Monday, September 04, 2006

Icarus?


We all know what happened to the ancient dude who attached wings to his arms with wax, only to have them melt off when he flew too close to the sun. It remains an important lesson about the importance of planning and the dangers of over-ambition. Or something like that.

I'll quietly sidestep the physics of temperature and altitude and all the other scientific explanations that render this slice of mythology about as believable as cold fusion. But when this bird flew overhead while we sat on a quiet lakefront beach, I was glad my lens was already pointing in the appropriate direction.

Oh, and when they tell you to never shoot into the sun, ignore them. Some photographic rules are made to be broken. Repeatedly.

Your turn: What words come to mind as you first see this picture (don't think it over...just write whatever words pop into your head.) Moreover, how does an image like this make you feel?

(I know, it's an odd pair of questions. I'm still toying with both the logic and the emotion of photography. Thanks for humoring me.)

31 comments:

Azgreeneyes said...

Freedom. That's the first thing that comes to mind. The feeling is of escaping worries and responsibilities for the half second it takes me to realize that this is just a picture, not me flying away. Is that lame? Oh well. Here from Michele's

LBA said...

Jonathon
Livingston
Seagull.

And since my mum gave me that book to read, i'm also thinking of Simon&Garfunkle tunes.

Probably not the answer you were expecting :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Michelle sent me :)

And the first thing I think of is freedom. Serenity. The cool wind and warm sun.

I want to fly away.

Sara said...

Infinite peace.

Anonymous said...

Ok, a little off the beaten path, but when Nickelodian goes off at night there is a shot that shows up on the screen for about 30 minutes so all parents know that the Nick broadcast has ended for the day. This reminds me of that photo! Nice shot and thanks for leaving a link! I had already seen the CBS piece so I'm honored you dropped by!

kenju said...

The wild blue yonder.......freedom....soaring....

Jennifer said...

flyin free!

i wish i could be a duck... able to fly, walk and swim!

funny you should mention about shooting the sun... i have a few that i tried over and over... since i really couldnt look, i just kept pointing the camera and taking the shot. i might post them on my blog today too!

utenzi said...

Michele sent me over, Carmi.

No words, Carmi. Just a feeling of freedom. The closest to a word I got was "ahhhhhh". There's also a sense of coolness, of gliding through the air but that stuff came after the frontal lobes kicked in and don't really count as first impressions.

Sandy J said...

Beauty. To stop and really look at the world and see the beauty.

Jennifer said...

ok ok... i did post my sun pictures today too... i hope you don't mind that i'm "copying" you!

Danielle said...

I loooove shooting towards the sun. Photo rules are definitely made to be broken! And, since you asked, I thought freedom too. I'm here via Michelle's.

Anonymous said...

I immediately think of the Native American view of Great Spirit. And I cn hear the echoing caw of a crow or voice of the hawk. It takes me back to my childhood.
Here from Michele's

Panthergirl said...

The word is "soar", but it doesn't MAKE me sore, ya know? ;)

Seriously...gorgeous photo!

Here via michele again!

jsdaughter said...

Soar... That was the first word that came to mind..
I could write a novel of all of things that came to mind, so I'll just say thank you again, Carmi, for sharing the beauty that you capture with your camera..

kenju said...

Back again, via Michele, Carmi. I have had a "lost" Monday here, trying to rest up from the heavy work I had last week. I wish I felt as light as that bird and could take off at will to wherever my nose took me.

Anonymous said...

Free...totally free to see what I wish, to go where I feel.

Anonymous said...

Whoopsssss
forgot to say Here via Michele meet and greet

Shooter said...

What an amazing shot. I too thought freedom first. The thought of being weightless, free of all that weighs us down.
Michele sent me!

Anonymous said...

Wile blue freedom! I can't help but think that I saw this exact scene up at the Blue Ridge Parkway yesterday and my camera ran out of battery power just as I was about to shoot! Michele my belle sent me.

David Edward said...

"How DO they do that?"
soaring - I want to be able to do that!

Star said...

Freedom I have the feeling that bird is just soaring unencumbered by earthly responsibilities. Michele sent me by this tine.

Catherine said...

Soaring - I love that word. Lightness. Warmth. It reminds me of my recent holiday by a beach, and holidays in general.
Michele sent me.

Catherine said...

Oh, and that story about Icarus - it wasn't altogether about ambition. Icarus' father made the wings for himself and his son so they could escape from being imprisoned.
The story for me resonates with all sorts of dilemmas that come with being a parent.

Anonymous said...

Peace after Noah's flood comes to mind.

Lovely shot.

Michele sent me.

Anonymous said...

Freedom......serenity

Tracie Nall said...

Peaceful!!

It's a beautiful picture (as always!)

Here via Michele!

Zee said...

Spirit.

I came this morning, thought 'Spirit', and left without commenting, to see how I'd feel about it later during the day.

I return, and again I think Spirit.

Lovely shot. :)

Suzanne said...

at the risk of repeating 30 other people before me...i'd have to say Freedom! That's what I thought of immediatly.
Beautiful picture Carmi...as always.

Janet said...

First thing that came to mind, right?

I started humming Fly Like An Eagle by Steve Miller:)

srp said...

The first word that comes to mind is: quiet solitude. OK, that was two words.

Feeling? Release. As if one has been jailed, shackled, in a dark dungeon and suddenly released; soaring high with the sun warming every part of your being.

Another matter: This is the second site that has "suddenly" had three new posts, as if Blogger wouldn't let my site see the new ones over the weekend. What gives?

Anonymous said...

Nice pic !!