Bruja´s 52 (Part 2) + Texture (phew, I made it to the end)

Simply superb Jill :clap::clap: and what a shame you had to go back to that rotten shopping centre to get it :D
 
I can tell that you enjoyed this and you obviously have a good eye for it.
Walking past that all I'd see is the roof of a shopping centre, but you've turned it into a piece of art.

Well done !
I love it. You really seem to have shifted up a gear for the last 3 weeks, those shots have been fantastic.

Thanks you so much Sarah. I do love taking pictures of details and looking out for the extraordinary that we would normally just walk past.

What a lovely shade of blue! I like this. And works better than if[hypothetically] you just took a pic for blue card :lol: I like this :-)

Thanks Shorty, I'll be over to look at your thread soon ;)
 
This is stunning, stunning, stunning, Jill. The colour is so intense and the symmetry is spot on - I keep going back and looking at it. :clap::clap::clap: Thank you so much Jean :nuts:

Extra credit for going back to your favourite shopping centre to get the shot - your reputation for hating shopping is legendary around here.

Yes, I often 'get' a song stuck in my head - and I do try and share them around a bit if I can. This week, though, has been mercifully for everyone, song-free. :) This week it's food glorious food :lol: Just thought I'd share that.

I hope you are soon feeling less tired. I am now thanks.

Jean

Simply superb Jill :clap::clap: and what a shame you had to go back to that rotten shopping centre to get it :D

I know, life´s a bitch :lol: Glad you like it.
 
'Food Glorious Food' I've been singing that blasted song all week so I just thought I'd share it with you :lol:

Many people have problems with food and I used to be (I hope) one of them.

I was skinny as a child and adolescent and my childhood memories of food are of always wanting more (So I guess the song has a point after all). Not more sweets, or crisps, or cakes, even though we only got them rarely, just a bigger portion of food. I used to sit and watch my dad eat his tea (he always had his after us, and it was always nicer than ours) knowing that he rarely ate it all, so that I could scavenge what was left. My mother wouldn't pay for school lunches when I went to Grammar School and I used to get banana sandwiches nearly every day, with occasional chicken paste ones. And that was it!

Anyway, left school at 15 and did a hairdressing appenticeship and because the wages were so poor my mother used to take them all and give me lunch money and bus fare everday. I got engaged at 18, married at 19 and had my first child when I was 21 and my second when I was 23 and, apart from putting on the usual pregnancy weight and then losing it (eventually) I was still slim and stayed that way for years.

At 29 I divorced and at 31 remarried again, and after a few months I started putting on weight and eating a lot more (and drinking a lot more too!) and eventually I was over 12 stone (76Kg), from 10 stone (63.5Kg) until I eventually decided to do something about it and lost it again.

I then got divorced, remarried and my weight stayed stable for a few years. Then, when I was 40, I developed a severe depression and my weight soared as I ate and drank too much again. By the time I was 44 I weighed 14st 7lbs (92Kg), and I hated it. Then, one morning, I woke up and thought 'that's enough!' A friend had been talking a couple of weeks before that about how good the Atkins Diet was as she and her husband had lost a lot of weight on it, so I thought I'd give it a try. It worked for me. Over a period of a year I lost 4st and was down to 10st 7lbs (66Kg), and, apart from a blip last year when I went back to 12st (76Kg), I'm now back to normal and I reckon I'm going to stay that way.

How can you be sure you might ask

Well, because I've finally figured out what was going on (which is more than any of the psychiatrists and psycholgists and other therapists did).

What I was feeling all through my childhood and adolescence was an emotional hole that needed filling, rather than a physical hunger. And, when I put on weight as an adult it was for the same reason. I was trying to fill that emptiness again coupled sometimes with a feeling of 'well why not, I deserve it' which I used to interpret as self pity and self gratification, but now realise I didn't mean it in that way at all. The 'I deserve it' had more to do with lack of self worth because although I knew what I was eating and drinking I felt guilty about it all the time, so I was punishing myself for being empty and worthless :(

You'll be very glad to hear that I don't believe that any more (well, alright, occasionally I do :D) and no longer give a monkey's about what people I don't respect think of me. I like me, at last, and that's good enough for me :)

One of the things I used to ask my patients (and sometimes my friends :'() is 'Why do you respect the opinion of someone you don't respect?' and I try to live by that now.

Phew :gag:, that kind of made up for the very little I had to say last week :lol: and I certainly didn't decide to say all that before I sat at the keyboard. It's amazing what a theme will dredge up :eek:


This is only the second staged still life I've done because I've never really fancied it, but it's growing on me :D



FOOD


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There are some more 'natural ones' from the market here, here, and here.
 
Another insight into your life Jill.
Colourful food, excellent work it could have worked for both weeks, not that I don't like your colour shot, I do.
The only thing I'm not sure about is the border, I think it takes a little away from the punch of the shot!
Mark
 
Thank you for sharing that with us. I do love reading about where the themes take you in your mind - and your honesty in sharing it whether it's good or bad.

One of the things I used to ask my patients (and sometimes my friends :'() is 'Why do you respect the opinion of someone you don't respect?' and I try to live by that now.

:) That's a philosophy that I completely agree with and I can totally relate to it.
It's something I worked out for myself a long time ago and once I'd got that straight in my mind it's surprising what a happier, more laid-back person it made me.

Anyway, on to the photo.
You know that I'm a really big fan of staged still-lifes and I love your take on it this week.
There's almost a traffic light effect going on with the colours which works well for me - you really should try more of these type of shots.

p.s. Talking of songs, after looking at that I've now got "Oranges and Lemons say the bells of St Clement's" going round in my head :bonk:
 
What a very strong story behind this week[again] well done you :hug:
I like this shot, really simple, like the lighting. But really love the suttle size difference between the fruits. Well done :thumbs:
 
I can identify with a lot of what you've said about the 'psychology of food' and 4 years ago I suddenly 'got it' (as a reality, rather than 'knowledge') that what I eat affects my weight - and lost 2 stone! So thank you very much for your honesty in sharing your food story. :)

For me the citrus fruits represent the clean, fresh, colourful face of good/beneficial/healthy food and the black background works very well. You really should do more still lifes (lives??? :shrug:). I know this is being very picky, and I hope you won't be offended - but I'd have liked just the teeniest, weeniest space between the orange and lemon. Just off to check my OCD symptoms. :)



Jean
 
Wonderful writing again this week Jill. The shot I really like, the colours are excellent and you've caught the textures on the fruit nicely. The border seems a little heavy (but that's being picky)
 
I love this shot the colours a great and black background really sets it off.

I totally sympathize with regards to the weight loss i am currently trying to loss weight (again) hopefull i wont injure my back and go back to the start this time.
 
Phew what a build up to a shot...:(

I felt I would have to like it or I would be a horrible person...

But like always you pick a nice shot and alls well for me to say.....Its great, works so well with the black background, and love that you can't see the bottom of where they are sitting. The lighting works so well and as for the choice of fruit...:clap::clap::clap:

Another winner from you young lady...:thumbs:
 
Another insight into your life Jill.
Colourful food, excellent work it could have worked for both weeks, not that I don't like your colour shot, I do.
The only thing I'm not sure about is the border, I think it takes a little away from the punch of the shot!
Mark

Well, by the end of this you're probably going to know more about me than I do! Glad you like them. I guess I just have a thing about borders at the moment :D

Thank you for sharing that with us. I do love reading about where the themes take you in your mind - and your honesty in sharing it whether it's good or bad.


That's a philosophy that I completely agree with and I can totally relate to it.
It's something I worked out for myself a long time ago and once I'd got that straight in my mind it's surprising what a happier, more laid-back person it made me.

Anyway, on to the photo.
You know that I'm a really big fan of staged still-lifes and I love your take on it this week.
There's almost a traffic light effect going on with the colours which works well for me - you really should try more of these type of shots. Thanks Sarah, like I said, they're not really my thing but they are growing on me.

p.s. Talking of songs, after looking at that I've now got "Oranges and Lemons say the bells of St Clement's" going round in my head :bonk: Thanks for that :bang:
 
What a very strong story behind this week[again] well done you :hug:
I like this shot, really simple, like the lighting. But really love the suttle size difference between the fruits. Well done :thumbs:

Thanks Shorty. The lighting was just natural light and me lying on the floor (again!). And the fruits were fresh from the market. ;)

I can identify with a lot of what you've said about the 'psychology of food' and 4 years ago I suddenly 'got it' (as a reality, rather than 'knowledge') that what I eat affects my weight - and lost 2 stone! So thank you very much for your honesty in sharing your food story. :) No problem. Everyone's psychology is different but this thread is doing a lot to remind me who I am. Not that that was my intention at the beginning, it's just happened that way :shrug:

For me the citrus fruits represent the clean, fresh, colourful face of good/beneficial/healthy food and the black background works very well. You really should do more still lifes (lives??? :shrug:). I know this is being very picky, and I hope you won't be offended - but I'd have liked just the teeniest, weeniest space between the orange and lemon. Just off to check my OCD symptoms. :) You obsessive you :lol::lol: Just be glad I don't have a song in my head for this week ......... yet ;)



Jean
 
Wonderful writing again this week Jill. The shot I really like, the colours are excellent and you've caught the textures on the fruit nicely. The border seems a little heavy (but that's being picky)

You can be picky if you want to, doesn't mean I'll take any notice though ;)Glad you like the writing though, and this week it took longer than the photo. Who knows what will come out with Exposure :eek:

I love this shot the colours a great and black background really sets it off.

I totally sympathize with regards to the weight loss i am currently trying to loss weight (again) hopefull i wont injure my back and go back to the start this time.

Glad you like the shot Ruth and hope your weight loss continues. It's a b****r when an injury slows you down. :(

Phew what a build up to a shot.. Glad you liked it (at least I think you did ;))

I felt I would have to like it or I would be a horrible person... You, never!

But like always you pick a nice shot and alls well for me to say.....Its great, works so well with the black background, and love that you can't see the bottom of where they are sitting. The lighting works so well and as for the choice of fruit...:clap::clap::clap: Well the lighting was natural light against a black sheet laid over a wooden frame that MrB made and draping onto the floor so there isn't anything to say where the back ends and the floor begins.

Another winner from you young lady...:thumbs: Thanks so much for your continued support Marcus
 
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Well done again Jill. I like it
 
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Before I get to the photo, that lead up, wow. Thanks for sharing. I might just try add a little to every photo each week. So now you can say that you've inspired at least 1 person (although I reckon more!) with sharing such personal details. And Bravo to you I say :clap:.

The photo... I don't usually like such "organised" shots, but there's something about this that I do like. Can't put my finger on it, it just works. I don't really know what else to say, but... I just like it! :thumbs:
 
Jill Jill Jill - mega catch up tonight!!!!

Colour (not colours;)) is great - my kind of abstract! Such a vibrant blue :D

Food: Almost like a police line up- wonderful colours and great lighting! And soooo fresh looking :)

Your words as a ever are eloquent and moving and , once again, thanks for sharing :)
 
Hey Jill,

The Colour shot is Ok, I like the blue and the pattern of the metalwork.

Your Food shot is better for me, I like the simple background and the three slashes of colour. Nice simple shot.
 
Before I get to the photo, that lead up, wow. Thanks for sharing. I might just try add a little to every photo each week. So now you can say that you've inspired at least 1 person (although I reckon more!) with sharing such personal details. And Bravo to you I say

Thanks very much KG. I didn't set out to bare my soul, but, some themes just strike a chord, and it's better out than in as they say ;)

The photo... I don't usually like such "organised" shots, but there's something about this that I do like. Can't put my finger on it, it just works. I don't really know what else to say, but... I just like it! :thumbs: Glad you think so

Jill Jill Jill - mega catch up tonight!!!!

Colour (not colours;)) is great - my kind of abstract! Such a vibrant blue I thought you'd like it :D

Food: Almost like a police line up- wonderful colours and great lighting! And soooo fresh looking :) Straight from the market that morning :)

Your words as a ever are eloquent and moving and , once again, thanks for sharing :)

Hey Jill,

The Colour shot is Ok, I like the blue and the pattern of the metalwork.

Your Food shot is better for me, I like the simple background and the three slashes of colour. Nice simple shot.

Thanks Hyster
 
Well I think I've exposed a lot of myself so far, so no great words today. The title just didn't inspire me to any great insights this week. Some of you may be disappointed but many of you will probably be glad ;).

I did struggle with this theme, although, I admit, the first definition that came to me was 'indecent', so maybe that says something about me after all :naughty:.

Anyway, this is what I came up with. They are in season at the moment and I went into the campo (countryside) to capture one in situ yesterday, and it was flipping hot as well :cuckoo:

But I'm :cool: now :lol:



EXPOSURE



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Exposing the heart of the fig!

Well it was the best I could come up with :shrug:

And they taste lovely too. Warmed by the sun and fresh from the tree :lol:
 
The best you could come up with was pretty darn good! Fantastic colours! Get's a :thumbs: from me :)
 
Oh cripes, how am I so behind with your shots?! Apologies…:bonk:

Colour - I like a good abstract and blue is lovely and deep. I’m not sure about the border though.

Food - Classic line up you have there! Lovely colours in this one too with the black BG emphasizing them. :clap:

Exposed - Now I would LOVE to see your take on “indecent” but I guess that will have to wait for another day! I like your take on the theme and once again the colours are spot on. The only thing I would suggest is to move the fig forward / frame it so you don’t have the gap top left.
 
Mmmmmmm that's a tasty shot if ever I saw one...:love:

That really is a stunning shot Jill, spot on in every way so your on form young lady...:clap::clap::clap:
 
Love the colour in your exposed shot, might have framed it so there wasn't a gap in the background top left but thats being picky, even the way its torn at the edges looks great.
 
The best you could come up with was pretty darn good! Fantastic colours! Get's a :thumbs: from me :)

Thanks KG, glad you like it.

Oh cripes, how am I so behind with your shots?! Apologies…:bonk: No worries

Colour - I like a good abstract and blue is lovely and deep. I’m not sure about the border though.

Food - Classic line up you have there! Lovely colours in this one too with the black BG emphasizing them. :clap: Thanks DS

Exposed - Now I would LOVE to see your take on “indecent” but I guess that will have to wait for another day! I like your take on the theme and once again the colours are spot on. The only thing I would suggest is to move the fig forward / frame it so you don’t have the gap top left. I tried but the rock wasn't big enough and there was only dried grass/weeds around.

That looks very yummy and very nicely taken :) Thanks Ruth, and they are lovely eaten straight from the tree.
 
Mmmmmmm that's a tasty shot if ever I saw one...:love:

That really is a stunning shot Jill, spot on in every way so your on form young lady...:clap::clap::clap:

Thanks Marcus, I'm glad you like it.

super sharp
great colours
well done

Thanks KA

You might not have many words this week, but that shot really doesn't need them to say "Wow!"

The colours are absolutely fantastic and I love the natural setting on the rock. It looks so fresh and delicious - well done :clap:

Thanks Sarah, it was picked 5 minutes before the shot and torn open by my own fair hands.

Love the colour in your exposed shot, might have framed it so there wasn't a gap in the background top left but thats being picky, even the way its torn at the edges looks great.

Thanks Hyster, and you can be picky if you want :D
 
How odd I was convinced I replied to this and yet it appears not, very sorry. :bonk:What can I say, a very clever interpretation of exposed and very well taken too, the detail is superb.:clap:

Mark.:thumbs:
 
Thanks Mark. Glad you like it. And don't worry, I think I've commented on stuff all the time and I usually miss a couple a week :bang:
 
Mono eh! Well the first thing that came into my head was monochrome and that led to me singing 'Kodachrome' by Simon and Garfunkel all week.

Just thought I'd share that :lol:

Anyway, when I thought about black and white it made me wonder how we think about the world around us. :shrug:

Many things can be perceived as black and white.

Truth........Lie
Right..........Wrong
Legal..........Illegal
Gay...............Straight
Good..........Bad
Happy........Sad
Sane..........Mad​

The list is endless ...............................................

But the reality is that black and white are simply ends of a continuum that has all shades of grey in between.

What is an absolute truth? Who decides? And is it wrong to lie?

Who decides what is right or wrong? You, me, a general consensus? Because what is right for me to do or think or behave in a certain set of circumstances may be totally wrong or unacceptable to you.

What is legal? Who decides? Is it the Law? Who decides the Law? And in whose interests? Is it immutable or do we sometimes break it - going faster than the speed limit, taking home a pen from work, talking on the phone in the car, using the internet at the office, not declaring a small payment to HMRC, making a photocopy from a book or downloading music from the internet or copying a CD for a friend.

(DISCLAIMER - I have never done any of these things, they are solely from my imagination)

Also, many of these black and white categorisations turn into stereotypes and we judge people without knowing them or their circumstances. For example, when I was divorced from my first husband it was best that he had custody of the children, then aged 3 and 5, and I was confonted by a 'friend' who challenged 'what kind of a mother leaves her children!' and I was demonised while he got all the tea and sympathy brigade.

Which leads me into the one that bothers me most (or used to :() is Good - Bad.

There's still a remnant inside which says I'm a bad person. Many of you will have already read about my earlier life in previous posts where I was bullied and psychologically abused at home and school. All of which led to me feeling 'not good enough', which, of course, meant I was bad :nono:

And the remark by 'the friend' and others, obviously didn't help and a year later I was in hospital for 6 weeks after a 'nervous breakdown'. They didn't get to the core of the problem though, but I got interested enough in the whole process to do a degree in psychology, so something good came out of it anyway.

In a course called Humanistic Psychology I was introduced to the works of RD Laing, one of the best known psychiatrists of modern times, who, unfortunately died in 1989. He wrote a book of what could be called poetry 'KNOTS' and this poem is aptly named

JILL.
'I don't respect myself
I can't respect anyone who respects me
I can only respect someone who does not respect me

I respect Jack
because he does not respect me

I despise Tom
because he does not despise me

Only a despicable person
can respect someone as despicable as me

I cannot love someone I despise

Since I love Jack
I cannot believe he loves me

What proof can he give?'​


And do you know what the strangest thing of all is? I only every applied the criteria to me. I didn't judge anyone else in the same way that I judged myself. It took me many years to learn that lesson, and that I'm not good or bad. I'm just me and that's good enough :cool:

Anyway, that's enough exposure for this week ;)


It's still too hot to take many pictures outside, plus, all the countryside is currently a monotonous brown. So this is another still life and my interpretation is ..........



MONO



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Right - words first.

Wow !
You really do have a great way of thinking through these challenges, and you seem to be able to put into words the things that we all think, but never really express.

I sincerely hope that you get rid of that last little remnant telling you that you're a bad person. Your friend asked you "What kind of mother leaves her children?". IMO the kind that puts what's best for her children before her own wellbeing and society's expectations. That takes a very brave and strong woman, but you know that already.

OK, before I start rambling and getting all deep & philosophical I think I'd better move onto the photo.

:thumbs: from me on this one.
I love all things oriental and this works really well for me.
The composition is beautifully simple and elegant.
Nice clean lines and the lighting really works. You've got some lovely shadows in the cups and spout of the teapot.

Only niggle is that the lid of the teapot is lost a bit in the background, but I'm not sure what you could have done to overcome this.

BTW Just for the record - I've never done any of those things to break the law either (honestly!)
 
Can't believe I missed your Exposure! I reallly like that! Cracking shot, with brilliant detail and colours. I love your idea for the theme :thumbs:

Mono, love the simplicity for this, and the items too ;) :thumbs:
 
Wow! Another fantastic story. I really commend you for exposing this detail.

The photo: excellent shot. I love the way you used really deep blacks and whites to convey mono. Really works for me. And I love the way the teapot lid blends into the background. :thumbs:
 
Jill - I've read and reread your words this week a few times, and I guess we exist in a 'reality' which is real to us but not necessarily how other people perceive us. I can never work out what other people think of me (probably a good thing :lol:) but there's collection of shortcomings I 'know' about myself. I can quite believe that the 2 lists are different, though. :lol: I hadn't heard of Laing's Knots before - definitely something to follow up on. :)

The philosophical discussion about truth fascinates me, too. I understand 'absolute truth' - the night follows day type of argument, but relative truth is another matter. Does thinking something is true, make it so? Does something that is true in one set of circumstances become untrue in another? If my 'reality' is different from yours, does that make my 'relative truth' different, too? My brain aches already. :D

So moving on to your picture for Mono -

Quite simply - I love it. :thumbs: No brain ache here at all. :D Am I right in assuming that it's "mono in colour" rather than a B&W conversion?

Jean
 
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