Thematic Photographic 14 - Faded

Chevy in the rough
Port Stanley, ON, September 2008 [Click to enlarge]

Everything has its prime. When it's new and perfect, it's easy to find a flawless angle. But over time, the world takes its toll. Cars get rusty and dented. Bricks crumble. Skin gets wrinkly. Sadly, it's almost in our nature to look elsewhere.

This red Chevrolet stood out in the parking lot behind Mackie's, an almost-century-old restaurant just off the beach in this cottage/resort town on Lake Erie's northern shore. Our eldest son, Zach, saw it from way off and knew it would make a great photo subject. But as we drew closer, it became apparent that this car had seen better days. I couldn't find a workable composition in between the haphazardly applied bondo, mismatched paint and faded, scuffed chrome. I almost gave up before it dawned on me: Its imperfection is part of the story. That's the beauty.

So this week's Thematic Photographic theme, faded, zooms in on stuff thay may be a little older, a little run down, a little broken, a little humble, a little forgotten. Here's how this weekly photofest works:

1. Every Wednesday evening, I post a new Thematic Photographic entry.
2. Each entry has a unique theme. This week's is...faded.
   
3. You post a similarly themed image over on your blog.
   
4. You paste a link to your entry in a comment here.
5. If you've already posted something that fits (on a blog, Facebook, MySpace, wherever) simply post the link to the existing entry.
6. You may post one per day, many per day, one each day of the entire week, whatever suits your fancy. This is all about sharing, so feel free to share to your heart's content!
   
7. Please share this link with friends, too. I want this thing to being photographic happiness to lots of people - and I need your help.
   

Your turn: Go nuts with this one, as I know you will! I suspect this is going to be a very entertaining week. And if you know of someone who might be interested in joining this insanity, please forward them this link: http://tinyurl.com/phototheme

Wordless Wednesday - Art on the water

Reflective impressionism
Laval, QC, August 2008

Please note: This is the final photo in support of this week's Thematic Photographic theme, watery. I invite you to submit your own photo or link by clicking here (it's never too late, btw.) Please stay tuned later Wednesday evening, when I post the new TP theme for the coming week. If you'd like to participate in Caption This, point your mouse this way.

I never noticed how incredibly rich the surface of a moving body of water can be when you take the time to look into its reflection. At different times of day, it seems to take on radically different personalities. That fact alone invites you to keep returning to the riverbank, because you never know when you'll see something new.

Your turn: What body of water is located nearest your home? I hope you'll share a quick line or two about your last vist there.

One more thing: Do you Flickr? I do. If a picture or two a day on the blog isn't enough, head over to my Flickr page (click here) for a massive overload of visions through my lens. Here's the full link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/writteninc/

Google Chrome - first thoughts

Because the world won't spin upon its axis unless a new browser is introduced, Google has insisted on releasing a spanking new example, known as Google Chrome. It'll apparently be available for free download sometime today. (Update: Download here; announcement here; comic here)

Color me not terribly impressed. Maybe if any one of Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari or Opera actually did the job, we wouldn't have to download and maintain multiple pieces of the same application type on every machine we own. The browser-of-the-month thing is getting tiresome.

I know you're bent on world domination, Google. I know you soften the whole thing with your "Do No Evil" mantra. I'm not fundamentally opposed to any of this. You have, after all, revolutionized how we find stuff online, how we communicate and, increasingly, how we find cool new things to do on the Interweb.

But at some point, your hegemony of how we interact with our technology will surpass that of the company you used to love to beat up for doing pretty much the same monopolistic thing: Microsoft. I tend to become less enthusiastic when one organization controls the cloud, my browser, my collaboration tools, my... (you get the picture: you already own everything we do online. I wonder if there's an actual limit.)

Your turn: What's your take on Google's new browser? Is a new Borg in the making?

(And, no, contrary to my recent rantish tendencies, I won't state definitively that Google Chrome sucks. As much SEO fun as that would be, I'll reserve actual judgment on the actual product until I've had a chance to work with it. Stay tuned.)

This just in: BetaNews reporter Jacqueline Emigh interviewed me for the article, Analysts: How is Chrome tied to Android, that published Tuesday evening.

Duck, duck, GOOSE...

Solo
Laval, QC, August 2008

I'd like to continue this week's Thematic Photographic theme, watery, with a photo that suggests quiet. When I was a kid, just a few blocks away from where this photo was taken, I used to walk - often alone - to the bakery on Sunday mornings. My parents would give me money, and I was responsible for buying bagels and related fixings for brunch.

I'm old enough that I remember the walk down the main drag of our 'burb was a quiet one. The road, usually so busy during the week that I'd never be allowed to cross it on my own then, was nearly empty in this era before Sunday shopping and 24-hour groceries. I remember this as a quiet day when the world took a bit of a breather before diving back into the coming week.

Peeking over the edge of a deserted bridge over a small waterway and taking this picture in absolute silence brought those Sunday mornings right back to me. I kind of wish we had Sundays back the way they used to be.

Your turn: Seeking quiet amid the chaos of life. Please discuss.

One more thing: Written Inc. hosts two features each week where you get a chance to add to the chaos that is my online life. Click on the links below to begin your slide into my version of completely-legal-yet-immensely-fun blog-based debauchery:

Thematic Photographic
Caption This

Caption This 86

Please caption this image
[Click here for instructions on how Caption This works]
Laval, QC, August 2008 [Click to enlarge]

The scene: I was on my way home from a quiet, early morning photo-walk. Crossing a bridge over one of the small tributaries that define this peaceful oasis within an otherwise busy suburb, I stopped to take in the scene by the water. As I leaned over the railing, I noticed this odd scene evolving below me. Didn't look like a dog...because it was a cat.

I have no words for this picture. I hope you do.

Your turn: Please come up with a funny or otherwise memorable caption for this photo. Enter as often as you wish. Pull in anyone you think might be amused by this weekly diversion. I'll announce the winner next week. For more background on how Caption This works, click here to go back to where it all began. As this is a water-themed photo, click here for this week's Thematic Photographic madness.

About last week's photo of my son in the grocery store: I never miss an opportunity to capture our kids with my camera. They're growing so fast that I feel I'll miss something if I don't keep the Nikon with me at all times. Even a ho hum trip to the grocery store is fertile photographic ground. Many of you got the zeitgeist of this week's photo, and I'm pleased to share the following Honorable Menschens:

• Barb: "Pick me! Pick me!" (shades of Eddie Murphy's Donkey character in Shrek.)
• Heidi: "Freedom of choice." (so poignant in this season of disputed Olympics and elections)
• Robin: "As far as the aisle, can see." (No one does lyrical as well as Robin)
• Awareness: "Kellogg Jungle." (Because that's exactly what this place is...a jungle)
  
• Beverly: "But I don't see any that I like." (She must have been reading my son's mind)
• Sara: "The pursuit of happiness." (Speaks to that bubble of childhood I often write about)
• Anne: "Where's 'special Z'?" (Loved the commercial-flecked cynicism of this one)
• Lissa: "Hmmmm...I wonder how much I can grab and put into this cart before they notice..." (Lissa's been shopping with me before. She knows)
  

Jacie takes it this week with "Sugar rush". Please drop by her blog to share a word or two of congratulations - and feel free to hang around and enjoy her delightful perspectives of motherhood in the UK. I suspect you'll be hooked.

Hurricane Gustav sucks. Hanna sucks, too

It's hard to feel comfortable when people you know are living with a bullseye painted on the roof. Up here in the Great White North, I'm far, far away from the chaos that's about to descend on the U.S. Gulf Coast, but I find myself churning a lot of stomach acid regardless.

I pray the lessons of Katrina have been learned as New Orleans shuts down and empties out. I pray the forces of community, charity and empathy prevail over the forces of selfishness and criminal intent in the days and weeks ahead. Folks who have endured so much deserve to have a little humanity this time around.

Your turn: If you know someone in the hurricane zone, please take this opportunity to reach out and share a kind thought. Even small gestures matter at times like this.

One more thing: Thought I'd include some helpful - and frankly very geeky-cool - storm tracking links. Sometimes, data brings a little bit of comfort.

• StormPulse - Wickedly slick online tracking application
• StormAdvisory - Google Maps-based mashup
• IBISeye - Another great mashup
• National Hurricane Center - Gateway to the source of all storm-related data
• Weather Underground - Similar gateway-type resource
• Intellicast - Latest imagery
• Hurricane City - Interactive tracker

If you're aware of any other useful resources, sites, widgets, apps, whatever, feel free to leave a comment. I'll add to this entry if I receive more.

In my wake

Disturbed
Laval, QC, August 2008 [Click to enlarge]

You never quite know what you're going to get when you shoot an unpredictable subject. Perversely, this brings me comfort. Predictable is just a little too, I don't know, boring.

Agree? Disagree?

Your turn: Have you shared your watery-themed photo as part of this week's Thematic Photographic? Head on over here if you want to dive in (sorry, couldn't resist the pun.)

A sail before dinner

Life by the water (...continuing this week's Thematic Photographic theme. Go here to learn more.)
Toronto, ON, July 2008 [Click to embiggen]

Sometimes, you're on the ideal side of the plane when the winds blow in such a way that you have to loop over Toronto's downtown core on final approach. Oh, and a beautiful day punctuated by perfect, late afternoon sun doesn't hurt, either.

And when that happens, I hope you'll pull out your camera and record the scene, too.

Whenever I'm away, I try to bring home shareable moments for our kids. I want them to know what it was like for me to be where I was. I use pictures to tell stories of my trip, to involve them in the adventure. This latest trip to San Francisco was no different.

What jumped out at me as I tried to capture a shareable memory of an eye opening moment was how many boats were out in the harbor. It was 6:07 p.m., and the workday was transitioning quickly into a perfect July evening. This city, so often maligned for being cold and soulless, seemed to be anything but from where I sat. Loads of people were out on the water not because they were going somewhere, but because they were content to just drink in an obviously perfect day.

I thought the kids would like it. And they did. I hope you do, too.

Your turn: A perfect summer's day. Please discuss.

Ice, ice, baby

Micro solution to global warming
Laval, QC, August 2008 [Click to embiggen]

Quick note: This photo supports this week's Thematic Photographic theme, watery. Please click here to add to the growing party. I promise you'll have fun. (And if you're captionally inclined, head on over here for the latest Caption This.)

I'm guilty of pulling the camera out at the most inopportune moments. Well, opportune from an artistic perspective, but not so much when you're busy doing something else. Like corralling children, keeping up with your wife, or otherwise trying to avoid getting lost.

An interesting truth has emerged: For every time I attempt to shoot at a really inconvenient time, I usually end up with something on the memory card that I really like. Maybe it's because I don't have a lot of time to play with settings or ponder alternatives. I'm forced to quickly compose, set up, and shoot. No mucking around. It's like writing on deadline in that the words seem to flow better when I'm pressed than when I have all the time in the world.

I have to ponder that one a little more. For now, I hope you'll enjoy this shot.

Your turn: If you're mulling over ideas for your Thematic Photographic submission, I hope you'll consider exploring the alternative forms of water. What might those be? Do tell...

Thematic Photographic 13 - Watery

Drip
Laval, QC, August 2008 [Click to enlarge]

It's hard to imagine what's more important than water. Our bodies are made mostly from it. We need to drink it fairly regularly to stay healthy. Our plants won't grow without it. So for this week's Thematic Photographic theme, I'd like to focus on - say it with me - water. I know you'll find new and exciting ways to share photos of the most critical resource on the planet.

Here's a quick primer on how Thematic Photographic works:

1. Every Wednesday evening, I post a new Thematic Photographic entry.
2. Each entry has a unique theme. This week's is...watery.
   
3. You post a similarly themed image over on your blog.
   
4. You paste a link to your entry in a comment here.
5. If you've already posted something that fits (on a blog, Facebook, MySpace, wherever) simply post the link to the existing entry.
6. You may post one per day, many per day, one each day of the entire week, whatever suits your fancy. This is all about sharing, so feel free to share to your heart's content!
   
7. Please share this link with friends, too. I want this thing to being photographic happiness to lots of people - and I need your help.

Your turn: I'll stop yakking and will have things over to you for some Thematic Photographic goodness. I can't wait to see what you come up with.

Wordless Wednesday - Good morning, sunshine

Brilliant petals
Laval, QC, August 2008 [Click to embiggen]

About this pic: This is the last photo in support of this week's Thematic Photographic theme, colorful. I'll be posting a new TP theme later Wednesday evening (mark your calendars now!) For now, feel free to click back if you'd like to share a colorful photo.

Nature has am amazing way of painting a scene - no paintbrush required. I was on an early morning walk when I came across these petals soaking in the brilliant rising sun.

I didn't have a tripod and I had to carefully make my way into a public flowerbed to get close - much to the amusement of passers-by - but in the end it paid off in a picture that will always take me back to a small slice of time when life was peaceful and perfectly laid out in front of me.

Your turn: How is it that color has such power to change our mood?

I think I talk too much

The phone's been ringing off the hook in recent weeks as journalists from seemingly everywhere call for background, context and explanation of all sorts of tech-related issues. Here's a roundup of some of the more notable ones:

• The Canadian Press, Aug 24. Canadian firms face challenging back-to-school season with weak U.S. economy. Byline Ross Marowits.
  
• The Globe & Mail, Aug 23. N.S. tech firm's 'widget' an Olympic feat. Byline Oliver Moore. Discussed how a small Canadian company's medal-winner widget went viral on the Internet and what lessons other companies can learn.
• A News (London), Aug 21. I was interviewed by anchor Tara Overholt about the release of the BlackBerry Bold and what it means for smartphone buyers like you and me. Sorry I couldn't find a link to the online video, but lots of folks apparently saw it on the 6 o'clock news and left comments on my Facebook wall. Cool!
• BetaNews, Aug 22. Vista's image problem personified. Byline Tim Conneally and Scott M. Fulton, III. I talked about Microsoft's hiring of Jerry Seinfeld and what it means to the world's largest software maker. Hint: it's not about nothing.
• The Canadian Press, Aug 15. Social networking is spreading worldwide as Facebook and others adapt locally.
• Canwest News Service, Aug 13. Flipping through e-pages a pricey but intriguing prospect. Byline Marc Saltzman. Provided an overview of e-book readers (yes, they're coming!)
• TheStreet.com, Aug 11. BlackBerry Fund Shows Signs of Life. Byline Priya Ganapati (who has now moved over to Wired...how cool is that!)
• The Canadian Press, Aug 8. Bell overhaul continues with new phone, logo and marketing overhaul. My take: nice new clothes, but regular folks like us won't care unless they actually become a warm and fuzzy customer service company.
• The Toronto Star, Aug 1. Ottawa sends message on new texting fees. Consumers do need to be protected': Prentice. Bylines Bruce Campion-Smith and Debra Black
• Canadian Business Magazine, July 31. Nortel bets on future gear. Byline Greg Enright. Looked into the future of this once-high-flying, now-beleaguered Canadian telecom giant.
• Reuters, July 21. Canada's spectrum auction ends, raises C$4.25 bln. Byline Wojtek Dabrowski
• Business News Network, July 28. Icahn, Yahoo! fireworks far from over. Byline Noah Zivitz
• AM640 Toronto. I'm also teed up for regular guest spots on The John Downs Show as their tech guru. Each week, I chat with John about the tech issues that get our particular gourd, and then we take calls from listeners. Click here next Friday around 8:40 p.m. if you want to listen live.

Finally (sorry, I've been busy), I've had another article published in Processor's August 22nd edition: Chain Of Command: CIO Succession Planning Is More Than A One-Time Deal.

More to come...

Another look at Enzo's creation

Not-so-simple details...
Laval, QC, August 2008 [Click to embiggen]

About this photo: We're continuing our weekly Thematic Photographic theme, colorful. Click here if you'd like to jump on the TP bandwagon and share your own colorful photo or link. Click here for the latest Caption This entry.

The Ferrari Testarossa is about as full-blooded a sports car as you'll ever see. You don't even have to be a gearhead to realize it's special - it has a presence that makes even this dimly-lit concrete parking garage come alive in its presence.

I first shared images of this car last year (here) and was pleased that it was still there when we returned. The kids were chomping at the bit to get outside and play, so I crouched down and did the best I could in the barely-adequate light.

Your turn: I find simple, basic color to be the most memorable. Why is that?

Caption This 85

Please caption this image
[Click here for instructions on how Caption This works]
Laval, QC, August 2008 [Click to enlarge]

The scene: We've come to the supermarket here to pick up a few necessities. Zayda (grandfather) pushes the cart while Noah rides along. It's been a while since I took pictures in a supermarket, but I figure I don't live here, so it wouldn't be overly inconvenient if they kicked me out. As we turn down the cereal aisle, I realize just how busy this environment is, how the designs and colors seem to fight each other for our attention - not to mention the attention of an increasingly media-savvy 8-year-old boy.

He doesn't ask for a thing as we slowly roll down this riotous kill zone of commercialism. We soon leave the fluorescent-bathed color behind as we head home to put the groceries away and rest our eyes.

No one even noticed my camera.

Your turn: Please come up with a caption for this image. Click the Comment link below and go to town. Feel free to suggest as many as you'd like, and don't be afraid to pull your friends, neighbors and colleagues in as you see fit. We actively encourage promiscuous captioning, as you know. (This photo continues this week's Thematic Photographic theme, colorful. Have you played TP yet? No? Why, you absolutely must! Click here to begin.)

About last week's image of a semi-trailer that's well past its prime: I could hear the silence as I captured this photo, and every time I look at it, even 2+ years after I shot it, I still do. You all clearly heard something as you suggested a range of very strong captions. Honorable menschens go to:

• Jacie: "Rust never sleeps."
• Sara: "Been there done that."
• Linda: "Contents no longer shift during movement."
• Anne: "Tired."
• Mojo: "I don't know when that road turned on to the road I'm on."
• Awareness: "A Road Less Travelled."
• Dan: My haulin' days are over/I'm no longer in tow/They didn't want me at the truck stop/But there's always room in Jellico
• Robin: "Truck stopped."

And the winner, Carmi? For the first time in Caption This history, we have a tie. Barb and Moi both suggested "Rust in peace." And since I moderate comments and neither had seen the other's submission, they both take the crown. How cool is that! Their respective blogs, Picture this, at last and Not By A Long Shot are delightfully full of unique perspectives on life and photography. If you haven't read them, please remedy that soon - and kindly drop them a congratulatory line as well.

One more thing: I don't say "thank you" to you all enough for making Written Inc.'s weekly challenges, Caption This and Thematic Photographic, the successes that they are. Please know that I deeply appreciate the spirit with which you all participate. None of this would be anywhere near as much fun as it is were it not for your enthusiasm and drive. Thank you so much.

Written Inc. makes the newspaper...

...sort of.

Dan Brown works for the London Free Press, our burg's daily paper. He occasionally writes the editorial for the paper. And this past Thursday, he chose to write about the state of blogging in London. The piece was entitled Blogs blossom in Forest City.

Long story short, someone named John Leschinski decided to rate London blogs. Dan congratulated him, but said he missed out on some good blogs, including...mine! Here's the snippet:

One can disagree with Leschinski's conclusions. He certainly did not provide a comprehensive catalogue of all the noteworthy London blogs, leaving out such ones as Phronk and Written Inc.

But let's all hope his analysis sparks a larger discussion.

How cool is that? My little blog making the big-print, center-page editorial of a daily paper. Okay, it won't bring me any closer to retirement, but it's a nice mention all the same. Thanks, Dan. Based on the comments on both your and Mr. Leschinski's sites, you definitely kickstarted that larger discussion.

And thanks to my friend Laurie for letting me know it was there. I often let papers stack for days before I catch up. Her e-mail sent me scurrying for the Thursday edition.

BTW, Dan's blog, Cool Blog Name to Come, can be found here.

(Oops, almost forgot: I'll post the new Caption This later today. I'm spending some deliberate time away from technology today - the real live folks who make life joyous need my undivided attention more than my laptop does. Whatever you're doing today, I hope it's just as fulfilling!)

Colors at play

Planetary alignment
London, ON, June 2008

About this photo: Welcome to another entry in support of this week's Thematic Photographic theme, colorful. Got a colorful scene to share? Please click here to get started.

GM's Saturn brand has always billed itself as a different kind of car company. The auto afficionados among us can argue that point until time immemorial, but one can't dispute the organization's commitment to its surrounding communities. In recent years, local dealers have funded the installation of new playgrounds in every corner of the city.

Interestingly, the Saturn Playground philosophy is to install equipment that all children of all abilities can enjoy. Saturn Playgrounds encourage children to work together, which is a refreshing change from the usual apparatus found in a city playground.

Their latest one popped up in a neighborhood that very much needs a shot in the arm. Located just off of one of the city's most notorious and crime-ridden areas, almost forgotten by the high-speed traffic speeding by on Adelaide Street, it attracts kids and families who don't seem to have much color in their lives. As I strolled by on a sunny afternoon, I had to wait for knots of kids to clear before I could get this shot.

Your turn: Color that changes lives. Please discuss.

Writer for hire...

As I plot the next phase of my life as a writer and technological guru, I find myself looking for opportunities to flex my pen. Yes, folks, I'm whoring my blog to pick your brain and pursue freelance writing/contract gigs.

What do I write? Pretty much anything. I've become a techno-talking head in recent years, doling out advice on everything from picking the best cell phone plan to figuring out if Facebook makes sense for your company. I've begun writing for tech media again - see here for earlier post - and I'm looking for more. Tech media, mainstream media, new media, corporate writing...I'm flexible. If your company has a communication need, I can help.

Your turn: Any ideas? Geography isn't a limit: this is the Internet Age, after all. If words need to be strung together, I want to be the one wielding the string. If you'd rather e-mail than comment, find me at carmilevy AT gmail DOT com

(On the assumption that this admittedly unusual form of outreach works, it'll validate my belief that social media like blogs are rapidly evolving beyond their original status as hobbies. Real careers, apparently, are built on 'em. Hopefully mine, too. Thanks in advance for your thoughts and input!)

Before its time

Early autumn?
Laval, QC, August 2008 [Click to embiggen]

The scene: It's 7:24 a.m. I've gone out for a morning walk to take pictures and spend a bit of alone time by the river that carves the landscape around my parents' and in-laws' neighborhood. I'm barely out the front door when a sliver of red invades my view. I stop dead in my tracks: can't be...it's August! But sure enough, there it is, a single red leaf on the sidewalk, mocking my sense of schedule.

Yes, it's early. But I guess sometimes forlorn beauty just can't wait to show itself.

Your turn: We're getting colorful with this week's Thematic Photographic theme. Got a colorful photo to share? Click here to get into the photographic groove.

Thematic Photographic 12 - Colorful

They melt in your mouth, not in your hand
London, ON, September 2007 [Click to embiggen]

It's been a fairly cruddy few days. Nothing earth-shattering, mind you. No one has died - not that I'm aware of, anyway - and I still have a roof over my head, an incredible wife, three great kids, a semi-psychotic dog and a constantly evolving ability to wield a pen and a camera. But sometimes the sine wave of life takes a bit of a curve southward and the best you can do is just hold on until it reverses course. Fun, isn't it?

As I look at my photography in recent weeks, I suspect I've been subconsciously reflecting this darkening mood in the photos I've uploaded. I've been shooting drug users, abandoned trailers, homeless people and decaying buildings. Well, for this week's Thematic Photographic theme, I'm going to try to jumpstart things with a somewhat happier theme: Colorful. (I hope you'll stop and take a moment to smile at the prospect. I'll wait.)

There, let's continue.

So whatever you share through the week, please make it colorful. You can take it literally, figuratively, or any way you see fit. I enjoy seeing how you all creatively interpret each theme, and I'm sure this week's choice will result in some great photo sharing.

If you're new to Thematic Photographic, here's a quick FAQ:

1. Every Wednesday evening, I post a new Thematic Photographic entry.
2. Each entry has a unique theme. This week's is...colorful.
   
3. You post a similarly themed image over on your blog.
   
4. You paste a link to your entry in a comment here.
5. If you've already posted something that fits (on a blog, Facebook, MySpace, wherever) simply post the link to the existing entry.
6. You may post one per day, many per day, one each day of the entire week, whatever suits your fancy. This is all about sharing, so feel free to share to your heart's content!
   
7. Please share this link with friends, too. I want this thing to being photographic happiness to lots of people - and I need your help.

I'm not done: Caption This needs your love, too. Click here to visit this week's entry and share your submission.

Wordless Wednesday - Addicted

A modern tragedy
Montreal, QC, August 2008 [Click to enlarge]

The scene: I've just finished an appointment and am walking back to the Metro (subway) to head home. From across the street, I see someone sitting in the middle of an otherwise empty and run-down concrete plaza on a busy street corner just to the east of Montreal's downtown core. From afar, this person looks homeless. A couple of dogs wander around the dull gray landscape.

As I approach, I decide the dogs look sweetly out of place in this urban jungle. So I use my zoom to capture them from afar. The person - now clearly a she - has no idea I'm there.

Against my better judgment, I adjust my lens toward her and squeeze. The thought of a solitary, anonymous figure, ignored by everything around her seems to match this week's Thematic Photographic theme, poignant. I quietly retreat and continue on my way. So engrossed is she in whatever she's doing that she never looks up.

Only later, as I review the images on my camera's screen, do I realize what I've captured. As I was shooting, the sun was too bright for me to realistically assess the results. Now I see the stark reality: an addict shooting up in broad daylight, in full view of anyone who passes by.

I feel more than a little sick about it. But in the end I decide it's a scene that must be shared for a variety of reasons, the least of which as a reminder of how little separates the lives of the haves from the lives of the have nots.

Your turn: Do you find this jarring? Why? I'll post a new Thematic Photographic theme later on Wednesday evening. In the meantime, we're still taking poignant-themed submissions here.