Another one of Shawna's mystery snaps. The twig has been decorated with
some blue paper or thin plastic. Is it about pollution?
Hi Chris. This tree is a fruit tree and a few summers ago, its owner tied tens of plastic bags in its branches to scare off feasting birds. The changing seasons have frayed the bags' edges and faded their colors, but I was told that the birds still get their fill at harvest time ;-)
I'm not one for imposing meanings on photos for others, but I can tell you what it's about for me. Before I found this tree, I was on an overnight bus headed into the Australian bush. I reached my destination before sunrise, and as I was beginning a nine day trek, I had to wait at the trail head for some light to see by. I'd been shooting plastic objects for awhile already, so you can imagine my delight when the sun's first rays lit up this scrubby tree reminding me of my grandmother with loose blue curlers flapping about her bee hive of hair. The relentless sea of bags we often find ourselves floating amid usually produces in me a sense of melancholy, but these glorious bags got me thinking about the contradictions inherent in our lives. So yes the image is grounded in concern about pollution, but for me it is also a reminder that sometimes all it takes is a touch of light, a silent smile, or an understanding nod to turn the tragic into the triumphant.
rand flory:
I really like this image. The blue of the subject differs from the
background primarily because of the tone of color rather than a contrast.
This is a study in blue. It is a most interesting study in blue. The red
tinge at the bottom center is slightly disconcerting, but it is subtle
enough to not intrude in the feeling that the photograph imparts to me. This
is my favorite of the week.
Thanks Rand. That little reddish bit is a strip of white plastic bag behind the blue one. I agree the image would be improved without it. I tried cropping it out, but the fluttering blue bits on the left side of the image make the whole thing work. The cropped image just looked chopped! C'est la vie...
Thanks for reviews ~:-}
Cheers,
Shawna
http://lightwriting.net
