Comments on photo theme #188

[billz]

Post your comments to this thread. Link back to theme #188 (http://www.elementsvillage.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47412).

Bill

[Red Sky]

Not to demean your second photo, but your first photo is awesome, Bill! I love the angle and the feel of it. Who sits in the chair?

[billz]

Thanks Steven. The room is only open 90 minutes a year, so it probably doesn't get much use by those of body.;)

The room was dark and we were being hurried along so bracketed handheld with an HDR finish was my only hope. I'll go ahead and demean the second photo, but I so liked the inscription I wanted to use it.

Bill

[kim2900]

Bill! Both cool shots and interesting backstory to go along with them! And looking at the extravagance of their mausoleum, I have to wonder...... who says you can't take it with you? ;)

[Galiano]

Bill - As others have already said, your photos are terrific! And the story behind the Raes is absolutely fascinating. Very interesting comments accompany the article - and a link to more about George and Elizabeth Rae is here:

http://www.forestnet.com/TWissues/Jan-Feb08/Rae.pdf

What a neat thing to do on Memorial Day!

Cheers,
Helen

[TonyK]

Linda,
Yes feel sorry for whoever lost their life but , how do they think this is not graffiti ? I'm glad its not near my house.

[billz]

Tony - I’m not going to try to change your mind, to the contrary I respect your opinion. I would like to offer my take on this from a different point of view though.

Is this graffiti? Sure. Is it civilly wrong? Probably some of that too. But looking at it in the context of an event I think some tolerance may be due. A community lost a valued friend (or friends) and judging from Linda’s comment and the image itself it was likely a child or children.

City crews no doubt cleaned up the bits of broken bicycle or whatever happened there, and the corner was made to appear as though nothing happened, but community grief insisted that the lost life or lives not be so soon forgotten.

Elements natural and manmade will combine to erase the paint long before the sorrow of the community is washed away.

Again Tony, I hold your opinion in high regard and offer mine only as another way to look at the image.

Bill

[kim2900]

Bill - very eloquently put. I agree with you 100%. Sometimes is difficult to look beyond the surface of something to its deeper meaning. You did just that beautifully.

[TonyK]

Bill,
I understand all that, I guess I have a anger for graffiti , but thats a story I'll keep to myself. I want Linda to know its not her image or the picking of her image, its just me.

[LindaS]

Tony:

I am not offended at all. My husband and I had this discussion last night. Both of us have very strong feelings against graffiti for several reasons, but one of the reasons is that, just recently, our home was "tagged" twice. There is a graffiti theme in the theme list, and I usually purposely avoid looking at photos of that theme, because I don't like the subject matter. My husband's opinion in more in line with Tony's. I understand your feelings and his. There is a better way of expressing grief that doesn't involve destruction of property.

However, my basal reaction is different to this than to other graffiti. When I see "regular" graffiti, I feel annoyed and a little angry. When I pass this every day, I don't feel annoyed, I feel sad. I hope that the kids slow down. I hope that when they pass this spot, they put on their seat belt. I think about the families of the kids who died. I think about my own kids. I appreciate the moment, because it I remember that it can all be taken away in a second. I process the scene through the eyes of a mother. Although, my husband is a wonderful Dad, he looks at it and (if I can speak for him) feels annoyed and a little angry.

As an aside, I posted it on Memorial Day, just because the theme was memorial, and I didn't have a Memorial Day theme shot to post. I meant no disrespect to our soldiers. I served in the army, all of my siblings served, as well, and my Dad was a Veteran. I realized by some of the comments on my blog, that people may have thought my choice of timing was inappropriate. I did not mean to distract from Memorial Day, but I was careless. I should have posted it the day before or the day after or something. I did it only because I'm not ahead on my 365. Sometimes, I post the day on the day I take the photo.

[Bayla]

I realized by some of the comments on my blog, that people may have thought my choice of timing was inappropriate. I did not mean to distract from Memorial Day, but I was careless.

I just went to your blog and saw only positive comments! I agree with all of them, I think it is a very interesting and thought provoking take on the theme! (and we don't have Memorial day here in the UK....we have Armisice Day on November 11th to remember those that have fallen in all wars)

Bayla

[billz]

Congratulations on another week of great photos. There were some very thought provoking entries and good discussion.

Linda – You started us off with a very powerful image. The bicycle tracks on the sidewalk point to the carefree side of childhood, contrasting sharply with the memorial to the tragic loss of life. Great image Linda.

Clara – What a story! As usual, your photography is superb and your finishing suits the image perfectly.

Mary Lou - Your collage is a very nice tribute for the day. I like the presentation.

Kim – I very much like the perspective you got on your image. I know power lines are a bane, but I think you did what you could with them and they seem to serve the image a bit as leading lines. Your image of the plaque is tack sharp. Well done!

Bayla – Usually it’s just the bloggers who get the two-fers, I’m glad you got one too! Nice job masking in a larger version of detail from the photo.

Toni – Great colors and I love the framing of your image with the flowering bush in the foreground. The moon was a nice touch! Thanks for sharing your second shot. I thought I was the only one who had those kinds of surprises when they downloaded their images. I guess I’m in good company! ;)

Helen - That’s cool that your genealogy society did that for your community! It’s a touching image …. thanks for bringing them to life for the forum as well.

TonyK – Great image! I love the way you used the memorial to shield the sun and show the statue in silhouette. The birds circling overhead are fun too. Is the gold still ‘just laying there waiting to be picked up’? ;)

Steven – That’s a wonderful tribute to your cats that are gone. Nice job with the lighting on the shelf and the cat in the sailboat picture on the wall. If next week’s theme is “Simpson plates” (hmmm ….) we will have worked our way completely up the bookshelves. ;-)

Deborah – I like the headstones a lot. The music staff running through the stylized tuning forks is just great. And of course I ended up reading about Bronius Jonusas on Vikipedija (I love the internet!) and even found one of his works (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ywq3umVHqDQ) on YouTube.

Lisa – Nice sharp shot. Your lighting and the b&w treatment are great for the image. For being as old as that monument is, it seems very well cared for and maintained.

Wonderful images as always folks … and there’s still time for more!

Bill

[Bamagirl]

Bill,

Thank you so much for the comments. They are very much appreciated. Your photos this week were extraordinary. You did a beautiful job of capturing a beautiful and unusual place. The story was so interesting also.

At the end of every week, I always feel like I have been on a whirlwind tour of the world.

[billz]

Thanks Clara, I appreciate the comments.

Bill

[Deborah]

Bill
Thank you again for an interesting challenge.
I've seen this monument several times, but never thought of taking a picture of it.
I'm glad you had an inquiring mind. I also read up on him. Thank you for the link. Since I have Polish heritage the pictures and the music was a wonderful memory of my past. Looking at my grandmothers photo books, while she had similar music playing in the background.

What a unique way to express his life.
On to the next challenge....

[victry1]

What interesting images this week! I did find the sidewalk especially heart wrenching- it spoke volumes to me. And the memorial with all the boots - wow-that also speaks more than words could ever say. The photos in the mausoleum were awesome.

I appreciate all the pictures. Everyone has such a different take - it widens my world and helps me have a different perspective.

Thanks.

[Sepiana]

. . . And the memorial with all the boots - wow-that also speaks more than words could ever say. . .

Eleanor,

Thanks! I had a hard time shooting those images. I felt my eyes filling up with tears. It was a very emotional experience. If you notice, next to the first pair of boots (the row on the back, next to the monoliths), there is a handwritten note held down by a rock. I couldn't get myself to read it.

[victry1]

I can imagine. That memorial really brings home the reality of lives lost in a way that's rare.

[Galiano]

What a week for great images! I learned a lot. As always, thanks to Bill for the insightful comments.

Gary, I guess the idea of memorial benches is universal. I loved yours, particularly the way you caught the shadow. We have quite a few in town. I almost took a photo of one of them for the Challenge - except it irritates me. On the seawalk, right next to the column marking the 50th parallel, is a bench memorializing a much-loved wife and mother. As well as all those details is a quote from her - "I'd rather be in California". It gets me every time. :eek:

Cheers,
Helen

[GaryK]

Helen thanks.. ya that would tick me off too. Maybe it was an inside family joke and not meant for the average passerby.;)

I know its not unique or anything but while I was looking for the subject it just struck me as a nice way to be remembered.:)

[billz]

Pat - Wow!!!! How cool is that??? Great find and a super job of processing. Somewhere a '57 Caddy is missing it's grille.

Bill

[patkc2000]

Pat - Wow!!!! How cool is that??? Great find and a super job of processing. Somewhere a '57 Caddy is missing it's grille.

Bill

Thanks. That "somewhere" is the road that goes through the Petrified Forest, where old Rt 66 intersects. Love quirky stuff. :p