Wordless Wednesday

A little burst of colour on a very grey day. Image: Su Leslie, 2017

Wordless Wednesday

“Time is not duration but intensity; time is the beat and the interval […]” ― Ursula K. Le Guin, A Fisherman of the Inland Sea

The Changing Seasons: May 2017

Still life with symbolism. Image: Su Leslie, 2017

Perhaps it because the cold has set in, but May has been a slow month; a still life heavy with abundance and oddity.

Rain and wind have turned fallen leaves to a slime covering pavements and lawns, while Antarctic air settling across the country has driven me to turn on the heating and unpack the winter duvet.

It’s time for indoor pursuits, warming food and dreams of adventure — just as soon as it’s warm again.

The Changing Seasons  is a blogging challenge hosted by Cardinal Guzman with two versions: the original (V1) which is purely photographic and the new version (V2) where you can allow yourself to be more artistic and post a painting, a recipe, a digital manipulation, or simply just one photo that you think represents the month.

These are the rules, but they’re not written in stone – you can always improvise, mix & match to suit your own liking:

The Changing Seasons V1:

Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons
Each month, post 5-20 photos in a gallery.
Don’t use photos from your archive. Only new shots.

The Changing Seasons V2:

Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons
Each month, post one photo (recipe, painting, drawing, whatever) that represents your interpretation of the month.
Don’t use archive stuff. Only new material!

On little changes and the slow grasp of icy fingers

The last trace of autumn. Image: Su Leslie, 2016. Edited with Snapseed and Stackables.

In the spirit of dialing back my tendency to over-edit, I’ve changed only the Stackables filter on this shot.

The last trace of autumn. Image: Su Leslie, 2016. Edited with Snapseed and Stackables.

The changes are subtle. The question is; do they alter perception and mood sufficiently to make them worthwhile?

The last trace of autumn. Image: Su Leslie, 2016. Edited with Snapseed and Stackables.

I feel the grip of winter increasing from the first to last shot. But I would, wouldn’t I?

This post was written for Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge at Lens and Pens by Sally.

Six Word Saturday: feeling the sun turn her back

Image: Su Leslie, 2016

“Rustling whistling leaves, turning breeze to speech”

Autumn leaves. Image Su Leslie, 2016. Edited with Snapseed and Stackables.

My engagement with NZ Music Month is leading me down all sorts of byways, coupling my visual imagination with audio memories.

This week’s theme for Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge at Lens and Pens by Sally is nature. And wouldn’t you know it, Nature is the name of the song that in 2001, APRA, the association which represents Australasian composers, lyricists and music publishers, named as the best NZ song ever written.

Caveat: this is not the choice I would have made, though I like the song very much.

Written by 19 year old Wayne Mason of the band The Fourmyula, Nature topped the local music charts in December 1969.

In 1995 ‘Nature’ was covered by another Kiwi band, The Mutton Birds. This is a slightly “rockier” take on the song; reflecting not so much the mellow colours of autumn, but perhaps the increased energy we feel when Auckland’s summer humidity departs.

I really like the The Mutton Birds’ cover; but I’ll leave you to decide which version you prefer.

The Fourmyula (1969)

The Mutton Birds (1995)

 

Nice afternoon to be on the water

Making the most of an autumn afternoon. Rahui Beach, Greenhithe, Auckland, New Zealand. Image: Su Leslie, 2016