Everyday Life

This theme didn’t get as many entries as usual.  There’s a small irony here – we take our cameras out with us when we’re on holiday, not when we’re going to the shops.  We spot what is out of the ordinary, not what we see every day.  But as one of the members pointed out, what is everyday for one is exceptional for another.  The favourite was Renee’s shot of tree-surgeons dealing with a dead tree.   Just one vote behind were two pictures which are slightly unfortunate together – Marita’s herd and Marie’s butchers’ shop.

Everyday life: tree-fellers © Renee M Hay 2010

Everyday Life: checking the herd

checking the herd © Marita Blomberg 2010

Everyday Life: Butchers’ shop

butchers at work © Marie Pugh 2010

“On Saturday I asked my butcher Martin if he had any fillet steak. He said I’d have to wait 10 minutes whilst he took it out of the cow!  These guys are doing this day in and out and it was a pleasure to watch him – couldn’t believe I had my trusty point and shoot in my bag!”  Marie Pugh

A Story

The theme of A Story brought a wide range of subjects.  Some were powerful in themselves, all had backstories that gave them even more force.  As well as lots of entries, there was plenty of voting and for the first time we had a tie for #1.  So I have chosen the one I didn’t vote for myself as the first in this group:

Pilgrims' Rest, Mpumulanga © Gabi Elliott 2010

Note the grave on the right, about halfway up the terraces.  Gabi says: “it is the only gravestone which has been placed facing in the wrong direction in this cemetery. It has a cross of bones painted on it and the name etched is ‘Robber’s Grave’.  The story is that the man buried there was a robber and was not afforded the privilege of being buried facing the sun as it rises over the mountains and the cemetery.  He was damned for his sins by being placed in the wrong direction.  Nobody seems certain whether it is fact or just a story..it is, however, the only grave that is facing in the wrong direction!”

This evoked quite a lot of discussion and Gabi responded:  “…it is severe and it was the times! This apparently happened in the 1800’s…and it was a rough time…miners/immigrants/locals all vying for that elusive piece of gold to strike it rich. This cemetery is on the mountain above this small mining town… one of the first in this area many many moons ago. It is called Pilgrims Rest in Mpumulanga. The old part/original part of the town is now used as a tourist attraction but people still live there in the “newer” part.”

A Story: Buffalo Springfield

 

There's something happening here....What it is ain't exactly clear.... © David Westlake 2010

“In 1966 Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Ritchie Furay and Bruce Palmer were trying to come up with a name for their newly formed band.  Stills and Furay were staying at record producer Barry Friedman’s house in L.A.  A paving crew parked a steamroller similar to this one in front of Friedman’s house.  Buffalo Springfield became one of the most influential bands of the 1960s and launched the careers of Stephen Stills and Neil Young….for what it’s worth 😉

“I still like to shoot B&W on film. On 9/25 a camera club I belong to had an outing to Zagray farm. They have a collection of old farm and construction equipment. I pulled out the Nikon and shot on film”

David Westlake          Nikon FG 43~86 Nikkor f3.5 Kodak T-Max 100 1/125@f3.5

A Story: tree rings

Tree rings © Renee M Hay 2010

I was really intrigued by the star shape in the middle – the rings pull onto the spokes like a spider’s web.  Renee explained: “The star pattern is branches but they were cut off while the tree was young. It continued to grow making the star pattern inside. You all know that the rings of a tree is how old the tree is, but the closeness of, or further the rings are to each other is a history of the weather that year, telling how fast or slow the tree grew depending if there was enough rain and sun.”

A Story: Mount St Helens

Mt St Helens © Renee M Hay

When Renee first posted this she did not tell us where it was, and one member asked, saying: “It looks as though it is sleeping with one eye open”.  What a superb description of this volcano in Washington state, because of course once one knows the name it evokes memories of the havoc it unleashed back in 1980.  It is now a U.S. National Monument.

Crosses

The theme Crosses produced the usual range of interpretations – but a very odd result.  One picture won narrowly, followed by a host of runners-up.  Marie chose a Christian cross – but with a dramatic twist, the tops of the spires at Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.  The driving force behind this remarkable building was Anton Gaudi, who started work in 1883, when the building work had just started – and construction still continues. 

Sagrada Familia © Marie Pugh 2010

Crosses: peacock

And a completely different interpretation of Crosses: Susanne’s peacock crossing the crossroads: 

Peacock on crossroads © Susanne Loft 2010

Crosses: lighthouse

The windowframe and the shadows cast by its crosspieces create a multitude of crosses here.   David took this photo with a Canon XTI. 

Boston Lighthouse Window © David Westlake 2010