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a cold drop at dusk / tempers the cling of water / jewels on dead leaves
a cold drop at dusk / tempers the cling of water / jewels on dead leaves
skewsme


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Beauty In The Everyday (Basic Editing)
Collection: flora
Camera: Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT
Lens: Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro
Location: nj
Date: Dec 17, 2007
Date Uploaded: Dec 17, 2007

Although this image may be a bit sparkly for wabi-sabi, I believe it still fits because it is nature and weather-related and shows the impermanence of the leaves and ultimately, the short-lived beauty of iced water drops. To me it's like a visual haiku.

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Pared down to its barest essence, wabi-sabi is the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in nature, of accepting the natural cycle of growth, decay, and death. It's simple, slow, and uncluttered-and it reveres authenticity above all. It celebrates cracks and crevices and all the other marks that time, weather, and loving use leave behind. It reminds us that we are all but transient beings on this planet-that our bodies as well as the material world around us are in the process of returning to the dust from which we came. Through wabi-sabi, we learn to embrace liver spots, rust, and frayed edges, and the march of time they represent.

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Wabi stems from the root wa, which refers to harmony, peace, tranquillity, and balance. Generally speaking, wabi had the original meaning of sad, desolate, and lonely, but poetically it has come to mean simple, unmaterialistic, humble by choice, and in tune with nature.

Sabi by itself means "the bloom of time." It connotes natural progression-tarnish, hoariness, rust-the extinguished gloss of that which once sparkled. It's the understanding that beauty is fleeting.

-textbits from nobleharbor.com

Statistics
Place: 10 out of 207
Avg (all users): 6.4474
Avg (commenters): 7.9167
Avg (participants): 6.2297
Avg (non-participants): 6.5862
Views since voting: 2037
Views during voting: 305
Votes: 190
Comments: 25
Favorites: 5 (view)


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AuthorThread
01/08/2008 12:07:45 PM
Colleen, I just came across this (checking out photos after return from extended trip to Montana) and think it's superb. Really outstanding colors and composition with those drops. Will add that "Sabi" is also the root of the modern word "sabishii" which refers to loneliness. You captured the idea of fleeting beauty very well here.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/28/2007 07:14:37 PM
I liked this one a lot as I voted this challenge. Glad to see so many agree it is a worthy image.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/26/2007 07:36:25 PM
Frankly, a stunning shot! I had no clue what wabi-sabi was, still a bit fogging on it. But I do know what a great photo looks like. Congrats on the score too!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/26/2007 12:55:47 PM
Well-done! Thanks for the explanation, too. You absolutely nailed it. Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/26/2007 10:18:04 AM
I thought this one was gorgeous. I loved the contrast of icy cold death in the foreground with the orange warmth of the background. Beautiful! Congrats on the almost top 10 :D
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/26/2007 08:33:27 AM
Very nice!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/26/2007 08:21:34 AM
Very nice shot Colleen. I like the way the form such a nice diagonal.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/26/2007 04:29:03 AM
You was robbed! Definitely one of the most beautiful shots and meeting challenge perfectly.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/26/2007 12:12:01 AM
Exquisite, and as I said, perfect for this challenge. And in the "for what it's worth" category, this was one of my personal top picks for this challenge. And it goes very nicely with your abstract from the Hell challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
12/25/2007 10:43:56 AM
The contrast between the subject and background as well as within the subject works well for me. Nice Photo!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/24/2007 11:42:48 AM
Great capture. I really like the composition and your natural backdrop.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/22/2007 06:53:14 PM
I would give this a five, but I dislike the title oh so much... 4
12/22/2007 04:54:21 PM
Goergous sharp focus and nice bokeh.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/21/2007 08:17:42 PM
I wish I could see a bit more detail in the leaves, but quite nice. I must admit I've seen many drops at the end of leaves, but don't know that I've ever seen a pic of them frozen in a row in a composition like this. Nice backdrop. Well done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/21/2007 03:56:05 PM
Wow. What can I say that other commenter's have not already said? A 9 and a fave.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/21/2007 11:38:38 AM
very nice bokeh.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/20/2007 10:53:36 PM
I think you deserve a great score just for having such a poetic title! But I also like your image, and would even without the poetry. The frozen drops of water with the little lines and bubbles are lovely, and the background color nicely sets off the blackened leaves.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/20/2007 01:24:13 PM
Back to comment: Exceptionally strong composition. Nicely done. 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/20/2007 05:18:42 AM
Perfect for this challenge!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/19/2007 07:40:42 PM
My favorite drop shot from the challenge. So clear and warm. The dried out leaves make it very wabi-sabi. I wonder what the warm background is of.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/19/2007 05:49:52 PM
Oooh, nice! Lovely colour background, nice and sharp where it matters.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/19/2007 02:43:16 PM
Long title for a simple picture, but very apt.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/19/2007 11:18:50 AM
They really do look like jewels, which is tough to do...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/19/2007 08:15:46 AM
this is cool effect !
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/19/2007 12:18:45 AM
Lovely and certainly meets the challenge (which is saying a lot since 90% didn't get it)
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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