Snake charmers

I didn't pick these photos out for their sophisticated composition or artistic execution or something like that, but rather for their pure energy. I really like these two photos taken from a news article I read a few months ago. I found the images so compelling that I saved them on my computer and I'm finally posting them. The little girl is just plain looking at this flared snake slithering up just a feet away from her, as if she's having a casual conversation with it. It is both intense and informal. And every time I look at the second photo, I find that the kids sitting there on the floor are just as interesting to look at as the cobra snake, if not more so. Their expressions, their clothing, their demeanor, the snake...there is a lot to look at in each pic. Two really rich photos. I'd hate to ruin them with too blabbing, but here's a link to the article if you're interested in reading the background story: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1192122/Indian-village-children-young-taught-snake-charmers.html

Please click on photos to see the much better enlarged versions.

Photos: Barcroft Media

Seamless

A fashion magazine shot from the '50's that seems like an outtake from an Antonioni or Hitchcock film. Beautiful.

Photo by Lillian Bassman for Junior Bazaar, 1950

Moonwalkers

"I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth." -John F. Kennedy, May 25, 1961

This 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission leads one to marvel at the great feats of man, and how we are capable of so much. JFK clearly stated the goal years beforehand, and somehow, a group of individuals collaborated their genius and made it happen. Humans walking on a celestial body over 200,000 miles away for the first time ever - and they made it home safely. Is Mars next?


Pictured from left to right: Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin. Click on pic to enlarge.

Kate, 2008

A modern day chiaroscuro in Austin, Texas. Lovely. Photo by Lisa Sarfati, Magnum.

Rest in Peace Michael

Shadows and Light

How fascinating are airplanes?? They never fail in capturing my wonder and imagination, and is it childish of me to still get excited when boarding a plane? All that shiny, molded metal, full of people and objects, smoothly gliding across the blue sky and disappearing into fluffy white clouds. It's absolutely mesmerizing. Here's another perfect photograph by William Eggleston. It seems to perfectly encompass the beauty and anticipation of air travel. The colors of the light seen through the cocktail and the little clouds visible through the window...very nice.


(I'd love to find a more Hi-def version of this pic..)

Rhyme or reason

So what's the story? This was a rough week, in terms of newsworthy events, both national and international. I can't make sense of the shootings or the earthquake, of course not. I read somewhere a long time ago that the exact number of birds in the sky above you at any given moment portends to something or has some sort of meaning, maybe it was an old Greek philosopher who said so. Anyways, I saw this pic and it reminded me of a few things, like going to the deli on the corner as a kid, eating my chips and staring at the junk collected along the sidewalk, wondering where it all came from, whose fingers touched it last. It also reminded me of the idea mentioned earlier about birds, whether that logic applies to other objects that populate the landscape. In any case, the color here is striking and the photo altogether masterful. There is a lot to look at and wonder about.

Photo by William Eggleston. Click to enlarge.