Thursday, August 15, 2019

Some Thoughts on Pictures


Life offers a lot of subjects to write about in our blogs. I like to accompany my writing with pictures which, as everyone knows, "are worth a thousand words." However, that's not always possible, and as I don't like to borrow from the internet, I let the subjects wait...

Sometimes, I browse through my picture archive, and come up with the conclusion that it's very true what they say about dogs and kids 'stealing the show'. I always take an additional look at this kind of pictures as they give me much fun and pleasure.


dog watching his owner eat; expecting to be treated with leftovers

kid and pigeons - heartwarming sight!

boy and girl curiously contemplating the chickens in the enclosure 

happy baby in Grandma's arms

I often ask myself what makes a more powerful photo: an individual or a group? The answer is: both. 
The indvidual kiosk owner, surrounded by colorful fruit and veggies, squeezing them to get juice for his thirsty customers; the solo arab woman making the pita bread to be sold with 'labane' - make very attractive, powerful photos.

kiosk owner squeezing fruit to get juice (pic.taken in the evening)

arab woman preparing the dough for the pita bread

So do groups. See below, the group of japanese ice-cream 'lickers' (Moscow Red Square) , and the group of musicians performing in the city square of Prague. Both groups got an 'audience':)

japanese tourists licking ice cream in Moscow

musical band performing in the main city square

I'm not surprised when beautiful setting gets overshadowed by people. It's always people that draw the most attention. Who cares about the lovely tree on the Mound with stairs leading to it, when nearby there's a chat going on between what seems like father and daughter dialogue.

The red painted military lookout on the strategical top of Mt Hermon at the border with Lebanon, makes no impression whatsoever without the young , lively soldiers that stay on it day and night.

father &daughter chatting outside the Habima theater building, TA

soldiers at the border Israel- Lebanon, up on the mountain

Anyway,  I like to have people of all ages in the pictures I shoot. Human presence adds interest and value to whatever else appears in those pictures: buildings,  landscape, food, critters.

Photography, even the simplest one like mine, from a 'point and shoot' little camera, can definitely enrich both the blog and my knowledge of things.



52 comments:

  1. We have a lot of Asian tourists coming to our city as well, they're always so cute to see, always smiling and filled with enthusiasm. Sadly, we also have a lot (maybe even thousands) of asylum seekers from the Middle East as my city is the last gateway to Europe, and it is always sad seeing all those young people torn away from their homelands without knowing what tomorrow brings. Most of them refuse to live in refugee centres and live in abandoned houses around the city where they don't even have water or electricity :(
    Why is that photo of Arab women making food powerful, Dutie? I find it quite disturbing as I always see headscarves a symbol of oppression :( You are probably more used to seeing them all the time in your part of the world.
    I like the photo with the fruit stand, I bet juices he makes are lovely.

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    1. The outfit of the arab (druze)woman is secondary. What makes the picture powerful is her activity which indicates a step forward. She's left her village to do something useful to herself, to her people's tradition of bread making, to the general public. Sadly, she's still exploited by some male in her family who's uually behind her, taking care of the logistics.

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  2. There is little doubt that photographs of people capture the moment in a way that words alone cannot. Although I must qualify that somewhat. When I look at the great photographs produced by Ansel Adams of the American West, they are quite magnificent, and evoke a sense of awe. Perhaps in a way he personified the landscape. In the series you present above, the one that touches me the most is of the woman making bread, representing an activity, in fact a tradition, going back almost to the dawn of sentient humans on earth. A woman baking bread to feed her family says it all, perhaps.

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    1. My feelings exactly.
      The woman and the juice stand guy are, in my eyes, though simple people, powerful figures as they direct us to the very basics of life: bread, fruit, veggies.They do so with love and skill.

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  3. They do steal the show! Love the one with the little boy feeding the pigeons. :-)

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    1. Indeed. Kids and pigeons are as if 'made for each other'. Both are small, delicate, and looking for love and attention.

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  4. Very lovely photos, Duta.
    All photos tell their own stories, and every single story is interesting.

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    1. Yes, there's nothing like photos to tell a story. The visual side of things should never be underestimated.
      Combined with music (as in slideshows) it's even better - audio-visual piece of work.

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  5. I think photos inspire my writing for sure. Yours are lovely today.

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    1. You're gifted; you can draw and paint, so you don't depend on photos the way I do. I believe you , however, that photos inspire your writing. They inspire anyone's writing.

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  6. Duta, I agree with your comment that it's better to include your own photos rather than to "borrow" from the Internet. However, sometimes if I need a historical reference photo I do go online. I enjoyed seeing these photos of people (and dogs) going about their daily routines. Thanks for your recent kind comments on my post with our youngest granddaughter. it was much appreciated.

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    1. I sometimes use an internet photo too as I can't provide one taken by me, but I'm rather reluctant to do so.
      People and dogs give us some very enjoyable photographic situations!

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  7. You made me laugh with the "happy" baby in Grandma's arms, it doesn't look happy at all ! Animal photos are usually always nice and together with children often very funny ! I use my cats as models !

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    1. I'm totally for laughter. Glad it made you laugh. On a second look, you're right - the baby's eyes look frightened, probably by my camera.

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  8. Dogs abd kids always steal the show, but it is so fun ☺

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    1. 'Fun' is, indeed, the name of the game. They make us smile, even laugh, and so forget all about our daily cares. It's the best anti-depressive on the market:)

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  9. I love seeing there people's pictures on their blogs. I often get a glimpse into another place that I've never been to or places or things that I've never seen. It's nice seeing your pictures.

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    1. The visual side of a blog is very important,no doubt about that. Even if the picture is taken through a window and is blurred, it's still better than nothing.

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  10. Great pictures Duta!! You have a good eye and a compassionate heart , and I think that makes a good combination as you share your view of what you see, and inspire those things in us to love and care about people, I think that comes across to me!! Keep up the great sharing! Love and blessings!

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    1. "a good eye and a compassionate heart " - oh, how I love this! Thanks ,Shayndele dear, for your kind words; they fill me with warmth and great pleasure.

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  11. "Japanese ice cream lickers" I LOVE THAT!
    Looking at photographs spurs my writing. I like to take a snapshot which lasts longer than just an image in my mind. That baby's expression says it all.

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    1. I was very disappointed by the taste of that ice-cream. It didn't justify its fame at all. I liked, however, the group of japanese, taking great pleasure in their cones of ice-cream.

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  12. I love art pictures, and I love photographs. They can all tell a story, they can all bring back special memories (important when someone has dementia/Alzheimer's). I have a box full of special photographs that date back to the day I was born ... and many photographs from family generations before. They are so important to me.

    I love the photographs you've shared here. Scenes and views are great but it is so often the people within the photograph that can make it that little bit more special.

    All photographs tell their own stories, and every single story is interesting.

    Great post, thank-you.

    All the best Jan

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    1. I envy you for the multi-generation photos in your possession. I don't know even how my grandparents looked like or my baby sister. They died
      before I was born.
      I was born in a tiny place in east-Europe to parents who were WW2 and exile survivors. They had lost everything, including photos and documents. Hence, perhaps the importance I attach to pictures of all sorts.

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  13. Your images are beautiful and the sentiments even more so. You are a lovely person. I'm so glad we met here in the land of blogs.

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    1. Thank you,Lois, for your very kind words. I'm also glad Blogger gave me the opportunity to meet people like you and your family members - highly talented people.
      I both admire and envy your skills, humor, and writing style.

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  14. I love your "discussion" about individual or group and I agree with you -- it's both! You have some splendid photos here and you're right -- they do tell a story. Lovely post.

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    1. Yes, pictures do tell stories. I've just seen the picture of Kirk Douglas' extended family reunion.
      The single picture of Kirk (102), wife Ann (100), sons and grandies - tells a lot of stories.

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  15. I so agree with you Duta. The inclusion of people in photos adds a beautiful depth and feel to them. They are all going about seemingly ordinary activities but therein must lie the attraction I feel. Little moments in time to which we can all relate in some way.
    Thank you for sharing your thoughts, and photos, you have the beautiful knack of insightfulness :D)

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    1. We,humans, are an interesting species.
      A picture that displays only landscape, could soon become boring to look at. It's the inclusion of people, regardless of their age, that makes it attractive.

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  16. Interesting theory on people and photos.

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    1. Thanks. I believe it's a realistic view. We, people, may be wicked sometimes, but we make for interesting photos - all of us: babies and centenaries, men and women, individuals and groups.

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  17. Each morning I juice oranges...I wouldn't want any photos of me doing so! :)

    Interesting photos and commentary, DUTA. :)

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    1. You do the right thing, Lee. Orange juice is healthy and tasty! Why not a photo of your morning's blessed activity? What's wrong with that?

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  18. I love the variety of photos you posted, DUTA...each one telling a story. Thanks for sharing with us!

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    1. I'm glad you do, Bica. It's only a few out of the many pictures that I've taken over the years and I would like to share them all with my readers (part of them appear in my posts).

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  19. That tree must be special to have stairs leading up to it.

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    1. Haven't thought about that. You may be right. Next time I'll happen to be there, I'll know more about the tree and the stairs.
      Anyway,your comment made me smile, and that's good.

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  20. I too try to use pictures with my posts. Most of the time the pictures are related to what I write, but not always.
    Sometimes when I'm looking for inspiration, I will browse my Google Photo account and find pictures I shot in the past. I usually find inspiration there.

    Also, thanks for your comment on my blog today. It was right on spot. I replied to your comment about no having Internet service. I copy and pasted it below.

    You are so right Duta. Jilda and I actually discussed this very thing today. No internet service, in the scheme of things, is less than nothing compared to what many people contend with daily.
    Our lives have been a gift and it's easy to lose sight of that, but it's good to be reminded of the bigger picture.

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    1. It happens to me too, that I find inspiration in photos taken in the past.
      As for my comment on your post, thanks for your kind words about it.

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  21. I love the photo with the Arab woman preparing the dough for the pita bread.

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    1. Whenever I spot them I take a picture. I've got a weakness for these hard working women.

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  22. Something I never get tired of, is looking at pictures, and yours tell some great stories. I think adding pictures to posts help us to see more of what's going on, and you do such a great job with that. Every picture always means something. Hugs, RO

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    1. Right. I believe you, as I also never get tired of looking at pictures.
      Thanks , Ro, for your kind words.

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  23. Oh wow, what a beautiful post. I love it! I'm a "Camera-Nut/Fanatic". I'm constantly whipping out my little point and shoot Canon and snapping away...at any and everything in sight.

    I enjoyed your POV you shared here. It's thought provoking.

    OH, I came over from RO's blog to introduce myself and to get acquainted. I LOVE your blog, it is beautiful and really interesting.

    Wishing you a wonderful Wednesday!

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    1. Hi, dellgirl
      Thanks for stopping by and for leaving a lovely, kind comment.
      Wishing you a terrific day!

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  24. I so agree! I love photography, even if it’s simple. I like the tree, groups of people etc

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    1. Don't we all love photography? what's not to love about it?
      Sometimes,in certain places it's not allowed. With people, it's not always easy to get a photo, and we have to act somehow furtively. On the whole, we manage to get our target, and that makes us pleased.

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