View allAll Photos Tagged prayers
A statue in the Cathédrale La Major in Marseille shows Saint Rita of Cascia. Many believers have lit a candle for their prayers. They hope for and believe in the support of the saint.
Two novice monks with candles in front of a massive reclining Buddha. Candlelight in front, natural light behind.
Interesting to go through these old photos from a year ago. Feels like I was just there. Hard to believe sometimes that I saw these things, any so much more, with my own blue eyes. Lucky me. :)
Walking along the river Ganges, saw this man offering prayers. His boat was surrounded by a big flock of gulls. It was difficult to get a clear shot of him through the flutter but finally managed one.
This shot is out of my third smoke photo session. In contrast to “First Smoke,” this shot indicates that one can learn with practice, especially, if the frame of mind is receptive to ideas and advice from others.
I named this shot “Prayers to Wakan” for personal reasons.
I am still working on my techniques so I won’t get into much detail here other than to explan the basic setup.
One thing that fascinates me about smoke pictures - the diversity of possible shots is infinite as well as the options one has in the post processing steps.
References:
Process:
Nikon D200, 300mm, 1/250sec, f/9, WB Flash, manual exposure, ISO 100, about seven feet from the subject. Lighting: Nikon SB-600, full power manual, 8 inches right of smoke. Black background, snoot around light. Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 include:
a. Camera Raw to increase exposure 2 stops.
b. Level adjustments to suppress background noise.
c. Colorize using hue/saturation layer.
Observations:
1. While smoke shots can be done with halogen lighting, much better results are obtained using a flash.
2. For some reason, my remote flash trigger only fires about 70% of the time - Arrrggghhh! [figured that out - note to self: don't be so cheap - put in good batteries]
3. My studio is located the basement and, when the furnace is off, the air is absolutely still. The smoke is at peace and the spirits are at rest. This is not a good thing for smoke photography. Wafting the air stirs things up but one must wait until it settles down somewhat. I think that, if I were to open my door towards the north, the spirits might sense a Wyoming Wind and be more active.
4. The post-processing possibilities in Adobe Photoshop are, literally, infinite. This is where the true art comes into play.
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...for this city, which we love and visit often....
for all victims...
for all men and women who try to rescue lives and defend people from violence and terrorism
I've never been religious, but I think I understand the fundamental bases of prayer.
For one thing, it's ritualistic. Whether you do it five times a day on your knees facing east, or weekly on Sundays, or nightly before bed, or every Saturday morning, or whatever... it offers the comfort and grounding and predictability of prescribed routine.
I guess it also makes you feel productive or proactive... in situations where you really have no control.
And I suppose it gives hope. At least... I hope it does.
Really, though... I think prayer's a fancy word for wishing. Except that... instead of just nebulously putting thoughts out there, you direct them to some imagined being who... in theory... has the power to give you what you want.
I have prayed. But it's typically along the lines of "Please, just put me out of my misery." And it's not directed anywhere. Just to myself, to distract me a bit, because that's the best it gets sometimes.
And because... well, a person reaches a point where they just can't take it any more.
Sufferers of chronic pain are vulnerable, I think. Especially when we've tried almost everything out there and STILL we're stuck with the same recurring horrors. I can't count how much I've spent on wacky "cures" and "therapies" through the years. And hey... if it were psychosomatic, I'd be pain-free... because... each and every time, I get fully pumped about the promise of relief from the therapy-du-jour:
Acupuncture. Acupressure. Massage. Physiotherapy. Heat. Cold. Drug therapy. Aromatherapy. Herbs of all descriptions. Dietary changes. Yoga. Stretching. Meditation. New bed, new couch, new glasses, new desk, new work environment. Blah blah blah.
The endless failure to get results is just so... disappointing. Disillusioning. Dispiriting. Flat-out depressing.
It leaves a person desperate. And in desperation, praying.
Not because I think it will work, but because I've exhausted every other option.
Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one's weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart - Gandhi
One more clicked using my friend's SLR!
Have a happy weekend :)
1557 2019 08
along one of the pathways in the prayer walk.
United Methodist of the Resurrection Church
Leawood, KS
Explore 05.06.15
Il monte Kōya (Kōya-san) si trova nella penisola di Kii, nella prefettura di Wakayama a circa 900 metri di altitudine. È considerato uno dei luoghi più sacri del Giappone ed uno dei maggiori centri monastici del Paese.
Tutto il complesso costituisce un luogo sacro, dove si respira un’atmosfera mistica. Oggi Koya-san è un importante centro del buddismo giapponese, con oltre 110 templi e una popolazione di 7000 monaci.
Consigliato il pernottamento in un monastero e la partecipazione alla preghiera del mattino. Noi lo abbiamo fatto ed è stata un’esperienza incredibile!
Nel 2004 l'area sacra del Monte Kōya è stata dichiarata dall'UNESCO Patrimonio dell'Umanità.
There is a darkness behind every light.
And with darkness in heart i pray may they stay in peace in the afterlife.
I have thousand prayer for them.
I have thousand wish for them.
May Almighty keep them safe.
_____
If you have time - please read the story - [ Fire Tragedy ]
____
Sakia | Dhaka, Bangladesh .
Please pray for my brother-in-law, Brian. He became a parapalegic 15 years ago in a mountain-bike accident. Today, he was out riding quads with my nephew and he hit a ditch and flipped over the handlebars. He laid there for a while until my nephew discovered him and got help. He's in the hospital with at least a broken collarbone. They're going to do a CT scan to see if there's anything else wrong.
I hope it's just his collarabone, but you can imagine how disabling a broken collarbone is to a parapalegic. He needs all of his upper arm strength and such for transferring, etc.
This is a shot of Brian's dog Aravis. The best dog ever.
Thanks for the thoughts and prayers.
Interestingness/Explore - Top 500 (July 24, 2008 #417)
Suspended Animation Classic #232
Originally published June 6, 1993 (#24)
(Dates are approximate)
Dennis the Menace: Prayers & Graces
By Michael Vance
What are little boys made of? Frogs and snails and puppy dog tails. And don’t forget the sling-shot. Dennis hasn’t forgotten his since 1950.
Hank Ketcham fathered the tow-headed superstar of comic strips and books, television, movies, and hard- and paperback collections forty-three years ago. When considering Dennis’ potential for success, few must have thought he even had a prayer.
Now, Dennis The Menace has a prayer.
This collection of prayers, blessings, and table graces is Ketcham’s newest children’s book, “Dennis the Menace: Prayers & Graces”. Written for “young parents who’re looking for guidelines to start their children off in some sort of theological direction”, it explores a side of Dennis that’s made the eternal six-year-old more believable.
Be honest with yourself. Charlie Brown is just too philosophical and morally squeaky-clean. He’s really Buddha in a kid suit. And this new kid on the comic strip block, Calvin, is a bundle of raw nerves just waiting to explode. But Dennis is unrelenting enthusiasm that translates into unintentional mayhap as he explores life.
Neither devil nor angel, Dennis the Menace is EveryBoy. It is the secret of his world-wide popularity.
This comic disguised as a children’s book is a collection of Dennis’ cartoons interspersed with short devotions for young children. It’s the sort of book parents and grandparents read to kids snuggled on their laps just before bed. And it is wonderful.
There are often deep philosophical undertones to Dennis’ simple observations. Charlie doesn’t hold a copyright on philosophy, after all. They bring a stillness to adult hearts.
Dennis throws a ball straight up. He catches the ball as it falls back. Dennis is playing catch with God. There is no better definition of Faith.
Dennis prays, “God, we thank you for this food, for rest and home and all things good; for wind and rain and sun above; but most of all for those we love”.
We add: that includes Dennis.
“Dennis the Menace: Prayers & Graces”/64 pages, $5.99, John Knox Press/available in books stores.
There are 31 people in this picture. Some look proud, some pious, some content and others placid. None look happy. Why is that?
Well, maybe the gray haired lady standing just behind the twins, holding a book and a child might have just a hint of a grin...
Some body took a knife to it too. I could probably have repaired the slash but somehow it is part of the photo now.