Today's Picture to Ponder Photos
Yellow Gerber Daisies - The top one is a flirtatious flower when I first started photographing them. The bottom is a close-up of one of the Gerber Daisies, four days later, near its end.
Self-Reflecting Queries
In the last issue of Picture to Ponder, I wrote about:
PLASTIC FERNS ON A GLASS TABLE
Stiff, rigid, not real.
They lack the softness, the waywardness
Of their live counterpart.
(One person wrote and wisely pointed out that the photographs are not "live nature" either.)
Today's flowers are/were live and "real,", albeit that they were cut flowers purchased in a store. When they were in the vase, flanked by two live plants on my living room table, they felt alive. As I photographed them on another table with a black backdrop (see VASE WITH 5 DAISIES), I didn't really think about this theme of artificiality.
Today, as I selected the photos and then used the new Sharpening tool in the new Photoshop Elements 6.0 that I've recently purchased, I was struck with how almost unreal they look. My being started crying for getting out and photographing flowers as they are growing.
The "sharpening" reminded me of putting on makeup, spiffing up for a date or going out, though I added nothing to the photo other than what the technology was doing. I also began to think of some who appear, to me, to look so artificial with a lot of make up.
Then SRQs for today evolved to:
Where are the places in your life that you are making yourself up for, or acting in,
a role that might or not be YOU? Are there times when you are feeling "artificial?" If so, can you grab onto what creates that response in you.
Lastly, when and what are you doing when you are feeling most comfortable and natural? Is that a sensory memory that you would like to retain for easy recall when you might be in a particularly uncomfortable situation? If "yes", what are the cues that will have you remember.
For me, I feel most comfortable when I am not running "should be's" a different way.
In conclusion, I had created the FERNS page for the last issue and forgot to post the link. It shows some other spaces in the plastic fern's environment that had it appear natural.
Happy exploration.
HELP STAMP OUT PARKINSON'S DISEASE
The entire month of April is Parkinson's Awareness Month. Our South Florida April 5th Walk is over and there is still time to participate. 100% of any money you donate this month will be added to the Walk funds raised. Thus 100% of your money will go to Parkinson's Research. For more information, click on the photo for the DONATION page.
Or simply visit the beautiful TULIPS page and enjoy. (back to top)
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Lacquered Keepsake Box with Beautiful White
Velvet Interior |
The GIFT SHOP now has one section with folders of different tulip images and products.
I will donate $2.00 from every tulip product purchased in the Nature Art Gift shop through April 30th to the Walk-A-Thon. ($1.00 on single magnets.) |
We deeply appreciate those of you who have so thoughtfully and generously contributed this year and in the past and look forward to all of you who still choose to do so this year. See DONATION page.
PD is the second most
common neurodegenerative disease experienced by man,
Alzheimer's disease being the most common. See Patient Information on the APDA site for more detailed information on description and treatment.
I've also included a few more facts on the Tulips
donation page. |