by Carol
"What is more beautiful than a sea of water with a number of white winged boats skirting its surface? Poetry and beauty contesting with the wind and the waves?"
George Matthew Adams
Ya gotta just laugh! My first night home from a dream photography trip to France, and what pictures am I processing? Boats from Entretat! Boats, boats and more boats! My photography friends here got a good laugh. "You found boats in France? - OF COURSE YOU DID!"
Did I save for three years, and travel all the way to Europe to photograph boats? Of course not! But they draw my eye no matter where I am.. They are one of my vary favorite subjects.The beautiful beaches, the calm water reflections, the light blues and sandy tans; to me they mean summer, sun, cool water. I love the creative names, the bright colors, the scrappy sailors, the idea of adventure. And I love the vastness of the water views, whether lake or ocean.
I used to sit on my Dad's lap and "help" drive our little motor boat in Canada. At 10 years old or so, I was allowed to drive it by myself. And in recent years, Dad had a little put-put for me to play with while he was in the big boat.
I just look at them and I can feel the cool air blowing through my hair on a hot day. I can see the white wake out behind,(and remember begging to waterski when we got back). I can hear the flags flapping, see the other boaters waving. Even the hours spent at anchor while the family fished allowed me a close look at whatever shoreline we were near. We might see beavers, snakes,dragon flies, pollywogs. We even had a mink living in the shoreline near our cabin. Maybe the memories are why I love them so much.
On the way to France, I daydreamed about maybe spending a summer taking courses in Paris one day. When I got there, Paris was spectacularly beautiful. But - when I got to Giverny and later to the coast, I was at home. I guess you can take the girl out of the country (literally!) but you can't take the country out of the girl!
"What can we gain by sailing to the moon if we are not able to cross the abyss that separates us from ourselves? This is the most important of all voyages of discovery, and without it, all the rest are not only useless, but disastrous."
Thomas Merton
What's your favorite subject?
13 comments:
People. Faces. It's early in the morning but if I have to pick one favourite subject, that is it. Lovely to read about your childhood boating memories and to see shots from what must have been such an incredible trip. Welcome home!
That's funny, Pam. Of all people, I would have thought you were with me on the whole boat/water thing! But then, I've seen your great people shots . So I ubderstand!! ( and there are almost never people in my images!)
And you ARE up early!!!!
Well, I'm definitely with you on boats and water and coasts and such Carol. All types and at all different times of day. And even their bottom parts! They have amazing shapes and colours, and they spell freedom to me. That said, I have other favourite subjects to photograph too. Love your colourful boats and that last subtle beauty on the beach.
Beautiful. . The words and the pictures. Love. Love. Xo
Beautiful. . The words and the pictures. Love. Love. Xo
I love watching boats and being near the water and am inspired after seeing your photos here today! I will be on the lookout and adding boats and water photos to my list of favorites. Thanks for the beautiful reminders!
Kybarb is lucky enough to live near the Ohio River; I'm in a more land-locked portion of our state but ... put me in the water/boat/coast category. Growing up as I did in a water/boat loving family, it's in my blood. Nothing stirs my soul like being at the ocean or near water or on a boat. I always love your rowboats, Carol ... they bring back long ago memories when I rowed, canoed ... whatever. Your boats are always beautiful and always speak to me.
And I was with you on your trip, Sherry - every step of the way!
Me? I love boat too, anything really that has to do with water. I remember sitting on my dad's lap at ten too, driving the boat. He and I took a canoe trip when I was a teenager. We have a sailboat and kayaks. Yes, I love boats and yours are grand!
Oh, I love boats too but, like Dotti, I don't get a lot of chances to shoot them. No boating in my childhood so I don't know why I love being on a boat so much. I always love the colors in your boat shots but in that one photo all I can see are the cliffs of Entretat! My favorite things to shoot, besides everything that has to do with the ocean, are flowers -- any kind, anywhere. Thanks for this little sampling of the boats in France!
i love this little peak into your childhood. there is just something so special about boating and the memories that are made. i've been going to the lake since i was a little girl so i totally get it. what a happy way to start the week!
We would on the few occasions that we were lucky enough to go on a "vacation" rent a pontoon boat and I always hated when the ride came to an end and now I'm lucky enough (except for hurricanes) to live near a large body of water. I love to go to the marina and photograph the sailboats in abstract. It's always good to find "yourself" in a different place.
Post a Comment
Thank you for sharing part of your day with us. If for any reason you are unable to leave a comment here on this post, please leave your comment on our Facebook page or in our Flickr discussion group. We love hearing from you!