"The writer J L Blackwater says “we all have voices in our head. Artists actually listen to them on a regular basis.” And as artists it's easy to feel alone in what we have to say or in what we see. We worry about popularity. We worry about being understood and about being isolated in our uniqueness. But it’s all these things that actually make us the artist that we are and allow us to contribute and speak in our own rare way."
"As far as I'm concerned, taking photographs is a means of understanding which cannot be separated from other means of visual expression. it is a way of shouting, of freeing oneself, not of proving or asserting one's own originality. It is a way of life." - Henri Cartier-Bresson"
Not only were we to think of our own personal "voice" - based on how we see the world, how we serve the world, what we have to offer and things that change and evolve and mature us - but we were also to take up to 75 (or more) photos of ONE subject matter, then narrow it down to 5 runner ups and 1 grand winner.
Some people think taking 75 photos of one thing is absurb, however, Jefra made a very, extremely good point about the fact that it usually takes the first 50 to even get "warmed up" creatively. I had never really thought about it before, but boy was she right! And in hindsight, I realized that this is why I take so many dang pictures!!!!!!
So after much deliberating and analyzing - heart-searching and narrowing - I found my grand winner as well as my 5 runner ups. I will introduce you to them now beginning with this quote from "Anne's House of Dreams" by L.M. Montgomery :
"It was a shore that knew magic and mystery of storm and star. There is a great solitude about such a shore. The woods are never solitary - they are full of whispering, beckoning, friendly life. But the sea is a mighty soul, forever moaning of some great, unshareable sorrow, which shuts it up into itself for all eternity. We can never pierce its infinite mystery - we may only wander, awed and spell-bound, on the outer fringe of it.....The woods are human, but the sea is of the company of archangels."
Winning Photo
my husband and I were unanimous on this one - we loved skeletal look of this shell as well as the beautiful grassy bokeh.
runner up #1
this would have been my favorite apart from "mr. skeleton shell" - i found these two pearls from an actual oyster! of course, this is not the oyster shell but i feel very mermaid-y when i'm looking at them...
runner up #2
i personally love the feeling this photo gives me - like i'm gazing downwards on it from above - like a seagull. i also love the stark contrast of the white starfish and feather against the browns of the leaves and sand.
runner up #3
just part of my seashell collection - i've collected seashells/starfish/sponges/rocks from various parts of the united states AND costa rica. i'm very proud of my collection....
runner up #4
once again - the stark contrast of white against the greens & brown fawna. i also adore the intricate details of this sanddollar - it reminds of me of the plasters we make of our children's handprints - only this is a handprint of some mystical sea creature....
runner up #5
this photo, to me, makes me feel like a crab - very close to the earth, looking under and over shells and rocks in my path as i look for a bite to eat.....
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