Thank you for your explanation, Glenn. But, now you got me thinking - I fight to write in English what I feel in Portuguese. You may think the result is "flights of poetic fancy", but I am almost sure it's only the exotic/foreign aspect that gives you this impression... Lost in translation - that's my name. But as they say here "I am a Brazilian and I will never give up." So, be prepared to more fights with languages :-)
The photograph is filled with action, as your spontaneous haiku implies. I have to say that all the angles that would normally be 90 degrees in more functional environments are picked up here by the camera more than by the human eye. For example, there are many many telephone/power poles and streetlight poles that were severely bent at the base from Katrina and/or Gustave. Or maybe a short pole of some kind was bent in a fender-bender in the French Quarter sometime in the 1940s. People get used to this and don't give it a moment's thought. But the camera will never quit recording it until we and the poles have all been replaced by new ones. There's a whole lot of motion in a still photo in N.O. street scenes. And by the way, if Claudia is fighting with languages, she is winning. sp
@sussah You make a good point about the angles of the poles (this one, by the way, has to be from a fender bender - it IS the Quarter, after all); but what intrigues/bugs me are the dips in the structures. That curve in the upper part of the building is not a byproduct of the camera lens.
"But the camera will never quit recording it until we and the poles have all been replaced by new ones."
Oh, my God, I will chew those beautiful words all day long. Thank you for giving me food for thought!
By the way, the first thing I noticed in this picture was the bended pole. Since I had nothing to say about it, I preferred to stick to the more obvious element in the photo - the tree. I am lazy sometimes...
Claudia, you are so sweet and you boost my spirits. You're right, Glenn, about the structures dipping. The thing is, sometimes it's kind of imperceptible, but the geology is shifting along with the buildings. N.O. is old and built on a bog. Our house, right on top of the geological feature known as the Gentilly Ridge was built in the late 1930s. You'd never know it just by looking, but it turns out that the back door is a little lower to sea level than the front door, which the flood water taught. So many buildings need serious assessment and ultimately to be demolished, but I guess we'll have to live with the imperfection for as long as it works!
Lyrical. There is something about the way that shadows moving across a building are so poetic, and you've demonstrated that here on this blog again and again. Another fine photo here.
20 comments:
The tree sees itself in the mirror.
Very nice. The angle of the light is just right (and also conveniently keeps your own shadow out of the shot!).
@Rick
"... (and also conveniently keeps your own shadow out of the shot!)"
Um, you see that triangled mass in the lower left? That's my head.
@Cláudia
The mirror of times past, now, and yet to come.
OMG, you got me talking like you now ;-)
Oh, my God, does my writing in English has a Brazilian accent? I knew it somehow, but wasn't prepared to be spotted like this ;-)
@Cláudia
Non, no, no, that's not what I meant. I meant your flights of poetic fancy :]
Thank you for your explanation, Glenn.
But, now you got me thinking - I fight to write in English what I feel in Portuguese. You may think the result is "flights of poetic fancy", but I am almost sure it's only the exotic/foreign aspect that gives you this impression...
Lost in translation - that's my name.
But as they say here "I am a Brazilian and I will never give up." So, be prepared to more fights with languages :-)
A shadow more beautiful in memory than the tree was in life. best...jerry
@Cláudia
Bring 'em on, baby!
(And speaking of flights of poetic fancy,, just go to any "Bigezbear" post at random. You've got nothing on me, kiddo.)
@Jerry Freeman
The tree stands
The shadow
Whirls
Sways
Dances
Dead Poets Society - I would love to meet you all round that charming cocktail table at Harry's Corner Bar :-)
@Cláudia
But you could never talk about it afterwards. Of course, being on the street, as it is, there would be photographs.
The photograph is filled with action, as your spontaneous haiku implies. I have to say that all the angles that would normally be 90 degrees in more functional environments are picked up here by the camera more than by the human eye. For example, there are many many telephone/power poles and streetlight poles that were severely bent at the base from Katrina and/or Gustave. Or maybe a short pole of some kind was bent in a fender-bender in the French Quarter sometime in the 1940s. People get used to this and don't give it a moment's thought. But the camera will never quit recording it until we and the poles have all been replaced by new ones. There's a whole lot of motion in a still photo in N.O. street scenes. And by the way, if Claudia is fighting with languages, she is winning. sp
@sussah
You make a good point about the angles of the poles (this one, by the way, has to be from a fender bender - it IS the Quarter, after all); but what intrigues/bugs me are the dips in the structures. That curve in the upper part of the building is not a byproduct of the camera lens.
Sussah,
"But the camera will never quit recording it until we and the poles have all been replaced by new ones."
Oh, my God, I will chew those beautiful words all day long. Thank you for giving me food for thought!
By the way, the first thing I noticed in this picture was the bended pole. Since I had nothing to say about it, I preferred to stick to the more obvious element in the photo - the tree. I am lazy sometimes...
Claudia, you are so sweet and you boost my spirits. You're right, Glenn, about the structures dipping. The thing is, sometimes it's kind of imperceptible, but the geology is shifting along with the buildings. N.O. is old and built on a bog. Our house, right on top of the geological feature known as the Gentilly Ridge was built in the late 1930s. You'd never know it just by looking, but it turns out that the back door is a little lower to sea level than the front door, which the flood water taught. So many buildings need serious assessment and ultimately to be demolished, but I guess we'll have to live with the imperfection for as long as it works!
Lyrical. There is something about the way that shadows moving across a building are so poetic, and you've demonstrated that here on this blog again and again. Another fine photo here.
Silently the tree feels its way across the shutters and door, lamenting it knows its days are numbered, just like the house.
A beautiful shot Glenn, I thought I'd write a few words for you poets !!
@GJC
Thank you. You're very kind.
@Michael
Thank you, Michael. Lovely poem, too. Really lovely. Really. No, no, really. Lovely.
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