Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Photo Challenge: Black and White (Town and Gown)

17 November 2014

Lens:

I. Town

1. Baby Watch on Early Morning Walk; Copyright © 2014 Sally W. Donatello All Rights Reserved/Lens and Pens by Sally

II. Gown

2. Sycamore, UD Campus; Copyright © 2014 Sally W. Donatello All Rights Reserved:/Lens and Pens by Sally

Let me know which you prefer and why. I suggest that you click on each image to view in a larger size.

Pens:

Town and Gown is the usual in my small city where it’s hard to tell where the intersection marks the divide between student life at the university, street life and residential areas. In truth it’s a total immersion. Issues pervade the history of these factions, but we mostly exist in a “live-let-live” philosophy. Recently, there was a long battle to keep a power plant from invading our community. With persistence the environment and sustainability won; we will not have toxic chemicals sweeping through our air waves 24/7.

The relief is mammoth. The exhale was heard up and down city streets and the campus.

Each and every day I criss cross paths with faculty, staff, students, and residents. It’s impossible to navigate without these encounters–encounters that are verbal or silent.

The lifestyle suits my personal philosophy. I can be lost and found in this friendly and quiet community. Cultural events abound. And as a retiree of the university, I am fortunate to have many lifelong benefits. But it’s the exhilaration of the mix that brings a shoring to my days.

For as long as memories hold me tight, I have been an observer. So it was not unusual to find me this week meandering up and down our Main Street, and then taking a casual turn onto campus, where trees are strutting their limbs as foliage sheds.

Regardless of the number of times I pass a particular spot a myriad of elements alter my experience. Today was an example. One of my favorite trees that towers near the Department of Art was awash in morning light.

In the Lens section are two images from this blissful stroll. The autumn sun was spectacular, but so was street life. Each is a part of the interconnection between Town and Gown. There is no way to separate the two. Most of the time the blend is quite remarkably satisfying.

The first image is that combination: a mother and her two children walking down Main Street, mother with baby in arms and second child by her left side. The other individual is assuredly a student taking a break. What drew me to this image is the way the baby and the owner are watching the dog. It was a moment to record. The second image is the sycamore tree that was lit with such grace by the radiant light that it voiced a loud come and take me–come and take me in monochrome.

Street life is an important pulse within our town and gown. And it is always salt-and-peppered with a scene that encourages me to observe and savor the usual or unusual moment.

Tip of the Week:

For those of us who are visually-oriented the site LensCulture is packed with sweet treats–treats that provoke digging deeper into it offerings. From their Website is a description of their mission: “For almost 10 years, LensCulture has become one of the most authoritative resources for contemporary photography. We have been committed to discovering and promoting the best of the global photography community. We look for exciting work from every continent, and from diverse points of view: documentary, fine art, nature, photojournalism, activism, street photography, sports, fashion, poetic, personal, abstract and human. LensCulture International Exposure Awards, now in their fifth year, are granted yearly to discover, reward, and promote talented, new, emerging and established photographers and multimedia creators from around the world.” I encourage you to explore its varied categories of photography. I just spent some time on their section called “Urban & Street Photography.” It’s an apt resource for current trends in photography. To view the site, click here; it’s visual storytelling at its most appealing.

View other entries for this week’s challenge:

http://sustainabilitea.wordpress.com/2014/11/17/phoneography-and-non-slr-photo-challenge-black-and-white-along-the-wabash-trace/

http://chasinglifeandfindingdreams.wordpress.com/2014/11/14/hot-tea-for-a-cold-day/

http://streetsofsfphotos.wordpress.com/2014/11/17/sidewalk-musicians/

http://completelydisappear.wordpress.com/2014/11/17/a-fresh-market/

http://irisgreenwald.wordpress.com/2014/11/17/phoneography-and-non-slr-digital-photo-challenge-black-and-white-2/

http://piecesofstarlight.wordpress.com/2014/11/17/phoneography-black-and-white-food-for-thought/

http://angelinem.wordpress.com/2014/11/17/phoneography-challengeblack-and-white-and-chocolate/

http://decocraftsdigicrafts.wordpress.com/2014/11/17/phoneography-challenge-sharing-secrets/

http://ohmsweetohm.me/2014/11/17/black-and-white/

http://janetsunderland.com/2014/11/17/snow-birds/

http://forestwoodfolkart.wordpress.com/2014/11/18/phoneography-and-non-slr-digital-photo-challenge-black-and-white-2/

http://truthtonic.net/2014/11/17/iphoneography-monday/

http://nwframeofmind.com/2014/11/17/phoneography-and-non-slr-digital-photo-challenge-black-and-white-heritage-park/

http://patchworkponderings.wordpress.com/2014/11/18/phoneography-challenge-black-white-snow/

http://lumar1298.wordpress.com/2014/11/18/phoneography-photo-challenge-black-and-white-town-and-gown/

http://zimmerbitch.wordpress.com/2014/11/18/body-subject-body-object-pictures-from-an-exhibition-3/

http://austindetails.me/2014/11/18/all-generations/

http://sciencealcove.com/2014/11/windmill-architecture/

http://allkindsaeverything.wordpress.com/2014/11/19/phoneography-and-non-slr-challenge-black-and-white-4/

Note:

If you’d like to join the Photo Challenge, please click here for details. If you have any questions, please contact me. Below is a reminder of the monthly schedule with themes for upcoming Photo Challenges:

1st Monday: Nature.

2nd Monday: Macro.

3rd Monday: Black and White.

4th Monday Challenger’s Choice (Pick One: Abstraction, Animals, Architecture, Food Photography, Night Photography, Objects, Portraiture, Still Life, Street Photography, and Travel).

5th Monday: Editing and Processing with Various Apps Using Themes from the Fourth Week.

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