Thematic Photographic 147 - Got the blues

Scene from a diner
London, ON, May 2011

If you've got the blues, then I'm hoping you'll have at least one picture - and hopefully more - to share with us over the course of the next week. "The blues" can mean anything: The color blue, a feeling or tone that suggests subdued sadness, or whatever else you want it to mean. How you interpret the theme is entirely up to you, as there are no rights or wrongs when it comes to Thematic.

This scene is a perfect case in point. Yes, it's got lots of blue in it. But the downtown street corner scene - a gritty, colorful place that almost forces passers-by to become reflective - is what really sets the tone for me. I was in the area for the night-before-election-night rehearsal (see here and here for more on that grand television adventure), and as I had arrived a bit early, I decided to wander the neighborhood with my camera. The light was dim a grey - not ideal for any kind of shooting - but the more I shot, the more I realized how closely the results mimicked my mood: quiet, reflective, thoughtful.

It's what the blues are all about. And now we've got a week to explore them. Enjoy.

Your turn: Please share a blue-themed picture - new or already-posted - on your blog. Then post a comment here. Then visit other participants to share the photographic joy. Repeat as often as you wish throughout the week. If you're new to the Thematic thing, click here. Oh, and have fun. Because that's why we do this.

Thematic Photographic 146 - Aerial

Looking into space

Kennedy Space Center, FL, December 2010

Ever been up high? Ever take a picture of the experience? If so, that's the deal with this week's Thematic theme, aerial.

I chose this pic to mark the Space Shuttle Endeavour's final launch this morning from the left-hand tip of the Y (launch pad 39A) in the photo above. The day this photo was taken, her sister ship, Discovery, sat on the pad, awaiting her own launch on her own final flight.

It'll be weird when these places go silent. Doesn't strike me as right.

Your turn: Share an aerial-themed photo of your own on your blog - or find one you've already posted, even long ago - and leave a comment here letting folks know where to find it. Visit other participants' entries to share the photographic love. For more info on Thematic, click here. The point of all this? To stretch our optical horizons a bit. And to enjoy the experience. Are you game?

Thematic Photographic 145 - Vehicular

Turbocharged
London, ON, April 2011

In this age of spiking fuel prices, uncertainty over where that fuel will come from in future and continued debate over what forms of locomotion will replace the good old internal combustion engine, it's kind of nice to know that the simple practice of appreciating the car for what it is - a rolling piece of engineering, art and science all rolled into one - is as popular today as it's always been.

I still view car ownership as a daunting prospect, one that today's sub/exurban zoning orgy has made a virtual necessity for too many people. I'd walk, bike or bus/rapid-transit everywhere if I could. But I can't because cities and lives just aren't built that way. So I drive. A little reluctantly.

But that doesn't mean I can't walk slowly around a car, any car, and take in the subtleties of its shape for the first time. It's great exercise for the mind, a way to force it to recognize - and capture - tiny details that most others might miss.

Which is what I hope you'll do over the next week as part of our latest Thematic theme, vehicular. If it has anything to do with a car or any other kind of vehicle, please shoot it and share it. It won't solve the world's energy woes, but it'll make you smile all the same.

Your turn: Post a vehicular-themed pic on your blog - or find something you may already have shared online. Leave a comment here letting everyone know where to find it. Drop by other participants. Repeat. Call your friends and drag them kicking and screaming over here. Have them read this if they're new to the Thematic thing.

Thematic Photographic 144 - Happiness is...

Come on, get happy

London, ON

May 2010

Like the good ex-Montrealer that I am, I watched the Canadiens on television last night. Hockey isn't exactly in my blood - my playing career consisted of rag tag games of shinny on the questionably maintained outdoor rink in the park around the corner from my house - but I've always loved the feel of the game. It's the only pro sport in this country that remains rooted to its past to any degree, and no other game at this level feels quite as much ours.

So when the Habs lost to the Bruins in overtime, I felt the letdown and wished our iconic club could have gone further. But I didn't take to Twitter and Facebook to vent my extreme displeasure. I didn't march onto the street and rip my clothes in a Charlton Heston-esque display of overt, personal loss. When we wake up the morning after the season ends, we wake up, which is something that can't be said for many of us on this night.

I watched my dog watch the television and thought about how none of this - hockey, tornadoes, royal weddings and gas prices alike - matters to him. All he cared about at that moment was that someone was scratching him gently behind his ears and speaking quietly to him. He was happy.

And as I think about this sliver of birthday cake from last year (before the kids sang me happy birthday and demolished it), I can't help but think that whether your team, whatever team it may be, wins or loses is immaterial. As long as you're surrounded by those who would scratch you behind your ears, literal or figurative, you've got nothing to complain about. Charlton Heston would doubtless agree.

Your turn: I believe that happiness, as witnessed by my long-since-eaten cake, is a simple equation. What does happiness mean to you? We've got a week to explore it. Click here if you're new to Thematic. Otherwise, post your happiness-themed pic to your site (or point us toward something you've already shared), leave a comment here letting everyone know where to find it, and visit other participants to share the joy.

Thematic Photographic 143 - Please be seated

Waiting for...
London, ON, February 2011

I often joke that my chosen career path - which involves pressing keys in relatively consistent order such that the letters form words and the words form sentences and the sentences form paragraphs and stories and documents for which I get paid - isn't the most physical in the world. I sit on my duff all day and I type. So I thought a Thematic theme that celebrates the art of sitting might be in order.

For what it's worth, I'm sitting as I write this. Where? Not relevant. But perhaps over the next week, you, too, will feel the urge to share your own photographic perspective(s) on seats, being seated, and the things we see and do when we're reclining. As ever, where you take the theme is entirely up to you.

I realize it's an oddball topic. But that's who I am. And I know you're up for the challenge.

Your turn: Please share a photo related to this week's theme on your own blog. Or dig into your archives and point us toward something that's already online. Leave a comment here letting everyone know where to find it, then visit other participants to spread the visual joy. Repeat as often as you wish. If you're new to this Thematic thing - FWIW, it's our weekly non-competitive photo-sharing activity - just click here and all will be explained.

Thematic Photographic 142 - Let treedom ring

Barked
London, ON, March 2011

Pardon the play on words, but it's been a tough week and I'm looking for humor wherever I can find it. We'll be exploring trees as part of our new Thematic theme. Why? Because spring is a big time of year for these wondrous chunks of life, and I think it's a neat challenge to explore them with a lens.

Of course, Thematic wouldn't be Thematic without a little - okay, a lot of - interpretation. So I'll leave it to your discretion to define what a "tree" actually is. As always, don't be afraid to take the theme wherever you wish. There are no rights and wrongs, after all. What matters is that we share photographic goodness and learn a thing or two in the process.

Your turn: Post a tree-themed photo to your blog (or find something you may have shared a while back) and leave a comment here letting folks know where to find it. Visit other participants to spread the joy around. Feel free to share as many tree-ish pics as you wish over the coming week: We encourage photographic promiscuity around here. If you're new to this weekly Thematic Photographic sharing thing of ours, click here and all will be explained.

Thematic Photographic 141 - Windows

Mirrors, mirrors, on the walls
Minneapolis, MN, February 2011

Whether we're on the outside looking in or the inside looking out, it's a safe bet that windows play a significant role in the way we see the world and how we feel while we're doing it. Their very optical properties have always amazed and challenged me as as photographer. Think about it: on a bright day, I can't see inside these tinted and glazed surfaces, yet someone standing inside can easily see me. Turn day to night and it's an entirely different story.

Which is my way of challenging you to spend the next week sharing your own diverse views of life through glass. You can hit up the same window at different times, or walk the 'hood and see what you find. As always, how you choose to interpret a theme is entirely up to you.

Your turn: New to Thematic? In a nutshell, Thematic Photographic is our weekly photo-sharing adventure. I post a new theme - in this case, windows - and my lovely visitors (you!) post pictures that reflect the theme on your blog. Then, return here and leave a comment letting folks know where to find it. Visit other participants and share, share, share. For more background, click here. Know the ropes? Don't let me stop you. I can't wait to see what y'all come up with!

Thematic Photographic 140 - By land, sea or air

Crossing paths
London, ON, March 2011
[Please click here to learn how Thematic works]

I've been moving between places a lot lately, spending more time in airplanes, cars and other forms of transport than I usually do. Whenever I travel, I like to try to slow the process down a bit, to feel it more than I can see it. I realize that flying, for one, has become a bit of a cattle car-like experience. Okay, a lot like a cattle car.

We shuffle, herd-like, from one part of the airport to another, following rules adapted on the fly to meet agendas dictated by shadowy terrorists who live in faraway caves. As I strip my belt and shoes off in the security line, trying to keep moving fast enough to avoid the stink-eye from those behind me, I imagine those same shadowy terrorists laughing heartily at what they've done to us, at the ridiculous lengths to which we must now go to supposedly stay safe when we travel. It's a sad comment on the inhumanity some of us seem eager to foist on other humans. It makes me wonder why some of us choose to be so mean-spirited.

But the process of travel can inspire as well as disappoint. Like on this morning a few weeks ago when I walked outside and looked up. I saw other travellers, on their way to places unknown, their planes painting gorgeous, albeit temporary, pictures in the sky. The sun, unwilling to be left out of this early-morning atmospheric dance, threw some upward-facing shadows into the mix. Just because.

In the end, we can choose to see ugliness or we can choose to see beauty. It's up to us. I know where I stand.

Your turn: Over the next week, I'm going to choose to share the beauty of land, sea or air and I hope you'll do so, too. New to Thematic? Click here. An old hand? Just dive in by posting a similarly-themed pic to your blog - or pick something you may have already posted. Leave a comment here to let folks know where it is. Visit other participants to spread the joy, and repeat as often as you wish. And if you want to bring a friend along, we encourage that, too. We'll be doing it all week, so check back to see what everyone else is up to.

Thematic Photographic 139 - March Madness

Let them eat cake
London, ON, March 2010

This week's Thematic theme, March Madness, comes to us courtesy of Dana, better known online as Awareness. A writer, a poet, a photographer and an incredibly astute observer of the human condition, her blog has been a must-read for me for years.

As you mull over what photos to share this week, keep the following in mind:

• It must have been taken during the month of March
• It should illustrate some semblance of madness, silliness or irreverence. If it makes you smile, it's good.

That's it. Off to the races we go...

Your turn: Share a March Madness-themed pic on your site (or choose something that you already uploaded) and leave a comment here letting folks know where to find it. Visit other participants' sites to share the joy. Repeat as often as you wish through the week. Don't forget to smile. Thematic instructions, if you need 'em, are here.

About this photo: Why did I choose cake as my launch photo? Because closeups of cake are kinda silly. And it makes me smile every time I get ideas like this in my head and reach for the camera.

Thematic Photographic 138 - Transition

In the western sky
Laval, QC, August 2010
Click photo to embiggen, and here for more info on Thematic

Many thanks to Titanium* for suggesting this week's theme, transition. I'm not entirely sure I have what it takes to do her theme justice, but I'll certainly do my best to do just that this week. I hope you'll come along for the transitional ride.

Mine begins with one of my favorite moments of any day, when the sun slips below the horizon. It's more than just an orbital dance; it's an invitation to take stock, to reflect, and to look forward to the next gift of a day.

In the end, they're all gifts, aren't they?

Your turn: Please post a transition-themed photo to your blog - or find something you may have already posted - and leave a comment here letting folks know where to find it. Repeat as often as you wish, and feel free to pull in unsuspecting friends, too. Visit other participants to spread the photographic joy. And click here if you want more background on how Thematic, our weekly photo-sharing extravaganza, works. Have fun!

* If you haven't visited her blog, you're missing an inspirational treat. She lives in Alaska, climbs mountains, and paints pictures with her camera and pen that never fail to make my jaw drop.

Thematic Photographic 137 - Late

Oasis of light
New York, NY, November 2009

I'm a little late getting the new theme posted. Okay, a lot late. In light of, well, life, our little weekly photographic diversion took a bit of a back seat. On reflection, however, I realize what we all need right about now is precisely that, a diversion.

That's because as I write this, the precarious situation in Japan is rapidly worsening. Fears of nuclear meltdown - or worse, meltdowns - are growing, and it's hard to see the light at the end of this ever-longer, twisted tunnel. It seems somewhat frivolous to be playing with pictures when an uncontrolled catastrophe grips folks just like us half a world away.

So please forgive me if I write with a bit of ambivalence tonight. I'll keep shooting and writing and sharing. And I hope you will, too. But it'll be with a sense of sadness because the world doesn't always play fair. And explaining the why of it all to our kids is proving to be harder than I thought.

Your turn: You know what to do. If not, please click here. And if you'd like to share a thought about Japan, or about life in general, please feel free to do so in a comment.

Thematic Photographic 136 - Doubles

Twin towers?
Delray Beach, FL, December 2010

Remember when Thematic Photographic covered "singles" a few weeks back (here)? Well, y'all had such a good time with the number thing that I thought I'd give twosies a shot.

So for the next week, if your picture has two of anything in it, then it's fair game for inclusion in Thematic. Because it's always more fun when you share.

Your turn: If you've got a two-themed pic, please share it on your blog, then leave a comment here letting folks know where to find it. Repeat as often as you wish, and bonus points go to anyone who brings a friend along. The rules, such as they are, may be found here. But the only real rule that matters is this: Enjoy it. Just because.

Thematic Photographic 135 - Letters

A night at the movies
London, ON, February 2010
[Click here for more background on Thematic]

You read the title correctly, folks: Thematic is back! I took a bit of time off from our weekly photographic sharing activity (see here if this is all Swahili to you) because I think I needed a slight change of pace. But after being away from it for a couple of weeks, I realize I've missed it. I guess this crazy little photo-thing of ours has grown on me.

I'm going to make things easy for this week's theme: Anything with letters! That's it. If it's got something resembling an alphabet, in any language, in any form, in any order, then I hope you'll share it over the next week.

Your turn: Post a letter-themed pic on your site - or find something you've already posted online. Then leave a comment here telling folks where to find it. Repeat. Visit others. Drag your friends into the fray. Enjoy the highly cooperative, absolutely non-competitive process. Because it's all about finding new ways to view the world through a lens.

Thematic Photographic 134 - Strangers

Teatime in...Boca?
Boca Raton, FL, December 2010

It's time to break a long-held photographic rule, the one that says you may not shoot strangers without their permission. Because to do so opens up a whole new layer of interpersonal complexity, with release forms and potentially irate mothers-in-law defining the two edges of the spectrum.

Since I began shooting, I've stayed away from pointing my lens at people I don't know. I couldn't be bothered with the hassle of obtaining permission, of explaining why, of being accused, in this litigious age, of being a stalker.

But something, perhaps a none-too-little dose of mischief, came over me while we were down south. Perhaps it was the total lack of structure, or the fact that I was out with the boys and we were in a grand adventure mood. But as we sat on a bench in the middle of the mall, this scene played out in the store before us. Before I knew it, my shutter finger was twitching.

Whether I should or shouldn't have taken the shot is almost immaterial now...I'm rolling the dice and posting it here because I like the result. My non-guilt notwithstanding, I was pleased to see that service still lives in the world of retail.

Your turn: You know the drill (if you don't, click here.) Shoot a stranger - with a lens, please - and post it to your blog. Drop a comment here, and share the joy with other participants by visiting their entries, too. Repeat. Drag your mother-in-law into the fray, because you know she secretly wants to take pictures of total strangers, too. Have fun with it, as we'll be getting ourselves into trouble with this one for the next week.

Thematic Photographic 133 - Singles

Fallen
Delray Beach, FL, December 2010

I've chosen "singles" as the Thematic theme for the next week because, at its most basic, it's a very simple theme. Pictures with one thing in 'em. Anything that suggests "one". That's it.

This one's gonna be fun. Whaddya got?

Your turn: If you're new to Thematic, click here for the sorta-rules. If you're a grizzled Thematic vet, I'll leave you to pick your pic, share it on your blog, leave a comment here, visit other participants, share a few more, and nag your friends to join in. Because deep down, I suspect you really love this stuff.

Thematic Photographic 132 - Curves

Waiting for a cruise
London, ON, November 2010

I've always had a thing for the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia, especially in its convertible form. It was - and still is, for those lucky enough to own one - a lovingly designed car that happened to be relatively affordable. Time has been good to the Karmann, and it ranks, to me anyway, as a timeless example of thoughtful, functional engineering.

I think this well maintained example of the breed is a great way to launch our new Thematic Photographic theme, curves. I hope you're game for some curvy fun with your lens over the next week.

Your turn: The deal is fairly simple. Just take a picture with a curve in it and post it to your blog. Leave a comment here, and visit other participants to spread the joy. Feel free to share already-posted or archival work, too. Don't be afraid to stretch the bounds when deciding how to interpret the theme - there are no rights and wrongs here. And have fun, because that's why we do this. Click here for more background on how Thematic works.

Thematic Photographic 131 - Blue

He has the power
West Palm Beach, FL, December 2010

We're going back to basics with this week's Thematic Photographic theme, blue. At its simplest, pick photos with blue in them and share them to your heart's content. If you really want to stretch things, feel free to explore not just what blue looks like, but what it feels like - a bummed out child, a sad-looking scene, etc. If it looks or feels blue, we want to see it.

That's it!

Oh, and have fun. Because that's why I first came up with this weekly photo sharing activity. And why it remains such a joy.

Your turn: Share a blue-themed pic, then pop back here and leave a comment letting folks know where to find it. Repeat. Bonus points if you bring a friend along for the ride. Click here if you're new to the Thematic thing.

Thematic Photographic 130 - Far from home

Horse play
New York, NY
November 2009

This photo launches our new Thematic Photographic theme, far from home. For the next week, we'll be exploring photos that may have been taken, ah, far from your home. I know, such creativity!

As ever, how you interpret it is entirely up to you. For example, I offer you the picture to the left. It was taken in New York City, which by my odometer is about 880km from my front door, which would easily qualify it as far from home. But beyond the literal interpretation, there's the rather incongruous sight of a horse in the middle of a large city. I'd venture he's pretty far from home, too.

So as you choose your own contributions to the theme, please feel free to come up with any excuse you wish to justify the "far from home" connection. And have fun with it. Because that's why we do this, no?

Your turn: If you're a Thematic Photographic veteran, I believe you already know what to do. If you're new to our weekly photo-sharing activity, please click here for full details.

Thematic Photographic 129 - Wet

Dewy
Delray Beach, FL, January 2010

I dig water droplets. Not sure why, but I do. I think it's a lovely way to launch our first new Thematic Photographic theme of the year, wet.

Why wet? Because water is, literally, life. It's elemental. It's renewal. It's how I think we all want to start the new year, and I hope you'll come along for the ride with us.

What's Thematic Photographic? It's our weekly photo sharing and learning activity, and it's simple: We post a new theme on Thursday. Over on your blog, you post a picture that interprets the theme, then return here to leave a comment. Repeat as often as you wish, and feel free to pull in a friend, too...the more the merrier. That's it! Complete details are here.

Your turn: Appreciating certain subjects, yet you can't explain why. Please discuss.

Thematic Photographic 128 - Favorite Photos of the Year

Time passed it by
London, ON, October 2010

Quick note: Thematic Photographic is our regularly scheduled non-competitive photographic sharing and learning activity. For more background on how it works, please click here, or read on and all will be explained.

We're going to have some fun with this theme. First of all, it's going to run for THREE weeks instead of the usual one. Second of all, the theme, Favorite photos of the year, is a lot more wide-open than it typically is.

Basically, if it's your favorite photo, we want you to share it. Even if you just like it a lot, we want to see it. And we want you to keep sharing as many faves as you've got. We'll be doing this until Thursday, January 6th, inclusive, so you've got lots of time to reach into the archives and come up with pics that really touched you and everyone around you. And we want you to encourage new folks to join in. Because we're that needy.

Why this theme and why now? Because following specific themes week after week means some pictures inevitably get left out. We can interpret 'em six ways from Sunday, but sometimes a picture just doesn't fit. So it sits. And sits. And gathers dust. And is eventually forgotten.

This prospect makes us sad, and we don't like sadness here at Written Inc. So we want you to go through all the pictures you've taken this year and pull out all of the ones you love the most. Post 'em to your blog, then leave a comment here letting us know where to find them. If you posted them already, share the link, anyway, because going back in time is a good thing. Repeat as often as you want, because this'll be going on for three weeks. So you'll need a lot of pictures - and maybe a bigger boat.

Are you game?

Your turn: Thematic Photographic is our weekly photo sharing activity here at Written Inc. If you're familiar with how it works, feel free to dive right in. For background, please click here. Oh, and have fun, because in the end that's the only thing that matters!

One more thing: This scene first appeared here. I just love when you get to look at the same slice of the planet from different perspectives. Don't you?