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Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Thematic Photographic 42 - Drab


Crossed tracks
Toronto, ON, March 2009 [Click to embiggen]

About this photo: We're kicking off Thematic Photographic's "drab" week. Scroll down for more details on how this TP craziness works.
I deliberately took the early train because I wanted to have a little quiet time to walk around and get my head ready for the day that would be. I had come here to deliver a presentation, and the last thing I wanted was to be pressed for time. It turned out to be a good move, as it ended up being the least stressful intercity trip I had taken in ages.

As I rather softly strolled through parts of Toronto's downtown, I thought of the countless people who take similar trips every day. I hope each of them has the opportunity to slow things down and look back at the journey just completed.

Your turn:
For the next week, Thematic Photographic will be exploring the world of drab. If it's dimly lit, sad-looking, morose-feeling or poignantly-toned, I hope you'll post it to your blog and then paste the link here. For more background how TP works, read on (McDuff):
  • Every Wednesday evening, at precisely 7 o'clock Eastern, I post a new Thematic Photographic entry.
  • Each entry has a unique theme. This week's is...drab!
  • You post a similarly themed image over on your blog.
  • You paste a link to your entry in a comment here.
  • If you've already posted something that fits (on a blog, Facebook, MySpace, wherever) simply post the link to the existing entry. Old or new, all photos are welcome.
  • You may post as many photos or links as you wish. For the next week, I'll be supporting this theme with a related picture/posting each day. I encourage you to do the same. This is all about sharing, so feel free to share to your heart's content!
  • Please share this link with friends, too, and encourage them to join in. The more, the merrier.
  • And please accept my thanks for your enthusiasm. Your participation has made TP a true highlight for me each and every week.
One more thing: I was a talking head again last night. I chatted with CTV Newsnet's Marcia Macmillan about Google Street View and its potential privacy implications. Click here to watch the video. The Ottawa Citizen has this excellent article as well, Google has its eyes on your street; Do you care?

35 comments:

  1. Under the drab there can be much excitement

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  2. Is that a real rail yard or a model? It looks real, and it's a fantastic photo, but it's hard to tell.

    Thomas :)

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  3. DRAB is so sad... I makes me want to splash the sky in shades of orange and red in defiance! However, I did channel my inner drab and posted a photo I took while strolling along the shores of Lake Ontario earlier in the month (sounds like a Blue Rodeo song!). The accompanying story is my attempt at humanizing the feel of abandonment which often arises from that little four letter word you've chosen this week.

    http://mayfairplace.blogspot.com/2009/03/abandoned.html

    ps. Your choice of photo perfectly captures it too. I've seen that view and have felt the same.

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  4. Am I first? Wow .... I'm finally getting back on top of things :)

    Here's my entry for drab ... and I thought I would let people try to guess what it is :)

    ~Heather

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  5. It's tough to make "drab" look attractive, but you know I'm loving this shot. Pretty much anything rail-related is gonna find a soft spot with me.

    But for openers, I went with something else.
    Thematic Photographic 42: "Drab" v.1.0

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  6. "I had come here to deliver a presentation, and the last thing I wanted was to be pressed for time."

    Yes, I too need to come out of a quiet place in order to address a group. Collection / recollection rises from your "drab" industrial/urban photo. I can smell the city-morning and hear the flap of wings.....Oh for a cup of tea! Aloha, Carmi

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  7. A very exciting drab photo...I love it. This is something I would frame.

    Breeze

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  8. Drab it is, but I do like the patterns the rails make.

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  9. drab, depressing, dismal, dark, dreary... A lot of adjectives describes your photo!!

    My DRAB is up, too!

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  10. Thomas: It's as real as real can be. It's a view of the tracks just to the west of Toronto's Union Station.

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  11. Oh Carmi! I can't tell you how excited I was this morning when I came home from dropping off my daughter at school and found a huge (drab) moth just shivering and shivering right over my doorbell. I ran and got my camera, realized I needed to delete the already uploaded 470 pictures and videos from it, clicked delete, and while my camera was deleting photos, the moth TOOK OFF! Flew way the heck across the street. Dang it.

    So I photographed my cat. I thought she was drab until I fell in love with her. Now she is beautiful.

    I'm putting up my post right now.

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  12. My post is up.

    http://wendsterblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/thematic-photograph-wednesday-drab.html

    By the way, I really loved your photo of the train yard. So professional looking! Wow. And very colorless so perfect for the theme.

    All~ my blog is private but you are ALL welcome to swing by and see my amateur drab photo. Please e mail me at
    WendyOhW@yahoo.com
    for an invitation to my blog which will grant you free passage on every future visit.

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  13. Realized I did not put my link up yesterday:
    http://photosandpursuits.blogspot.com/2009/03/drab.html

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  14. Railways are perfect places to explore 'drab'.

    I used to do a two hour commuter journey (there and back) twice a week, every week for a while. It certainly wears you out. Usually I was always in a hurry, often because of delays enroute. I don't miss the trip at all, though I miss visiting the city.

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  15. Mine drab shot will be up on Monday ... love your's.

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  16. Railroad tracks create such mystery with rails going in all sorts of patterns. Wonderful drab photo!
    Here is my contribution: http://lightandvoices.blogspot.com/2009/03/thematic-photographic-42-drab.html
    Joyce

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  17. Drab indeed - It may be railway yards in Canada but Carmi you have a lot to answer for in Manchester as it will now be grey and overcast/raining all week, any chance to have rain here and it will... it just takes a word: just to prove the point the drab image was taken shortly after you announced the subject! There are some other drab images here and here already residing on my blog

    I will now look for something more inspirational or meaningful... like railway yards... though I do like images with wet pavements.

    On a more serious level though what one person lives with another finds drab, like your regular commuters. My immediate reaction to the subject would be more akin to outside the Kremlin in February 1990 with a blizzard ~ that is drab, building, atmosphere. weather...

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  18. In searching for drab I finally found one...I had a lot of gloomy! :) Love the railroad/yard pic. Wherever I have lived there is always a rail near by...

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  19. I'm up and I'm drab!!

    www.doves2day.blogspot.com

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  20. that is a wide angled shot! nice:)

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  21. Just dropped by to see what your current subject is, and, once again, was intrigued by it. So,I looked up this picture I took last Fall of a sleeping dog at an Amish farm. Thanks for reminding me this "drab" photo that I liked so much!

    http://addhumorandfaith.wordpress.com/2009/03/27/drab/

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  22. How Nice to see the tracks where train will go in a ZIGZAG way.

    minor in possession

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  23. I believe I recognize that train yard. I didn't find it to hard to get some drab shots this time and I didn't have to go to far....just next door to where I live. Don't be scared. One good thing about it is that it's so quiet here.
    http://onthepathofleastresistance.blogspot.com/2009/03/thematic-photographic-42-drab.html

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  24. Your photo reminded me of my trip to Toronto years back... It's just the amount of lines coming from the train station, you rarely see that many over here.

    Anyway, I've joined in this week too - http://notesoflife.co.uk/?p=246

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  25. Really cool shot. I would frame that one too. Here are my drab shots.
    http://savingmemoriesbydkfisher.blogspot.com/2009/03/drab-thematic-photography.html#links

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  26. More drabness from me. With egg rolls.

    www.doves2day.blogspot.com

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  27. I found a different Drab. Very Drab. Way Drab. So the eggroll drab goes up on Sunday. Go visit this one today.

    www.doves2day.blogspot.com

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  28. My first 'drab' is up ..
    http://onthem104.blogspot.com/2009/03/thematic-photographic-series-42-drab.html

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  29. Carmi here is take 2 for Drab. I took some yesterday 'round the back of' shops etc but felt these images are better. They are all about 5 years old & yeas disused railways feature.

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  30. Why is it many people think Mondays are drab? Our dog on his blog Dexter's Musings contemplates drab Tuedays, but he would not say the images of him are drab!

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  31. Here's my first try for Thematic Photographic. I'm feeling particularly drab today!

    http://buenosburritos.blogspot.com/2009/03/drab-gothic.html

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  32. More 'drab' (and cold) here

    http://onthem104.blogspot.com/2009/03/monochromethematicodd-shot-monday_30.html

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  33. Drab?

    I had problems with this one. massive problems. Poss coz I don't see drab...or want to catch drab.
    A swift look-see has identified an especially drab wall in one of our borough towns tho. terrible....

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  34. I had a big long drab posting... but it dragged me down too much, and it dragged my readers down, too. I ended up complaining about my neighbour's drab surroundings (piles of garbage or maybe just STUFF)...
    So I deleted it all and left it as a simple entry.
    I'm happier with it. And it's still drab:
    http://kcinnova.wordpress.com/2009/04/01/thematic-photographic-42-drab/

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  35. Amazing photo Carmi, I like the emptiness and then on closer view, the train emerging from the tunnel, it's all about to begin, calm before the storm:)
    here's mine
    http://janies-rainy-day.blogspot.com/

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