View allAll Photos Tagged gratification
Editing wedding photos; I remember taking this one, it doesn't serve much purpose except personal gratification.
Stamped the Flower Trio image in Eggplant Envy; double matted with Nestie shapes; added butterfly and ribbon. I love this stamp; want to learn how to color it!! Just had to make some quick cards for my gratification fix!
Portland, OR
Fotokemika Varycon PE RC paper, variable contrast, matte - used as paper negative. Single multi-pinhole (3) exposure: 37 seconds
iPhoneography can be instant gratification. Or it can be a longer process.
I read throughTwitterfriend TheAppWhisperer about Superimpose App. First experiment here, and I think there will be more!
iPhone background shot of a wall and a light, processed through ArtCamera app, using Edgar Degas filter. Foreground butterfly posted earlier after editing. Blended in Superimpose.
72/365/2
I have become quite addicted to Rock Tumbling recently. It is not a hobby for those looking for instant gratification! Patience is the key ingredient.
I have never been really into the nipple suckers & nipple play much – till now. Mainly it is because I’ve got huge breasts, and little to no sensation. So you can imagine my thrill when partners would be fixated on them, and I’d literally get nothing out of it.
I...
No, this is not the oldest or most illustrious camera Ken or I own by far, but it is a dear one. It was given me by my grandmother, who passed away years ago. She bought herself one, and me one! It was SO much fun to take a shot and actually SEE what you had captured right then- kind of like digital in the flesh! I was afraid this camera had gotten away in the moves and travails of life, but I found it in a box among many a couple of months ago and felt elated!
Thanks to bb.p. for this great texture: www.flickr.com/photos/41222156@N03/3954297452/in/set-7215...
I am almost done scanning and processing the film from Maui. It's been fun, but it has also been a bit of a chore. I just have too many other projects going on right now that are more exciting than sitting in front of a computer editing images. Know what I mean?
The Chieu Hoi project continues to move along. You haven't heard much from me on that front lately but that doesn't mean nothing has been happening. We have been poring over BLADs (book layout and design) to submit to publishers and working on editing audio captions for an iPad book and that should all be producing some exciting results soon. Last night I listened to audio recordings that Charlie had made while in Vietnam and they gave me chills. It was like opening a window 45 years into the past and feeling a chill breeze blow through it. Keep an eye peeled for for the upcoming issue of the Portland Tribune which will be featuring several of the photos and an interview.
And then Blue Mitchell just handed off the Lezless submissions for jurying..... 933 of them. Oh boy. I did a first pass through them all last night just to get acquainted and it is really an amazing collection of work. I feel particularly lucky to be presented with such an impressive group of photography to sift through. Judging it down may be tough, but for all the best reasons. A big "well done" to everyone out there who submitted. You guys and gals do some truly amazing work.
And then thanks to Donna I have been inspired to do some nighttime pinhole photography. It has been obvious to me for several years that there is a glaring hole in the territory I explore with pinhole cameras and that hole exists right between twilight and dawn. I have just never been motivated to really get out after it. Or rather, I have been more motivated to go exploring other places. But now I have a WPC loaded with Delta 3200 that is two exposures in. And they really weren't all that bad either, in terms of exposure length I mean. I rate my Delta 3200 down to about 1000-2000 ISO (it loses speed if not processed in certain Ilford developers and isn't as truly a 3200 ISO as it may seem). And even with the lower speed I was calculating 8-16 minute exposures in the downtown park blocks at night. That's totally doable. I consider anything under 30 minutes a fairly easy wait and certainly anything under an hour is feasible... even if its raining. ;-)
As if all that isn't enough I heard it started snowing up on the mountain... Doesn't sound like I will be spending much time staring at Maui photos this friday either.
But they'll get done, eventually. One of the reasons I use film - and pinhole cameras for that matter - is I like not having to feel rushed. Some things benefit from taking more time. And if film has taught me anything over the years it is an appreciation for delayed gratification. But to tide you over, here's a pinhole image from a pretty little beach on Maui and the first sunset I ever saw from a Hawaiian island.
I don' t think I've uploaded this one, I liked the left over positive from this image much better...
www.flickr.com/photos/41675651@N00/35432401/in/set-782551/
but it's friday and I am in a fun Friday mood... ha ha
Thinkin' it's gonna be a Polaroid weekend for me... got a fridge full of it, might as well. Love instant gratification! :)
Have a great weekend everyone!
This man look like want to light his cigar or want to be close to this beautiful girl and join her to smok
“Find your seats quickly everyone. Time ticks away and we have so much to cover in a very short time. For those of you who left the auditorium immediately for the break will have missed a theory proposed by one of your colleagues sitting at the back. I’m sorry I can’t seem to find you, would you raise your hand for the class please?
Thank you. Interestingly enough she brought up the affair of Jacques Corbière and the Austrian doctor. I must admit this had slipped my mind but I believe it was worth mentioning at this point in stark contrast to the experiences of O’Shea and Camberley. To briefly sum up, Corbière, according to his own memoirs deliberately set out to seduce his doctor following an altercation which resulted in his mental stability being questioned by the judicial system. Despite his monovalent intentions he later admitted that his rapid decline in health and wellbeing was a result of his broken heart following the end of an affair. To this day we cannot determine the circumstances surrounding how this came to an abrupt end or if he was in fact referring to the doctor. However we can take for granted that it wasn’t the will of Corbière. I believe our colleague at the back there brought this to my attention as a counter argument to what we have already discussed; simply that love was already growing within us all and is not, as the study guide will conclude, a result of physical contact.
It is somewhat a moot point these days to debate on Corbière’s true intentions. There is extensive literature regarding his life and works and many include detailed opinion and theories surrounding his initial relationship with the doctor, yet the majority of scholars agree that his intentions were not those of apparent love or devotion. So ladies and gentlemen, it appears our colleague has found the perfect example to undermine my theory and support the conclusions of the study guide. Can I see a raise in hands who believe this to be the case?
Quite a few I see, I would say well over half of you believe this to be true. Please lower your hands and I will grant you all that on the face of it this does appear to be a perfect example. However to study Corbière’s own words and the journey he took through his artistic career there is more convincing evidence to support that he was indeed in love with the doctor far before they ever became intimate. For example if we refer to one of his early correspondences to the doctor, Corbière writes that he wished for her friendship and not that of a doctor and reluctant patient. Does this remind anyone of another well regarded published letter?
Exactly thank you. For those who didn’t hear at the back our colleague said it reminded them of an early Robert Browning letter to Elizabeth Barrett. A moment please while I refer to… yes here we are. And I quote ‘See how I go on and on to you, I who, whenever now and then pulled, by the head and hair, into letter-writing, get sorrowfully on for a line or two, as the cognate creature urged on by stick and string, and then come down 'flop' upon the sweet haven of page one, line last, as serene as the sleep of the virtuous! You will never more, I hope, talk of 'the honour of my acquaintance,' but I will joyfully wait for the delight of your friendship, and the spring, and my Chapel-sight after all!’
Very circumstantial I appreciate however there is more evidence. It has long been contested that the female depicted in Corbière’s painting ‘Sunflowers and the Boathouse’ is in fact the doctor although it is unlikely this was painted with her present. Far more evidence suggests that he painted her from memory, and most importantly, he did this only after meeting her twice! One can question his intentions already despite his own memoirs regarding his desire to merely seduce the doctor. For me it is clear that these words written much later were the words of a broken hearted man who desperately wrestled with his own conscience in an attempt to fend off the enveloping darkness. I can understand why some of you are reluctant to dismiss wholesale his own words but we should, as researchers, always be mindful of the conditions and state of mind of the author. How many other examples could we reel off now where authors have written something in hindsight merely to skew, mislead or downright deceive the reader to their gain?
Corbière was a proud man yet given to profound bouts of intense jealousy for others and his own failings. Would it not be prudent to take this under consideration when reviewing his later memoirs and in particular to his affair with the doctor? The late Carl Richardson in his biography of Corbière mentions several times that it is his opinion the artist in his later years spiralled out of control. He goes on to say that by his calculations this coincides with the presumed date the breakup of the affair took place. Class, I believe it would be a great injustice to both Corbière and the doctor if we consider his memoirs alone as an accurate account of what happened. Certainly the primary experts on the artist, Richardson and Clay both state a very strong case to indicate his writings to be greatly inaccurate especially in regards to how the artist truly felt. Let us also not forget that in concluding Corbière admits he had become estranged from his principles and ‘dies of broken heart’. Interestingly enough as I’m sure you will all know he doesn’t identify the person or reason for his broken heart. It is however generally accepted now that it was the doctor.
In light of this how many of you now consider this to be evidence only of unconditional love as a result of physical intimacy, a show of hands please?
Interesting. Little more than ten of you as opposed to over the hundred hands before. George Clay once commented “he (Corbière) had become cynical and divorced from the creative and passionate artist he once was. Highly self-critical he had become disillusioned when confronted with his own perceived failings. The end of his affair with the Austrian physician would, without doubt, have reduced the accomplished artist to the lifeless soul he became”.
What can we conclude from Corbière’s affair? If you would indulge me further for a moment. As we have said taking his memoirs in isolation it could be believed that he set out to seduce the doctor and he had no prior feelings for her other than a selfish gratification and a shallow feeling of twisted accomplishment. Yet when we look beyond his writings it becomes clear that he was already harbouring a love for her to the point of being able to paint her from memory. In his early letters to the doctor, under the pretence of expressing a wish to understand the course of treatment, Corbière on numerous occasions suggests or explicitly states his growing affection for her. Barnes and Hall who have analysed the letters in great detail concluded that these references were evidence of his growing obsession to seduce her and were never heartfelt. It’s a view that I do not share. There is no suggestion that Corbière was prone to such deception and if he felt so little of her then why would he spend what is an obvious great deal of his time immortalising her in his paintings? No ladies and gentlemen, what you have here is a simple case of an unconditional and intense love for someone that was never reciprocated or if it was initially, the doctor later extinguished her emotions leaving Corbière to come to terms with the loss.
The truth laid bare for all to see is not in his writings but in the letters and his paintings of the time leading up to the accepted start of their affair. When these are considered then it is apparent that Corbière had fallen in love with her and his attempts to seduce her were genuine rather than pursuing his own dark and selfish agenda. If you can accept this then you have to conclude that his love existed well before they became intimate.
How then are we to evaluate and consequently attach a value to his later writings? Richardson consistently maintained that Corbière’s memoirs were his final work of art. Not with a brush but with a quill. He goes on to say and I quote ‘I have absolutely no doubt that Corbière’s later memoirs are the last light of creativity he had inside him. The denouement neatly drawing together all of his major influences he then unequivocally opens his heart up and affirms his undying affection and love for a doctor. This is definitive.’
I think I have now taken up more time than strictly was necessary for this particular affair. Yes, do you have a question for me young lady before we move on?
I understand. Just to recap for those who didn’t hear the question. I was asked whether I believed Corbière’s subsequent relationship following the affair with the doctor was equally as intense in their love. I can be brief here in answering this by once again quoting Richardson. He states ‘He spoke fondly of Ellen his companion. One could be forgiven in believing that finally the troubled Corbière had found salvation sadly this was not to be. The circumstances and attention their relationship attracted made it impossible for them to be lovers’.
We will take the last break of the afternoon and return in fifteen minutes to finally begin our analysis in your study guides. If any of you have any further questions on Corbière’s affair then please see me in the interval where I will be happy to answer them where I can. Thank you again for your continued attention. Class dismissed.”
The Lecturer Act II Scene I from ‘An Excerpt From The Teenage Opera’
After a bit of messing around (and a few wasted shots), I've found a way to shoot Fuji Instax mini film through my Rolleiflex. It's not perfect (the 6x6 format doesn't quite cover the full length of the Instax frame, leaving those black unexposed bars), but hey - it's a Rollei. Shooting instant film. I guess some of you are thinking, why in the frick would you waste time to do this, when you could just shoot this film through an Instax Mini camera. 1) Full Manual Control; 2) Zeiss Planar 80mm f/2.8 lens; and 3) You're no longer stuck with the crap onboard flash of the Instax cameras.
Rolleiflex 2.8E, on Fuji Instax Mini film. Shot in my bathroom mirror, with cactus triggers and a Nikon SB-800 speedlight (behind me, bounced off the ceiling).
If you need a quick tutorial on how to do this, check my blog for a full write up.
I wasn't fortunate enough to witness IC's passenger fleet. I grew up in Dixon, IL on IC's freight-only "Gruber Line" and moved to California before I could drive. That allowed me the opportunity to see the great trains of the southwest, but not of the IC. So on a visit in June 1971 when we "stole" a look see at Markham and IC's first E8 was sitting so pretty in the afternoon sun, I just had to shoot it. Add in the logo-adorned "mushroom" in the background and I had instant identification along with the gratification of seeing chocolate brown and orange.
Posted at facebook
I spotted him while taking my walk at the Bandra Reclamation Promenade .
He was walking on the side of a the road long strides without looking either way ..I shoot madmen so I called him out pointing to the Rs 20 in my hand ..he looked at me there was a huge barricade between us but I managed to climb up handed the money and he turned his face the moment I tried to capture his restless angst on my mobile phone and he disappeared.
I forgot about him and crossed the road at the end that connects the promenade to the flyover and walked towards the opening that leads to Nargis Dutt Nagar Slums Bandra reclamation and I saw him coming out with some food wrapped in a newspaper that he had bought from a foodstall and I wondered mystically that even hunger calls out to strangers when in need .
You don't need a DSLR just a mobile phone camera will capture fleeing moments as street stories provided you tell them simply truly and this was my cosmic encounter with the madman of Bandra reclamation .
Will I meet him again yes I will even Hunger reaches out to humanity thankfully .
And I have shot madpeople in Mumbai taken my chances men women and yes a mad child too.
Madness is perhaps the highest form of God's gratification in man..
But now these madpeople are memories within my photo blogs .
Some moved away disappeared died and I still try to seek them out in other madpeople as my own madness endears me to them.
There are a lot of madpeople in Mumbai kids stone them hit them with sticks and they watch ranting yelling out with blood shot painful eyes ..
I know the mad lady of Bandra Bazar she moves about talking to herself with a boulder in hand and won't hesitate to hit you but she spares me knowing that I am her kind a madman with a mad camera .
And than there is the power of the third eye of Shiva in my camera that has so far saved me from being killed by a crazy mad man of Hyderabad who was strangling me till my friends came and saved me .
He had me in a vice it took over five people to unlock his grip on my neck.
And he smiled crazily when they took him away from me .
And this has not stopped me from shooting the madpeople of India as is where is .
A lot of people think there is nothing to shoot in Bandra and because their vision is restricted to shooting sunsets etc and I am sure they would never shoot beggars homeless etc ..it's all about seeing a picture in your mind's viewfinder before you actually shoot it .
I keep my gray thought back at home when I shoot pictures I shoot in color but I am sure my cosmic eye sees it as BW .
I sincerely miss shooting film and my favorite was Ilford Delta 100 ASA .
But I won't shoot film I need instant gratification of seeing what I shot only when I upload it ..I shoot impulsively and mostly on my HTC .
I have been using both the same cameras for last 5 years .
My only daughter gave me money to buy a 24 mm block lens ...I bought it from Shyam Shah of Reliable Stores .
I could never shoot a picture as a picture it must convey a thought or even a thoughtless story ..I got a lot of stories on my daily walks but I have cut it down for sometime the calories are burnt with rigorous tennis ..Thanks to my humble Guru Surendra Pawar .
If you have a camera and don't shoot pictures it is a criminal waste .
If you can't see pictures than create them out of Nothingness the true essence of Street Art and Photography .
What inspires me ..
Seeing my grandchildren adjusting the legs of my Manfrotto tripod and pretending to shoot pictures of each other without the camera .
I stopped taking them out ..but they will never forget the street lessons of life seeing the world through the holistic eye of the camera .
I have been shooting the tallest tower of Bandra from different lanes using garbage as depth of field .
I try to shoot it from JJ colony as far as the Bandra Slaughter house slums and I learnt this art from Girish Mistry who learnt to shoot a brick at Crawford Market or at Marine Drive from his slavedriving mentor late Mr Phanibanda and with added inputs of late Mr Mitter Bedi ..
It is this lesson of Girish my transcendental Guru that made me see pictures through a cosmic brick.
I can only shoot what I was destined to shoot and the destiny of my cosmic eye is the pristine inheritance of both Marziya and Nerjis .
I sincerely hope you don't read this as a blog I have voluantrily taken sanyas from Blogs and Blogging .
I simply shoot stories ..that I can write them down with a single finger tapping the mobile phone is the magic of humility ..The Mark of a photographer ..cameras can make you a photographer but cameras can't gift you humility you got it first in your mothers womb.
And later more was added by your Gurus .
I thank Mr Kg Maheshwari
I thank Prof BW Jatkar
I thank Shreekant Malushte sir
I thank Mr Anil Bhartiya
And I thank late Mr PC Little who taught me the poetry of life through photography in a single red brick of British Residency .
So don't ever underestimate the power of a brick.
RIP Mr Phanibanda
And I learnt a lot about shooting Sufi portraits in available light with a colored backdrop thanks to a great French photographer Laurent Salesse an adventurer a crazy besotted lover of Mother India ..his family lives in France and his soul lives in Varnasi Allahabad and other parts of Mystical India .
Cultural Kumbh is not the Art of Living with big bucks on the floodplains of Yamuna but everywhere in the hearts of us lucky Indians .
Finished, Complete, I can't believe I have actually reached the end to be honest.
Yes that really is 364 photos (4x6) stuck on my wall with bluetack, we had to more the whole room about.
Before I rabble on a bit I would like to thank every single person who has looked, liked, favourited (is that a word), mentioned, commented on my photos, without you I would have stopped as a good comment does loads for encouragement and a bit for your self esteem also :).
Thank you everyone who has been in the photos, helped me setting up the photos and have dealt with me talking about the project for the last year (I'm sorry if I have bored you that was not the intention I promise, Maria mostly x)
So 365 Days or most of the time..1 Year.
I have been meticulously taking photographs on every day for the past 365 days, No "If's or But's" ..every single day I have set made sure that a shot was taken within that 24 hours period.
It's been fun, hard, frustrating, addictive, enjoyable, stressful, enlightening, educational, satisfying and rewarding, just to name a few.
I have tried my upmost to keep the pictures to a decent standard, as what I didn't want was half-assed photos and a boring set.
Originally I starting this project without much thought of the implications it has, which I came to realise soon after but I'm not one to give up, I started it to throw me in the deep end as although always enjoying taking photographs I had never owned a SLR, so in November of last year (16/11/2011) I purchased my very first digital SLR in the form of a Canon 600D with the standard kit lens (18-55mm).
I found myself enjoying photography more and more, day by day and this project has really taught me things I don't think I would have learned in this amount of time otherwise.
And after returning from honeymoon I ordered a 7D which is a great great piece of kit I would strongly recommend, nothing wrong with the 600D just more options. (5D MKIII next would be nice, I xmas is coming lol)
A warning to anybody with a new SLR or thinking about getting into photography -IT IS ADDICTIVE- I'm not sure which drug you can compare it to but I'm sure it's similar.
I have found myself since buying this camera itching for another piece of equipment, and subsequently spending all my "spare" cash on such things (fiance and now wife gives my evil eyes at such times).
This is not to say I wouldn't whole heartedly recommend getting a SLR and perhaps even doing a 365 project as it a great thing to do with your time if you have it.
Will I do another?
I doubt it, but you never know. I think I will focus on different projects rather than repeating a 365.
What's next?
More competitions, working on my website and services more and taking up other projects to keep me thinking.
I hope you have enjoyed my 365, I know I have!
If you haven't looked through some of my pics, then please have a lil browse and see what you think, favourite or comment and I will take a browse too :).
Cheers!
STROBIST:
Canon 580exii camera right with diffuser bouncing off ceiling at 1/1 power fired using YN622 triggers
Canon 430exii in westcott 28/medium softbox in front of camera left a 1/1 power fired using YN622 trigger
Also I am sitting on a PhotoSel pop up background
After the thrill is gone
Copyright 2005 Ron Diorio
Three shows: London and New York (2x)
October 7-30 I will be one of five artists in a group show.
Positive Focus Gallery: Soul Witness
(selections from Anytown)
111 Front Street
Gallery #215
DUMBO, Brooklyn
positivefocus.org/Shows/soul_witness/diorio/index.html
I will be at the Gallery Oct 14-16 and Oct 23 showing additional work as part of the Art under the bridge Festival and Open Studio weekends.
Extended through October 17th!
Anytown (Solo show)
The Economist Tower
26 St. James's Street
London SW1A 1HG
Download the Anytown PDF
I will be participating in:
BLOGS: An exhibition of photoblogs
NYC Exposition, Puerto Rico Sun, and East Harlem.
October 14 – November 26, 2005
Viewing: Tuesday – Saturday, 3PM – 7PM
The contributor's were asked to answer some questions......
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tell me a little bit about you.
Ron Diorio (av_producer) in Manhattan for life.
Why do you enjoy photography?
My old Nikon FM collects dust on my dresser becuase the digital darkroom transformed what I had come to know as photography. It moved me from picture taking to image making. Now the only real "photographic" moment is the end stage of the manufacturing process when a Digital C-print is pulled. For me it has been important to have the "photographic" in the making of the object while disregarding the "photographic" in the image making process. So in a traditional sense, for me, there's not much photography to enjoy.
What I do enjoy is where image making intersects with storytelling - you frame the world - frame a point of view. In some ways "view finder" better describes what it is. The really emancipating thing has been to find/seek/uncover the authentic - the essence of the emotional connection in the image without the "view" being my truth or something close to me. I'm always chasing that both in my own work and when I'm looking at other's work.
What's your photo style, technique...?
When I first posted on Fotolog in June 2003, I called my page "A photographic imagination". I had just read Sontag's On Photography and I wanted to put a marker down that these images should not be viewed as documents - they were manipulated and as such the images were not representative but representational.
I was also beginning to undestand how pixel based display was a great democratizer - all these screen images were made of the same substance. A Picasso painting, a DaVinci drawing, a deep space image form the Hubble Telescope or an Ansel Adams photograph were certainly different objects in the real world but on the screen they were just a collection of pixels. The playing field was leveled, the image content would be judged on it's own aesthetic and against every other image that could be displayed. The eye would decide.
From the start I wanted to give people something to think about - but not as a message or a lesson or a meaning. I think I lacked the confidence to articulate that early on. But it is there like the manipulation is as part of my whole apporach. I want the viewer active to "look into the image" rather than just looking at the image.
What camera do you use?
I am not an equipment geek. If the device captures images without a flash, has a memory card I can read and a charged battery I'd probably use it. I don't need a perfect capture, I want to make a capture perfect.
Why do you share you photoblog on flickr?
I use Flickr to publish my images because Fotolog crapped out so many times it wasn't worth the aggravation anymore. Both Flickr and Fotolog are distribution points and provide a publication platform and an audience. I want an audience. Of course this serves two masters because I can move easliy from presenter to an audience to being part of the audience.
What about it do you like?
At the point where I was searching for a way of working - first Fotolog and then Flickr gave me a daily production and publishing structure and a format to see a body of work developing.
It allows me to be prolific without purpose and organically find threads in the work. The dark side is that there is such a need to get the next image - almost an obligation. I realize this is a product of my own need for immediate gratification. I tend to ration the published images to one per day. The sheer volume of images posted on both of these services is a stark reminder of how insignificant any single image can be. It is quite intimidating.
I am always surprised by what people connect to in an individual image, what they are moved by. I am starting to sense a bond. It is not just that I said something nice about their picture or made them a contact so they'll say something nice about mine. There is something we have in common, something they know and I know.
Why did you want to take part in the NYC Exposition?
I read Dylan's Chronicles earlier in the year and just saw Scorcese's "Don't look back" yesterday and "California Dreaming" earlier this week. Aside from their specific topics of Dylan and the Mammas and the Pappas they documented the NY Folk scene in the early 60's. The creativity and mutual influences that so many of those artists had on each other strikes a similar chord to those of us who have watched each other's work over the last two years on Fotolog and Flickr. I see this as a festival of those visual efforts and would feel I missed something important if I weren't participating. Also with some of my favorites already participating I feel fortunate to have the honor of our work sitting together.
Coming off three traditional exhibitions of my "Anytown" series, I look forward to presenting some work from a new collection in its original digital format.
Anymore about you that I didn't ask.
This essay was published recently about "Anytown" and may be of interest.
Finally the rest of the Polaroids from my show at Aperture: A Photography and Variety Store in Cleveland, OH have started making their way onto Flickr!
Next up continuing my mini-series of artists on Polaroid is the world famous director and film photographer, founder of the FPP and all-around super positive guy, Michael Raso. Though Michael has a heavy arsenal of cameras to choose from, he's never caught without a Canon AE-1 and some sort of instant camera! Check out more of his work at:
www.flickr.com/photos/michaelraso/
www.filmphotographyproject.com
Polaroid SLR 680
Polaroid 779 film, Expired 03/09
Exposure Dial set to +1 (lighten)
Flash Disabled
Greed is an emptiness we wish to escape by confusing the true purpose of life and spending our energy on something that never can be accomplished.
He who is greedy is always in want. Change the avenues to express greed and something beautiful can come out of it. Be greedy for knowledge, be greedy for wanting sick people to be healed, be greedy for stopping a war, be greedy for wanting orphans to be adopted. Invest your energy of "I Want" outward by helping an abandoned animal, by helping a homeless, by making a difference!
Your thoughts become your actions. Your actions become you. Your greed becomes compassion and empathy. And your emptiness will reach gratification... you're not empty anymore.
Blacktop
Copyright 2005 Ron Diorio
Three shows: London and New York (2x)
October 7-30 I will be one of five artists in a group show.
Positive Focus Gallery: Soul Witness
(selections from Anytown)
111 Front Street
Gallery #215
DUMBO, Brooklyn
positivefocus.org/Shows/soul_witness/diorio/index.html
I will be at the Gallery Oct 14-16 and Oct 23 showing additional work as part of the Art under the bridge Festival and Open Studio weekends.
Extended through October 17th!
Anytown (Solo show)
The Economist Tower
26 St. James's Street
London SW1A 1HG
Download the Anytown PDF
I will be participating in:
BLOGS: An exhibition of photoblogs
NYC Exposition, Puerto Rico Sun, and East Harlem.
October 14 – November 26, 2005
Viewing: Tuesday – Saturday, 3PM – 7PM
The contributor's were asked to answer some questions......
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tell me a little bit about you.
Ron Diorio (av_producer) in Manhattan for life.
Why do you enjoy photography?
My old Nikon FM collects dust on my dresser becuase the digital darkroom transformed what I had come to know as photography. It moved me from picture taking to image making. Now the only real "photographic" moment is the end stage of the manufacturing process when a Digital C-print is pulled. For me it has been important to have the "photographic" in the making of the object while disregarding the "photographic" in the image making process. So in a traditional sense, for me, there's not much photography to enjoy.
What I do enjoy is where image making intersects with storytelling - you frame the world - frame a point of view. In some ways "view finder" better describes what it is. The really emancipating thing has been to find/seek/uncover the authentic - the essence of the emotional connection in the image without the "view" being my truth or something close to me. I'm always chasing that both in my own work and when I'm looking at other's work.
What's your photo style, technique...?
When I first posted on Fotolog in June 2003, I called my page "A photographic imagination". I had just read Sontag's On Photography and I wanted to put a marker down that these images should not be viewed as documents - they were manipulated and as such the images were not representative but representational.
I was also beginning to undestand how pixel based display was a great democratizer - all these screen images were made of the same substance. A Picasso painting, a DaVinci drawing, a deep space image form the Hubble Telescope or an Ansel Adams photograph were certainly different objects in the real world but on the screen they were just a collection of pixels. The playing field was leveled, the image content would be judged on it's own aesthetic and against every other image that could be displayed. The eye would decide.
From the start I wanted to give people something to think about - but not as a message or a lesson or a meaning. I think I lacked the confidence to articulate that early on. But it is there like the manipulation is as part of my whole apporach. I want the viewer active to "look into the image" rather than just looking at the image.
What camera do you use?
I am not an equipment geek. If the device captures images without a flash, has a memory card I can read and a charged battery I'd probably use it. I don't need a perfect capture, I want to make a capture perfect.
Why do you share you photoblog on flickr?
I use Flickr to publish my images because Fotolog crapped out so many times it wasn't worth the aggravation anymore. Both Flickr and Fotolog are distribution points and provide a publication platform and an audience. I want an audience. Of course this serves two masters because I can move easliy from presenter to an audience to being part of the audience.
What about it do you like?
At the point where I was searching for a way of working - first Fotolog and then Flickr gave me a daily production and publishing structure and a format to see a body of work developing.
It allows me to be prolific without purpose and organically find threads in the work. The dark side is that there is such a need to get the next image - almost an obligation. I realize this is a product of my own need for immediate gratification. I tend to ration the published images to one per day. The sheer volume of images posted on both of these services is a stark reminder of how insignificant any single image can be. It is quite intimidating.
I am always surprised by what people connect to in an individual image, what they are moved by. I am starting to sense a bond. It is not just that I said something nice about their picture or made them a contact so they'll say something nice about mine. There is something we have in common, something they know and I know.
Why did you want to take part in the NYC Exposition?
I read Dylan's Chronicles earlier in the year and just saw Scorcese's "Don't look back" yesterday and "California Dreaming" earlier this week. Aside from their specific topics of Dylan and the Mammas and the Pappas they documented the NY Folk scene in the early 60's. The creativity and mutual influences that so many of those artists had on each other strikes a similar chord to those of us who have watched each other's work over the last two years on Fotolog and Flickr. I see this as a festival of those visual efforts and would feel I missed something important if I weren't participating. Also with some of my favorites already participating I feel fortunate to have the honor of our work sitting together.
Coming off three traditional exhibitions of my "Anytown" series, I look forward to presenting some work from a new collection in its original digital format.
Anymore about you that I didn't ask.
This essay was published recently about "Anytown" and may be of interest.
I was shooting some 35mm here but also decided I needed some more instant gratification and whipped out the iPhone for a few. Shot and edited on an iPhone8.
I'm working on getting a decent lighting rig in my apartment. So this is a test.
This is a coffee mug. From the Hamburg Inn No. 2 in Iowa City, Iowa. If you're a follower of politics, you may have seen this restaurant once every four years or so when a number of politicians descend upon various population centers in Iowa as they vie for the early gratification that success in the Iowa Caucuses provides.
For breakfast, I had the hawkeye hog omelet. It was good, containing sausage, American cheese and hash browns. The hash browns were actually inside the omelet, a situation about which I'm not entirely convinced. Personally, I'd have rather had the hash browns on the side, allowing more room inside the omelet for a second and possibly third meat (more on that momentarily). Also, calling something "hog" generally implies that there are going to be a lot of pig-sourced ingredients in it. Considering that there was only sausage--and not very much sausage, at that--I don't really think that the particular omelet is deserving of bearing the "hog" moniker. I'd have liked to see some cubed ham and some crumbled bacon. That being said, the sausage that was in it was easily some of the best breakfast sausage I've ever had. Not greasy, perfectly seasoned, slightly crispy around the edges. Very good stuff.
While we were eating breakfast there, congressman Jay Inslee came by our table to encourage us to caucus--and eventually vote--for Hilary Clinton. The odds of running into a congressman while you're eating breakfast--even at the Hamburg Inn on caucus day--seem fairly high against. The odds of running into a congressman from your home state, from the district that's immediately south of the city in which you live seem fairly astronomical. But these are the sorts of things that happen in the magical land of Iowa.
For the record, we (I) did not steal this mug. Betsy did, in fact, pay for it. I didn't understand it, either. When I found it in her purse, I said, "Oh, hey! You stole a mug. That's awesome."
And she replied, "No, I paid for it." I stared at her for a few minutes, uncomprehending.
* This was taken at my apartment, not the Hamburg Inn. However, I mapped it as the Hamburg Inn so that you may more easily find other Hamburg Inn photographs. You're welcome.
The Goulburn Herald and County of Argyle Advertiser (NSW : 1848 - 1859) | Wed 29 Dec 1858 | Page 2
WESLEYAN CHAPEL, MUMMELL
ON Monday last (27 Dec 1858), the foundation stone of a Wesleyan Chapel was laid at Mummell. There were during the day about 150 or 200 persons present. It had been arranged that the stone should be laid by C. H. Walsh, Esq., but through an accident which occurred when leaving Goulburn, that gentleman, much to the regret of all present, was prevented from being present on the interesting occasion. In his absence the ceremony was performed by the Rev. J. Watsford, and the Rev. George Hurst, brother of the late Rev. B. Hurst, gave a most excellent address.
The Chapel will be 30 feet by 20; walls, 14 feet high. The site is a most beautiful one, being on an eminence which columnands a view of the surrounding country.
At 2 o'clock, nearly two hundred persons sat down to a very good luncheon, prepared by the members of the church, and others, at Mummell and Maxton. When ample justice had been done to the good things provided, a public meeting was commenced, and James Chisholm, Esq., was called to the chair. The meeting was addressed by the Rev. G. Hurst, Messrs. Davies and Blatchford, and the Rev. J. Watsford.
A vote of thanks was most cordially given to J. W. Chisholm, Esq., for his great kindness in giving the land for the chapel. A vote of thanks was also presented to those who had provided the luncheon. The thanks of the meeting were presented to James Chisholm, Esq., for presiding at the meeting.
Subscriptions were received at the meeting, amounting to about £60.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Goulburn Herald and County of Argyle Advertiser (NSW : 1848 - 1859) Wed 28 Dec 1859
Page 2
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE
OPENING OF THE WESLEYAN CHAPEL AT MUMMEL.
On Monday (26 Dec 1859), the new commodious chapel at Mummel was formally opened. the day being kept as a holiday, many of the residents in Goulburn availed themselves of the opportunity to attened, and from 150 to 200 persons were on the ground. The site selected by the donor, John W. Chisholm, Esq., is an eminence commanding a most beautiful view, while the building, erected on the highest part of the ground, gives an interest to the scenery, and is a pleasing feature in the landscape. The chapel is built of rubble stone, and will accommodate 150 hearers.
At one o'clock the opening services were conducted by the Rev. J. Watsford, superintendent of the circuit. After service the visitors partook of a plentiful repast, provided by the residents, and then a public meeting was held in the chapel, the chair being occupied by J. W. CHISHOLM, Esq., who said he felt it to be an honour to preside, and expressed great pleasure in meeting so many with whose faces he was familiar.
The Rev. J. WATSFORD then made the financial statement, and it appeared that the whole cost of erecting the chapel had been £204 19s., exclusive of gratuitous labour of the members of the church at Mummel valued at £43. The subscriptions amounted to £129 5s.; and there was a grant from the chapel building fund of £50, leaving a debt of about £25. He, the reverend speaker, felt assured that the whole of this amount would be subscribed ere the meeting broke up. He had had a great deal of experince in begging, and had been generally successful, and he did not fear the result of his present application, He was glad to see Mr. Chisholm occupying the chair; it was a proof of cordial feeling on the part of members of one section of Christ's church towards another section, and, for his own part he, entertained the most friendly sentiments towards the church of which the chairman was a member. He thought that if the different sections of the church loved one another with a true heart fervently, whilst each used the utmost exertion to increase its efficiency and extend its operations, the world would be greatly benefitted. The farmer who did not waste his time in building high fences to exclude the view of and the association with his neighbour, but who carefully and laboriously tilled his own land and exchanged friendly greetings with his fellow men, was more likely to be sucessful than he who adopted an opposite course. So in the church; and he trusted the time would never come when the separating wall between the Wesleyan church and the church of England should be so high as to prevent their shaking hands, and the interchange of sympalthy and encourgement. He had no thought of inducing the chairman to become a methodist. but he should do all in his power to advance methodism in this district, and he believed he could do this and wish God speed to other churches. A Wesleyan minister had said, " I cannot be a bigot, for I am a methodist." He hoped the circumstances of that day would serve to unite the sections of the church in the bonds of christian love. We may, sir (continued the speaker), belong to diffirent regiments, but we have one captain, and over us floats the glorious and blood-besprinkled banner of the cross.
Mr. R. H. BLATCHFORD, greatly rejoiced to see this and other churches erected; it proved that the people of this district were mindful not only of their temporal but of their spiritual good. It evinced too a desire to extend the Redeemer's kingdom, and could not fail to be greatly beneficial to the neighbourhood. This was an age of progress. Improvements were now made in science and art for the benefit of mankind, and the christian man was anxious to extend the knowledge of God, to spread abroad the truth as it is in Jesus. In the fatherland there was manifested a desire to promulgate the gospel, and here, too, efforts were being made to proclaim present and eternal salvation. Hitherto the services had been conducted in small and unsuitable houses, but now a commodious chapel was erected, which would be another outpost from which to attack the enemy.
JAMES K. CHISHOLM, Esq., felt the want of preparation, but he should be guilty of discourtesy if he refused. Not much more than a week had elapsed since he had been present at the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of a church in the immediate neighbourhood, and he was gratified to see here so many of those who had been present upon that occasion. He hoped to see the two churches flourish side by side, and work out the largest possible amount of good. It was sad to see churches agreeing in great truths, yet severing on points of minor importancc—and they who set christians against christians were enemies of their country and of their God. Cortrasting the present aspect of this neighbourhood with its condition twenty years ago, he saw a marked improvement. Then the whole of the land was occupied by only a few individuals, but these had given place to another class of men, and now the river was lined with farms; enclosures met the eye on every hand, and a large extent of land was under cultivation. Then, and until this building was erected the eye looked in vain for a house dedicated to the worship of God. Now this was available, and shortly another would be completed, where the people could worship God according to their conscience. Yet there was a great want, and that want was a school. There were probably 100 children within a short distance, and it was lamentable to reflect that they were growing up in ignorance—fruitful source of crime—and deep would be the anguish and remorse of those parents who neglected the proper education of their children. He exhorted them to secure a good education for their children, to have right principles implanted in them; so should they be a blessing and not a curse. He congratulated the people on the pleasing financial statement they had heard, and offered his contribution towards liquidating the existing debt.
Mr. WILLIAM DAVIES requested the meeting to give honour to whom honour was due, and felt assured that the want of a formal resolution to that effect would not prevent the congregation from awarding heartfelt thanks to the chairman for his kind grant of the site for their chapel. He congratulated the members of the episcopal church on the commencement of their temple for the worship of the Triune God. But while they were building material temples they must not forget that it was their duty to consecrate themselves to the Lord, and fully to serve and love him. He trusted to see a sabbath school commenced at once, as it was impossible to esimate too highly the good effects of early religious training; not only a sabbath but a day school should be established. They were bound to educate their children to the extent of their abililty—they were not warranted in inflicting upon society the evil results of neglected training. It was a question not of money, not of expediency, but of moral obligation. Wat was the possession of a few hundred acres of land compared with the gratification of contributing to their children's real and permanent welfare; though their children might inherit ten or twenty acres less, they would have, in a sound moral and intellectual training, a legacy far more valuable. These objects, contemplated in the erection of this place of worship, successfully carried out, the coming forty years would display results with which the past could not compare.
A collection was then made, and the full amount of the previous debt contributed.
A vote of thanks to the chairman was moved by the Rev. J. Watsford, seconded by Mr. Blatchford, and carried.
The CHAIRMAN, in reply, said, that although not a Wesleyan, he felt proud to be associated with them in a good cause; he was gratified to find the site so much approved, and trusted the people in the neighbourhood would avail themselves of their advantages, and make a right use of the building now opened; and hoped they would be determined to have a good education for their children. A few years ago a public-house had been erected near them, but he felt that it would have been much more beneficial had a place of worship been erected instead.
After singing the doxology, the benediction was given, and the large audience quickly dispersed to their respected homes.
Every time I came back from trip, my son would ask "Daddy! What's in the bag?" I would say "nothing, just some stuffs from work". Talking about delayed gratification. He would hug me still with his happy face, most satisfying for me. "Do you miss your son?" colleagues asked, "not at all coz I get better sleep during business trips". Not true :)
So I got him this 1952 Volkswagen Beetle this time from Tokyo. I did make him wait, so he tidied up everything and right before he went to sleep I showed him the package. He knew he couldn't unwrap until the next day, so he waited. The next day he came back from school while I was having a day off and I unveiled the Beetle. "Out of all cars I bought from you from various cities, which one you like most?" "I like this most!" And we pulled all the cars I got him from trips and made this picture, the rest of the dozens of cars he got from other people were nothing at all. These are the treasures, to me and to him. Someday, they will be sitting in a box he will forget, until one day he will pull them all out and remember his childhood so vividly.
Pussy wiggled into the lacey material and bent over.
Hmmm. Not bad.
Just the right curving across the ass cheeks, the black edge contrasting so starkly with her pale skin.
The only problem was the thundering thighs, through which the light of day never shined. At least not since she was about eight years old, and even then she had her doubts. She had never been one of those skinny chicks who could stand with their legs together and still have about a one inch gap between the smooth flesh of inner thigh.
No. Such. Luck.
Pussy Velour was a big girl. And not just all grown up either.
Bigger was not always better.
She wiggled a bit more, shifting her ass this way and that, searching for the best optical angle.
Show them just the good juicey bits. Correction. Artsey bits.
Her camera stood upon a tripod, a small flip out LCD screen that came in very handy for just such moments as this, pointed her way. She framed her ample cheeks within its borders carefully. She then straightened, spun toward it and pressed the shutter release, spun back into position and waited. The small white light blinked the ten second countdown for the self timer option.
Three. Two. One.
Click.
She heard the audible release of the shutter, waited one more second, and turned back to examine her results.
God bless the digital camera.
Instant gratification for artists and perverts alike.
She snickered at the thought that every self portrait she took was technically a "Pussy" shot. It was her name after all.
She pressed the review button and studied the small thumb nail image. Good. It merited a download. Or upload. Or transfer. Or whatever the hell the correct geek tech term was. She'd play a bit with it in Photoshop to tweak it and then upload it to her newest online obsession, Flickr.
A photosharing community extraordinaire.
Amateur. Novice. Semi-professional. Professional. Ms. Smith in NYC. Mr. Jones in Vancouver. Jane Doe next door. Joe Blow across the world. With a heady mix of everyone in between. And it was home.
Like Grandma's house.
You always want to go there.
You never want to leave.
And there are always goodies in the cupboard to discover and devour.
Milk and cookies for all the good little boys and girls.
Pussy hoped this new little crumb would be somebody's yummy cookie. It wasn't without time and effort to bake it. And hopefully some degree of artistic merit.....
"Mr. Tapley succeeds in finding a jolly subject for contemplation" by Phiz (Hablot Knight Browne).
Quoting from the book (page 212):
Mr. Tapley appeared to be taking his ease on the landing of the first-floor; for sounds as of some gentleman established in that region, whistling “Rule Britannia” with all his might and main, greeted their ears before they reached the house. On ascending to the spot from whence this music proceeded, they found him recumbent in the midst of a fortification of luggage, apparently performing his national anthem for the gratification of a grey-haired black man, who sat on one of the outworks (a portmanteau) staring intently at Mark, while Mark, with his head reclining on his hand, returned the compliment in a thoughtful manner, and whistled all the time. He seemed to have recently dined, for his knife, a case bottle, and certain broken meats in a handkerchief, lay near at hand. He had employed a portion of his leisure in the decoration of the Rowdy Journal door, whereon his own initials now appeared in letters nearly half a foot long, together with the day of the month in smaller type: the whole surrounded by an ornamental border, and looking very fresh and bold.
Spiritual folks, believers in a higher power i.e GOD, ALLAH, VISHNU, HANUMAN, SHIVA etc etc etc
no matter their age
or the task at hand
no matter if its 100 degrees or hotter...................
will climb hours to feel and i repeat to feel good, safe, whole, at one with or whatever.
In the WEST with everything mechanized, convenient, digital, or wrapped in a capsule or a tablet few do anything except for immediate gratification or satisfaction...........
Do you see water bottles in any of these ladies hands......?
Climbing the Savitri temple
to the top
in
Pushkar
an amazing place
Photography’s new conscience
Last week, I found out via Twitter that a contact of mine was selling some lightly expired Polaroid 779. Springing into action, I called up Leslie at Imagine That! and within a few days, we had our hands on some of the best expired Polaroid 600 film that I've ever shot. Couple late dated Polaroid with an SLR 680, and you're in heaven!
I paid a visit just yesterday to Scott over at Aperture: A Photography and Variety Store in Cleveland. Man, it's always a fun time hanging out there. Scott's up to some pretty cool stuff, check out his website, blog, and Facebook to make sure you don't miss out on the fun analog photography events coming up!
Polaroid SLR 680
Polaroid 779, 03/09 Expiration
+/- Dial set at 0
matmarrashblog.squarespace.com/blog/2012/3/24/the-epitome...
I do not really have to add the link to the song, do I? do I?
:)
just some fun on this snowy Wed nes day.
Co-host and all around cool guy of The Film Photography Podcast, John Fedele. He's quite a character, and a monster on the drum set to boot! Be sure to check out John in all three of these places:
www.filmphotographypodcast.com
www.flickr.com/photos/john_eyes_the_world/
Polaroid 420 Automatic Land Camera
Fuji FP-100c
+1 Lighten
~*Photography Originally Taken By: www.CrossTrips.Com Under God*~
Love represents a range of emotions and experiences related to the senses of affection and sexual attraction.[1] The word love can refer to a variety of different feelings, states, and attitudes, ranging from generic pleasure to intense interpersonal attraction. This diversity of meanings, combined with the complexity of the feelings involved, makes love unusually difficult to consistently define, even compared to other emotional states.
As an abstract concept love usually refers to a strong, ineffable feeling towards another person. Even this limited conception of love, however, encompasses a wealth of different feelings, from the passionate desire and intimacy of romantic love to the nonsexual. Love in its various forms acts as a major facilitator of interpersonal relationships and, owing to its central psychological importance, is one of the most common themes in the creative arts.
Spiritual love, or longing for God, is highly valued and sought after by many religions of both Eastern and Western origin.
Definitions
The English word love can have a variety of related but distinct meanings in different contexts. Often, other languages use multiple words to express some of the different concepts which English relies mainly on love to encapsulate; one example is the plurality of Greek words for "love". Cultural differences in conceptualizing love thus make it doubly difficult to establish any universal definition.[2] American psychologist Zick Rubin try to define love by the psychometrics. His work states that three factors constitute love: attachment, caring and intimacy.[3][4]
Although the nature or essence of love is a subject of frequent debate, different aspects of the word can be clarified by determining what isn't "love". As a general expression of positive sentiment (a stronger form of like), love is commonly contrasted with hate (or neutral apathy); as a less sexual and more emotionally intimate form of romantic attachment, love is commonly contrasted with lust; and as an interpersonal relationship with romantic overtones, love is commonly contrasted with friendship, though other definitions of the word love may be applied to close friendships in certain contexts. When discussed in the abstract, love usually refers to interpersonal love, an experience felt by a person for another person. Love often involves caring for or identifying with a person or thing, including oneself (cf. narcissism).
In addition to cross-cultural differences in understanding love, ideas about love have also changed greatly over time. Some historians date modern conceptions of romantic love to courtly Europe during or after the Middle Ages, though the prior existence of romantic attachments is attested by ancient love poetry.[5] Because of the complex and abstract nature of love, discourse on love is commonly reduced to a thought-terminating cliché, and there are a number of common proverbs regarding love, from Virgil's "Love conquers all" to The Beatles' "All you need is love". Bertrand Russell describes love as a condition of "absolute value", as opposed to relative value. Theologian Thomas Jay Oord said that to love is to "act intentionally, in sympathetic response to others, to promote overall well-being".[6]
A person can be said to love a country, principle, or goal if they value it greatly and are deeply committed to it. Similarly, compassionate outreach and volunteer workers' "love" of their cause may sometimes be borne not of interpersonal love, but impersonal love coupled with altruism and strong political convictions. People can also "love" material objects, animals, or activities if they invest themselves in bonding or otherwise identifying with that item. If sexual passion is also involved, this condition is called paraphilia.
Interpersonal love
Interpersonal love refers to love between human beings. It is a more potent sentiment than a simple liking for another. Unrequited love refers to those feelings of love which are not reciprocated. Interpersonal love is most closely associated with interpersonal relationships. Such love might exist between family members, friends, and couples. There are also a number of psychological disorders related to love, such as erotomania.
Scientific views
Throughout history, philosophy and religion have done the most speculation on the phenomenon of love. In the last century, the science of psychology has written a great deal on the subject. In recent years, the sciences of evolutionary psychology, evolutionary biology, anthropology, neuroscience, and biology have added to the understanding of the nature and function of love.
Chemistry
Biological models of sex tend to view love as a mammalian drive, much like hunger or thirst.[8] Helen Fisher, a leading expert in the topic of love, divides the experience of love into three partly-overlapping stages: lust, attraction, and attachment. Lust exposes people to others, romantic attraction encourages people to focus their energy on mating, and attachment involves tolerating the spouse long enough to rear a child into infancy.
Lust is the initial passionate sexual desire that promotes mating, and involves the increased release of chemicals such as testosterone and estrogen. These effects rarely last more than a few weeks or months. Attraction is the more individualized and romantic desire for a specific candidate for mating, which develops out of lust as commitment to an individual mate forms. Recent studies in neuroscience have indicated that as people fall in love, the brain consistently releases a certain set of chemicals, including pheromones, dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, which act similar to amphetamines, stimulating the brain's pleasure center and leading to side-effects such as an increased heart rate, loss of appetite and sleep, and an intense feeling of excitement. Research has indicated that this stage generally lasts from one and a half to three years.[9]
Since the lust and attraction stages are both considered temporary, a third stage is needed to account for long-term relationships. Attachment is the bonding which promotes relationships that last for many years, and even decades. Attachment is generally based on commitments such as marriage and children, or on mutual friendship based on things like shared interests. It has been linked to higher levels of the chemicals oxytocin and vasopressin than short-term relationships have.[9] In 2005, Italian scientists at Pavia University found that a protein molecule known as the nerve growth factor (NGF) has high levels when people first fall in love, but these levels return to as they were after one year. Specifically, four neurotrophin levels, i.e. NGF, BDNF, NT-3, and NT-4, of 58 subjects who had recently fallen in love were compared with levels in a control group who were either single or already engaged in a long-term relationship. The results showed that NGF levels were significantly higher in the subjects in love than as compared to either of the control groups.
Psychology
Psychology depicts love as a cognitive and social phenomenon. Psychologist Robert Sternberg formulated a triangular theory of love and argued that love has three different components: intimacy, commitment, and passion. Intimacy is a form in which two people share confidences and various details of their personal lives. Intimacy is usually shown in friendships and romantic love affairs. Commitment, on the other hand, is the expectation that the relationship is permanent. The last and most common form of love is sexual attraction and passion. Passionate love is shown in infatuation as well as romantic love. All forms of love are viewed as varying combinations of these three components.
Following developments in electrical theories, such as Coulomb's law, which showed that positive and negative charges attract, analogs in human life were developed, such as "opposites attract". Over the last century, research on the nature of human mating has generally found this not to be true when it comes to character and personality; people tend to like people similar to themselves. However, in a few unusual and specific domains, such as immune systems, it seems that humans prefer others who are unlike themselves (e.g. with an orthogonal immune system), since this will lead to a baby which has the best of both worlds.[11] In recent years, various human bonding theories have been developed described in terms of attachments, ties, bonds, and affinities.
Some Western authorities disaggregate into two main components, the altruistic and the narcissistic. This view is represented in the works of Scott Peck, whose works in the field of applied psychology explored the definitions of love and evil. Peck maintains that love is a combination of the "concern for the spiritual growth of another", and simple narcissism.[12] In combination, love is an activity, not simply a feeling.
Comparison of scientific models
Biological models of love tend to see it as a mammalian drive, similar to hunger or thirst.[citation needed] Psychology sees love as more of a social and cultural phenomenon. There are probably elements of truth in both views — certainly love is influenced by hormones (such as oxytocin), neurotrophins (such as NGF), and pheromones, and how people think and behave in love is influenced by their conceptions of love. The conventional view in biology is that there are two major drives in love — sexual attraction and attachment. Attachment between adults is presumed to work on the same principles that lead an infant to become attached to its mother. The traditional psychological view sees love as being a combination of companionate love and passionate love. Passionate love is intense longing, and is often accompanied by physiological arousal (shortness of breath, rapid heart rate). Companionate love is affection and a feeling of intimacy not accompanied by physiological arousal.
Studies have shown that brain scans of those infatuated by love display a resemblance to those with a mental illness. Love creates activity in the same area of the brain that hunger, thirst, and drug cravings create activity in. New love, therefore, could possibly be more physical than emotional. Over time, this reaction to love mellows, and different areas of the brain are activated, primarily ones involving long-term commitments. Dr. Andrew Newberg, a neuroscientist, suggests that this reaction to love is so similar to that of drugs because without love, humanity would die out.
Persian
Even after all this time
The sun never says to the earth "you owe me".
Look what happens with a Love like that!
- It lights the whole Sky. (Hafiz)
Rumi, Hafez and Sa'di are icons of the passion and love that the Persian culture and language present. The Persian word for love is eshgh, deriving from the Arabic ishq. In the Persian culture, everything is encompassed by love and all is for love, starting from loving friends and family, husbands and wives, and eventually reaching the divine love that is the ultimate goal in life. Over seven centuries ago, Sa'di wrote:
The children of Adam are limbs of each other
Having been created of one essence.
When the calamity of time afflicts one limb
The other limbs cannot remain at rest.
If you have no sympathy for the troubles of others
You are not worthy to be called by the name of "man".
Chinese and other Sinic cultures
In contemporary Chinese language and culture, several terms or root words are used for the concept of "love":
* Ai (愛) is used as a verb (e.g. Wo ai ni, "I love you") or as a noun, especially in aiqing (愛情), "love" or "romance." In mainland China since 1949, airen (愛人, originally "lover," or more literally, "love person") is the dominant word for "spouse" (with separate terms for "wife" and "husband" originally being de-emphasized); the word once had a negative connotation, which it retains among many on Taiwan.
* Lian (戀) is not generally used alone, but instead as part of such terms as "being in love" (談戀愛, tan lian'ai—also containing ai), "lover" (戀人, lianren) or "homosexuality" (同性戀, tongxinglian).
* Qing (情), commonly meaning "feeling" or "emotion," often indicates "love" in several terms. It is contained in the word aiqing (愛情); qingren (情人) is a term for "lover".
In Confucianism, lian is a virtuous benevolent love. Lian should be pursued by all human beings, and reflects a moral life. The Chinese philosopher Mozi developed the concept of ai (愛) in reaction to Confucian lian. Ai, in Mohism, is universal love towards all beings, not just towards friends or family, without regard to reciprocation. Extravagance and offensive war are inimical to ai. Although Mozi's thought was influential, the Confucian lian is how most Chinese conceive of love.
Gănqíng (感情), the "feeling" of a relationship, vaguely similar to empathy. A person will express love by building good gănqíng, accomplished through helping or working for another and emotional attachment toward another person or anything.
Yuanfen (緣份) is a connection of bound destinies. A meaningful relationship is often conceived of as dependent strong yuanfen. It is very similar to serendipity. A similar conceptualization in English is, "They were made for each other," "fate," or "destiny".
Zaolian (Simplified: 早恋, Traditional: 早戀, pinyin: zǎoliàn), literally, "early love," is a contemporary term in frequent use for romantic feelings or attachments among children or adolescents. Zaolian describes both relationships among a teenaged boyfriend and girlfriend, as well as the "crushes" of early adolescence or childhood. The concept essentially indicates a prevalent belief in contemporary Chinese culture that due to the demands of their studies (especially true in the highly competitive educational system of China), youth should not form romantic attachments lest their jeopardize their chances for success in the future. Reports have appeared in Chinese newspapers and other media detailing the prevalence of the phenomenon and its perceived dangers to students and the fears of parents.
Japanese
In Japanese Buddhism, ai (愛) is passionate caring love, and a fundamental desire. It can develop towards either selfishness or selflessness and enlightenment.
Amae (甘え), a Japanese word meaning "indulgent dependence", is part of the child-rearing culture of Japan. Japanese mothers are expected to hug and indulge their children, and children are expected to reward their mothers by clinging and serving. Some sociologists have suggested that Japanese social interactions in later life are modeled on the mother-child amae.
Ancient Greek
Greek distinguishes several different senses in which the word love is used. For example, Ancient Greek has the words philia, eros, agape, storge and xenia. However, with Greek as with many other languages, it has been historically difficult to separate the meanings of these words totally. At the same time the Ancient Greek text of the Bible has examples of the verb agapo being used with the same meaning as phileo.
Agape (ἀγάπη agápē) means love in modern day Greek. The term s'agapo means I love you in Greek. The word agapo is the verb I love. It generally refers to a "pure", ideal type of love rather than the physical attraction suggested by eros. However, there are some examples of agape used to mean the same as eros. It has also been translated as "love of the soul".
Eros (ἔρως érōs) is passionate love, with sensual desire and longing. The Greek word erota means in love. Plato refined his own definition. Although eros is initially felt for a person, with contemplation it becomes an appreciation of the beauty within that person, or even becomes appreciation of beauty itself. Eros helps the soul recall knowledge of beauty, and contributes to an understanding of spiritual truth. Lovers and philosophers are all inspired to seek truth by eros. Some translations list it as "love of the body".
Philia (φιλία philía), a dispassionate virtuous love, was a concept developed by Aristotle. It includes loyalty to friends, family, and community, and requires virtue, equality and familiarity. Philia is motivated by practical reasons; one or both of the parties benefit from the relationship. Can also mean "love of the mind".
Storge (στοργή storgē) is natural affection, like that felt by parents for offspring.
Xenia (ξενία xenía), hospitality, was an extremely important practice in Ancient Greece. It was an almost ritualized friendship formed between a host and their guest, who could previously be strangers. The host fed and provided quarters for the guest, who was only expected to repay with gratitude. The importance of this can be seen throughout Greek mythology, in particular Homer's Iliad and Odyssey.
Turkish (Shaman & Islamic)
In Turkish the word "love" comes up with several meanings. A person can love the god, a person, the parents or the family. But that person can "love" just one person from the opposite sex which they call the word "ask". Ask is a feeling for to love, as it still is in Turkish today. The Turks used this word just for their romantic loves in a romantic or sexual sense. If a Turk says that he is in love (ask) with somebody, it is not a love that a person can feel for his or her parents; it is just for one person and it indicates a huge infatuation.
Ancient Roman (Latin)
The Latin language has several different verbs corresponding to the English word 'love'.
Amare is the basic word for to love, as it still is in Italian today. The Romans used it both in an affectionate sense, as well as in a romantic or sexual sense. From this verb come amans, a lover, amator, 'professional lover', often with the accessory notion of lechery, and amica, 'girlfriend' in the English sense, often as well being applied euphemistically to a prostitute. The corresponding noun is amor, which is also used in the plural form to indicate 'love affairs' or 'sexual adventures'. This same root also produces amicus, 'friend', and amicitia, 'friendship' (often based on mutual advantage, and corresponding sometimes more closely to 'indebtedness' or 'influence'). Cicero wrote a treatise called On Friendship (de Amicitia) which discusses the notion at some length. Ovid wrote a guide to dating called Ars Amatoria (The Art of Lovers), which addresses in depth everything from extramarital affairs to overprotective parents.
Complicating the picture somewhat, Latin sometimes uses amare where English would simply say to like; this notion, however, is much more generally expressed in Latin by placere or delectare, which are used more colloquially, and the latter of which is used frequently in the love poetry of Catullus.
Diligere often has the notion 'to be affectionate for', 'to esteem', and rarely if ever is used of romantic love. This word would be appropriate to describe the friendship of two men. The corresponding noun diligentia, however, has the meaning 'diligence' 'carefulness' and has little semantic overlap with the verb.
Observare is a synonym for 'diligere'; despite the cognate with English, this verb and its corresponding noun 'observantia' often denote 'esteem' or 'affection'.
Caritas is used in Latin translations of the Christian Bible to mean 'charitable love'. This meaning, however, is not found in Classical pagan Roman literature. As it arises from a conflation with a Greek word, there is no corresponding verb.
Religious views
Christian
The Christian understanding is that love comes from God. The love of man and woman, eros in Greek, and the unselfish love of others, agape, are often contrasted as 'ascending' and 'descending' love, respectively, but are ultimately the same thing. [13]
There are several Greek words for Love that are regularly referred to in Christian circles.
* Agape - In the New Testament, agapē is charitable, selfless, altruistic, and unconditional. It is parental love seen as creating goodness in the world, it is the way God is seen to love humanity, and it is seen as the kind of love that Christians aspire to have for one another.
* Phileo - Also used in the New Testament, Phileo is a human response to something that is found to be delightful. Also known as "brotherly love".
* Two other words for love in the Greek language, Eros (sexual love) and Storge (child-to-parent love) were never used in the New Testament.
Christians believe that to Love God with all your heart, mind, and strength and Love your neighbor as yourself are the two most important things in life (the greatest commandment of the Jewish Torah, according to Jesus - c.f. Gospel of Mark chapter 12, verses 28-34). Saint Augustine summarized this when he wrote "Love God, and do as thou wilt".
Paul the Apostle glorified love as the most important virtue of all. Describing love in the famous poem in 1 Corinthians he wrote, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres." - 1 Cor. 13:4-7 (NIV)
John the Apostle wrote, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." - John 3:16-18 (NIV)
John also wrote, "Dear friends, let us love one another for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." - 1 John 4:7-8 (NIV)
Saint Augustine says that one must be able to decipher the difference between love and lust. Lust, according to Saint Augustine, is an over indulgence, but to love and be loved is what he has sought for his entire life. He even says, “I was in love with love.” Finally, he does fall in love and is loved back, by God. Saint Augustine says the only one who can love you truly and fully is God, because love with a human only allows for flaws such as, “jealousy, suspicion, fear, anger, and contention.” According to Saint Augustine to love God is “to attain the peace which is yours.” (Saint Augustine Confessions)
Christian theologians see God as the source of love, which is mirrored in humans and their own loving relationships. Influential Christian theologian C.S. Lewis wrote a book called The Four Loves.
Benedict XVI wrote his first encyclical on God is love. He said that a human being, created in the image of God who is love, is able to practice love: to give himself to God and others (agape), by receiving and experiencing God's love in contemplation (eros). This life of love, according to him, is the life of the saints such as Teresa of Calcutta and the Blessed Virgin Mary, and is the direction Christians take when they believe that God loves them.[14]
Buddhist
In Buddhism, Kāma is sensuous, sexual love. It is an obstacle on the path to enlightenment, since it is selfish.
Karuṇā is compassion and mercy, which reduces the suffering of others. It is complementary to wisdom, and is necessary for enlightenment.
Adveṣa and maitrī are benevolent love. This love is unconditional and requires considerable self-acceptance. This is quite different from the ordinary love, which is usually about attachment and sex, which rarely occur without self-interest. Instead, in Buddhism it refers to detachment and unselfish interest in others' welfare.
The Bodhisattva ideal in Mahayana Buddhism involves the complete renunciation of oneself in order to take on the burden of a suffering world. The strongest motivation one has in order to take the path of the Bodhisattva is the idea of salvation within unselfish, altustic love for all sentient beings.
Indic and Hindu
In Hinduism kāma is pleasurable, sexual love, personified by the god Kamadeva. For many Hindu schools it is the third end (artha) in life. Kamadeva is often pictured holding a bow of sugarcane and an arrow of flowers: he may ride upon a great parrot. He is usually accompanied by his consort Rati and his companion Vasanta, lord of the spring season. Stone images of Kaama and Rati can be seen on the door of the Chenna Keshava temple at Belur, in Karnataka, India. Maara is another name for kāma.
In contrast to kāma, prema or prem refers to elevated love. Karuna is compassion and mercy, which impels one to help reduce the suffering of others. Bhakti is a Sanskrit term meaning 'loving devotion to the supreme God'. A person who practices bhakti is called a bhakta. Hindu writers, theologians, and philosophers have distinguished nine forms of bhakti which can be found in the Bhagavatha-Purana and works by Tulsidas. The philosophical work Narada Bhakti Sutras written by an unknown author (presumed to be Narada) distinguishes eleven forms of love.
Arabic and Islamic views
In a sense, love does encompass the Islamic view of life as universal brotherhood which applies to all who hold the faith. There are no direct references stating that God is love, but amongst the 99 names of God (Allah), there is the name Al-Wadud or 'the Loving One', which is found in Surah 11:90 as well as Surah 85:14. It refers to God as being "full of loving kindness". All who hold the faith have God's love, but to what degree or effort he has pleased God depends on the individual itself.
Ishq, or divine love, is the emphasis of Sufism. Sufis believe that love is a projection of the essence of God to the universe. God desires to recognize beauty, and as if one looks at a mirror to see oneself, God "looks" at itself within the dynamics of nature. Since everything is a reflection of God, the school of Sufism practices to see the beauty inside the apparently ugly. Sufism is often referred to as the religion of Love. God in Sufism is referred to in three main terms which are the Lover, Loved, and Beloved with the last of these terms being often seen in Sufi poetry. A common viewpoint of Sufism is that through Love humankind can get back to its inherent purity and grace. The saints of Sufism are infamous for being "drunk" due to their Love of God hence the constant reference to wine in Sufi poetry and music.
Jewish
In Hebrew Ahava is the most commonly-used term for both interpersonal love and love of God. Other related but dissimilar terms are Chen (grace) and Hesed, which basically combines the meaning of "affection" and "compassion" and is sometimes rendered in English as "loving-kindness".
Judaism employs a wide definition of love, both between people and between man and the Deity. As for the former, the Torah states: "Love your neighbor like yourself" (Leviticus 19:18). As for the latter, one is commanded to love God "with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might" (Deuteronomy 6:5), taken by the Mishnah (a central text of the Jewish oral law) to refer to good deeds, willingness to sacrifice one's life rather than commit certain serious transgressions, willingness to sacrifice all one's possessions and being grateful to the Lord despite adversity (tractate Berachoth 9:5). Rabbinic literature differs how this love can be developed, e.g. by contemplating Divine deeds or witnessing the marvels of nature.
As for love between marital partners, this is deemed an essential ingredient to life: "See life with the wife you love" (Ecclesiastes 9:9). The Biblical book Song of Songs is considered a romantically-phrased metaphor of love between God and his people, but in its plain reading reads like a love song.
The 20th century Rabbi Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler is frequently quoted as defining love from the Jewish point-of-view as "giving without expecting to take" (from his Michtav me-Eliyahu, vol. 1). Romantic love per se has few echoes in Jewish literature, although the Medieval Rabbi Judah Halevi wrote romantic poetry in Arabic in his younger years (he appears to have regretted this later).
This little one arrived today while I was out doing the school pickup. What a great surprise to have on the doorstep when we got home!
I was super super excited to discover that Bluefairy had this girl back in stock last week, as she was one that I had only just missed out on back when she was available, and I have been kicking myself ever since that I didn't have the funds a day earlier.
I was not meant to be purchasing any more dolls, but I had to pounce on this opportunity! I think I may have got the last one too, as the site showed sold out just after I paid for her. Whew!
Bluefairy are so amazing to buy from. I bought this girl on Wednesday last week, and here she is less than a week later. Almost instant gratification. I like it :)
Anyway, for those who are wondering, she is a Bluefairy Pocketfairy Sugar, Limited Strawberry Didi in white skin.
So pretty!
I have run out of time for photos, but I will take some in the next few days with my Baked Marine Scout Didi too. They are up on the shelf together at the moment, and look so super cute together. Squee!!
Please check it out on black. It really brings out the details in the shadows.
I love polaroid, it's official.