“I am an excitable person who only understands life lyrically, musically, in whom feelings are much stronger as reason. I am so thirsty for the marvelous that only the marvelous has power over me. Anything I can not transform into something marvelous, I let go. Reality doesn't impress me. I only believe in intoxication, in ecstasy, and when ordinary life shackles me, I escape, one way or another. No more walls.”

― Anaïs Nin

I took up 365 as an escape and for me to create. I miss creating, I miss being able to force myself to come up with ideas. And as an entrepreneur I needed that, I need to be able to come up with thoughts outside the box, to force my mind to see things in between.

I started with not knowing a lot of things. I started exploring. Exploring things I can take and things I can’t and it excites me.

I might fall from time to time but getting up after falling is a high I can't get enough of.

I want to sincerely thank you for all your lovely comments. You guys are what keep me going.

via Instagram ift.tt/2iyZ3Nc

If you think that a kiss is all in the lips,

c'mon, you got it all wrong, man.

And if you think that a dance is all in the hips

oh well, then do the twist.

Well if you think holding hands is all in the fingers

grab hold of the soul where the memory lingers

and make sure to never do it with a singer

cause he'll tell everyone in the world

what he was thinking about the girl.

Yeah what he's thinking about the girl.

- The White Stripes, The Denial Twist

**Explored**

I don't know how it's humanly possible not to love this song. I get it suck in my head for days at a time. Which is one of the reasons I chose it as one of the weekly challenge songs this week in Musically Challenged.

Anyway, if you guessed that these manga eyes were a challenge to paint on, you are very right. But once they started getting closer to finished, I started to love them. And I'm still sitting here with them on my face as I type this, over thirty minutes after taking the pictures, because I want to show my dad when he gets home. Ha. Great choice of genre for this week's Emulation Challenge in My Face is My Canvas!

In other news, I have spent all day trying to re-work somebody else's trial brief into something cohererent and worth submitting to the court. It's been a frustrating challenge. And now I'm going to stop thinking about work and relax for the rest of the evening. Hope you guys are doing the same now!

365 Days (self portraits): Day 238

My Face is My Canvas: Emulation Week #10

Musically Challenged: The Denial Twist - The White Stripes

I listen to the wind

To the wind of my soul

Where I'll end up well I think,

Only God really knows

I've sat upon the setting sun

But never, never never never

I never wanted water once

No, never, never, never

- Cat Stevens, The Wind

Model: Zee Anna

Fort Myers Beach, Florida

Easily my favorite shot taken this week. Anna is so damn graceful, it hurts. It kind of looks like she's hooked a ride on a cloud, I think.

Musically Challenged: Cat Stevens - The Wind

Inspired by Léah and MA 2k11 here on Flickr, my attempt at a little musically influenced corner...

... just one little problem, it's mostly my tastes in music* (another reason why the Fashion Royalty girls hate life here!). 'Twas great fun hunting down the various posters, photos, tickets etc... it all looks a bit organised though; the wall clutter needs to grow a little more 'organically'.

*Music is something I came to somewhat later than most; I'm afraid my formative teenage years were spent listening to Monty Python LPs and Goon Show tapes! Despite the best efforts of friends (inc. a dyed in the wool Beatles fan) nothing I heard resonated within me... until I stumbled across the likes of Merle, Johnny, Willie & Emmylou. I have broader tastes these days but, for the most part it tends not to be particularly modern and/or mainstream.

*as the title suggests, this is a musically inspired painting from a old revolutionary ballad of the late 60's titled "Clandestino" which I recently encountered on YouTube, beautifully rearranged and brought up to date by Manu, for those wishing to hear this so modern version go to You-tube: "Manu Chao-Clandestino /live/ www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNzafK1HIro

@micadew on Instagram!

ok, you guys have amazed me with all your contributions to Musically Challenged and the images you set to the lyrics of the songs i chose for this week. thank you so much. i never expected so many of you to play and it means a lot to me. i love this group and i am thrilled more people are playing again and turning out some wicked shots, too!

if anyone would like to have a look at what's been done so far and the aforementioned wicked shots head over to this thread right here.

i had a long day and i meant to get this up earlier, but what's the saying? god laughs at those who make plans?

_________

"Dreams" by Priscilla Ahn

I had a dream

That I could fly from the highest tree.

I had a dream.

Now I'm old and feeling gray.

I don't know what's left to say

about this life I'm willing to leave.

I lived it full and I lived it well,

there's many tales I've lived to tell.

I'm ready now, I'm ready now,

I'm ready now to fly from the highest wing.

I had a dream

You won't hear me, But you'll feel me

Without warning, somethings dawning, listen.

Then within your senses,

You'll know you're defenseless.

- Judas Priest, Turbo Lover

My husband has had the plague for over a week. And I'm getting awfully frustrated. And really sick of sleeping on the sofa bed with all of its eightybillion springs sticking me in the back. Which apparently left me with a massive knot right in the middle of my right shoulder blade, causing a throbbing headache today. It's a vicious cycle, people. And I need some relief!

Also, as an aside, I had to clone a hell of a lot of bruises off my legs for this shot. The pitfalls of soccer.

Musically Challenged: Turbo Lover - Judas Priest

i know that i am nothing new

my words might not seem much to you

but brother how we must atone

before we turn to stone

- Ingrid Michaelson, Turn to Stone

It's officially no longer my birthday since it's now past midnight. It didn't really feel all that birthday-ish anyway. Weird year. Weird month. Weird birthday. I didn't even have any birthday cake. I guess some years a late night cup of gingerbread tea has to suffice. Here's hoping my thirty-third year will be a little smoother and less hilly than my thirty-second. The highs were wonderful but I don't think I want to suffer through those kinds of lows again. Thankfully, there's nowhere to go but up from here. And I intend to climb rapidly and not look back.

Musically Challenged: Ingrid Michaelson - Turn to Stone

More fun with lights this evening.... combo of Strobist stuff as well as light painting.

The more astute amongst you will realise this is not a self portrait..... I used to look like this 30 years ago, but now I'm more of a party keg guy than a six pack guy. (Although compared to most 50 yr old folk I still look fairly fit so happy enough with my body). This is my younger son Sebe.... Luckily quite happy to pose half-nekkid at night in October in the UK (the young are hardy & foolish).

Strobist Info: Bowens GM200 1 ft behind & 6 ft to either side of subject. Both on full power. Triggered by Cactus triggers at start of the 30 sec exposure. Light trails with a hand flashlight triggered by muscle.

As usual, some learning experiences when doing a new technique. I really should have worked out a way to keep his arms still..... initial flash captured him, but during the 30 second long light painting his arms moved slightly & they look a bit thin as a result. Next time I will use some thin black thread for him to tense against & keep arms in absolute position.

OK, so hit quite a few themes with this one.....

FGR - Alien Light Forms

Bench Monday

TOTW - Love your body (I do, but envious of my son's)

Musically Challenged - As chosen by Pikespice.

The song is Halloween by Helloween - supposedly from the 80's so I ought to remember it, but I don't.... of course metal wasn't my thing then (or now). Long long lyrics, so here's the section that is relevant.

I can see a Light comin'

It's comin' nearer

It's shining

It's shining so bright

It's shining on me

I am the one, doom 's in my hands

Now make your choice,

redeemed or enslaved

I'll show you passion ang glory

He Is the snake

I'll give you power and abundance

He's the corrupter of man

Save me from the evil one

Give me strength to carry on

I will fight for all mankind's

deliverance and peace of mind

Jim Shields Photography

- 036 -

A musically influenced door knocker.

lately something here don't feel right

this is just a half-life

is there really no escape?

no escape from time

of any kind

and you are another mystery i'm missing

- Duncan Sheik, Half-Life

So today has been pretty crazy. In the midst of getting a ton of errands and cleaning done, I've been constantly keeping tabs on my LivingSocial deal. So far I've sold 36 deals. That's a LOT of photoshoots! Excited and terrified at the same time! :) Hopefully these new clients will generate some more word-of-mouth and referral business for me at my regular rates down the road. In the mean time, at least I'll be busy!

Oh, and I picked the songs this week in Musically Challenged, so come check them out and play along!

Musically Challenged: Duncan Sheik - Half-Life

big

for the last day of my song selections in Musically Challenged, i knew i wanted to do "Gimme Shelter".

everything that i know and love about classic rock, i learned from my big brother. and though our top bands were Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and, most importantly, The Doors, there were a few dozen Stones songs that found a permanent place on our list of favorites.

that, and the fact that the first concert i ever attended, with my brother and some friends, was the Rolling Stones (with Guns N Roses opening!).

i had a much different shot in mind than the one i posted, but i wasn't able to find the time to execute it.

i'll probably get around to doing it one day, but i didn't want to let my last chance at doing "Gimme Shelter", to just... fade away.

(yes, i totally said that on purpose. and yes. i am such a dork)

it may not look like a storm is threatening on that sun soaked beach, but i love the way the women in the bottom right are looking up to the sky as if something IS, in fact, coming their way.

__________________________

"Gimme Shelter," by The Rolling Stones

It's just a kiss away

For Musically Challenged. There are supposed to be 10 songs per week, but Tapper22 does not hold to the rules, and picked 11. So, says I to me, I don't have to play either, and I picked a photo that does not really match song 11. (OK, maybe it matches a little, but that was an accident. Honest.)

If you do nothing else here, listen to

Tomorrow Never Knows The Beatles

Shinier

Girl put your records on

Tell me your favourite song

Just go ahead, let you're hair down...

Corinne Bailey Rae - Put Your Records On

you've been all over

and it's been all over you.

"Beautiful Day" by U2

for: Musically Challenged

______

view of the Century City skyline from atop The Grove in Hollywood, CA

MFiMC: Emulation Week 70

The Teleidoscope: Danger Ahead

Musically Challenged

Oh, I’m so ill.

And so fed up with being ill. I just hope I’m better by next week, because we’re off to Amsterdam! (again!)

This is the last one from this series. I increased the amount of time I waited from when the gun was shot to when the picture was taken It's amazing how the liquid shoots out the top of the glass like that. Julia was still pouring it in while all this was going on!

I spent about 4 hours on Sunday getting everything setup and working correctly, and came away with these 3 images. Some times I wonder if it is worth all the trouble!!

Anyway, thanks for looking and have a sweet night :-)

No work for me tomorrow..Don't forget about our Veterans and all they have done for us!

Gunpowder and Lead

it's time again for me to choose the weekly list of songs in Musically Challenged.

i miss the early days of MC when there were two or three dozen shots per list every single week. i loved seeing everyone's interpretation of what each song or one line of lyrics meant to them, photographically.

now all we're left with is this hooker's take on every third word of every fifth verse of an obscure as fuck song by this ancient British asshole who never amounted to anything.

so pretty please, people, take a look at the lyrics and music to the 14 songs i chose for this week and slap a lyric or two into your title if it fits - even if it doesn't fit! or go out and shoot something based on your animosity towards any musicians i chose! or your desire to bed down the fictitious girl being sung about! or your derision reserved only for David Hasselhoff and drunken cheeseburgers!

have fun, people! pretty please??

_______

1. "Big Pimpin'"- Jay Z

2. "Rhinestone Cowboy" - David Hasselhoff

3. "She's a Jar"- Wilco

4. "Midnight Radio" - Hedwig and the Angry Inch (film)

5. "Today" - Josua Radin

5.2 "Dream"- Priscilla Ahn

6. "Hurt" - Nine Inch Nails / Johnny Cash

7. "November Rain" - Guns N Roses

8. "Signs" - Bloc Party

9. "Crying Lightning" - Arctic Monkeys

10. "World Spins Madly On" - the Weepies

11. "Promises" - Eric Clapton

12. "I5 Step" - Radiohead

13. "Falling Slowly" - 'Once' (film)

Musikalisch und sehr unterhaltend für die Besucher des Weihnachtsmarkt 2017 spielt eine Gruppe von Blasmusikern auf dem Gelände des Klostergut Wöltingerode (Stadt Goslar). Dank sei den freundlichen Bläsern für ihren exzellenten Job.

Musically and very entertaining for the visitors of the Christmas market 2017, a group of brass musicians plays on the grounds of the monastery Wöltingerode (Goslar). Thanks be to the friendly players for their excellent job.

Stella the Cat says: "happy holidays!"

EDIT: this is Barely Awake Stella, not Grumpy Stella. she's incapable of being grumpy, trust me!

*ok, so it's a huge stretch, but this is for Musically Challenged, too!

"Hey Kwanongoma!," by The Ark

On Friday 2 friends of mine and I flew down to Denver to be with our friend Deb, who had just lost her husband Derek, in a tragic accident. After the candle light memorial Friday night, we went over to her place to help get her boat ready to sell. Deb also went through Derek's things, figuring out what she wanted to keep. Unlike myself, Derek had very good taste in clothing, and knew what looked nice. Deborah gave me a few of his ultra high class button-up shirts, and I am honored to have them. I just hope I can do them justice!

Today would have been Derek's 40th Birthday.

HBCCT

Musically Challenged

Alison Krauss & Union Station—The Lucky One

(21 of 52)²

We're a ship without a storm

The cold without the warm

Light inside the darkness that it needs, yeah

We're a laugh without a tear

The hope without the fear

We are coming - home~!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~DIO~

The Last in Line <------Listen.....one of my all-time fave songs..ever!!

Posted for Musically Challenged...The Last in Line by DIO!

Zar Bars Closet:

this lil snap was musically thought up cause every girl needs a night out with her Girls to flirt with the DJ the Bartender, let her hair down and have some FUN!!!!

I am featuring so SEXY LiL numbers Found At *BSASSY* amazing creations can and will be found at this Store..

Zaria's Outfit:

Body Maitreya

Head Catwa catya

Hair Truth Mischief

Outfit *BSASSY* Jewels Outfit Touch of Blacks

C-String black panties

Jewel Boot

Jewel Dress

Dawn's Outfit

Body Maitreya

Head Catwa Catya

Hair DOUX Ni

Outfit *BSASSY* Sparkles Chains

Sparkles Short Top

Sparkles Chain Skirt

Sparkles Chain Bra

Sparkles C-String

Boots [HH] Farriah from the Outlet

Retties Outfit

Body Maitreta

Head Catwa Catya

Hair DOUX LaLa

Outfit *BSASSY* Val Outfit Gold

Over the Knee Boots

Panty Gold

Skirt Gold

Top Gold

this Sexy lil number also come with a Jacket I choose to leave out.. All these sweet lil numbers a must have in your Closet's for them nights when your GirlFriends give you a call... Visit *BSASSY*

Back Drop

FoxCity Booth After Party and TLG DJ Booth

And all the girls walk by

Dressed up for each other

And the boys do the boogie-woogie

On the corner of the street

~John Mellencamp (Van Morrison)

Strobist Info:

Flashpoint II 320M @ 1/2 in softbox at 4:00

530 EX II @ 1/2 in softbox at 8:00

430 Ex II @ 1/4 in beauty dish at 5:00 pointed against BG

CyberSync triggers

all the details are at Second Spaces.

secondspacesblog.com/theblog/2013/9/25/52mt2qwp15dvyr4dtt...

Musically themed container, West Mersea dry dock, Essex.

www.facebook.com/nigadwphotography

Musically Challenged

Superbus - Mes défauts

(13 of 52)²

This weeks Musically Challenged list was chosen by the wonderful Forty-OneCrush.

Counting Crows - Round Here

I think it looks pretty sweet Large, so go ahead and hit "L" :-)

do you ever go through slumps? i'm so slumpering right now.

picking up the camera and taking photos has slipped so far back on my Want To Do list. i can't sort out if it's because we're so damn busy with several large Life Things at the moment or if it's just one of those times where photography sort of naturally takes it's turn on the back burner.

i always carry my camera with me - that's still the case. but i just don't take it out as much these days. even when i see something i know could become a stellar shot. i got a macro lens about a month ago and have shamefully hardly utilized it. and taking self portraits? dear god, that sounds just full of allllll sorts of hassle and the antithesis of fun. i'd honestly rather take pictures of clouds day after day than pictures of myself. where, oh where, has my vanity gone? ;)

i suppose i can partially chalk up my lack of interest to having a parent in the hospital for several weeks and subsequent recovery, house hunting and all the stress that brings, and the fact that i'm going to have a baby in 3 months time (eeeek!!!).

but still. i miss it dammit. and this place, too. i love it when the stars align and everything you shoot looks and feels great and you can't want to get on here and post and comment and just enjoy.

i'm sure it will all return soon enough. ebbs and flows and all that jazz.

____

i really, really love Explosions In The Sky. there are three great songs by them in Musically Challenged this week, including this one: Your Hand In Mine

(which is a perfect accompaniment to the above image, i've decided)

a few years ago, i fell in love with a song by Joshua Radin, "Closer". i found it the way i seem to find most these days: on a television show.

i've since been mad abut the rest of his songs as they are very much the singer/songwriter style that i'm crazy about. give me a voice and a guitar or a voice and a piano and i'm sold.

Ashley chose the songs this week in Musically Challenged and selected "Today", by Joshua Radin.

this particular song wasn't in my tops of his until Ellen Degeneres showed a 4 minute video montage of the day she married Portia De Rossi and it's just unreal beautiful. i tear up every damn time i see it.

the photo above is more of a literal take on just one line of lyrics, and not indicative of the entire song itself. the video does that job brilliantly, so have a look there, if so inclined.

if you like simple but beautiful singer/songwriter music, i can't recommend Joshua Radin enough.

___________________

Shoelaces untied

You can dry your eyes

Perfect shadows alive

Behind us

This is the day i make you mine

Well i thank god you came along

---

edit: oops! i forgot to add that this image was inspired by this photo by the lovely and talented Kaboomish Gem (who also rocks a Sheffield dialect, my favorite!)

EXPLIZZLED

For Musically Challenged, Gimme Shelter by the Stones.

A storm is threatening

My very life today.

If I don't get some shelter

Yeah, I'm gonna fade away.

Lyrically, whatever. But that guitar is just to die for, and the haunting backup vocals give me chills every time.

I've been kind of a slave to my 50mm lately, so I figured I'd whip out the ultrawide for a change.

Strobist: 430 EX2 in 60" reflective umbrella above camera with 1/2 CTO. LP120 behind me with a red gel fired up at the ceiling of the freeway overpass.

www.jerinthebox.com

Twitter

Musically Challenged

The Offspring - Hammerhead

Check it LARGE!

Because the Night

www.jerinthebox.com

Twitter

You can still donate $10 to the Red Cross by texting HAITI to 90999.

"Vicarious" is my favorite song from my favorite band, Tool. I was thrilled to see it in this week's Musically Challenged list, but I knew it was going to be hard to do it justice. It hits you hard right out of the gate and builds for 7 minutes to an enormous climax. It's incredibly powerful and explosive, and its subject matter is the guilty pleasure we all experience from watching others suffer. And by an eerie coincidence, it happens to be extremely relevant right now.

A week ago the nation of Haiti didn't cross any of our minds. Some of us didn't even know where it was. And now we donate our hard-earned money to help people we'll never meet put their shattered lives back together.

But let's not kid ourselves; We're glad it's not us. We're glad we can look at the photos on our laptops and watch the rescue efforts on our HDTVs. The part of us that feels guilty about that tries to empathize, to suffer vicariously through the pixels on the screen. But none of us can possibly know what it's like to be surrounded by death and destruction of such magnitude. So ultimately we just go about our day.

I live in Los Angeles. I'm able to live here only because I choose to ignore the simple fact that sooner or later, we will have our own Big One. It could happen in a thousand years, or it could happen at the end of this sentence. So every time the Big One hits somewhere else is another time it didn't hit me and the people I care about. Like it or not, we're all playing a game of Russian Roulette with the universe, and there's no sense feeling guilty when someone else gets it in the head. Just be glad it wasn't you and make the most of the time others no longer have.

So Haiti, I'm so sorry for the fate that's befallen you. I've given to help you rebuild and will continue to urge others to do the same. But to quote the final lyric from my favorite song:

Much Better You Than I.

========================================

Eye on the the TV

'Cause tragedy thrills me

Whatever flavor it happens to be, like...

"Killed by the husband"

"Drowned by the ocean"

"Shot by his own son"

"She used a poison

in his tea...kissed him goodbye"

That's my kind of story

It's no fun 'til someone dies

Much better you than I

========================================

Strobist: Red gelled flash to my left and behind on 1/4, bare flash hitting the wall to the right on full power.

Musically Challenged

Here we go again,

asking where I've been

You can't see these tears are real,

I'm crying

(Elvis Presley - Suspicious Minds)

Hey Lou, what did you get up to on Friday night?

Oh you know, got home from work, had a beer, ate some taco’s, had another beer, sat in the kitchen for three hours well my boyfriend painted me, had another beer, watched The Crow.

ift.tt/2hH4j0E

Oh I am what I am

I do what I want

But I can't hide

Until you're resting here with me

- Dido, Here With Me

Had a really good day. My stomach is finally feeling normal again. *knocks wood* Had a very busy day and none of it was spent on my couch. Well, ok, I'm on my couch now, but come on. It's after 8pm. I think it's allowed now. Have a lot to get accomplished in the next week. Including heading down to the dreaded Secretary of State to wait for god knows how long to get my last name changed on my driver's license. Hopefully I can tick that off my list tomorrow so I can focus on the rest without that looming over my head any longer.

Happy Hump Day, people!

Musically Challenged: Dido - Here With Me

Another copy cat shot. This one was kind of a bitch! Getting the lighting even close was tough. It's far from perfect, bit it's as good as I could get it! And hey...I'm learning, so it's all good.

Musically Challenged

Matthew Barber: Easily Bruised

Happy Big Cushy Chair Tuesday :-)