The challenge this week, since it’s the Daily Post’s last week with us at WordPress, is to share an all-time favorite. They each did this also, and if you are only seeing this post on MY blog, please treat yourself to some spectacular photography at
I can’t wait to see all the photos shared this week by the WordPress community!
I’m actually really glad I have more than one picture in my favorite personal category…Accidental Photography.
These are photos where either I didn’t mean to click but was greatly rewarded anyway, or when I took a picture of one thing, I discovered later a huge additional surprise in the shot.
I learn so much about observation, paying attention, taking my time, and choosing perspective from photos like these and I am so grateful.
I thought I had just captured the beauty of these blossoms…
I couldn’t quite edit this one of a sun dog to fit in this post but I still have no idea what the perfect little “moon” is in the shot.This one was taken among 30 or so clicks, trying to capture Hummingbirds at this feeder. I almost deleted it!
My life is full of Art, but it is also full of artists who define “art” very differently from me.
My best friend is an expert, having studied and collected art for most of his life. He is also a very talented artist in his own right. We’ve had an ongoing debate for more than 40 years about what actually qualifies as art and who gets to define it. I know we are not alone in this disagreement.
“The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines art as “something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or feelings.” My own definition of art is the sharing of one’s inner thoughts, feelings, emotions, visions, and struggles through multiple mediums.”
Wondering what all this has to do with “twisted”?
I think his choice of art is twisted…and I’m sure he thinks mine is invalidly defined as art in the first place.
The photo at the top of this post is a gift my best friend gave me many years ago. I’m sure it was expensive and to many, would be defined as art.
I just think it’s twisted.
He actually spent money on that piece for me, where as I bought myself these pieces.
Here are some more examples of “art” in his home and “art” in mine.
His is on the left, mine on the right
His choice on top
My choice is “twisted” artwork from my grandson, at 9 and then 11 years old.
Please don’t get me wrong. I am not saying my best friend is twisted. As a matter of fact, here is my newest absolute favorite piece of art, ironically, a gift from him. Not my chosen “style” by any means but he knew how moved I would be by this piece!
I, on the other hand, by the definition of many, am quite happily Twisted.
Here’s proof:
I mean, who runs for their camera before rescuing the cat stuck in the speaker cabinet???
And who focuses on the body of the dragonfly, rather than on the beautiful flowers?And who becomes obsessed with their new phone camera’s macro feature when accidentally shooting her sweat-pant leg?And who screeches her car to a halt to snap a photo of the shadow of windshield water on her dashboard?Who thinks the frosting stain on the cake box is the equivalent of a Jesus face on burnt toast?And who in the world photographs fungus??
I do, that’s who. So I will now officially, and gladly accept the adjective of TWISTED!
I am in great company, as you know if you have ever read The Shameful Sheep or Jennifer Day at The Iconophile, two of my favorite bloggers.
I really felt it while I was going through all kinds of contortions trying to photograph my friend’s art, including, taking his series called “the 7 deadly sins” into a dark closet to eliminate some of the reflection. Didn’t work, and besides, too creepy! This is as good as I could get.
This is a seriously twisted series and the photos are lousy!
It’s not just about art though.
Just the other day, a newish friend, while I was introducing him to my Bugs, asked me if I realized just how twisted it was for me to be this enthusiastic about them.
He has no idea. Even I know it is completely torqued to set up the photo shoots I have with my bugs.
Witness these, as examples…
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I won’t even get started on the debate we have about Photography as ART!!
Anyway, I know this is a long post, with a lot of photos, but the topic and the recent Daily Post announcement inspired me to do less censoring than I usually apply to my weekly photo challenge entry.
I’ll end on this note.
Initially, I was of like mind with many other contributors this week. I immediately thought of these things:
But then I allowed the word to take me on this unexpected journey.
For that, I wish to express deep gratitude to The Daily Press for your regular inspiration for so many posts!! I will really miss you.
Sincerely,
ChosenPerspectives
PS I have received many Twisted gifts over the years from other twisted folks. Here are a couple involving antlers…yikes.
My friends Rick and Hilary and their latest art show (fantastic!!!)weird plant in front of my houseleftover holiday lights casting a barbed wire line shadowsquirrel deterrent on bird feeder polepuberty basketballvicious wild animala line of mysterious circles on my jeans
Just a minute. The sun is rising as I am typing this. I’ll be back in a bit…..
Here’s what I just witnessed…(pump up your volume for the video)
I love sunrise in the mountains, especially in Spring when the turkeys are doing their mating performances!!!
But Sunrise in the city (well, suburb) where we also live can be pretty spectacular!
Sunsets, that’s a whole different thing. I have been blessed over my life with so many stunning views, I can’t even choose one.
So here are a few favorites…
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I think some music from Jesse Colin Young would be the soundtrack….
I loved this topic. I may have shared this story before but a very special Sunrise taught me one of my most important life lessons ever.
See if you can put yourself in this scene. You are on a once-in-a-lifetime, month long trip with your 7 closest friends, sailing in the South Pacific (Fiji). You are sitting on the deck of a 95 foot yacht before first light. As the sun begins to rise, you realize that although every rise and set of the sun down here has been fantastic, this one is going to break all the records. It is quickly shaping up to be maybe the most spectacular sunrise ever, in the history of the world. There are no words. It is happening like a movie, the light changing dramatically every minute or so. All you can think of is waking everyone else up quickly so they don’t miss this one! You become frantic, not wanting to go below decks because you will miss some never-before-seen aspect of a sunrise.
Then it dawns on you (pun intended). This particular, exact, specific sunrise might be intended just for YOU!
