so I begin by asking a question; it’s not new in fact far from it. why the incessant wanderlust inherent in human nature? at this time in our history we have the ability to trace the ancestry of the entire human race (that’s right, THE ENTIRE) back to it’s origins in east africa some 200000 years ago via the matrillineal line. mindboggling. from there apparently some 80000 years ago the movement began until we ended up in all the far flung corners of the globe. so in fact we are all related.

our cultural and religious variations developed in isolation. how could we have been open and accommodating to the ways of others without fear, anger and suspicion? how could we have known we were all related anyway which may have offered a means to get along. over millennia not much has changed. our curiosity remains however to see and engage with the world, given the opportunity. perhaps now it is more important than ever while it is still possible with the advent of relatively cheap air travel before the window closes perhaps due to energy and above all climate change considerations.

so this picture of a port somewhere in southern europe symbolises a begining; the start of a journey to who knows where. hopefully a journey that will foster better relatedness with others, better tolerance and understanding of the differences between us. after all we are all related.

here I like the juxtaposition between the two symbols. one, in the background, the way of the christian church as has manifested over the centuries. the other; contemporary, secular. the hand, the bolt of lightning. do you get it? the effect is the same. it’s the symbol that matters. the faithful rally under their banner. they await a favourable outcome. if their faith is true it just might happen. sometimes it does. the vagaries of faith.

I would consider this young woman to be my friend. I am old enough to be her father. that’s how it works. I love this shot. slightly out of focus, a bit of post processing. she said ‘don’t you dare take my photo with my hair like this’.  I did.  the heart can play strange tricks and often does. life as feeling. it’s one of the things we have which demands attention.

there is something about this picture i really love. it’s the light. just on dusk with the way light behaves at this time of the year ; the sun quite a way into the northern sky (southern hemisphere). the shadows are different; stark, pronounced, somehow having a quality all there own which makes a lasting impression. the depth of the shadows leading the eye to that last bit of light illuminating the hills in the distance; faint headlights in the foreground. makes me feel alive, more sensitised to my surroundings. the best thing of all is that it is all free, no strings. the eye of the observer.

this new phenomenon of modern life is becoming all pervasive. we are all well aware of it. indeed it is everywhere. this picture somehow portrays the separation that is created almost  by proxy. no one is really conscious that it is actually happening. her face is separated by the window pillar enhancing her detachment while he, intent on the screen is none the wiser. her eyes suggest a wistful distance, even a longing to actually relate to him without that something between them. but it is only a picture, wide open to interpretation.

two local guys who in fact rarely meet. but they do have a lot in common. both do their own thing according to their own scheme of things. perhaps even eccentric. here they share a moment somehow acknowledging each other in a timeless way. I was fortunate to have my camera at the time and took the shot, pushing everything to the limit, especially under the no flash scenario while trying to steady myself against a wall. shutter speed 1/10 of a second. iso 3200. I would have thought just about impossible but it just goes to show.