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: Actions. Speak louder than words.
Website of the Week: Transform. A video by Zack Arias.
AndiF Acts Out
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Stop Action
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Missing in Action
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Out of Action
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olivia’s In Action
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Flapping
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Floating
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Strolling
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- Next Week’s Theme: Random. Show us what you got.
Info on Posting Photos
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Previous Friday Foto Flogs
Olivia and I have decided that everybody — okay, okay just us, who cares about the rest of you. ;P — needs a regular break from themed FFFs. So the 4th Friday of every month will always be a Random theme.
Andi,
That glass crustacean is fantastic.
Someone else who saw that thought it looked like a stack of 45s.
Love the “stop action” shot! Ripples frozen in time forever.
If it weren’t for the ice and light ripples I don’t think there would be anything to take pictures of in March.
yesterday’s protests in Paris against (who else?) Sarkozy, on Eurotrib. Lots of “action” but it’s too much to post it all here.
Here’s the link.
http://www.eurotrib.com/?op=displaystory;sid=2009/3/19/145457/222
Thanks for the link — that’s a very good documentating of the protest.
Hi LEP. Thanks for linking. Just came back from viewing and reading. I heard about it on the news here, and wondered if you were out there taking photos.
Thanks for the link, LEP. The French really know how to hold a proper protest!
Actions do speak louder than words and for years and years, we always hear politicians talk about how they’re going to address the issues of poverty and homelessness and yet scenes like the one below are all too common in major cities around the country, as well as the world.
I guess in a case like this, often, inaction speaks louder than words too.
It’s very sad that in a country with such riches, we refuse to really address the core issues that lead to poverty and homelessness.
The serenity of the mural looking down over the image of homelessness.
That’s a really strong shot, no pun intended, nice edge.
Agree w/ Bob … compelling photo.
To do so might call into question the actual value of our riches. Uh oh!
Hi stand strong.
Inaction … And it most definitely speaks. But as you say, it’s all talk.
Last week I identified an animal’s head over a butcher shop as a horse’s head. Indianadem said it lloek like the head of a bovine. Well, he was right.
I was confusing that shop with this one which is three shops up.
Good eye, Indianadem.
ID has good eyes … 🙂
Looks like those horses heads light up … ? And it looks like they’re not too happy … That middle one especially looks like he’s aware of what it is going on in the store.
And it all works out because we get to see the pictures of the fantastic horse heads.
The horns gave it away;-) Wow, that’s quite a piece of neon art! If you ever get a night shot of the sign, please post for us.
This whole mix-up is reminiscent of this, from Thurber’s superb satire of newspaper “ask the vet” columns.
Some wave action.
I can almost hear the sound.
I wish I was walking along that beach right now.
Nice, Bob. A nice view for a windchill temp day.
I like the bits of spray in the second shot.
Really nice capture, Bob. And it makes me sleepy because I love napping to the sound of waves.
Hey everyone, thanks for all the comments. Glad I provoke that feeling of serenity.
Should be “could” provoke.
Preview is your friend.
Soon enough, the weather will be warm enough to go jump into those waves.
Thanks for providing the anticipation!
Pacha, back when she was a baby.
A Tasmanian Wedge-tail eagle being harassed by two Forest ravens.
And they’re very persistent … 🙂
Yep. It’s actually rare to see an eagle without the accompanying mob trying to drive it away. The only time they appear solo is when they are circling very high up.
The Wedge-tails predate on mammals, so I can only think they’re getting the same treatment as any of the other smaller raptors (some of who do predate on other birds).
That should read “of whom“
Fantastic capture. I was just wishing for your bird whisper talents yesterday when we saw a heron down at the lake but couldn’t get any kind of shot at it.
LOL, very cute.
This is cheating (because I’m submitting actual moving imagery in an “action” category), but he’s so darn cute.
For the Equinox — definitely a time of action!
Love the bud-bursting shot. I’ll guess a poppy;-)
You guess right — though it’s not one of the famous type.
(Sorry for the delay.)
I love the top water shot — I could look at light patterns on water and rocks endlessly. The bird capture is spectacular.
Your photos really make me think of spring … of things happening … waters flowing, heavy outer coverings coming off, bright sun shining, birds taking flight … lovely photos, ww.
LP Gas fire training – fun but a little scary
Night landing zone marker for medevac helicopter
911 Aftermath – “We band of brothers”
Really nice set, ID — the top shot is especially fine.
IIRC, that was a training we set up in 2002 at the high school parking lot. Since it was within sight of a couple of highways, we wound up with quite a few curious spectators before it was over. Thankfully, we got through it without melting any asphalt!
That night landing zone marker is pretty cool (I never thought of how they would find their way before). How big are they?
They’re just a little larger in diameter than a coffee cup. The light is a rotating strobe, very noticeable after dark. In a pinch, we’ve used the emergency vehicles to form the landing zone pattern. one goes on each corner, then one in the middle of one side, the side we want the copter nose to point to.
Morning ID.
When I first saw the smaller photo for the landing light, I thought it was a funky-coloured jellyfish … 🙂
Those are great photos — I really like the third photo. For me, it has the appearance of the weight of the flag (and all it represents) is sitting on the shoulders of the people underneath. More symbolic I guess.
I’m like you. I thought it was an escapee from one of Knucklehead’s tanks.
Sialkot, Pakistan
What a wonderful picture. But the scene-stealers are without a doubt the dancing shots from the wedding; the photos seem to actually vibrate with music and joy.
You shoulda been there!
Well, I thought the theme this week was “Motions”, so if you ever announce “Motions” as a theme, I`ll be ready, & will just repost these.
So here are some fast moving, some moving & some slow motions.
There may even be some emotions pictured.
Take your time though. Speed Kills
Another fine set (though I have to admit I found the bees kind of squishy icky). I sure do love the picture of that old bearded guy and his bike. 😉
Yep, a Gandalf for the New Age! His photos are truly magical!
Thanks Indianadem.
Does he have a Flickr account? (Gandalf)
Thanks Andi,
I`m soon going to do a photo essay on a little road trip I`m planning.
There`ll be more of the old bearded guy.
Great photos! I love the bottom one for some reason…
Would be nice to be driving along that winding road, enjoying the views and the warm air.
Olivia,
There are many roads like this all over So. Cal.
I used to run dozens of these canyons up to a hundred miles at a time & go on weekends up many of them. There are historical spots all over the hills here, where “On Any Sunday”, bikers hang out.
Thanks CabinGirl,
It is “A Long & Winding Road”.
That`s Decker Canyon, one of the through roads, to the valley, from the coast.
Great shots Head … I like the one of the spider — it sits motionlessly waiting ’til the unsuspecting meal trips the silken strand. … 🙂 And the bees really convey action, I can almost hear the buzzing (honey in the icing … 😉 Do you ride your bike along those winding roads?
Nuts & Honey, on those Frosted Flakes.
Grrrr
Yes, Olivia,
Those are pretty much what the roads are here. Winding along the ocean hugging the coast, or going over the mountains like the road pictured.
I like those Escherish lizards.
Hi Jim,
I got the idea to do the “Escheresque ” lizards as I`ve always been a fan of his confusions.
I did take the added precaution though, in my design to fool the eye, by cloning in/out certain specks of debris in the sand background.
That way it does not look like a mirror image but actually two lizards creating each other. I should have taken more time to create the ‘non-lizard’ space between them more to scale as the space could be a non-lizard. Maybe I`ll review that image.
I did that one a few years ago.
I have quite a collection of Horned Toads images, in many fantasy worlds I created, but usually for my simple twisted mind. Exercises of that nature are basically the homework I create for myself in manipulating images. Some I manipulate & leave it quite obvious, others I manipulate to fool the eye, but I don`t ever manipulate any to fool myself.
I loved the lizards too.
Sialkot, Pakistan
Sister and Brother At His Wedding
Although the wedding dancing pictures are fun, all these family pictures are my favorite of yours this week.
Thanks, CG!
Hi Hurria. Looking through the wedding photos, it’s interesting to see the abundance of colour in the clothing and jewelry and other accessories compared to what we see here w/ the typical white dress and black suits … I love seeing all the colour … it’s beautiful.
I love the colour too, so many bright, rich colours. And the clothes are so graceful – and super comfortable! And, of course, the bling – it’s all about the glitter and shine.
The mothers and their children are precious. I am sure all of the mothers want copies of them. My favorite is the sister and brother. So many things could have been said.
Actually, two of those pictures are aunties with the babies, and two are mothers. The families are incredibly close, more even than Arab families, and the kids are loved and looked after by everyone. One of the things I loved seeing was how the men and boys interact with babies and children. Everyone is nurturing toward the youngest – and the oldest – members.
I went to Cairo and all I saw was this fake (Russian, not Egyptian) belly dancer (all those tourists won’t know the difference)
and this fake “whirling dervish”“
Then I went to a wedding in Northern Pakistan…
Wonderful! Nice contrast between the two events. Such joy in the wedding guests!
It really was a very joyful event – all four days and nights of it! And no alcohol – it’s forbidden.
Hurria,
I always look forward to your images of such a beautiful world you are involved in.
The people & places you show us here are very enlightening (to myself at the least).
I love seeing the normal interaction in other cultures & the happiness of the people pictured is. to be envied.
Thank you.
Thanks KH. It has been my privilege to be able to share them here, and a bonus to know that people understand and appreciate them. One of my goals for my upcoming visit to the ME is to be less reticent about taking pictures of people. I have a hesitation about taking pictures without asking permission, but as soon as you ask permission you get something posed and artificial. That’s fine for some pictures, but what I want is, as you said, normal interaction of people with one another and with their environment.
And your work is simply awesome. My goal for now is to master just a few of the features of my little Canon Powershot beyond just pointing and pressing the button. I especially want to learn to use the “stitch” feature before I leave so I can try to better capture some of the grand vistas and historical sites.
Hurria,
Forget the “stitch” feature.
I can show you how to do them rather quickly, manually, if you have a version of photoshop.
I use a little point & shoot as you have for 95% of my shots, because it is very convenient.
Here`s a few I stitched, I just grabbed. I have hundreds of them.
5 ACROSS X 2 HIGH
4 ACROSS (LANDSCAPE)
4 ACROSS (PORTRAIT)
3 ACROSS X 2 HIGH
One of my favorite simple features is to set the exposure on something lighter when the shot looks too light or has very light areas when the camera is focused on a darker area. What you do is to move the focus to the lighter area, hold the shutter down half way, then move the focus back to wherever you want to center in the sbot and then press the shutter fully. Of course, if the first area you try is too dark, try it on another not quite as light area before taking the shot.
You get a couple of benefits from doing this — you won’t blow out the details on the lighter areas and the shutter speed will be a little faster (meaning the focus should be sharper) because it won’t need to let as much light in.
You can then adjust the brightness, midtones, shadow etc. in your photo editor to get the right final result.