Thursday 3 July 2008

Tree creatures


There's a convention in blogging of using mostly photos taken on the day posted, or at least close to that day, and much to be said for that immediacy, that strong sense of transient reality. But I don't think it's the only way: I'm certainly not above pulling out old photos for another look and often find a new resonance or just something I didn't notice before. Photos capture transience, but need not themselves be transient. It's like looking again at notes made on another occasion and finding something you forgot you said that now perhaps inspires you to say more.

When I was in Vienna a few months ago, out for my first walk alone and not too sure where I was going, impressions flashing in and out between periods of worried communing with my Stadtplan, I was drawn to stop and snap some quick pictures of shadows on the ground beneath an avenue of trees. When I looked at these later, I couldn't see the clear, flickering patterns I remembered, shrugged and passed on - you take hundreds of photos and not all of them 'work'.

But looking again, long afterwards, I remember what I saw and I see them afresh: the wild, shy tree creatures, their shadows projected for a moment on the road.

6 comments:

Bill said...

Orbiform, accelerating toward the horizon.

Beth said...

Beautiful, Jean. They're so...animated. You're right too about the worth of taking a second look at older photos - I should do it more often because there's always something I didn't notice first time around.

Dale said...

Wonderful.

Zhoen said...

Only a child would notice this.

I mean that as high praise.

Rosie said...

disturbing hybrid of animal and vegetable

Lucy said...

Perhaps we should all make a point of coming back to things and finding what we overlooked before, not being so caught up with immediacy and topicality. I like the seasonality of blogging, like fruit and flowers, but sometimes it moves too fast and we pass over things too hurriedly.

Busy with this and that, and getting behind generally, I registered your quiescence, but let it go. It's good to see you back, and hugs and many good wishes to you, with love.