The other night I heard my mother call, “Leonard”. But the thing is… she died in 2012. I was just about falling asleep, in that twilight zone space between the conscious and the sub-conscious. It felt so real, like she was right next to me. I don’t believe in ghosts, necromancy or miracles, so I believe it was some kind of old, forgotten memory nerve synapse cutting through that liminal barrier.

But it was so nice to hear her soft, warm, supportive voice again. I miss her so much.

On another note, here are some recent photos from my 52frames.com challenge, and a couple of last year’s thrown in (remembering the Bala party)

[Click on any photo for the slideshow. Please leave comments at the bottom of the page]

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Week 17. Oops! Wrong Game ( Leading Lines )

Oops! Wrong Game

Sometimes you have to get off your grid and jump onto someone else’s. And sometimes that doesn’t work out either.

The Mess

Week 18. The Mess ( Something I Made )

This is a pencil sketch of a park close to my place I made A while ago. I kind of liked it. Then, for this challenge I decided to add some watercolour.

Yuckkkk!

The Ride

Week 19. The Ride ( Wide Aperture )

Wheels turning on the trail
Images flowing through my head
Thoughts jumping one to next
Gravel biting in the tread

As my wheels quickly turn
Tires crunching round the bends
Wild flowers on the edge
I quietly shoot with my toxic lens

Week 20. The Quest ( Reflection )

The Quest

I’m on the trail again
With my trusty gravel bike
Searching for reflective ponds
I know there’s one I’ll like

But looking into my mirror
The proverbial light bulb goes on
Suddenly it all makes sense
Everything is clear now

Week 21. Through my looking glass ( Details )

Through my looking glass

This week I’m off to Europe for a month. Photography is always a major part of my travels and the resulting photos are priceless to me, so I have a tiny SD card backup device based on the Raspberry Pi microprocessor. I can be sure that the DETAILS of my travel experiences will be safe.

Week 22. Through the Window ( Shoot With a Phone )

Through the Window

It’s raining out, we’re just finishing a bottle of French rosé and a bag of chips, and this was my view through the window of our B&B in Zierikzee, Zeeland, Netherlands. Cycling Bruges, Belgium to Amsterdam

Week 23. Bicycle bicycle ( Line From a Song )

Bicycle bicycle

I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
…Queen, can’t think of a better way to describe Amsterdam.

Week 24. Messy Art ( Abstract )

Messy Art ( Abstract )

I’m normally not fond of abstract photography because in my opinion, they usually don’t tell a story. But as I ate my blueberry tart with raspberry coulis, I could see my abstract image come to life.

Week 25. Olaf ( Portrait of a Stranger )

Olaf

We were walking through a narrow alley when I saw this very large man unloading beer kegs. I asked him if I could shoot his portrait. He enthusiastically said yes and picked up a keg to pose for the shot. Then he quickly ran into the pub and came back with his name and email on the back of a beer coaster. He wants me to send a copy.

Week 26. Shadow Sentries ( Negative Space )

Shadow Sentries

Every time I bring the viewfinder to my eye I’m looking for negative space, so not getting any subject ideas this week, I initially thought I was in a creative rut. But then I decided to do an ICM shot, for which admittedly I need a lot of work. Then I added an Adamski layer. So the story here is not so much the actual photo, but circumstances surrounding.

Week 27. Triangle of Life ( Triangular Composition )

Triangle of Life

The Life Triangle has three possible outcomes
What you hope it will be
What the fortune teller says it will be
And what will actually happen

Week 28. She’s So Vain ( Spoon )

She’s So Vain

She’ll look at herself in anything. Even a spoon.

Week 30. Sunshower ( Water )

Sunshower

Leaves and petals
Shimmering in the breeze
The sweet liquid energy
Dancing on the wild flowers
I can feel the sunshower kiss
Of inspiration

Week 31. The Pondering ( Distortion )

The Pondering

She’s gazing at the mountain
Pondering white
Not green
The distorted off-balance feel
Of skiis over bumps

Light At the End ( Night Photography )

Light At the End

Week 33. Nothing Really Matters ( door )

Nothing Really Matters

An open door
An open mind
Searching for the meaning of life
Does the cosmos have the answer?
Of course it does
Nothing truly matters

 

 

 

 

Week 34. Right and Wrong ( Rule of Odds )

 

Right and Wrong

My favourite whisky
3 cubes too much
2 cubes bad number
But 1?
Is just right

 

The Game

Week 35. The Game ( Rule of Thirds )

I think about my moves ahead
And how I plan to choose my tread
Life is but a challenging game
And one I wish to make my frame
Every week I get that shot
Hopefully it’s not for naught
I try so hard to be fastidious
And keep this habit from being insidious

 

 

Riders on the Storm

Week 36. Riders on the Storm ( Blue Hour )

Riders on the storm
Into this house, we’re born
Into this world, we’re thrown…

– Jim Morrison and the Doors (1971)

 

 

 

Week 45 (2023). Angry Barbie ( Bokeh )

Angry Barbie 

Barbie, Barbie
What am I?
They made a movie
Don’t ask me why

I’m out of my box
No hands tied with elastic bands
No more plastic to look through
Now I see the city hue

Little girls, they dress me up
Their little brothers feel me up
And what about that dickless Ken?
The little girls put my clothes on him

I have a cult following
Cultural baggage, body-shame
Mattel, I don’t need you anymore
Now I’m playing my own game

 

Week 18 (2023). #TinFishDateNight ( Food Photography )

#TinFishDateNight

Canned fish is so not in
“Tinned” is the latest trend
Artistic packaging photo ready
Much coin you will spend

Culinary viral charcuterie
Instagram ready bite
A tin of sardines
The foodies delight

I must follow my father
The Cape Breton path
Onions, oil and vinegar
And oh, so bad breath