Wordpress Photo101

Wordpress Photo 101 – a photo a day in November 2014

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farewell wordpress wpc

Like many people, I suspect, I am saddened to see the unannounced demise of the WordPress weekly photo challenge. In the early days of belgianstreets the weekly prompts from the WordPress team often offered a much needed spur to action, created a platform and built a community.

The WordPress team, and their occasional guests, created a cherished sense of community. They will be missed.

How to choose a favourite? Not exactly Sophie’s Choice I know, but hey guys, you may be ripping out the soul from your blogging platform. Why not at least have issued some kind of warning, canvassed opinion, or even sought out those willing to carry the torch?

So, I publish again my very first photo for this esteemed challenge, and if you’d like to see the whole set from belgianstreets then here you go.

And, I wonder.

See also my posts on belgradestreets, salamancastreets and andytownend…

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boundaries

‘A question with no answer is a barrier that cannot be breached. In other words, it is questions with no answers that set the limit of human possibilities, describe the boundaries of human existence.”
― Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being

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(for breendonk, concentration camp, willebroek, belgië)

(for DP weekly photo challenge – boundaries and for lucile’s photo 101 rehab)

*shot with nikon d700 and nikkor 70-200mm f/4 lens at ISO5600, 1/125s at f/4, edited in lightroom cc and analog efex pro 2, reflection on boundaries that should never have been crossed*

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afloat

“yes,” said eeyore,

“one of those would be just the thing

thank you, pooh”

― a.a. milne, the house at pooh corner

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                         afloat, i let my mind drift
    the ground below me, afloat
                         afloat, i needed not a lift
                                but oh my, how could my chair be
afloat

(henegouwenkaai, molenbeek)

(for wordpress weekly photo challenge – afloat)

afloat on belgradestreets

afloat with andytownend

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photography101: weekend 4

“Learn what is to be taken seriously and laugh at the rest.”

― Hermann Hesse

wpphoto101_collage

This collage seemed a good idea when I decided to do it – note theme was to “get out and explore…”

It was light at some point today, now it is dark and the day has slipped by, no exploring has been done.

Although some, and you know who you are, have kept me up to date with life in the world outside including tales of savage deer, flowers served for dinner and unsatisfying pizza for lunch.

Lessons from #photo101?

1. It’s good to talk, even better to listen
2. It’s ok to cry a bit
3. I have discovered a new found fondness for alien fiction – sorry Justine
4. I know more about what people in the Netherlands do
5. I would like to follow a path through a Czech field, even though Mara tells me it only leads to another field
6. I want an atomic powered plane
7. I have become addicted to #photo101 and to talking about it with some of you at all hours
8. I think I learned some things about photography, like don’t set out to make a collage of 100 photos in photoshop lightly
9. I have always liked railways, now even more
10. …and a few other things

And most of all, the very best, has been meeting so many of you and making some new friendships that I hope will endure.

So…thank you to the WordPress crew, and to all of you!

This is not the end, just a new chapter.

NaBloPoMo 29 of 30 –
photography101: weekend 4

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converge

“…always walking together, hand in hand, in a strangely beautiful world…”

– Khalil Gibran

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Converging people achieve remarkable things.

Walls fall.

People connect.

Lives change.

These last few weeks I have been lucky enough to converge with some wonderful people here during WordPress Photo 101.

I’ve learned a lot, laughed a lot. Yes, even cried a little.

So, for this week’s WordPress Weekly Challenge, I’d like to introduce some new friends.

See Eastern Europe through the eyes of a self confessed negativist existentialist (who actually is anything but negative) with a thing about cats and railways and who almost convinced us that converge was a swear word Mara Eastern’s Personal Blog – a life in pictures and words

Take a look at the Netherlands, and Brazil, with my almost neighbour lucile de godoy – bridging lacunas

Explore Justine’s eclectic world, into which I insisted on introducing aliens, at Eclectic odds n sods – Parenting, Pet Tales, Humour & Photography

And meet Mitch with whom I discussed Thunderbirds, atomic powered jets and drew comparisons with Ansel Adams at Exploratorius – Photo Hack & Curious Wanderer

And yes, selecting which few to show here was a very very tough choice, there were so many sharing their photos, their words, their time.

I raise a glass and a smile to everyone with whom I have converged these last weeks and say a big thank you for the words, smiles and friendship we have shared.

And a huge thank you to the team at WordPress who made it all happen.

I hope we will all converge again soon.

To live, laugh, cry and love a little.

(Berlin Wall, Mini-Europe, Brussel)

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photography101: triumph

“They will not control us,
We will be victorious”

– Muse, Uprising

triumph inside

triumph inside

Razorwire.

They lock me in.

They are the men with bulldozers and hammers.

They are my memories.

Of words said. Words unsaid. Words never acted on. Doors left unopened.

I can recognise, accept.

I can survive.

If I choose.

(Hooghuis, Doel)

NaBloPoMo 28 of 30 – photography101:20

Gallery

photography101: (another) edge

Something about Christmas preparations sets my nerves on edge.

Trees ripped from the forest.

Forced jollity.

Pretence.

Poverty amid abundance.

So, with apologies for the downbeat tone.

An edgy angle on Christmas preparations in Grote Markt, Brussel.

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