This perfect frame within a frame image presented itself to me last weekend in Burano. Have you been seeing frames all week too? Now’s the time to Share Your View! Link up to your image, recent or archive, using the link tool below. Then we can hop around and enjoy all of the marvelous frames that the world has to offer. I’m looking forward to seeing through your eyes this week!
Everyday, we walk by countless places that people live in, work in, shop in, play in. We don’t even see these places most of the time, they are just part of the background noise of our every day lives. The good thing about travel is that it makes you more aware of what’s around you, you are open, receptive and seeking. You are actively seeing what is someone else’s background noise, what they don’t even notice anymore. The little details of real life that are fantastic still life compositions, if we just notice them.
This real life still life was found in a back alley in Murten, Switzerland. My son and I were wandering around the town on our guidebook walking tour, and I caught this flash of blue in the corner of my eye. Not one to miss out on a possible color photo opportunity, we headed down the alley to investigate and found this wonderful little place, where someone had clearly set this scene up with artistic intent. I loved taking pictures here, but this is my favorite of them all, because it just shows the whole scene as created by the artist.
How many people do you think see this, being tucked into a back alley? How many of those people don’t even notice it anymore, as part of the background noise in their everday life? It’s a good thought to ponder as we go through our everyday. See if you can find a real life still life, accidental or intentional, in your background noise. You don’t have to take a picture, just notice it. It takes active looking, an awareness that requires to you be in the moment. You can’t be thinking about where you are going, what tasks you need to get done next.
I think you might find it a refreshing, positive experience. And you may find you enjoy the places you go, the things you see every day, just a little bit more. Let me know how it goes.
Take photos anyway! This photo is from a back alley in Orvieto, a hill town in Umbria. I love the old scooter, the textures of the wall, the greenery and the reflections of the wet ground. A peaceful little scene, I can almost feel the cool, damp air.
The two days we spent in Orvieto on our April were rainy. I found that I wasn’t as inspired to take photos – have you ever tried to take good photos with a two handed camera while holding an umbrella? Not the easiest thing to do. But the photos I did take, I find that I like. They have a very different mood than the sunny, perfect weather photos. Maybe even a little more character.
As we travel around, sometimes only a day or even less visiting a new place, I have to make the most of that time. Regardless of the weather, my goal is to capture some essence of that place. I don’t have the luxury to visit again and again, to study a certain place in all light, all weather, all seasons. And you know what? I find that’s ok. I’ve learned that when life gives you rain, you take photos anyway.
As usual, another life lesson we can take beyond photography or our other creative endeavors. Today, here in Italy, it is rainy. I think I’m going to make the most of it!
Sometimes in our wandering, down a back alley, I spot something interesting. Some little scene, some spot of color. Something unexpected. I love this photo of a back alley in Burano. It’s not the color, which is all over Burano. It’s the not the architecture either. I think it’s the “looking in” from the outside aspect. Looking through the doorway, looking into the back alley you find this illuminated spot of color, this little peaceful courtyard. You could easily walk on by and miss it. It’s almost like it’s a secret, something the residents want all of us tourists to miss. A quiet spot of their own.
When we travel, we like to wander. Brandon loves to turn us down side streets and see where we end up. I love the things we sometimes find, especially the quiet places.
