A picture of you

Have you ever been asked to provide a picture of what you consider to be your passion/hobby?

Would you consider this an easy task?

I came across so many questions and thoughts:

• a picture is something defining
• one picture is limiting
• how much do I want to show?
• will people know it's me when they see this?

So below is ME. Or at least a big part of me.

I decided to provide a mosaic using the Mosaic Maker:

Go to Flickr.
Type your hobbies into Flickr Search.
Use only the first page of results, and pick one image.
Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into Big Huge Lab’s Mosaic Maker to create a mosaic of the picture answers.

Show me your mosaic:

Photo credits:

1. Let your creativity grow!, 2. Color Me!, 3. the 'i got a new camera' shot, 4. Acoustic Guitar, 5. Roadwork girls, 6. Lime & Teal, 7. write me a letter..., 8. Winding Road!, 9. Just another Saturday morning.

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Photography is more than a medium for factual communication of ideas. It is a creative art. - Ansel Adams

I have just uploaded a bunch of Children photos onto my Red Bubble gallery.

You are herewith invited to come and have a look!

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Every other artist begins with a blank canvas, a piece of paper the photographer begins with the finished product - Edward Steichen

Ever dreamed of a real Andy Warhol in your living room? now it might become possible. Not a Warhol though, but a canvas of your picture as interpreted by the creative talents of MYFACE.

MYFACE is an alliance of creative talents employing new technologies sharing one common ambition: to make art accessible while keeping it exclusive.

MYFACE Portrait

MYFACE Portrait offers a unique service to a client, individual or corporate, to submit a photograph for an artistic interpretation by a creative talent into the creation of a unique and original digital artwork.

Each artwork is printed on canvas, signed and numbered by the creative talent, and accompanied with a certificate of authenticity.

Quote by:
Steichen, Edward - American; 1879-1973
Edward Steichen (March 27, 1879-March 25, 1973) was an American photographer, painter, and art gallery and museum curator, born in Luxembourg. His family moved to the United States in 1881 and he became a naturalized citizen in 1900. Among other accomplishments, Steichen is appreciated for creating The Family of Man in 1955, a vast exhibition consisting of over 500 photos that depicted life, love and death in 68 countries.  Virtual visit of the Family of Man exhibition in Clervaux.

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In the end, the only heritage we have is our planet - Sebastiao Salgado

In the seas off Patagonia, right whales (so called because they were 'right' for hunting) gather to breed. Acclaimed photographer Sebastião Salgado, on the latest stage of his epic Genesis project, spent weeks in their company, and saw the ocean turn into a jumping field.

Yes, we may already have destroyed 50% of the planet, but Salgado wants to show us what we have left, and what we stand to lose if we don't take care. "In the end, the only heritage we have is our planet, and I have decided to go to the most pristine places on the planet and photograph them in the most honest way I know, with my point of view, and of course it is in black and white, because it is the only thing I know how to do. I want to see if I can put a kind of virginity in these pictures, if you can say that, and to show 100% respect to nature and the animals."

The photos are just stunning.

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I photograph the things that I do not wish to paint, the things which already have an existence - Man Ray

I cannot say I agree with Man Ray. I like both photography and painting. And many of the pictures I take are taken because I'd love to be able to paint what I see.

I love the way nature creates an abstract canvas on tree barks and rocks. I would love to copy that on my canvas.

That is why I take a picture.

You can see my photography at My RedBubble portfolio.

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Each of us puts in one little stone, and then you get a great mosaic at the end - Alice Paul

Today I came across an interesting thing on Julie's I love a good book blog.

The concept:

Go to Flickr (here is Julies page)

1. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
2. Use only the first page of results, and pick one image.
3. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into Big Huge Lab’s Mosaic Maker to create a mosaic of the picture answers.

The questions:

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food? right now?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. What is your favorite drink?
7. What is your dream vacation?
8. What is your favorite dessert?
9. What do you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. What is one word that describes you?
12. What is your flickr name?

The result is the above 'personalised' mosaic.

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There's something strange and powerful about black-and-white imagery - Stefan Kanfer

I have always been a fan of black and white photography. I love Edward Steichen's picture collection of The Family of Man.

Or Robert Doisneau's work.

So a recent article about Vanessa von Zitzewitz caught my eye. Her glossy website shows all these photographs taken of models for jewellery, perfume and fashion - boring. Yes, they are nice pictures, taken in a professional way but they do not tell a story, they don't convey a message, they don't pull a feeling from me.

However, this woman has also been spending two months a year for four years in the HUMAN DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION's Mercy Center in Bangkok which is home to 200 street children, orphans and children living with HIV. The pictures she took document the difficult life of these children and are collected in a book called Slaughterhouse Angels.

These pictures are so different from her magazine shots. They tell a story. They make you feel something when looking at those children's faces. What amazed me was that these children are smiling or laughing in mostly all pictures despite their rough and difficult lives. It is just he beauty of childhood.

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