Uploads from NickyHighlander

Hanging Out With A Friend

nobody@flickr.com (NickyHighlander) — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:29:49 -0700

Hi everyone! I'm still busy these days but rest assured, I am doing some shooting even though it isn't as much as I'd like. I may also be suffering from the photographer's version of "writer's block". Creative blocks are worse than lack of time or equipment. But hopefully it is part of the process, not an ending. :) I will be optimistic.

This is another friend of mine who was kind enough to let me post this. He heard that I liked to dabble a bit in photography and asked me to take some photos of him. Well, I needed the practice and I had been looking to get a male model to humour me. So off we went to the beach one Saturday afternoon. I asked him what he expected out of the shoot. He very simply replied with a laugh that he wanted to look good. That was all. And he trusted me to do that. I think he was happy with his shots. Well, I hope he was. :) Though, it is to his credit as much as mine. This was another super fun afternoon. It wasn't a serious shoot anyway....thank God or we would have been out of a job! :D

What do we consider "good", "sexy", "handsome", "pretty", "attractive"? I could ask a million people and I'm sure I'd get close to a million different answers. Why do we say one person is more attractive than another? Who knows the science of attraction? It makes no rational sense even on the best of days. But I think the most beautiful people are the ones who are kind and smart and funny. In other words, the qualities that stay long after the physical beauty fades....I wish more people knew that....

Wishing you all a beautiful weekend, my friends! I hope you have a super fun relaxing time!

Hello there...long time, no hear...

nobody@flickr.com (NickyHighlander) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 20:22:01 -0700

NickyHighlander posted a photo:

Hello everyone. My apologies for my seeming lack of Flickr presence these days. It's been a bit busy for me, having started a project at work. So just bear with me a while. :) Plus I will admit that, I haven't been feeling that inspired to shoot or to write. As most of you know by now, I tend to write some of my thoughts out in this caption space for whoever is interested enough to read it. That does take a bit of planning.

This is an old photo, as you can probably tell from the date. This is one of the first photoshoots I ever did at home in my makeshift studio. I used a home made softbox (poorly constructed, but it seemed to have done the trick!). The model is a very dear friend of mine who very kindly helped me out with an assignment for my class that day. I needed a model and one was available. Imagine that? That's what friends are for.

I am posting it for two reasons. First, I hope to get back into doing portraits and I have started. Hopefully it becomes a project....most likely about my friends. And secondly, it's about reflecting on the people that are near and dear to me. The ones who are close to me and the ones who are far away. Your friends are amazing. I always consider my friends as the family I choose...or should that be the family who chose me? I wonder which is true. Either way, it is an interesting thought how we choose people to be our friends. And I don't just mean social networking friends. I mean the ones that you talk to in real life...call on the phone, hang out and drink a cup of tea. The ones who get to know you best...both your strengths and your shortcomings. I know that I am the shy type so they tend to "fall into my lap". :D

Whatever the reason, friends are awesome. Especially when you realise they stayed up late to chat with you, because they live halfway across the world and they want to hear your voice and see you even if it's only by Skype.

To all of my wonderful friends from Flickr and beyond, have a wonderful week ahead! I hope it's exciting and interesting, whatever you do... :)

Photo and Lighting info:
Homemade softbox, (continuous lighting) held to the right
Aperture: f 5.6, Shutter Speed: 1/4 second, ISO: 400, focal length: 35mm (shooting in a small space)

The Look Of Love

nobody@flickr.com (NickyHighlander) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 15:56:54 -0800

NickyHighlander posted a photo:

You can always tell when people share an intense connection. It's always as clear as day, whether it is a strong friendship or a romantic association. Something as simple as one look can reveal so much. From a shy flirting glance between two teens having their first crush to a look of admiration between a married couple, or that look of pure happiness when two parents look at their children playing or all grown up. I always smile when I see older folks still maintain their close bond by holding hands or sharing a laugh, even bickering fondly. Not all love is meant to last. But when it comes, embrace it for what it is worth. It's a big gift. :)

I took this shot as a companion photo to the other one that I posted last week. I wanted to get this posted in time for Valentine's Day. This one was a winner for me because I love that look in his eyes. So to take away any distraction, I took the colour out of the background. I figured that this gave the sense that there was nothing else more important than each other at that moment. It was the same look that I saw when he was waiting for her to arrive down the aisle. You had to be there to see that one. And just as awesome to witness, was the look she gave him back as she said her vows. :) All people should be so lucky.

Wishing everyone a Happy Valentine's Day and a wonderful weekend! Be blessed and be happy...

p.s. In case you were wondering, the title of this post was inspired by an old 80's song called "The Look Of Love" , sung by the band ABC. Cheesy song, but the title fit so well. :).

Happiness

nobody@flickr.com (NickyHighlander) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 06:08:23 -0800

NickyHighlander posted a photo:

Happiness is probably the thing we all say we want the most in life. I guess it encompasses everything that we might want: love, security, good health, family....and the list goes on. We think we need to have certain things in order to be happy. I believe that true happiness comes from within. It cannot be bought or bargained for and noone else on Earth can tell you how to find it. You have to carve out your own little bit of happiness in your own way. Which makes happiness sometimes elusive...but if you ever find it, hang on to it as tightly as you can. It can also be fleeting...

This is a shot of the couple that had their ceremony which you saw photos from earlier. I shot this image a few months before the wedding ceremony as part of a birthday gift. It was a very bright day as you can see from their squints but I really wanted the ocean backdrop in the shot. The smiles are genuine as they were laughing at something I said (I don't remember what it was though). So even though the lighting conditions weren't perfect, it was still a perfect moment. You can feel the closeness between these two just radiating. It really warmed my heart. I always like photographing happy people. I wish these two a world of happiness.

Wishing you all some happiness this weekend. Or at the very least, some good old fashioned laughter!

Nicky...x

p.s. Another milestone for my time on Flickr: just yesterday, my photo stream hit 6,000+ views. Modest by some standards, but I think it's great! Thank you so much everyone who took the time to drop by. I greatly appreciate it!

Light a Candle

nobody@flickr.com (NickyHighlander) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 15:07:28 -0800

NickyHighlander posted a photo:

Another shot from my friend's ceremony last year. I found their colour scheme and choice of table decor to be so cute. Lovely shades of blue and green and starfish everywhere. :) And the candles were a nice addition to it all. There is something warm, cozy and ultimately romantic about candles. I thought it was all a great idea and kudos to whoever took the time to decorate it all.

Not much to tell this week. No real pearls of wisdom, no real life changing moments. Nothing exciting. And that is okay. Maybe life isn't to be analysed all the time. I am happy to take it as it comes. As long as there is life....

Wishing you all a very good week! If it started great, may it continue. But if it started badly, then may it improve.

Nicky...x

Life can be sweet

nobody@flickr.com (NickyHighlander) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 08:57:06 -0800

NickyHighlander posted a photo:

Well, you might have realised that I sometimes get a bit of a sweet tooth. Not often, but sometimes. I believe that sweets are best in moderation. But it's perfectly acceptable to enjoy a bit every now and then. Like these tiny little cupcakes, that I photographed at my friend's ceremony.

Life can be sweet and for now it is. For me, at least and I certainly hope that it is the same for all of you kind folks taking the time to read this. I have decided that I should try to highlight things that are positive or you might say "sweet". As you know from before, I recently had the opportunity to photograph my very first wedding ceremony. I was excited and scared at the same time when they first asked. Suppose they hated my photos? Suppose they were unhappy? I guess you would say these are normal fears and I'm glad that I ignored them. What a great honour to be selected as a photographer for any event and especially for one so personal and important. It was a heartwarming day, for all who were there. Including me. But the best thing about all of this, was hearing the satisfaction when they got their CDs of images from me.

Well, be sure to celebrate the big moments such as this one and those little moments that maybe only you know about. Even if life can't always be "sweet", may it be bearable.

Be blessed, my dear friends! Have a wonderful weekend!

P.s. I got my very first testimonial on Flickr this week. I will endeavour to be worthy of those kind words written. Be sure to check out my talented friend, Mr. Johann Coetzer's work on Flickr.

Happy New Year!

nobody@flickr.com (NickyHighlander) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 07:11:29 -0800

NickyHighlander posted a photo:

I hope everyone had a great time last night even if you just stayed home. I'm lucky enough that I get to see some of the fireworks from my location even though it's not a great position to photograph them. So I've saved this image from a wedding ceremony where I was asked to be the photographer. I think it is appropriate for two reasons:
1. The champagne, of course and
2. It was taken at a wedding...which usually tends to be the ultimate symbolic gesture of love. And maybe we need a bit more love in 2013.

It's the start of a new year....full of possibilities and unknowns. I guess most people like to ring the new year in with some bubbly stuff. Although the next day is usually a sober time. Personally I like to reflect on the past year. Lots of things happened, both good and bad. I've made new friends and lost loved ones. I've laughed and cried, been angry and joyous. It's been an interesting 2012 with all its ups and downs and twists and turns. I've taken in the lessons that I've learned from this past year and hopefully they will carry me through another year. That is all anyone can really wish for. :)

I hope that you all have a Happy New Year with my very best wishes for 2013....wherever you are in this beautiful world. May you have joy and laughter, but if you can't, then I wish you the strength to bear any hurt. I am happy we made this journey together in 2012 and I look forward to 2013 with you all.

My very best,
Nicky....x

Lights

nobody@flickr.com (NickyHighlander) — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 18:27:47 -0800

NickyHighlander posted a photo:

“May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out.” - The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

I've always loved that one particular line from my favourite book/movie series, The Lord Of The Rings. In fact you can guess which movie I will be going to see on Boxing Day. Regarding the quotation, they didn't mean Christmas lights in that movie, of course. Nonetheless I always find Christmas lights fascinating and mesmerizing.

There is something about Christmas lights however that brings out the child in most of us. I was spending my day today with my dad and he was putting up his usual Christmas lights in his garden. This made me smile because I remember doing this as a child with him and then flipping the switch and seeing them come alive for that first time. That was pretty exciting actually. And no matter where I go, or how old I get, I always remember that amazing feeling. I am a big kid at heart. :D

Well, today is my birthday (Dec 21). And what a day it was. :) And best of all, the world didn't end! Still here...in one piece.

Wishing everyone a safe, happy and wonderful Christmas holiday and best wishes to you and your loved ones for 2013. All my best!
- Nicky

Afternoon Sunshine

nobody@flickr.com (NickyHighlander) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 05:27:14 -0800

NickyHighlander posted a photo:

Hi everyone!

Things have been a bit busy recently so I haven't been posting much. I hope everyone is in the mood for the holidays. But even if you don't celebrate any of the holidays coming up, I hope you are well and happy.

Last month I had the chance to do a photoshoot for a friend of mine. I have decided to start doing more portraiture recently, as long as I find willing subjects. Luckily, my friend had the afternoon free. So I dragged him down to this beach near my home. While we were chatting on the beach, I noticed that this family on the beach crossing the sunlight. So I quickly snapped this picture without much time to adjust my settings. But I liked it as it was....bright and full of light, even if the composition isn't the best.

So to all of my friends who may need a bit of sunshine in the current winter months, consider this to be a warm thought from me to you. My friend in Edinburgh likes to think of it as a virtual postcard (she's been asking me to post some shots of my home more often).

Wishing you all a bright and happy week ahead!

Let the Music Play

nobody@flickr.com (NickyHighlander) — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 08:11:39 -0800

NickyHighlander posted a photo:

Well, last time I mentioned that I love music. Music is life in my opinion. And so is photography. ;) Maybe I'm biased, but it's true.

This shot was taken at a concert that I attended by one of my favourite bands from Barbados. They played two sets at the AnimeKon convention this year. They are called Standing Penance and I think they are an excellent band. As much as I love established artists, I also love listening to emerging artists. There is something about listening to an artist who is still trying to find his sound, free to go in his own direction without public expectations. It's quite cool actually. I really admire musicians who tend to take chances with their music. This is how I think life in general should be sometimes. I try to take chances with my photography. Well as much as I can with my limited shooting time. :D

Don't be afraid to take some chances in life. You won't always win but imagine what happens when you do. After all, a life without some failure is a life not lived. Or something like that...It just depends on what you do next. :)

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend ahead. My home country will be celebrating Independence Day tommorrow and believe it or not, my adopted country celebrates a holiday also (Saint Andrews Day). :) The Barbados-Scotland connection runs deeper than you may think, but I'll save that for another post. ;)

p.s. For more information on Saint Andrew's Day, just go here: www.timeanddate.com/holidays/uk/st-andrew-day .

And for those of you who are on Facebook, you can check out Standing Penance's music here: www.facebook.com/standingpenance or on Reverbnation here: www.reverbnation.com/standingpenance . They are better live, trust me.

Please Don't Stop The Music

nobody@flickr.com (NickyHighlander) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 05:44:43 -0800

NickyHighlander posted a photo:

I love music. I really do! In all of its many forms. I love rock music, rap music, folk music, classical music, indie music, country music, reggae, electronic...I love all types. I have even listened to music from other cultures from all of my friends from other countries. I don't always understand the lyrics, but sometimes it's really not necessary. Often people find me just listening to something with my headphones on, drifting off into another world. :D Or sometimes just humming along...like right now.

I remember asking my some of my friends for some music in Greek. They thought it was strange since I'm not a Greek speaker but complied anyway. Soon, I was able to remember some of the artists by the sound of their voices. They still like to send me You Tube links from time to time so I keep up with the music. In turn, I was able to share some with them. I can't tell you how much time we would spend listening to music together. Good times indeed!

This week's entry is an old guitar that I had lying around. I think it may be older than me. I don't play it but I was inspired to get a shot of it. If you have a keen eye, you may notice that one string is broken. I guess most people would tend to focus on that one little fault. That is human nature...to focus on the one thing missing. Why not focus on the other strings that are left? There's a mild philosophical lesson in there somewhere. I'll let you decide. ;)

The title is inspired by the song of the same name. It is sung by Rihanna who is a fellow Barbadian. If you have a favourite song or something that's inspired you, you can always feel free to share. I love adding to my playlist. :)

Wishing everyone a splendid weekend! I hope you have some nice driving music as you go to and fro! :)

Mushroom Shot - take 2

nobody@flickr.com (NickyHighlander) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 04:52:49 -0800

NickyHighlander posted a photo:

As I mentioned in the last post, I happened to find some very unusual little "invaders" in my backyard some months back. I found them fascinating for some strange reason. Maybe because I'm not accustomed to seeing them in my garden. I didn't make attempt to pull them up however. What I did do however, was to run excitedly for my camera and then for my laptop to see if I could find out the real name of this type on the internet. I'm still researching but I haven't found the exact match. But if anyone knows, feel free to share.

It's a pity that sometimes we tend to lose our natural curiosity about things. Ever notice how children react to things? They find every little thing so fascinating! And most importantly, every little thing we take for granted is a joy. When they get a bit older, they like to ask questions or go grab a book and read for themselves. I certainly grabbed my books when I sat with my dad outside looking up at the sky. Somewhere along the line, most of us lose this gift. I wish it wasn't so as most people tend to become more cynical than curious. Maybe some of us need to be cynics to temper those of us who become dreamers. :)

I will endeavor to remain curious. :)

Take care, everyone! Wishing all of you a splendid week ahead!

p.s. For my Flickr friend Jesse who has the most unique and inventive way of looking at the natural world. Please take a look at his fine work.

Small Beginnings

nobody@flickr.com (NickyHighlander) — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 00:44:05 -0700

NickyHighlander posted a photo:

Hi everyone! I know I've been away for a little while. It's been a bit busy here so I have been on and off with Flickr. Plus I think I had a bit of writer's and photographer's block.

A few months ago, we had some rainy days and overcast conditions for a few days. And I noticed some rather intriguing "invaders" in my backyard. It's not really normal to see them outside of forested areas. Now I'm pretty sure these weren't edible but they were interesting to see. Such tiny and delicate little things. I was a bit sorry when the sun returned and dried them out. It was fun while they lasted though.

Funny how you don't have to go too far to find subjects. Just take a look in your own backyard.

I hope everyone has been well! Have a great week ahead!

The Sweet Side

nobody@flickr.com (NickyHighlander) — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 14:58:31 -0700

NickyHighlander posted a photo:

Now, for some indulgence. If you know me, you will probably know that I really like ice cream. I like it so much that I once went out in the middle of snow to get some. I should also mention that it was at night too. True story! I caught a cold after eating it but I wasn't at all sorry. My friends tease me about it to this day. I don't mind, because I laugh about it too. And even though they gave me a rather stern lecture, they all still looked after me while I recovered. :D

In Cyprus, I had the best dinner with my friend in her favourite mall in Limassol. An amazing seafood platter for 2 from Ocean Basket and this yummy thing called an Oreo Madness. And "madness" might be the perfect description. It's about a scoop (or more if you want!) of vanilla ice-cream, 2 layers of oreo cookie and covered with chocolate and caramel. It's not so bad by itself, but considering we had a huge seafood platter before, it's amazing we managed to walk out of there. :D My mum noticed that a lot of our stories from Edinburgh and beyond somehow involve food. I don't think this is strange. I believe that meals are meant to be shared especially with those closest to you. Did you ever notice that most of the major holiday celebrations involve some kind of feasting? And one of my former bosses told me this little secret. When you have a meeting, always serve some kind of refreshment. It's more likely to end in satisfaction or at the very least, less tension.

A little indulgence is never a bad thing. Notice that I said "a little". Life's too short, so live it to the fullest for as long as you can. Just don't go out in the snow for ice-cream!

Wishing you all a very good week ahead!

Gifts and Souvenirs

nobody@flickr.com (NickyHighlander) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 15:53:50 -0700

NickyHighlander posted a photo:

One of the best things about travelling is buying souvenirs. I like going to different little outlets to see if I can get some small thing to bring back as a token for each friend back home. And even more fun, is trying to imagine your friend or loved one's face when you attach a cute story of what it represents or explaining where you bought it. :D I guess we all like to attach a memory to each item we have. The physical manifestation of our vacation happiness....as I like to refer to it sometimes. My friends like to call it "proof of your trip". Either way, I guess it works! That may explain why some people tend to accumulate so much stuff. I hesitate to use the word "junk"...after all, one man's trash is a another man's treasure.

I like to collect hats....baseball caps to be precise. I have one from each city that I have visited for the past few years. Odd habit, I know. I don't remember how it started but I've continued this tradition. As you can see, I managed to get my hat, as I said I would but also something else. The little statuette and the little magnet were gifts to me from my friend's parents. I was so touched by the gesture. They sit proudly on my desk at home....as a reminder of some of the most wonderful hospitality. Definitely more valuable than my hat!

I hope everyone is having a great week!

For best results, view on black.

Paphos Lighthouse

nobody@flickr.com (NickyHighlander) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 00:58:04 -0700

NickyHighlander posted a photo:

Nothing fantastic today for you, well compared to the last 2 posts. :D This is a simple post. I was hoping to get the chance to do some HDR processing on this but I've decided to put that off for a bit. Anyway, I love architecture as you may have realised. It was a great experience to drive around in Cyprus with my friend and look at some beautiful places. It's quite wonderful to be able to experience a culture and civilisation much older than my own. I fell in love with this rugged building. This is the Paphos Lighthouse in Kato Paphos. It lies very near some very important archelogical gems, known as the Paphos Mosaics. My friend took me here but we didn't go inside as again, we were in a hurry. But that's okay. I managed to grab this shot so I'm satisfied.

Light is a very important symbol in a lot of cultures, I've realised. We compare light to dark, not just in the literal sense but in terms of good versus evil. Or sometimes we can talk about our own "inner light". That thing that makes us unique and strong, sometimes said to be the presence of God himself (or herself). We marvel at the sun and the moon and follow the light of the stars (I mean Betelgeuse and Rigel and Capella, not Angelina and Julia and Brad). I got so inspired today watching other people let their light shine before the entire world. I watched the world's fastest man make a new 100m Olympic Record. Amazing, surely! And I'm extra proud because he is Caribbean native like me. I watched a man with no feet run his heart out. He didn't make it to the finals but he's a winner in my book. The winner of that race in a true display of sportsmanship and humility, hugged him and exchanged name tags. Now that is letting your light shine.

Light is amazing even in the simplest sense. Indeed it's the most important tool for any photographer, right?

Wishing you all a very good week ahead! Shine on!

p.s. Here is a song about Light if you like music: No Light - Florence and The Machine

My Friend

nobody@flickr.com (NickyHighlander) — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 18:46:16 -0700

NickyHighlander posted a photo:

My apologies for my lack of posting recently. I have been pretty busy the last few weeks as I have just changed jobs. Exciting? Yes! I'm going to be pretty busy the next few weeks adjusting to my new job and of course, catching up on the Olympic action. I will still be in now and then to check up on your work as much as I can. Have no fear. :)

This is the companion shot to the last post of my friend. So you can see her much better in this shot. Again, she wasn't happy with this one at first, but she changed her mind. :D She doesn't like covering her hair so much. Not out of vanity, just a preference. Again she was certainly kind enough to allow me to post this for you to see. She is a great model actually and a very patient one.

As I said before, I'm following the Olympic Games. I've done this since I was young. I loved seeing the opening ceremonies as the host country gets a chance to show the world what their culture has to offer. I thought that I loved the thrilling sports and gold medal winners. I did, and I still do. But as I grew older, it was less about that. I came to realise the true meaning of the Games. Well, to me this should be the true meaning. Beyond the medals and the splashy displays or even the political climate of the world, I saw people of so many different nations hugging each other in friendship....and more importantly, understanding. Whether they win or lose, they all go home with an amazing experience like no other. The Games inspire us to be the best, on the field and off the field. It's the same same with going to school overseas. You never know who you're going to meet. Certainly when I was young and watching the Games, I had no idea where most of these places were. Let alone that I would visit some of them or make friends for life from some of them. Lucky me! :) I could give my theories on why people become friends, but I'll let you think on that one.

I hope that everyone has a great week ahead. Even if you don't watch the Games, at least take their meaning with you. :)

The Girl In The Box

nobody@flickr.com (NickyHighlander) — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 09:09:01 -0700

NickyHighlander posted a photo:

I don't usually do portraiture or fashion photography. I don't think I'm great at it and I'm usually too shy to photograph strangers on the street. But I do enjoy photographing my friends though. Especially when they enjoy the process as much as I do.

This is a photo of my friend that I mentioned in the last post. We met in Scotland a few years back, while studying for our Masters degrees. She very kindly consented to allow me to post it to Flickr and Facebook. I was a bit conflicted about this one. First, there is the odd angle at which I had to stand because of the harsh glare on the water. And it was windy that day so my friend was forced to wear her hood. This was done in a bit of a hurry, so I promised my friend that when we see each other again, I will reshoot it properly. But I did like the rays of sunlight in the background and the bright glare off the ocean. And the people sitting behind her too...probably two lifelong friends having a conversation or maybe a couple? And the waves too! The waves may be a metaphor for my life sometimes: Random, sometimes chaotic and rough, sometimes gentle, ....rhythmic. But eventually, I will find the shore where I'm supposed to be.

Friends are awesome to have. Hang on to the ones that are true. I feel blessed when I can say that I have the most wonderful friends from all over the globe. Very interesting and thoughtful people, all of them...all of you. Even though some of them may be far away physically, they are right here with me every day. Some of you on Flickr I haven't had the pleasure to meet in person yet...but I am hoping to correct that soon. :) I guess this only proves that the world is not as large as we think.

Wishing you all a very safe and fun weekend!

Sunset and Silhouettes

nobody@flickr.com (NickyHighlander) — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 12:39:12 -0700

NickyHighlander posted a photo:

You know there is the popular saying that "time flies when you're having fun". I know this must be true. My time in Cyprus was way too short. It felt like time passed in the blink of an eye. And so did my vacation, but especially my time in Cyprus. What a beautiful place! Amazing weather (even in "winter"), rich history, warm people and great food! :) I spent a few days in Paphos with my friend's family for the Christmas holidays and then a few in Limassol. We even managed to surprise another friend who came all the way from Nicosia just to see us. What a great trip!

This shot was taken a bit outside of Paphos. My friend took me here just before we were leaving Paphos to head to Limassol where she lives and works. If I had to compare both cities to say which I liked more, it would be hard. Limassol is more modern and contemporary while Paphos is much older and deeply traditional looking. Indeed as different as night and day, like my friend and I. What could a Caribbean native and a Greek Cypriot possibly have in common? We are so different but when we meet, we are never short of things to say or laugh about. Humor and friendship are universal wherever you go and the world is not as large as you may think. Believe or not, we met over a suitcase and bonded over a cup of McDonald's coffee. I will tell you about that sometime. It's a funny story. ;)

Wishing everyone a great week ahead! If it is going to busy, I hope it's productive and if it is going to be relaxing, may it be restful! Enjoy!

Fading Beauty

nobody@flickr.com (NickyHighlander) — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 23:27:30 -0700

NickyHighlander posted a photo:

On my last vacation, I was lucky enough to be able to visit another very dear friend from my university days. She lives in Cyprus and we had not seen each other in 2 years. My, where does the time go? My very first time in the Mediterranean and I wasn't disappointed. While we were out exploring on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, we came across this small inconspicuous flower in the field near the famed mosaics. It was "winter" time so there weren't many flowers to be seen at all. So of course I went to go take a look. On closer inspection, you will see that the flower isn't perfect. It's partially eaten away by the snails and the petals are a bit torn. But, it's still there....surviving.

I had to look it up but I found that the flower is "Anemone Coronaria", I believe. My friend told me that it opens to face the wind as it blows. In fact the name is derived from the Greek word meaning wind. I found this fascinating for some reason, not because I didn't believe her. But it never ceases to amaze me how much nature is in harmony with itself. I love using selective colour as an "isolation tool" in my photos but I hadn't done one for a while. So I used it here and took out most of the colour from the surrounding grass. If you look carefully, you can still make out a hint of green in the blades of grass.

There is a particular passage in the bible that states "to everything, there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven". I take this to mean that everything happens for a reason, and no matter how hard the time seems, it eventually comes to a close. That is comforting when you are going through it. I can go further to say that with every ending, there is always a chance for rebirth and reinvention. And with that prospect, there is hope. :) So as this beauty fades, I'm sure that the seeds will blossom in the next season to delight whoever is lucky enough to pass by and see them or whatever sleeping flowers lie dormant, awaiting warmer weather.

Wishing you all a very good and safe weekend!