Pool games

Photography, pool photography, underwater

It’s winter time and I’m kind of stuck. At least as far as UW photography in the wild is concerned. This led me to try something new : UW model shooting also called UW fashion photography. As we were right in the middle of Carnival the theme was chosen instinctively. A couple of diving friends (stuck the same way I am) were more than happy to join the adventure. The resulting collection covers a large range of impressions : from helplessly ridiculous (remember, it was Carnival time) to dreamy, enchanted and even sexy. Watch by yourself! Any constructive comments and suggestions are warmly welcome.

DIONYSOSDREAMYVENETIAN TREESOMEVINTAGE-1GOING WILDHIGHLIGHT
DIFFIDENTINTERROGATIVEMIRROR, MIRORGAZEINTERROGATIVE-EditFLAMENCO
MOONLY-Editflurry-1FLYDANCEREDgirls
musingPURPLE

Underwater pool images, a set on Flickr.

Narcissus and the mirror

Photo of the day, underwater

Almost everyone knows the original Greek story about Narcissus: a beautiful boy who would go every day to contemplate his own face in the waters of a pool. He was so fascinated by himself that, one morning, when he was trying to get still closer to his reflection, he fell into the water and was drowned. In that place a flower sprang up, and we call that flower narcissus.

The writer Oscar Wilde, however, gives the story a rather different ending.

He says that when Narcissus died, the Oreads, who were goddesses of the woods, came and saw that the sweet waters of the pool had changed into salt tears.

‘Why are you crying?’ asked the Oreads.

‘I’m weeping for Narcissus.’

‘We do not wonder that you should mourn for Narcissus in this way,’ they said. ‘After all, we could only run after him through the forest, but you could gaze on his beauty from close to.’

‘But was Narcissus beautiful?’ asked the pool.

‘Who better than you to know?’ the Oreads replied, somewhat taken aback. ‘It was, after all, on your banks that he would lie each day.’

The pool was still for a moment. Then it said:

‘I weep for Narcissus, but I never noticed that he was beautiful. I weep for him because whenever he lay on my banks and looked into my waters, I could see my own beauty reflected in his eyes.’      (By Paulo Coelho)

Which one is your favourite?

Perfect moments…

perfect moments

When I’m scrolling through the photos I took over the years many fond memories are coming back into my mind. Perfect moments…

Some really stand out and it’s almost impossible to describe the feelings I had at that moment even though the feelings are still as strong as they were at the moment I took the picture. The word which I like a lot and comes closest to it in English is the word bliss : a state of profound satisfaction, happiness and joy, a constant state of mind, undisturbed by gain or loss (Wikipedia).

I decided to upload a picture and its story on a regular basis here.

This week’s perfect moment is from our trip to Myanmar (Burma) in 2003. Our guide did his best to find the perfect place for a sunset around the ancient city of Bagan southwest of Mandalay. He first chose one of the guidebooks’ favourites and we climbed up. The view was breathtaking but the number of tourists wandering around in order to find the perfect spot for the perfect shot made my hair stand on end. There was no way to enjoy that moment to the full. When we told our guide about our feelings he gave some thought about the situation and smiled : “I might have a place for you but I’m not sure. Come quick!”

We went down as fast as possible through the still growing crowd and jumped in his car as the sun started its descent. He drove us to another smaller ruin with no people around. The place didn’t catch the eye, but it was not the place itself which was important but the view we would have…in peace and silence.

As we arrived on top only a handful people were sitting there contemplating the view… Yes, that’s it!

Our guide was relieved! Why? The sun only appears at a certain time of the year in that constellation, that close to the ruins, almost “rolling” down. Sometimes it’s far away and sometimes the ruin (the one we were standing on minutes earlier) completely hides the sun. But it was our lucky day…and a perfect moment!