View allAll Photos Tagged introspective
Checking in on Make Something Every Day.
I pledged this year to create something every day. That Thing had a defined scope but was flexible. Here is the definition from the instantistion of ot:
Thus: something can be anything introspective or creative.
I have a few broad categories that will satisfy this (because I need some sort of structure)
Journaling: be it for myself or posted to my blog (like this one)
Art: a “real” photo with my camera, a fake Polaroid
Thing: rope, or more shibari or something physical.
So far, I haven't missed a day just not everything I have been doing has been public. I've been writing regularly, which is good, and taking more photos (even just with my phone) and taking more care with processing.
For the rope, though, I had decided that completing a step or two in the process would count because of how long certain steps would take. Cutting and breaking rope in an evening was sufficient because doing the whole process start to finish takes about 6 hours - and only parts of that can be compressed. It reduced the pressure and got me doing much more with it which was my end goal.
This has wildly re-invigorated effort at Bunny Rope. Like crazy style. I finally worked out some issues in the product, I learned how to weave eye loops and nailed down the trickier details inMy process. And applied to vend at an event this summer - acceptance pending - but decided to get more serious about it anyway. I sold some stock options at work to fund the next level of involvement.
Until this year, I had been doing rope to order and not carrying any stock. I'd just have the quantity needed to make a few sets of 30s and 15s on hand knowing I could get the chemistry via Amazon quick enough. The Next Level was having a regular stock and buying chemistry and rope in bulk.
Let me tell you, buying in bulk is scary and amazing.
And totally worth it.
I'm especially enjoying how relaxing it is cutting down the spools. I like getting faster at pieces of it. I like tweaking little things and watching the out come.
I'm really excited about my current trajectory.
Canon’s description of the briefs for 2013.
Reflections - BRIEF 1
The people have spoken. Our Photo5 community have chosen ‘Reflections’ for the 2013 Open Brief (and what a great brief it is). The word inspires so many interpretations – whether it be stark reflections from mirrors, or transparent ones upon glass; you might capture an outdoor reservoir, or an introspective reverie. It’s a broad theme, so head towards what inspires you most and bring your own signature style to the shot.
There’s one key piece of advice I’ll offer for this kind of brief – don’t hold back. You need to catch our eye quickly with something original and compelling. So go big, go crazy and be different. Be critical and challenge your ideas. Ask yourself, “will others do something similar?” You really need to try and stand out to beat the other entries.
FLOUR // CONTRAST - Brief 2
Using flour, create a high contrast image with visual punch. Think about capturing a striking difference between elements – like tones or colours – to create a bold statement.
How will the texture of flour appear in high contrast – whether still, airborne or otherwise? How can you use backgrounds and negative space?
Don’t be limited by the flour* provided – you can use as much as you like.
Flour is such a great subject, so don’t be boring. Use it in an interesting way.
Discovering something unique may mean testing a lot of approaches, so don’t be afraid to fail. Be open-minded and experiment.
As the brief says, think about texture. Shutter speed techniques should be considered to create affects and drama in the piece.
EYES // PERSONIFY - Brief 3
First, make some cartoon eyes using the black and white circles inside your Photo5 box. Then use these to create an image that breathes life into something inanimate. Secret faces hide everywhere – on mailboxes and trees, throughout your home – you just need a bit of imagination to see them. Use the cartoon eyes to bring these characters to life. Think about their expressions and personalities. What are they doing? Do they tell a story?
This is a playful brief, so get out and have some fun. Focus on the ‘character’ element of the brief. You really need to create someone or something. How does the setting and scene add to their story? Try to spot something (and create someone) that no one else will.
JELLY // LIGHT - Brief 4
Create an image where light plays upon – or through – the distinctive qualities of jelly. Sometimes, if you look a little closer, everyday things can become quite extraordinary. What magic can you find in jelly? What can you create with it? And how can light make it even more striking? To bring your idea to life, use as much jelly* as you like (not just what’s provided).
Light is the key to any good image, and with a subject matter such as jelly, the opportunities to experiment are endless. So try something new. I want to see inspired effects created with either natural or studio light. Think about how aperture settings affect the subject and image too. Be a magician – create some magic with this ordinary subject.
SHADOWS // STENCIL - Brief 5
Create an image that incorporates light that's filtered through the stencil provided. You can use one pattern, or all of them. How do the shapes interact with difference scenes? What will the shadows fall across? Are the outlines of the shapes hard or soft, distorted or dreamlike? Think about how these shapes can create mood and texture in your image. The two key words from the brief are ‘mood’
and ‘texture’. How will you create these? What interesting techniques can you use?
Consider experimenting with different aperture settings, light sources and any other methods to play with focus in the image. And as with all the briefs, originality stands out. So surprise me
Canon EOS 5D
2014
_mg_9520
When I find myself in times of trouble
Rufus Wainwright takes me to a place
Where I can lick my wounds
And find some inner peace
Even if the cure may only last
For a song or two
(Picture best viewed large....)
French postcard by Sonis, no. F. 100. Photo: Warner Bros. Keanu Reeves in The Matrix Reloaded (Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski, 2003).
Keanu Reeves (1964) is a Canadian actor, producer, director and musician. Though Reeves often faced criticism for his deadpan delivery and perceived limited range as an actor, he nonetheless took on roles in a variety of genres, doing everything from introspective art-house fare to action-packed thrillers. His films include My Own Private Idaho (1991), the European drama Little Buddha (1993), Speed (1994), The Matrix (1999) and John Wick (2014).
Keanu Charles Reeves was born in 1964, in Beirut, Lebanon. His first name means ‘cool breeze over the mountains’ in Hawaiian. His father, Samuel Nowlin Reeves Jr., was a geologist of Chinese-Hawaiian heritage, and his mother, Patricia Bond (née Taylor), was a British showgirl and later a costume designer for rock stars such as Alice Cooper. Reeves's mother was working in Beirut when she met his father. Upon his parents’ split in 1966, Keanu moved with his mother and younger sister Kim Reeves to Sydney, to New York and then to Toronto. As a child, he lived with various stepfathers, including stage and film director Paul Aaron. Keanu developed an ardour for hockey, though he would eventually turn to acting. At 15, he played Mercutio in a stage production of 'Romeo and Juliet' at the Leah Posluns Theatre. Reeves dropped out of high school when he was 17. His film debut was the Canadian feature One Step Away (Robert Fortier, 1985). After a part in the teen movie Youngblood (Peter Markle, 1986), starring Rob Lowe, he obtained a green card through stepfather Paul Aaron and moved to Los Angeles. After a few minor roles, he gained attention for his performance in the dark drama River's Edge (Tim Hunter, 1986), which depicted how a murder affected a group of adolescents. Reeves landed a supporting role in the Oscar-nominated period drama Dangerous Liaisons (Stephen Frears, 1988), starring Glenn Close and John Malkovich. Reeves joined the casts of Ron Howard's comedy Parenthood (1989), and Lawrence Kasdan's I Love You to Death (1990). Unexpectedly successful was the wacky comedy Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (Stephen Herek, 1989) which followed two high school students (Reeves and Alex Winter) and their time-travelling high jinks. The success led to a TV series and a sequel, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (Pete Hewitt, 1991). From then on, audiences often confused Reeves's real-life persona with that of his doofy on-screen counterpart.
In the following years, Keanu Reeves tried to shake the Ted stigma. He developed an eclectic film roster that included high-budget action films like the surf thriller Point Break (Kathryn Bigelow, 1991) for which he won MTV's ‘Most Desirable Male’ award in 1992, but also lower-budget art-house films. My Own Private Idaho (1991), directed by Gus Van Sant and co-starring River Phoenix, chronicled the lives of two young hustlers living on the streets. In Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), Reeves embodied the calm resolute lawyer Jonathan Harker who stumbles into the lair of Gary Oldman’s Count Dracula. In Europe, he played Prince Siddharta who became the Buddha in Bernardo Bertolucci’s Italian-French-British drama Little Buddha (1993). His career reached a new high when he starred opposite Sandra Bullock in the hit action film Speed (Jan de Bont, 1994). It was followed by the romantic drama A Walk in the Clouds (Alfonso Arau, 1995) and the supernatural thriller Devil’s Advocate (Taylor Hackford, 1997), co-starring Al Pacino and Charlize Theron. At the close of the decade, Reeves starred in a Sci-Fi film that would become a genre game changer, The Matrix (Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski, 1999). Reeves played the prophetic figure Neo, slated to lead humanity to freedom from an all-consuming simulated world. Known for its innovative fight sequences, avant-garde special effects and gorgeous fashion, The Matrix was an international hit. Two sequels, The Matrix Reloaded (Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski, 2003) and The Matrix Revolutions (Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski, 2003) followed and The Matrix Reloaded was even a bigger financial blockbuster than its predecessor.
Now a major, bonafide box office star, Keanu Reeves continued to work in different genres and both in big-budget as in small independent films. He played an abusive man in the supernatural thriller The Gift (Sam Raimi, 2000), starring Cate Blanchett, a smitten doctor in the romantic comedy Something’s Gotta Give (Nancy Meyers, 2003) opposite Diane Keaton, and a Brit demon hunter in the American-German occult detective film Constantine (Francis Lawrence, 2005). His appearance in the animated Science Fiction thriller A Scanner Darkly (Richard Linklater, 2006), based on the novel by Philip K. Dick, received favourable reviews, and The Lake House (Alejandro Agresti, 2006), his romantic outing with Sandra Bullock, was a success at the box office. Reeves returned to Sci-Fi as alien Klaatu in The Day the Earth Stood Still (Scott Derrickson, 2008), the remake of the 1951 classic. Then he played a supporting part in Rebecca Miller's The Private Life of Pippa Lee (2009), which starred Robin Wright and premiered at the 59th Berlin International Film Festival. Reeves co-founded a production company, Company Films. The company helped produce Henry's Crime (Malcolm Venville, 2010), in which Reeves also starred. The actor made his directorial debut with the Chinese-American Martial arts film Man of Tai Chi (2013), partly inspired by the life of Reeves' friend, stuntman Tiger Chen. Martial arts–based themes continued in Reeves's next feature, 47 Ronin (Carl Rinsch, 2013), about a real-life group of masterless samurai in 18th-century Japan who avenged the death of their lord. Variety magazine listed 47 Ronin as one of "Hollywood's biggest box office bombs of 2013". Reeves returned as a retired hitman in the Neo-Noir action thriller John Wick (Chad Stahelski, David Leitch, 2014). The film opened to positive reviews and performed well at the box office. A sequel, titled John Wick: Chapter Two, is currently in production and is scheduled to be released in 2017. This year, he could be seen in the psychological horror film The Neon Demon (Nicolas Winding Refn, 2016) and the romantic horror-thriller Bad Batch (Ana Lily Amirpour, 2016). Reeves’ artistic aspirations are not limited to film. In the early 1990s, he co-founded the grunge band Dogstar, which released two albums. He later played bass for a band called Becky. Reeves is also a longtime motorcycle enthusiast. After asking designer Gard Hollinger to create a custom-built bike for him, the two went into business together with the formation of Arch Motorcycle Company LLC in 2011. Reported to be one of the more generous actors in Hollywood, Reeves helped care for his sister during her lengthy battle with leukaemia and has supported such organisations as Stand Up To Cancer and PETA. In January 2000, Reeves's girlfriend, Jennifer Syme, gave birth eight months into her pregnancy to Ava Archer Syme-Reeves, who was stillborn. The strain put on their relationship by their grief resulted in Reeves and Syme's breakup several weeks later. In 2001, Syme died after a car accident.
Sources: Biography.com, Wikipedia, and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.
I like this image he is reflective and it happened so fast. I think I captured the moment. More in my set "Men's Portraits".
Taken for the Shropshire Community monthly there: 'Introspective'
I feel as a photographer I have reached a point where I have been doing lots of self questioning about what type of images I want to create and what they say about the person that has taken them. With me this is a blessing and a curse, I am very self analytical and often over think things rather than just get on with it but that's the way I am and I can't change that. I have come to the conclusion though that creatively I am heading in the right direction...
A bit of an experimental shot here.
3 second exposure at dusk. The camera set on a tripod facing the jetty at the Mere in Ellesmere then firing the shot remotely and walking towards the camera...
Before anyone mentions white balance, the colour tone is indeed intentional!
;o)
In May 2010, I worked more with studio lighting, paring down the lights to the essentials. Often I used only one strobe and I occasionally added a reflector. The result was lighting more to my liking.
My subject matter became more introspective. It was as though I were doing a 365 project. I probably did more self portraits for TRP and FGR than in any other month. I need to either bring models back into the studio, or get outside it's walls. I said that last month as well.......
On the positive side, I made several new friends on flickr, and I ended up with more images making Explore than in any other month. Some should not have made it, others should have. The Magic Donkey is a fickle beast.
1. FGR: A Warning to All Amphibia, 2. Bench Monday: Commuter Edition, 3. Armstrong, 4. Violet Reserve, 5. Lady Maisonneuve, 6. Lady Maisonneuve, 7. TRP: The Prepared Photographer, 8. FGR: Seminal Event, 9. TRP: Alter Ego, 10. TRP: Eat Lightning and Crap Thunder, 11. The Call of the Sea, 12. Persian, 13. FGR: Non-SOOC, 14. Madam Aucoin, 15. FGR: Crab-e-Diem, 16. Madam Aucoin, 17. TRP: Portrait of a Woman, 18. TRP: Power Slide!, 19. TRP: Portrait of a Man in an Orange Turban, 20. FGR: National Geographic Photographer, 21. Ansco Cadet, 22. FGR: Love is like a Bungie, 23. Bench Monday: Missing Man Edition, 24. FGR: Arrangement in Red and Green, 25. Choice
Living in Transit: The Thinkers of a World in Turmoil
War looms over Europe, uncertainty seeps into everyday life, and the weight of history presses upon the present. The world is burning, and yet—there are those who seek understanding, those who bury themselves in the quiet refuge of books, the dim glow of libraries, the solitude of knowledge.
This series captures the introspective minds of young academic women—readers, thinkers, seekers. They wander through old university halls, their fingers tracing the spines of forgotten books, pulling out volumes of poetry, philosophy, and psychology. They drink coffee, they drink tea, they stay up late with ink-stained fingers, trying to decipher the world through words.
They turn to Simone Weil for moral clarity, Hannah Arendt for political insight, Rilke for existential wisdom. They read Baudrillard to untangle the illusions of modernity, Byung-Chul Han to understand society’s exhaustion, Camus to grasp the absurdity of it all. They devour Celan’s poetry, searching for beauty in catastrophe.
But they do not just read—they reflect, they question, they write. Their world is one of quiet resistance, an intellectual sanctuary amidst the chaos. In their solitude, they are not alone. Across time, across history, across the pages they turn, they are in conversation with those who, too, have sought meaning in troubled times.
This is a series about thought in transit—about seeking, reading, questioning, about the relentless pursuit of knowledge when the world feels on the brink.
Where the Thinkers Go
They gather where the dust has settled,
where books whisper in the hush of halls.
Pages thin as breath, torn at the edges,
cradling centuries of questions.
They drink coffee like it’s ink,
trace words like constellations,
follow Rilke into the dusk,
where solitude hums softly in the dark.
Outside, the world is fraying—
war threading through the seams of cities,
the weight of history pressing forward.
Inside, they turn pages, searching
for answers, for solace, for fire.
And somewhere between the lines,
between time-stained margins and fading ink,
they find the ghosts of others who
once sought, once wondered, once read—
and they do not feel alone.
Three Haikus
Night falls on paper,
books stacked like silent towers,
thoughts burn in the dark.
Tea cools in the cup,
a poem lingers on lips,
war rumbles beyond.
Footsteps in silence,
the scent of old ink and dust,
pages turn like ghosts.
ooOOOoo
The Intellectual Pursuit: What They Read in 2025
In a world teetering between war and uncertainty, young academic women turn to books—not as mere escape, but as a way to confront reality, to seek wisdom in the echoes of history, and to understand the weight of the present. They read in dimly lit libraries, at café tables littered with half-drunk cups of tea, in quiet university archives where dust clings to forgotten volumes. They are drawn to words that unravel complexity, books that demand contemplation, and authors who have wrestled with the same existential questions that haunt their minds today.
Here is what they read.
1. Existential and Philosophical Works
In times of crisis, philosophy becomes a mirror—reflecting both the weight of the world and the possibilities of thought. These books challenge, unsettle, and offer a way to navigate uncertainty.
Simone Weil – Gravity and Grace (moral clarity and reflections on human suffering)
Hannah Arendt – The Origins of Totalitarianism (a timeless study of power, ideology, and authoritarianism)
Byung-Chul Han – The Burnout Society (a philosophical take on modern exhaustion and performance-driven culture)
Jean Baudrillard – Simulacra and Simulation (a critique of reality and illusion in an age of digital manipulation)
Albert Camus – The Plague (a novel that mirrors today’s existential and ethical dilemmas)
Søren Kierkegaard – The Concept of Anxiety (an exploration of freedom, dread, and the human condition)
These thinkers guide them through uncertainty, offering both discomfort and clarity—challenging them to see beyond the immediate chaos.
2. Poetry and Literature of Longing, Loss, and Human Experience
Sometimes, only poetry and fiction can capture what analysis cannot—the deep, wordless truths of grief, love, exile, and the quiet resilience of the human spirit.
Anne Carson – Nox (a fragmented, deeply personal meditation on loss and memory)
Paul Celan – Todesfuge (haunting post-Holocaust poetry that lingers between beauty and horror)
Rainer Maria Rilke – Letters to a Young Poet (a lyrical guide to solitude, art, and self-discovery)
Ocean Vuong – On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous (poetry-infused storytelling on identity and survival)
Virginia Woolf – The Waves (a novel that reads like a long poem, exploring time, consciousness, and human connection)
Clarice Lispector – The Hour of the Star (a sparse, existential novel that lingers long after the last page)
These books are read slowly, lines underlined in pencil, phrases whispered to oneself in quiet moments.
3. Political Thought and Social Critique
Understanding the present requires looking at the past and tracing the patterns of history, power, and resistance.
Naomi Klein – Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World (on misinformation, conspiracy culture, and the fracturing of reality)
Timothy Snyder – On Tyranny (20 lessons from history on how democracy is lost—and how it can be protected)
Achille Mbembe – Necropolitics (on the politics of death, control, and who gets to exist in modern power structures)
Olga Tokarczuk – Flights (a novel that blurs fiction and philosophy, exploring movement, exile, and identity)
Rebecca Solnit – Hope in the Dark (on why history is shaped by those who refuse to give up)
These books are read with urgency—annotated, discussed, debated. They provide frameworks for understanding the unfolding crises of today.
4. Science, Psychology, and the Search for Meaning
In times of uncertainty, some turn to the mind and the universe—to trauma studies, quantum physics, and new ways of seeing.
Carlo Rovelli – The Order of Time (a poetic examination of time and its illusions)
James Bridle – New Dark Age: Technology and the End of the Future (on the unpredictability of AI, climate change, and human systems)
Bessel van der Kolk – The Body Keeps the Score (on trauma, memory, and how the body stores experiences)
Donna Haraway – Staying with the Trouble (rethinking human and non-human relationships in a time of ecological crisis)
These books stretch their understanding beyond politics and poetry—into the unseen forces that shape the self and the cosmos.
During the Jazz Age:
Daisy was so grateful that LaVern had phoned to let her know that Clara Bow had run into David, who looked in complete disarray, and brought him back to Daisy's house to get clean and rested. David--the Prince of Wales--was someone Daisy did not particularly want to deal with at the moment. During the time that he had been away--on vacation, according to the Palace though in fact, unbeknownst to anyone, he had been held hostage by the maniacal Binx Buchanan--Daisy's life had changed significantly with her adoption of little Becky. Knowing that David did not seem to want children--to the point where Daisy had to face the fact that he seemed indifferent even to the idea of her missing little girl Pammy ever being found--made Daisy realize that David simply might not fit into her life.
Yes, the future King had professed his love and asked Daisy to marry him; yet, she wondered, "What sort of marriage would that be?"
Daisy knew that she and David would soon have to face each other. But tonight, as she
was about to go out for a night on the town, her thoughts were not about him. Introspective in a way she had not been while married to Tom or even when she was in love with Gatsby, Daisy's mind was often filled with the people she loved. They seemed to overshadow the glittering lights and scintillating music that previously would have mesmerized her. Love...home...these were in her heart wherever she was, whether alone or in the most bustling places...
“I sit beside the fire and think
Of all that I have seen
Of meadow, flowers and butterflies
In summers that have been
Of yellow leaves and gossamer
In autumns that there were
With morning mist and silver sun
And wind upon my hair
I sit beside the fire and think
Of how the world will be
When winter comes without a spring
That I shall ever see
For still there are so many things
That I have never seen;
In every wood in every spring
There is a different green
I sit beside the fire and think
Of people long ago
And people that will see a world
That I shall never know
But all the while I sit and think
Of times there were before,
I listen for returning feet
And voices at the door”
― J.R.R. Tolkien
***Please see SwaggyWiggums great FLICKR page for photo stories that are part of the Blythe Quake/Daisy&Missing Pammy Saga featuring Grace, Sabrina, Lady Beatrice, Vespa, and Princess Cressida Eudora
Spent some coyote-human introspective time with this coyote at Grand Portage State Park, Minnesota. This little song dog has got some seriously "dogged perseverance". Its front left paw is missing, from the wrist joint down, probably gnawed off to escape a trap. Its tail seems to be missing the tip. Not so noticeable is an injury of the left rear leg, which it favored while walking. Its most remarkable trait was running, when it held its left rear paw completely off the ground, running on only its two right legs! I've seen plenty of canids running on three legs, but this is the first quadruped I've ever seen run on two legs...both on the same side!
....aos que estavam com "saudade", como o Léo (Rivello) , o Thiago (introspective), o leonart (bj) e ao queridíssimo amigo Leosalata!!! Bem light, ok???? bjs pra todos!
British postcard by Memory Card, no. 712. Lobby Card: Warner Bros. Keanu Reeves in The Matrix (Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski, 1999).
Keanu Reeves (1964) is a Canadian actor, producer, director and musician. Though Reeves often faced criticism for his deadpan delivery and perceived limited range as an actor, he nonetheless took on roles in a variety of genres, doing everything from introspective art-house fare to action-packed thrillers. His films include My Own Private Idaho (1991), the European drama Little Buddha (1993), Speed (1994), The Matrix (1999) and John Wick (2014).
Keanu Charles Reeves was born in 1964, in Beirut, Lebanon. His first name means ‘cool breeze over the mountains’ in Hawaiian. His father, Samuel Nowlin Reeves Jr., was a geologist of Chinese-Hawaiian heritage, and his mother, Patricia Bond (née Taylor), was a British showgirl and later a costume designer for rock stars such as Alice Cooper. Reeves's mother was working in Beirut when she met his father. Upon his parents’ split in 1966, Keanu moved with his mother and younger sister Kim Reeves to Sydney, to New York and then to Toronto. As a child, he lived with various stepfathers, including stage and film director Paul Aaron. Keanu developed an ardour for hockey, though he would eventually turn to acting. At 15, he played Mercutio in a stage production of 'Romeo and Juliet' at the Leah Posluns Theatre. Reeves dropped out of high school when he was 17. His film debut was the Canadian feature One Step Away (Robert Fortier, 1985). After a part in the teen movie Youngblood (Peter Markle, 1986), starring Rob Lowe, he obtained a green card through stepfather Paul Aaron and moved to Los Angeles. After a few minor roles, he gained attention for his performance in the dark drama River's Edge (Tim Hunter, 1986), which depicted how a murder affected a group of adolescents. Reeves landed a supporting role in the Oscar-nominated period drama Dangerous Liaisons (Stephen Frears, 1988), starring Glenn Close and John Malkovich. Reeves joined the casts of Ron Howard's comedy Parenthood (1989), and Lawrence Kasdan's I Love You to Death (1990). Unexpectedly successful was the wacky comedy Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (Stephen Herek, 1989) which followed two high school students (Reeves and Alex Winter) and their time-travelling high jinks. The success led to a TV series and a sequel, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (Pete Hewitt, 1991). From then on, audiences often confused Reeves's real-life persona with that of his doofy on-screen counterpart.
In the following years, Keanu Reeves tried to shake the Ted stigma. He developed an eclectic film roster that included high-budget action films like the surf thriller Point Break (Kathryn Bigelow, 1991) for which he won MTV's ‘Most Desirable Male’ award in 1992, but also lower-budget art-house films. My Own Private Idaho (1991), directed by Gus Van Sant and co-starring River Phoenix, chronicled the lives of two young hustlers living on the streets. In Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), Reeves embodied the calm resolute lawyer Jonathan Harker who stumbles into the lair of Gary Oldman’s Count Dracula. In Europe, he played Prince Siddharta who became the Buddha in Bernardo Bertolucci’s Italian-French-British drama Little Buddha (1993). His career reached a new high when he starred opposite Sandra Bullock in the hit action film Speed (Jan de Bont, 1994). It was followed by the romantic drama A Walk in the Clouds (Alfonso Arau, 1995) and the supernatural thriller Devil’s Advocate (Taylor Hackford, 1997), co-starring Al Pacino and Charlize Theron. At the close of the decade, Reeves starred in a Sci-Fi film that would become a genre game changer, The Matrix (Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski, 1999). Reeves played the prophetic figure Neo, slated to lead humanity to freedom from an all-consuming simulated world. Known for its innovative fight sequences, avant-garde special effects and gorgeous fashion, The Matrix was an international hit. Two sequels, The Matrix Reloaded (Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski, 1999) and The Matrix Revolutions (Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski, 1999) followed and The Matrix Reloaded was even a bigger financial blockbuster than its predecessor.
Now a major, bonafide box office star, Keanu Reeves continued to work in different genres and both in big-budget as in small independent films. He played an abusive man in the supernatural thriller The Gift (Sam Raimi, 2000), starring Cate Blanchett, a smitten doctor in the romantic comedy Something’s Gotta Give (Nancy Meyers, 2003) opposite Diane Keaton, and a Brit demon hunter in the American-German occult detective film Constantine (Francis Lawrence, 2005). His appearance in the animated Science Fiction thriller A Scanner Darkly (Richard Linklater, 2006), based on the novel by Philip K. Dick, received favourable reviews, and The Lake House (Alejandro Agresti, 2006), his romantic outing with Sandra Bullock, was a success at the box office. Reeves returned to Sci-Fi as alien Klaatu in The Day the Earth Stood Still (Scott Derrickson, 2008), the remake of the 1951 classic. Then he played a supporting part in Rebecca Miller's The Private Life of Pippa Lee (2009), which starred Robin Wright and premiered at the 59th Berlin International Film Festival. Reeves co-founded a production company, Company Films. The company helped produce Henry's Crime (Malcolm Venville, 2010), in which Reeves also starred. The actor made his directorial debut with the Chinese-American Martial arts film Man of Tai Chi (2013), partly inspired by the life of Reeves' friend, stuntman Tiger Chen. Martial arts–based themes continued in Reeves's next feature, 47 Ronin (Carl Rinsch, 2013), about a real-life group of masterless samurai in 18th-century Japan who avenged the death of their lord. Variety magazine listed 47 Ronin as one of "Hollywood's biggest box office bombs of 2013". Reeves returned as a retired hitman in the Neo-Noir action thriller John Wick (Chad Stahelski, David Leitch, 2014). The film opened to positive reviews and performed well at the box office. A sequel, titled John Wick: Chapter Two, is currently in production and is scheduled to be released in 2017. This year, he could be seen in the psychological horror film The Neon Demon (Nicolas Winding Refn, 2016) and the romantic horror-thriller Bad Batch (Ana Lily Amirpour, 2016). Reeves’ artistic aspirations are not limited to film. In the early 1990s, he co-founded the grunge band Dogstar, which released two albums. He later played bass for a band called Becky. Reeves is also a longtime motorcycle enthusiast. After asking designer Gard Hollinger to create a custom-built bike for him, the two went into business together with the formation of Arch Motorcycle Company LLC in 2011. Reported to be one of the more generous actors in Hollywood, Reeves helped care for his sister during her lengthy battle with leukaemia and has supported such organisations as Stand Up To Cancer and PETA. In January 2000, Reeves's girlfriend, Jennifer Syme, gave birth eight months into her pregnancy to Ava Archer Syme-Reeves, who was stillborn. The strain put on their relationship by their grief resulted in Reeves and Syme's breakup several weeks later. In 2001, Syme died after a car accident.
Sources: Biography.com, Wikipedia, and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.
my back ain't broken
i got no addictions (yet)
my internal organs are squishy
no one's busted my heart (or jaw) lately
there's no wolf (or repo man) at my door
i can't do a two-step or a 12-step
and you won't find my heart on my sleeve (or anywhere else)
so what am i doing on flickr?
(oh, i might have captured my soul with this photo. but i'm a catch and release sort of guy. so i'm back to being soul-less.)
Shin pencil 6B on paper
Kitajima Hirofumi ___contemporary art Contemporary Art CONTEMPORARY ART Automatism Surrealism
Paris-Roubaix 2012
winner Tom Boonen enters the Roubaix Vélodrome as a winner for a record 4th time; stuff for legends
In another photo's description I lied with abandon by saying that my hike in the Sand Flats Recreation Area was without incident. This scene confirms the lie.
As I am often wont to do when exploring the magnificent landforms at Moab, Utah, I paused here to seek Enlightenment by becoming One With The Rock, a state of being that can enable a person to get answers to life's Unanswered Questions and understand things that have been mysteries for eternity.
This is a practice espoused by my spiritual guru, the Bhagwan Hotair Windbag of Antelope. He has written a valuable though inscrutable treatise on Enlightenment titled "The Sacred Paths to Oneness," which I read and re-read with fervor (and headaches). To learn more about the Bhagwan, his teachings, and my attempts to follow those teachings, see the set description.
The scene pictured here documents an attempt by yours truly to become introspective while achieving Enlightenment. (The Bhagwan discusses this on page 1348 of the aforementioned text.) It was my desire to Know Myself, something so unnerving that I rarely have the fortitude to pursue it. But this day I assumed the appropriate full-body contact with Moabian sandstone, WITH MY HEAD LOWER THAN MY FEET, so that my 7.1-hour meditative session would yield mind-expanding truths about my own character.
Alas, the only Sacred Truth that was revealed to me was the reason why some people, when under the influence of overbearing spiritual leaders, make fools of themselves by lying motionless on rocks for long periods of time. This Level of Understanding was short-lived: by the time I sat up the awareness was gone.
I will confess to having consumed industrial-grade tranquilizers to dampen my fear. Perhaps the resulting chemical and spiritual imbalance are to blame for my failure to achieve Ultimate Knowledge. Please do not tell the Bhagwan of my chemical transgression: if he finds out, I will suffer greatly by being denied access to his inner circle. Remaining ignorant in spite of my efforts to achieve Enlightenment is suffering enough.
Feeling somewhat disoriented and devalued, I rested a while before continuing on my otherwise fulfilling hike among the fins and sagebrush above Negro Bill Canyon.
Joe Tripod, who assisted me in this effort of self-documentation, achieved Enlightenment simply by remaining absolutely still for the duration of the photograph.
Complete piece here: www.flickr.com/photos/jasoux/25228833383/in/dateposted-pu...
Ink + watercolour paint
In celebration of Kim's 80th Birthday. It was a wonderful affair - thanks to Linda and Cindy for organizing the party.