In my earliest days as a journalist, words were the thing. If meddlesome editors and art directors wanted to attach photos to the small ink marks of the alphabet that I committed to paper, fine, that was their business, but frankly, I could not have cared less. Seas of gray were fine by me.
That was not the only matter I was young and dumb about back then. But I won’t spend any more words elaborating on that here—it’s time again for the Holiday Photo Gallery!
Lights! Cameras! So much beautiful, nuanced storytelling action, oh my!
Here’s just a brief baker’s dozen+1 sample from the World of Flickr and its legions of generous, talented photographers who have helped liven up this page over the past 52 weeks. Behold…
If red is a power color, you may as well start being powerful down at your feet…
Girl Power, Red Boots, by Rachel Sian
So much thunderous action down there in the world of the small…
Drop on Drop by Laszlo Ilyes
I am Wisdom, don’t mess with me.
Owl by M. G. N
The moon, the bridge & the prison.
Moonrise on the Golden Gate by Don McCullough
Out for a stroll.
Caterpillar by Francisco Soto
Because no photo collection is complete without a monkey shot.
Monkey family by Chris Marquardt
Big honkin’ camera exploring the Big Honkin’ Heavens…
Milky Way by Goddard Space Station
Not just another perch.
The Bird and the Buddha by Loren Webster
Here’s lookin’ at ya.
Spider by Pascal Gaudette
Hear. Me. Roar.
Big Green Wave by Pam Link
Mystery upon mystery…
Nude by Magdalena Roeseler
Not a care in the world…
Coney Island Ride by gigi_nyc
Friends in an alien land…
Soldier and children, Afghanistan, by UK Ministry of Defence
Finally, photographer John Fowler accompanied this shot on his Flickr site with the poem you’ll see below by our old reliable in this space: Walt Whitman. I’m glad he did so, and I’ll bet you will be, too. Happy holidays!
Wave in Coyote Buttes, Arizona by John Fowler
O Me! O Life! (1892)
O ME! O life!… of the questions of these recurring;
Of the endless trains of the faithless—of cities fill’d with the foolish;
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light—of the objects mean—of the struggle ever renew’d;
Of the poor results of all—of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me;
Of the empty and useless years of the rest—with the rest me intertwined;
The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?
Answer.
That you are here—that life exists, and identity,
That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse.
***
Profound appreciation to the photographers! All photos under Creative Commons licensing, some rights reserved.
Elizabeth Haslam, whose photos grace the rotating banner at the top of this page. See more at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lizhaslam/
Red boots by Rachel Sian, York/Peterborough, UK, https://www.flickr.com/photos/rachelsian/
Water drop by Laszlo Ilyes, Cleveland, Ohio, https://www.flickr.com/photos/laszlo-photo/with/6464034145/
Owl by M. G. N., https://www.flickr.com/photos/marcelxxl/
Golden Gate Bridge by Don McCullough, Santa Rosa, CA, https://www.flickr.com/photos/69214385@N04/
Caterpillar by Francisco Soto, Puebla, Mexico, https://www.flickr.com/photos/francisco_soto/
Monkey family by Chris Marquardt, Tübingen, Germany, https://www.flickr.com/photos/nubui/
Milky Way by Goddard Space Center, https://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/
The Bird & the Buddha by Loren Webster, Tacoma, Washington, lorenwebster.net
Black spider by Pascal Gaudette (Flickr handle: “doundounba”), Montreal, Canada,
https://www.flickr.com/photos/doundounba/
Big green wave by Pam Link, https://www.flickr.com/photos/pamelalink/
Nude by Madgdalena Roeseler, https://www.flickr.com/photos/magdalenaroeseler/
Coney Island ride by gigi_nyc https://www.flickr.com/photos/76807015@N03/
Soldier and children, Afghanistan, Ministry of Defence, London UK, https://www.flickr.com/photos/defenceimages/
Wave in Coyote Buttes by John Fowler, Placitas, New Mexico, https://www.flickr.com/people/snowpeak/
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Twitter: @AndrewHidas
What a fine Christmas present Andrew. Great way to enter the holiday. Thanks for sharing.
That Fowler shot is awesome.
I’m craving me some clear skies.
Enjoy the Holidays!
Andrew,
Thank you for another year of thoughtful and stimulating reflection and beautiful, evocative imagery, gifted with such care and attention.
…and what a hell of a verse you contribute, dear Andrew. Keep it coming.
“That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.” And that you have, Andrew. Thank you and Merry Christmas.
By my count, that’s worth at least 14,000 words there. A very nice selection. Merry Christmas.
What a wonderful way to start a sparkling Christmas Eve with a giant Christmas card all around us –raindrops, sunshine and these gorgeous photos. Happiest holidays to all the Andrew fans — and to you, AH.
Great job figuring out how to navigate and incorporate the world of photography into your blog. I’m so last millennium trying to do so! Meanwhile, HAPPY, HAPPY to you and your loved ones. So glad we’ve made this connection happen.
Thanks so much, my friends. Your appreciation makes the teeth-grinding worth it when what seemed like a perfectly fine train of thought for a blog post just doesn’t cohere, or worse yet, when something technical goes south for no discernible reason, and that cursed spinning ball has its way with me!