blog, but please do if you wish to. This is what happens when I let life interfere with blogging..Ha. I think you also requested I not give you links, which I no longer do. Your point about blowing one’s own horn is a good one as you can see from my response above. Please do erase it if you wish.”
To this, she graciously replied that she saw no reason to erase it as I’d made some good points. She went on to say, in a different comment,
“The long comment won’t matter to Marilyn, since you made it on my blog (grin).
If I might answer that. I think the world is full with good, but many of us don’t see it anymore, because their focus has shifted. Do we need to point out the good in the world? I don’t think so, I think we have to point out that it is still existing everywhere.”
to which I answered:
“What is the difference between pointing out the good in the world and pointing out that it is still existing everywhere? I think they are one and the same thing. I get so depressed when I see the violence reported in the news, and sitting at home and merely reading about terrible act after terrible act, we are drawn into depression and deluded into thinking there is nothing we can do about it. But when we get active on a local level, we can see firsthand what wonderful things are being done by so many–and the changes they are effecting. These messages of how the world can be and is being healed need to get out as well. As you say, this is going on around us all the time. This is what encourages people to try to effect changes themselves.”
I live in a community where there are incredible numbers of people–both Mexican and expat– getting involved to make life better for kids, older people and the pueblos in general. I feel so lucky to live in a place where the positive natures of people can so easily be seen. I know when most people see the name MEXICO, they think of cartels and corrupt politicians, but there is so much love and positive energy here as well. These are the things we are more likely to see in our daily lives than in the news. As you say, good is still existing everywhere.”
At this point, I realized that in these two comments I had actually written a complete blog post, so instead of sending the last comment to nonsmokingladybug, I decided to publish it here.
If you’d like to see The happy Quitter’s original statement that prompted this confused chain of messages, please go HERE.
For news of wonderful things going on in my community, you might want to read these stories:
https://judydykstrabrown.com/2014/11/02/agustins-story/
https://judydykstrabrown.com/2015/07/21/camp-estrella/
https://judydykstrabrown.com/2015/07/23/the-boy-in-the-blue-feathered-mask/
https://judydykstrabrown.com/2015/07/26/camp-estrella-final-show/
The road and their soccer ball were of more interest to the boys than the fields of flowers. Well, except for Oscar, that is. He was the toddler you saw with a fist full of flowers two days ago. We’ll see where his interest lies now that he is ten when we repeat our trip to Tapalpa in a few weeks.
For more flowers, go here: http://ceenphotography.com/2015/09/16/cees-which-way-challenge-2015-week-37/
Giants of Tapalpa
(Click on pictures to enlarge)
Just how big are the rocks of Tapalpa?
It’s hard to tell without some frame of reference.
So maybe this will help.
Oscar experienced his first adventures in rock climbing
As well as his first experience in reflective horizon-gazing with big sister Mago.
This is what they were looking at.
And this.
Little did they know that they were part of the scenery.
Ethiopian Drought Area, 1973
The below pictures were taken in the Bati market of Ethiopia in the middle of the drought area. Here highland farmers met the lowland nomadic traders to exchange food for camel dung or other commodities.
The woman in back is cornrowing the hair of the woman in front. Look at how finely plaited it is. The two sides of her hair contain the same amount of hair!
I believe this village was Dessi. We drove for two days through the drought area on local bus to get here. I’ve talked about that trip HERE.
In the village we were going to, women walked for 3 hours with these heavy clay jars on their backs to get water. This was the water we drank and cooked and bathed with. Needless to say, we were very sparing of water usage. When I later went back and lived in that village for a month, for my once-weekly bath, I used a small pitcher of water, poured in a meager stream over my head as I stood in a small basin. A bit of water, shampoo and soap, and then the rest of the water to rinse off. I’m sure my drainage water was then used for something. Probably to settle the dust on the dirt floor or to clean with. Hopefully, not for that night’s soup.
http://jennifernicholewells.com/2014/01/28/one-word-photo-challenge/
lifelessons - a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown 