Circles – Weekly Prompts: Comfort

This weekend GC and SueW have chosen the following as the theme for their challenge.

What makes you feel comfortable, is it a favourite chair, a pillow on your bed, a roaring fire on a chilly day, or something else? How about your discomfort, what takes you out of your comfort zone?

I feel comfortable visiting stones circles, I also feel discomfort when visiting stone circles, it depends on the place, the space, and sometimes the time.  Sometimes I want to rush up and hug the stones, sometimes I want to depart as quickly as possible.  This was a comfy circle, a warm morning, I may have had a snooze while my wife did some sketching, she has a whole series of photos that could be described as – Ken asleep at ancient sites.

‘Circle of comfort’, Torhousekie stone circle, 2018.

Ken

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Mostly white – Weekly Prompts: White

This weekend GC and SueW have chosen the following as the theme for their challenge.

At the start of 2019, GC and I introduced a monthly colour challenge, and for June, we have chosen the colour WHITE.

‘Mostly white’, 2014.

Ken

Her smile – Weekly Prompts: Give us a Smile

This weekend GC and SueW have chosen the following as the theme for their challenge.

Smile and we all smile back it’s contagious so spread it around. It’s Weekly Prompts’ Give us a Smile Day!
What makes people happy, what brings a smile to their faces? Why not show us what you see.
This weekend GC and I would like you to show us your smile, or even someone else’s. Tell us about it, write a poem or share your photographs.

I have to say this challenge made me smile as soon as I saw it, and I am looking forward to seeing all the other photos.  A big thank you to GC and SueW for starting my Saturday off with a smile, and what is more the sun is shining.

So what should I choose that makes me smile, my wife of course and a lovely photo of her smile. The joy of friendship shared in a lovely place.

‘Her Smile’, Tintagel, 2017.

Ken

Only humans – Weekly Prompts: People

This weekend GC and SueW have chosen th following as the theme for their challenge.

Our Weekend Photo Challenge here on Weekly Prompts is PEOPLE!
Whenever GC and I sit down awhile to enjoy a cuppa in a cafe, we cannot resist gazing out of the window and watching people going about their daily lives. We look for the unusual and take notice of the little details, anything that might offer a clue about those who have gained our attention.
What about you, are you like us, do you enjoy people watching – You do? In that case, show us your pictures and tell us about it.

Now I do enjoy people watching, I used to do it a lot, and what I saw used to end up in my songs, however I do not take a vast number of photos of people.  There are photos at weddings, of days out with friends, and the occasional portrait.  there are very few of strangers caught unaware, people tend to be the things getting in the way rather than the subject in my photos.  Here is one taken at the Roald Dahl weekend in Cardiff, are the people in the way?  Maybe not in this photo but they are not really the subject either!  In this crop the little girl may be the subject, but in the portrait shot taken it is the book tree.

‘Book people’, Cardiff, 2016.

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”
― Roald Dahl

However below is the first photo I took with my a6000, apart from the random deletions, and is at Bakewell day of dance, of a group of dancers that had just finished a session before we were due to teach.  Strangers caught in a moment of joy.

‘First’, Bakewell, 2014.

“If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”
― Roald Dahl

Ken

Restorative – Weekly Prompts: Peaceful

This weekend GC and SueW have chosen ‘Yellow’ as the theme for their challenge.

Today, GC and I would like you to search your files, or take a walk, find somewhere peaceful to sit and dream, meditate a while and come back and tell us about it. Share your pictures, write your poems or send us your music. Whatever works best for you.

Those of you who pass by regularly will know that I really love visiting ancient monuments, stone circles in particular.  The all have a different feeling sometimes I wish to sit and meditate a while, and some times I feel the need to depart as quickly as my legs will carry me.

Long Meg and her daughters has become somewhat of a pilgrimage when we visit Cumbria and the lakes, after only a few moments of being there I usually feel restored and at peace, I have no idea why this should be so, I am only happy it is so.

‘Restorative’, Long Meg and her daughters, 2018.

Ken

Under Yellow skies – Weekly Prompts: Yellow

This weekend GC and SueW have chosen ‘Yellow’ as the theme for their challenge.

This weekend your Saturday Photo Challenge is Yellow.
At the start of 2019, GC and I introduced a monthly colour challenge, and for the month of May we have opted for the colour YELLOW.
During the early 1970s, those of you old enough to remember will know that yellow was a popular colour choice for home decor. Like most things from that era, the colour has made a modern day comeback. These days instead of teaming up with purple (my questionable choice back then), the colour is more likely to be found toned down slightly, and nestling comfortably alongside grey.

Well for my first photo I went with a very predictable Yellow flower, I love yellow and green together.

‘Yellow and green, together are seen’, Trengwainton Garden, 2016.

I also love purple, and as Sue mentioned purple, I happen to like purple paired with green!  however Sue’s 70’s preference was yellow and purple, so here is a photo taken this week when we visited Laugharne, looking out across the water from Dylan Thomas’ Boathouse.

‘Dylan Dreams’, Laugharne, 2019.

Alas I feel I have captured more of the 80’s in the above though.  We also had a purple room in the 70’s, Deep royal purple! and to go with it a feature wall which had wood panel effect wall paper, all very classy!

We lying by seasand.

We lying by seasand, watching yellow
And the grave sea, mock who deride
Who follow the red rivers, hollow
Alcove of words out of cicada shade,
For in this yellow grave of sand and sea
A calling for colour calls with the wind
That’s grave and gay as grave and sea
Sleeping on either hand.
The lunar silences, the silent tide
Lapping the still canals, the dry tide-master
Ribbed between desert and water storm,
Should cure our ills of the water
With a one-coloured calm;
The heavenly music over the sand
Sounds with the grains as they hurry
Hiding the golden mountains and mansions
Of the grave, gay, seaside land.
Bound by a sovereign strip, we lie,
Watch yellow, wish for wind to blow away
The strata of the shore and drown red rock;
But wishes breed not, neither
Can we fend off rock arrival,
Lie watching yellow until the golden weather
Breaks, O my heart’s blood, like a heart and hill.

– Dylan Thomas

Ken

That look – Weekly Prompts: Old and New

This weekend GC and SueW have chosen ‘Old and New’ as the theme for their challenge.

It’s that time of year again, the Wedding Season, and from April through to September, brides and grooms the world over will be walking down the aisle to say those little words ‘I Will, or even I Do’!
The proverbial aisle could be anywhere, the local church, the town hall, a posh hotel, a patch of woodland or even in the middle of someone’s garden. These days, it seems anything goes.
GC and I don’t necessarily want you to chase after the bridal car in pursuit of your old and new pictures; we’re happy to settle for anything that shows ‘Old and New’.

Well here is a photo I took while at my wife’s, cousin’s wedding.  I kept snapping throughout the day which rewarded me with some pretty unusual candid moments.

‘That look’, Exmouth, 2014.

Ken

Spheres within spheres – Weekly Prompts: Sphere

This weekend GC and SueW have chosen ‘Sphere’ as the theme for their challenge.

Gerry and I would like you to undertake a photographic shape-walk, and we’re pretty certain that during your shape-walk, the sphere will be a little more obvious to you than it was to the five and six-year-olds. Try it, it’s fun!

Well I didn’t get very far with my walk, I stepped out of the back door of the house and into the garden, where I had been stationed most of the morning doing the ‘bank holiday garden tidy’, a dance I am sure a fair few of you have also been doing!.  There before me on the wall were four glass balls, here is one of them.

‘Spheres within spheres’, 2019.

Ken

Bunny – Weekly Prompts: Easter

This weekend GC and SueW have chosen ‘Easter’ as the theme for their challenge.

Our Saturday Photo Challenge is Easter.

I have to admit it my thoughts are on chocolate: eggs, bunnies, bars! Rampant commercialism, feeding my coco addiction, a four day weekend, rather than any spiritual meaning.

‘Bunny’, 2013.

Ken

Smoking Blue – Weekly Prompts: Blue

This weekend GC and SueW have chosen ‘Blue’ as the theme for their challenge.

As we begin the month of April Susan and I have chosen a photo challenge relating to the color BLUE as the shade most appropriate to welcome the return of spring with its blue skies, fresh air and babbling brooks.

So  this photo came to mind of a large Blue sculpture at the Eden Project. It measures nearly nine metres tall, weighs 20-tonnes, and fires out vapour rings, thought to be the world’s biggest ceramic sculpture at the time it was unveiled at the Eden Project on Tuesday, May 22 2018.

It is called ‘∞ Blue’ (Infinity Blue) and it pays homage to cyanobacteria, one of the world’s smallest living beings.  Created by duo Studio Swine (Super Wide Interdisciplinary New Explorers), Japanese architect Azusa Murakami and British artist Alexander Groves.

‘Smoking Blue’, Eden Project, 2018.

Ken