Hand it to 52Frames

This week's challenge for 52Frames was "Hands." I must admit that after about three years, never missing a week, I'm on the verge of burnout. And I do find it rather depressing frustrating that some of my favorite photos, of those I've submitted, are ignored. There is an unofficial competitive bent in all this. There are well-heeled professionals with the best of equipment, and there are amateurs with top-notch equipment. And there are members with lots of enthusiastic friends who always "like" their photos, and then there are members like myself with bargain equipment and fewer fans, if any.

Hands aren't all that easy to photograph. My previous tries, other years, were worse than pathetic. Davka during the days I could take the photo, which must be only from early Monday morning, Israel Time, to the following early Monday morning, I wasn't any place good for the "challenge." I did sneak a couple of shots on the bus one day. And I had taken a photo of my husband's hands last year and mine the year before... Neither were decent photos.

Then all of a sudden, as I left the pool last Friday, the last day it was open this season, I got a brainstorm. It suited my mood. I felt I'd be mocking the whole super-sharp macro, wrinkled, hairy hand scene. My brainstorm would be like hanging a "fingerpainting" next to some dainty Japanese landscape painting. For the "hands" I took my bright blue swimming gloves and placed them on the edge of the pool. I took a few pictures, some with and some without the flash. I didn't use Automatic mode.

Swim HandsI wear these swimming gloves when in the pool. They add to my upper body exercise, and friends with poor eyesight recognize me by my blue gloved hands. We have now ended our pool season here in Shiloh. I hope to wear these "hands" in other pools over the next nine or so months before the local one reopens.

Ironically, there are people who like this photo, and it certainly stands out. It's totally different from all the others. And you should know, that I used the flash for this photo. Even though the sunlight was extremely bright at the time, this photo with the extra light is much more interesting and striking than the one without the flash. Recently, I haven't been using the Automatic flash, in which the camera chooses if flash is needed. Either I prefer no flash or even if there's light, I want the addition of the flash.

This was taken seconds before, but without the flash.

What do you think?