I launched this blog just after Christmas five years ago with the intention of seeing where it went over the course of the next year. When that year was up, I felt moved not only to keep on going, but to compile a Holiday Photo Gallery that would highlight the work of photographers in the Flickr world who had done so much to enliven these pages and assist in exploring the themes and questions I had been posing to myself and to the readers who had joined me in this venture.
That initial Photo Gallery, meant as a one-and-done at the time, begat a second, to which I appended the word “Annual” in order to commit myself to taking a bit of time at this time-squeezed juncture of the year to pause, to marvel, to exclaim, always involuntarily, “Wow, look at that! Amazing!”
And “amazing” is what these photographs are again, in my estimation, all in their own way, just as the four previous iterations in this collection have been. And having taken far less than a thousand words to introduce them, I will now turn this space over to the photographers to tell their own stories, in the pictures worth thousands and thousands more.
So Merry Christmas, and every other form of celebration that moves you body and soul at this hallowed time of year.
My word(s)! Such an extraordinary pleasure this has been. Thank you!
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Above: The joy of open spaces, by Trey Ratcliff
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And finally, a symphony, with a rather loud chorus, brought to you by John Fowler and a million of his friends, hoping to send you off happy and in ever present awe toward a new year…
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Deep appreciation to the photographers! Unless otherwise stated, some rights reserved under Creative Commons licensing.
Elizabeth Haslam, whose photos (except for library books) grace the rotating banner top of homepage, and also the bottom photo, “Mother and child universal” https://www.flickr.com/photos/lizhaslam/
Library books photo at top of page by Larry Rose, Redlands, California, all rights reserved, contact: larry@rosefoto.com
Little girl running by Trey Ratcliff, Queenstown, New Zealand https://www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms/
Shorebirds by Ingrid Taylar, “Nomadic, West Coast, USA”
https://www.flickr.com/photos/taylar/
Eye by Wendelin Jacober, Lucerne, Switzerland https://www.flickr.com/photos/wendelinjacober/with/33404538604/
Chimp lovers by Bruno Casonato, Niederrhein, Germany
https://www.flickr.com/photos/derpunk/
Beach leap by Magdalena Roeseler, Switzerland
https://www.flickr.com/photos/magdalenaroeseler/
Snow camping by Annie Milroy Price, Asheville, North Carolina https://www.instagram.com/birdseyebiz/
Tree frog by Andreas Kay, Puyo, Ecuador
https://www.flickr.com/photos/andreaskay/
Puppy love by Shan Sheehan, Subic Bay
https://www.flickr.com/photos/47217301@N06/
Black hole jets by NASA Goddard Space Science Center, Greenbelt, Maryland https://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/
Elderly Ngada (Indonesian) man by Collin Key, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany https://www.flickr.com/photos/collin_key/
Bryce Canyon by nrg_crisis, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nrg_crisis/
Snow geese migration video by John Fowler, Placitas, New Mexico https://www.flickr.com/photos/snowpeak/
Many thanks for another year of beautiful imagery, thought-provoking discourse, and the opportunity to reflect and engage on worthy issues.
Sorely needed in this world of ours, and greatly appreciated!!
So glad to have you along, Angela. I strongly suspect the world won’t be giving us any less material to ponder in 2018…
Great images! Especially love the “Universe collapsing with a bang not a whimper”!! I also echo Angela’s appreciations – your blog is a regular lens I go to in an attempt to make some sort of sense of this life of ours! Here’s to continued pondering in 2018!
Kevin, I daresay we will remain here in the ponderer’s chair just as long as the gods will put up with us. Thanks for pulling up your own stool alongside now and again!