We're lining up the light loafer'd, and the bored bench-warmers.
Castaways and cut-outs, fill it up.
Come join the Youth and Beauty Brigade.
Nothing will stand in our way.
The Decemberists
Beauty is all around us. Make a photo of some naturally occurring beauty in your area today.
You can fly from the stuff that still surrounds you
Where home and the band keeps marching on
Connecting to every living soul
Compassion for things I'll never know.
David Byrne
Make a photograph of something that captures a small bit the flavor of where you live or your culture.
The world awakens on the run
And we’ll soon be earning
We’ll soon be earning
With hopes of better days to come
That’s a morning yearning
Morning yearning
Ben Harper
Make a high key photograph today dominated by bright tones.
"The edge. There is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over"
— Hunter S. Thompson
Make a photograph of something old. Be sure to show us the character that age can give a subject.
A book is the only place in which you can examine a fragile thought without breaking it, or explore an explosive idea without fear it will go off in your face. It is one of the few havens remaining where a man's mind can get both provocation and privacy. ~Edward P. Morgan
Make a photograph featuring strong vertical lines today.
My books! Which one grabs your eye? Let's talk book; leave a comment.
Within the refuge of perfect stillness you become totally full within the depths of your own emptiness. Self-realization reaches the summit within the silence as a complete calm envelops your being and open the doors of infinite wisdom as a lotus flower blooms on the surface of a silent pond. source
Look up today and make a photograph of the sky. Cloudy, clear, or somewhere in between? Tell the story of your sky today.
Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
Fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way...
Make a photograph that features a leading line through it today. Draw the viewers eye through the image.
I'm not much of a preparer, just ask my wife. I am more of a wing-itimprov guy. If it works out great, if not let's see how else we can do it. I rarely prepare much and prefer to find the flow and go with it.
That is why having my wife around is fantastic. She is an expert packer. Traveling with two kids under five could be a nightmare with me at the helm, but with Mairin we know the kids will always have what they need. She handles our money, gets food prepared, and keeps the household running like a well oiled machine. I do my share of things around the house, but preparing for the future is not one of them. I tend to focus more on making the present interesting.
I give Mairin grief and tease her about her OCD tendencies, but without her preparedness we would be a lost ship for sure. Having said all that...setting up your coffee accouterments the night before? Is that crossing the line? Settle a bet; let us know! Well-prepared or Rain Man territory?
We all prepare for things every day. Illustrate preparedness in a photograph today.
I spend a lot of time in my classroom. It is a special place for me. I like to be comfortable here and I like my students to feel comfortable. I like pieces of me around. I like pieces of the students around. (Though this year I have not been so great about showcasing student art/work. Most of it is online)
Anyway, come on it. Take a look around. Find a seat. Get comfortable. Create something. Ask questions. Learn something new... What do you notice? What do you see?
Use a window or a door as a frame for your subject today in a photograph.
Hate to have another picture from a mall, but what can I say we live in Asia. This is from Pacific Place a bigger mall in downtown Jakarta. It was actually quite stunning. They really "do" malls very differently in Asia. It is more than a place for shopping. This one had some great restaurants, pretty places to stroll, and Kidzania.
I love the way this picture turned out. It's like something out of Minority Report or Gattica.What do you think?
Create a photo today that gives a sense of depth or dimension.
Jakarta is not a beautiful place. Yes it is true, Indonesia is filled with breathtaking islands like Lombok and Bali. It is a nation draped in (for now) verdant rainforests, but the nation's capital also known as "The Big Durian" is not a pretty place. The streets are clogged with traffic, the sky filled with pollution and trash can be seen nearly everywhere. Having said all that, there is something easy going and fluid about the place. I feel comfortable and at home here.
Sure we live in affluent suburb on the rim of the actually city, but six months in I can say Jakarta is for me! Whether it is dirty or not, or whether I like it or not, did not make today's assignment any easier for me. There are times the light and the clouds and the rain and the storms do amazing things in the sky but for the last few months this has not been the case.
The sky has been gray and drab and blah. So here you have it:
Look upward today. Make a photograph with a low horizon and that emphasizes the sky.
Today's prompt was to go out and find something "newsworthy." The problem is that while living overseas may sound exotic, (it sometimes is), on a day-to-day basis our lives are pretty boring and suburban.
The most exciting thing to happen to us today was Chinese New Year at the mall. I am sure I could have scoured Jakarta for much more newsworthy pics, but with a family and my two girls this was all I could muster. This is good motivation, however, for me to break away from the norm and begin exploring Jakarta for photo opportunities beyond Pondok Inda.
The challenge here was to make something as drab and lifeless as a mall come to life. This dragon really is stunning and I hope this picture captures that spirit.
Pretend you're a stringer for your local newspaper today. Make a photo that captures something newsworthy to you.
I was online reading some blogs, looking at photos and listening to music, when one of my favorite Iranian artists came on my iTunes. Farhad Mehrdad's broody music is seeped in melancholy and angst just like I like it. Wikipedia says:
Farhad Mehrad (Persian: فرهاد مهراد), (January 20, 1944 – August 31, 2002) widely known in Iran as Farhad was an award winning Persian legendary Rock singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist and icon.[verification needed] He rose to prominence among Iranian Rock and Folk musicians before the Iranian Revolution, but after the revolution he was banned from singing for several years. His first concert after the Iranian revolution was held in 1993. To this day he is considered one of the most influential, revolutionary, gifted and respected Iranian artists of all time.
I carry his songs like a journal from my childhood and a mirror to my constantly fading cultural ties. I wanted to share this piece of Iran with readers of this blog, so you have a more balanced view of who we Iranians are.
I tried my hand at some translation, but realized that there are more than a few gaps. Language like culture fades if not tended to and caressed. I tried my best, but I hope that my mom or dad or other Iranian readers will amend the mistakes and add their views in the comments.
The alleyways are narrow
And the stalls are shut
The houses are dark
the roofs broken
From a falling sound
They remove the dead
Street to street
Look!
The dead won’t go to death
Even on Saturday living ??? won’t go
They’re like an extinguished furnace
Although it may be shut off
Is still full of gas
People!
I don’t have the patience anymore
With good hope or bad..???
?????distance from
The work with this work ???
The alleyways are narrow
And the stalls are shut
The houses are dark
the roofs broken
Let me know what you think. I will share other songs soon...
For some reason when I heard single subject, I immediately thought of my daughter's toys. And when I thought of her toys, I thought of the doll she has had the longest and loves(d) the most. Naima was the first doll she ever received. She has been to several continents and traveled the world, in a weird way she is a part of our family. There was a time when Kaia would not sleep without her, but now she is often found sitting a lone in a corner somewhere.
I thought this would be an interesting subject as I find dolls both tender and creepy. Their eyes are often made to feel so full of life, but end up creating lifeless stares like this one:
Fill the frame of a photograph with a single subject today.
