Blue Heron, February Evening
by kanaj

Comment by nam:
Very beautiful.

BARRRELS FOR SALE
by kanaj

Comment by Barroness:
Can I buy one? LOL This is great! A wonderful find for this challenge.

November Glow
by kanaj

Comment by vawendy:
So beautifully done -- it was one of my favorites. I invites you in and wants you to be a part of it. Almost a melancholia when you realize you can't just step into it.

Acuity
by kanaj

Comment by Martus:
One of my favorites for a ribbon this week! Very nice!

November Glow
by kanaj

Comment by Melethia:
I didn't comment on this one during voting because obviously I knew it was yours and therefore ineligible for the jury. But I really do like this. It may be a touch painterly, but that's due to the wonderful glowing light reflected in the wet pavement. Just a wonderful warm feeling to this despite the dampness. And the leaves! Such a nice variety, with green and yellow, to yellow, to orange. Lovely! Very worthy entry.

November Glow
by kanaj

Comment by glad2badad:
Coming back around and revisiting some of this challenge. I really like the way you handled the light on this. Very warm, but not in an overdone way. Feels like a sunset is trying to bust through on this street and fight off the rain (I know, it's the lights, but still ...).

Irrigation Lines
by kanaj

Comment by glad2badad:
Voted a couple days ago ...
Crazy how much water these things put out! Nice idea for the challenge.

BARRRELS FOR SALE
by kanaj

Comment by PennyStreet:
That about says it all. Love the processing.

November Glow
by kanaj

Comment by Barroness:
Congratulations, yes, I gave 4 10's in this challenge but this always remained my favorite. This is so good and the coloration is so special with the lights on it, I hope you print it and hang it in your home!
Over the top Wonderful photography!

homeworld
by kanaj

Comment by kanaj:

Originally posted by primabarbara: Was the clothing and the pose of your young model your idea? ... I can sense a feeling of not belonging of that young person, struggling with growing up, being different than the classmates and the neighbour kids. Reminds me somehow of the book "wonder" by Raquel J. Palacio

Thank you for these very kind words, Barbara. To answer your question--yes, the clothing and pose were my (half-impromptu) idea. I'd been thinking for some time now--ever since the Album Cover challenge from earlier last year--about trying to get Henry to wear that space helmet in a public space somewhere with ideas that it might convey something evocative. One possible interpretive angle I was considering is very much the one that has connected with you in this image--of social isolation and feeling "from another world" or (as this image suggests to me, personally) of feeling like an alien visitor to one's own homeworld.

Honestly, I had forgotten about how a similar prop plays a significant role in Palacio's book, but now that you mention it, it would feel dishonest to suggest that it didn't play some subliminal role in my composition. As for the rest of the costuming, believe it or not that's literally what my son was wearing when I saw the golden hour light and decided to capitalize on it. The shirt originally had "Saturn" on it, but I removed that to make it appear more like a traveler's uniform of sorts. And the pants are part of his Halloween costume, when he went as a stick figure from one of his video games. Together, it all just worked serendipitously.