08 May 2017
Lens:
Taken in Polamatic and edited in Snapseed
1. White Azalea Blossom; 2017 Sally W. Donatello All Rights Reserved
Taken in Polamatic and edited in Snapseed and Stackables
2. White Azalea Blossom; 2017 Sally W. Donatello All Rights Reserved
Click onto each image to enlarge. Let me know which you prefer. Prints are available upon request.
Pens:
“Every Heart Matters”****
Stolen fragments bridge each step.
Stolen layers amble through briar, bramble, meadows, and flourishes.
Stolen glances create bounty, create strata of tough skin.
Stolen wishes reveal light then dark, dark then light.
A life is more than hope. A life is. A life does. A life never stills.
A life mirrors the entire universe. We are one and multitudes.
We are each other and yet ourselves.
We are mirrors through which survival depends and transcends.
Being attentive, watchful matters.
Those stolen fragments matter.
Being you matters, as everyone matters.
Every heart matters.
**** “Every Heart Matters” 2017 Sally W. Donatello All Rights Reserved
In the Lens section are two versions of a white azalea blossom, which expresses the flower’s inner heart, its spirit and soul. Macro allows me to get up close and personal with this one inch floret–a floret that reveals a tiny opening, which holds its inner workings. Its essence is out of focus, mysterious, and its heart’s desire spilling into view.
Tip of the Day:
Recently, the world-renown artist and activist Ai Weiwei (b. 1957, Beijing, China) authored an article that speaks to one of the most important topics of our time: censorship. “Ai Weiwei: How Censorship Works” can be found here in “The Stone column” published in The New York Times (06 May 2017).
Ai Weiwei, from YouTube.com
View other entries for this week’s challenge:
https://sustainabilitea.wordpress.com/2017/05/08/if-i-were-a-bee/
https://livingwithmyancestors.wordpress.com/2017/05/08/sally-ds-mobile-photography-challenge-macro-5/
https://piecesofstarlight.wordpress.com/2017/05/08/17799/
https://wordandimagecollages.wordpress.com/2017/05/09/1243/
https://zimmerbitch.wordpress.com/2017/05/10/sally-ds-mobile-photography-challenge-2/
https://chasingtheblooms.wordpress.com/2017/05/10/sally-ds-mobile-photography-challenge-051017/
Note: As always I welcome comments about this post or any part of my blog. My photographs for the mobile photography challenge are taken with an iPhone 6.
****If you would like to buy a print of any of my photographs or have any questions, please view the Contact Information found on the masthead. Thank you.
If you’d like to join this Mobile Photography Challenge, please click here for details and history of the challenge. If you have any questions, please contact me. Below is a reminder of the monthly schedule with themes for upcoming 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, Panorama, Portraiture, Photomontage, Still Life, Street Photography, and Travel).
5th Monday: Editing and Processing with Various Apps Using Themes from the Fourth Week.
Lens and Pens by Sally 
Both are lovely and elegant photos. No favourite this time. 🙂
Otto, I appreciate your response. Thanks.
The top one with shadows in the petals works best for me. Nicely done.
Janet, lovely to hear from you. I appreciate your response.
Lovely Sally – my father loved azaleas as his favorite flower – we had them everywhere in our yard. Every time I see them I think of him. Thank for the very fond memory
Tina, my pleasure, it’s always nice to have such associations. Thanks for your comment.
What a lovely azalea bloom! Interesting you quoted Ai Wei Wei’s letter. We are fortunate to have an exhibit of his work here locally at Meier Gardens. He makes dissidence into art. Amazing. Thanks for your weekly inspiration!
Patti, it must be a thought provoking experience to see his aesthetically and politically-charged work. I appreciate your comment.
It was, Sally. That’s a great way to describe his work. I hope it’s a traveling exhibit so you can get to see it. Hope all’s well!
Patti, enjoy your week, and thanks.
I love the poem! Every heart does matter!! lovely images!
Cybele, thanks for your response to the poem and image.
I suppose I would tap the first one just because of the sharper lines, but I like either. Is it interesting how the majority of folks pass clumps of blooms without ever even stopping to look at the depth of color, texture and form?
Joe, I do agree. Thanks for the comment and visit.
Your poem and image are utterly inspiring this week Sally. Thank you.
Suzanne, thanks for bringing a smile across my morning.
Lovely image Sally. I think I also prefer the higher contrast of the first. And thanks for the Ai Weiwei link 🙂
Su, my pleasure, and thank you.
Nice photos, Sally. I like the more pronounced texture in the first one this week. Thanks also for the link to Ai Weiwei. We missed his exhibit on Alcatraz and heard from friends that it was very good.
Ω
Allan, my pleasure, oh, yes, it would have been memorable. I appreciate your response. Thanks.
I agree that the first one with its slightly more pronounced contrast is my favorite. They’re both delicately beautiful, though. 🙂 Going back to check the link.
janet
Janet, thanks, and enjoy the spring-like weather.
White in white. The first one works for me with enough contrast the ghost like flower appears
Happy Monday and nearly Full Moon.
Carol, happy, happy to you. Thanks so much.
Beautifully captured, Sally. I haven’t been able to capture macro with iPhone successfully 🙂
Amy, it takes patience, patience and more patience. You might get a tripod that will help reduce camera shake. I appreciate your comment. Thanks.
Love them both, Sally, but prefer the first. What Lignum said!
Linda, thanks so much.
I prefer the 1st version. I feel the contrast adds a bit more depth to the photo.
Ai Weiwei’s work is very thought provoking and I see he knows censorship very well. Some people really do suffer for their art.
Indeed, they do. Enjoy the week ahead. Thanks.