Shot From Below, 52Frames

Here's the photo I chose.

"Aiming High"
This is the bottom of a special Sabbath and Holiday Prayer Readers Platform of an Cochin Indian synagogue reconstructed in the Israel Museum. It juts out of the Women's Gallery. https://scontent-frt3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/1618614_10208642893212546_8440354879599021488_n.jpg?oh=ba309a8b03d0df7bd69b45410828e84b&oe=572C2B73
The title I gave this photo, "Aiming High," is a pun; it has double meaning. Not only do I have to aim my camera high when shooting from below, but I photographed a place of prayer. And don't we "aim high" when we pray?

And here are some of the "rejects." Did I choose wrong or right?

"Coming and Going..." My Most Successful 52Frames Photo So Far!

I'm going to be perfectly honest, IMHO, some of my other photos are just as nice, and I don't understand why this one got so many great comments and likes. It's rare for any of my photos to break out of the teens in comments and likes, so I was rather surprised to see this one I took "walking home" in the airport taking off so nicely.

Batya Medad
"Coming and Going..."Greeting from Israel's Ben-Gurion International Airport! Yes, I'm home, thank Gd. As you can see, the airport is designed so that passengers coming and going can view each other easily. I love photographing the airport; it is so beautifully designed.
Camera: Canon Canon IXUS 145
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A new photo challenge in your inbox, each week. Join this amazing global community. Start here:http://bit.ly/52f-fbstart — with Batya Spiegelman Medad.

During the week I could take photos for the "" theme, I was in Arizona and then flew home to Shiloh, Israel. And I took lots of pictures with the theme in mind. It was hard to choose. I like these airport photos:

And I also thought it would be nice to shoot the view from the plane, but it looked a bit boring, especially since I was on night flights and had very little opportunity to look through a window.

There were also some amazing photos I took in Scottsdale, Arizona walking to the memory center where my father lives.

When I asked other framers for advice I just included the Arizona shots with the one of the Israeli airport. Advice was mixed. Considering the praises I received, I guess I chose well.

What do you think?

PS until now, my most successful/popular photo was the self-portrait from  2015.

It's not a better photo. The popularity was more because people were interested in how much I've changed in the almost half century since my high school graduation.

52Frames from New York, Didn't Miss a Week!!

Last night Yesterday afternoon I finally landed home in Israel. I had been away for just over two weeks. I did my best to blog on this blog and Shiloh Musings. And I also managed to submit photos to 52Frames the photography group of weekly challenges/themes I've been in for almost two and a half years.

At 52Frames we start the year with a self-portrait which isn't supposed to be a quick smiling/mugging selfie. It's supposed to have more thought out composition and artistic pizzazz. I ended up posing in the well-mirrored bathroom in our Blakely Hotel room, New York City, where we spent New Year's Eve, since the timing of the visit had been timed to allow us to attend a big family wedding that night in Manhattan.

"Dedicated Framer"
Self portrait on the go. I am traveling and refuse to miss a week. All I have is a phone with minimal memory.

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Start 2016 right. A new photo challenge in your inbox, each week. Begin your 52-week journey anytime! Tell your friends! Start here:http://bit.ly/52f-fbstart

 — with Batya Spiegelman Medad.

The photo is unedited, since it was straight from the telephone, an overtired Galaxy II which freezes and needs lots of "undoing" if I try to edit photos.

The second week's photo, also taken in Manhattan, was supposed to be black and white. And again since my phone is too overloaded and crotchety to play with, I was afraid to "tell it" to photograph black and white, so I "bleached out" the color on my friend's computer after mailing it to myself and then downloading on her computer and seeing what photo-editing program was easily available.

"New York! New York!"
At present I'm in New York City and do not have my usual computer. Enough with the excuses; this is a lovely neighborhood as you can see.

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Start 2016 right. A new photo challenge in your inbox, each week. Begin your 52-week journey anytime! Tell your friends! Start here:http://bit.ly/52f-fbstart

 — with Batya Spiegelman Medad.

This was the best I could do in editing (cropping, color change and whatever) on the unfamiliar computer, an Apple.

For the upcoming weekly challenge, I've taken a gazillion pictures, which I must go through, edit a bit and choose. Sometimes life is easier for a gypsy...

Abandoned, 52Frames

This week's theme/challenge in the photography group I'm in, 52Frames, was "Abandoned." I took a few photos and chose this bench, from which I then took out the color, making it black and white.

"Benched Bench"
I don't live in Jerusalem and have no idea of how this uncomfortable crooked bench ended up in my neighborhood. It looks pitiful and is certainly abandoned. I've never seen anyone sit in it either. It has obviously been rejected, sent off the field, benched, the Benched Bench.

"What a Face!!"

Here's the animal picture I used for 52Frames "animal" theme.

This dog is owned by a neighbor of mine. It was a gift of sorts from a friend whose health made it impossible to care for her dogs.

And here are the ones I almost used.

Did I choose the best?

52 Frames, Football Helmet and Gloves at Extreme Angle

I took lots of photos for this week's 52Frames, Extreme Angle, from high and low,

but in the end it was a simple shot from the Lions vs Rebel football game. A player had taken off his helmet and gloves and left them on the side for me to photograph.

OK, he didn't know I'd be taking the picture, but for whatever reason, they were off of him and on the artificial turf. I wonder if I chose the right one to submit. There are others in the album like the dozens of rejects I took, but no other like this one in all its simplicity.

The Sound of Music in Her Mind- 52Frames

Only the young dancer heard the sound of the music.

This week's 52Frames theme/challenge was Sound. As usual, I ended up taking the picture at work, Yafiz, Sha'ar Binyamin.

"The Sound of Music in Her Mind"I was mesmerized by this adorable little girl dancing around the store twirling a long supermarket receipt. The "Sound of Music" was obviously in her mind making the dance even more beautiful.
This photo qualifies for the "Extra Credit" challenge: "No Musical Instrument"

Fire, A Flame, Simplicity for 52Frames

This week the theme/challenge on 52Frames was "Fire." I had neither the time nor the facilities to do something complicated and ambitious. The deadline was approaching and I had nothing to send in. So I thought of the lighter that I keep by the stove to light the burners for cooking. When I bought it, the guy at the check-out lit it and told me to get another, with a stronger flame.

The flame still shoots out pretty well, bli eyin haraa.

52Frames "FIRE!"

I thought it was pretty good, but hasn't proven very popular in the 52 Frames crowd. I still like it.

Wabi Sabi, Imperfectly Perfect, 52 Frames

This week's 52 Frames  theme/challenge was a strange one. I had never heard of the term before, but once I understood that it was to make us photograph the beauty of imperfection, I decided to photograph an old, well-lived face.

The first person I asked was an elderly man who works at Rami Levy, Sha'ar Binyamin. I think he's the only one working there older than I am! He thought I was crazy, but he agreed to be photographed.

I took a few photos, each with different lighting. Contrary to my usual custom of of not using (cancelling) the flash, I saw that he needed it on between the place he sat and his hat which put his upper face into a shadow. And once I chose the photo I cropped it. Yes, I've learned a lot by taking on the 52 Frames challenges.

"Lucky Night," Night Photography 52 Frames

I took a lot of photos for the Night Photography theme/challenge on 52 Frames. But none of the photos came out the way I wanted. I guess night photography is not for cheap cameras, even a Canon IXUS 145.

After much cropping, I managed to get a pretty clear image of this electronic billboard advertising a lottery drawing at 22:00, that's 10pm at night.

No doubt that it was a lucky night for someone.

Trust, Edited by Somebody Else, 52 Frames

For a  photographer a photograph is a special thing, and many find it hard to trust someone else's editing touch and taste. So, davka for this week's 52Frames photo challenge, we had to hand over our "baby" to somebody else for editing.

I was extremely lucky that the  very accomplished Fran Vegh Rosenwasser offered to edit my photo. Here's the finished product:

And here's the original:

Fran, thank you!

Magic aka Golden Hour for 52Frames

This week's challenge/theme for 52Frames was the Magic aka Golden Hour when the rise and/or fall of the sun causes a series of color changes.

I ended up submitting a photo of the sunrise taken from my house. I must admit that I have a perfect view of the dawn.

Here are a few of the other photos I thought captured the special light.

Dusk, Sha'ar Binyamin

Netivot Shopping Center, notice the golden color of the building.

Netivot, note how the trees turned red from the dusk, pre-sunset light

Jerusalem of Gold, note the golden cast on the buildings. I rejected this photo, because of the cluttering interference of electric and whatever lines.

Repetition, Weekly 52 Frames Photo Challenge

Well, this week's challenge or theme is Repetition, and here's the photo I took and used from outside of Binyanei Ha'uma, Jerusalem Convention Center.

I was going in there for כנס צהר Tzohar Conference last week. I had a lot of fun at the conference and taking photos for the challenge. When I asked some 52 Frames members for help choosing, they suggested this one with additional cropping which I did. This is the result. And here are the others from my short list.

I think the advice I got was good. Do you? All of the photos are so different. It does make me wonder.

Dive In! 52 Frames

This week's theme/challenge for 52 Frames was WATER. So I guess most of you could easily guess what water I photographed:

52 Frames, Water

Yes, the pool, the Shiloh Swimming Pool!!

This photo could have also easily qualified for Abstract. I chose it because of the simplicity, the lines, the shimmer and the luscious blue color. Strangely, it is probably the least popular, least liked photo in the entire 52 Frames album, but I really do like it. The other photos I took couldn't hold a candle to this one. This photo draws the eyes and it's almost hypnotizing.  At least I think so. You're welcome to add your 2¢ in the comments, thanks.

52 Frames Transportation

I took a lot of photos for this week's 52 Frames Transportation theme and ended up submitting one I tried to be as discreet as possible as I shot it. I only took one as a caregiver wheeled her charge onto an Egged bus in Jerusalem.

The buses, at least most of them nowadays, have a ramp that can be lowered to the curb to facilitate wheelchair access. It wasn't very popular among the 52 Framers. Maybe one of my "rejects" would have gotten more likes. What do you think?

PS None of the "rejects" have been cropped, my usual editing.

Caught History for 52 Frames

This week's 52 Frames challenge was Architecture. I caught two of Israel's most iconic buildings.

Yes, that's the Shrine of the Book (Israel Museum) in the foreground and the Knesset in the background. The Shrine of the Book houses in  Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Knesset is Israel's parliament.

I took a slew of photos at the Museum for this project, because it has some of the most gorgeous and most photogenic buildings. Here are a few of those I didn't submit.