B"H, I'm Back

Some of you, especially those who follow me on Instagram, 365 Project, Facebook and my blogs may have noticed that I have/had been pretty silent the few days. The blog posts that went up here and on Shiloh Musings Wednesday morning had been written and programmed to post on Tuesday before I left home. Yesterday I returned to Facebook, and last night I looked at Instagram and liked some photos, but that's it.

I'm human. I was sick.

The realization that something was wrong hit me while I was with my kids, and I ended up spending two nights with one of them, getting lots of loving care. So I didn't make it to Matan on Wednesday or any of my other plans. And now, even though now I'm safely home and much improved, I reduced various social commitments until I'm completely better.

Baruch Hashem, Thank Gd, I didn't have anything serious and I was in a place and with people who could help. All I needed was rest, liquids and some time.

In a few hours it's Shabbat and then after Shabbat a new week begins. May it be a good one for all.

Shabbat Shalom u'Mevorach

May You Have a Peaceful and Blessed Shabbat

Yes, We Israelis Get a Bissel Wacky Over Rain

I guess pretty much anyone with lots of Israeli friends on social media, Facebook, Instagram etc thought that some narcotic was raining down here in Israel. I'm not the only one who stood in the rain so my phone could "live feed" and show the world the black clouds, rain hail and thunder.

In Israel we barely get 5-6 months of rain per year, and we've been suffering from drought for years already. Rain starts around October, and in a "good year" we don't see sunshine for days on end. The last rain is usually early April, right before Passover. Some people swear that it always rains as soon as they wash their windows. Every few years it rains after Passover, and sometimes there are even storms. I remember one year when buckets of rain seemed to be violently poured on us from the sky.

Quite often those late rains are more like mud dripping. That's a pretty good description, because the rain sometimes ends those awful sandstorms. I learned the hard way that when the sky looks awfully yellow, it's not a good time to hang out the laundry, unless you are willing to wash it all over again. The weather is nothing like that in New York. How were we to know?

Yesterday's forecasts has said it would rain  around 10am in Jerusalem, so I didn't take my usual walk. Eventually I took a short walk, carrying my umbrella as backup. When I got home to Shiloh after three, it was still dry. But then I began to see rain posts on Facebook, as my friends sent out pictures and "live feed."

this is the color, I didn't make it black and white

The sky here began to get darker, and the clouds raced around. Usually I ignore the rain, once I'm safely at home, but I just had to send out my rain to the world. Isn't that what social media is all about? You can see more of my rain on Facebook and Instagram.

I guess all this "rain excitement" does seem crazy...

Social Media War: MeWe versus Facebook

MeWe has taken on the humongous Facebook social media star. A few of my fb friends and I have joined it. Some of us joined just out of curiosity and to make sure we hadn't been left out of a new adventure. While others posted very dramatic announcements on Facebook that MeWe was the place to be and they were finished with Facebook. We got reports of the better graphics when posting messages. 

MeWe vs Facebook

Those who really want to leave Facebook in principle are legitimately angry about being put in "Facebook jail" for voicing their opinions. The hypersensitive algorithms which "police" what's written on Facebook and also "direct traffic" to and from what members write. They also keep trying to make us spend money. That is legitimate, since Facebook is free. But it's the political policing which is dangerous. There is a very definite Leftist and anti-Israel slant.

Some of my friends have a few Facebook identities so when one is jailed they can post on another name.

When I use Facebook, which is multiple times each day, except for Shabbat of course, I am just thankful that it is a free service. I use Facebook for two very different reasons, both of equal importance.

First, I joined Facebook to promote my blogs. And I must admit that fb exposure has certainly helped some of the posts, not just political ones. My Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem series and some restaurant reviews would never have gotten such exposure and "hits" without Facebook. My political posts on Shiloh Musings are harder to promote, because the algorithms on google search are skewed just as Leftwards or worse.

Second, I joined Facebook to keep in contact with family and friends. I'm 1000% grateful for this aspect of Facebook, because I'm now in touch with a slew of relatives I wouldn't know at all without it. Besides all the distant cousins, I've made a lot of friends, some whom I even get to see f2f, meaning in person.

Now it seems that most are tired of MeWe, apparently, because the latest from them on Facebook is that they are back. It's like setting up for a big party, inviting lots of friends and then sitting all alone. Yes, that's the big problem with MeWe; it's small. It doesn't matter how attractive the graphics, it doesn't have the reach, the massive numbers of Facebook or Twitter, of which I'm a member but hardly use it. I also have an Instagram account, which is for pictures which simultaneously can be posted on Facebook and Twitter.

My guess is that MeWe will fade out like some other social media sites have. There was one a few years ago, forgot the name, in which I was "friends" with Kirk Douglas and we chatted.

What do you think?

Photography Fun

I'm a regular in three very different photography groups, sites, apps or whatever you want to call them. Actually, they are different and each may be one of the names I used.

• 52Frames is a photography group that functions via facebook. Each week we're given a "challenge," some sort of "technique" we are to use within that week and send it in. Then an album is posted. It can be as simple as a black and white photo or something that sends me searching for instructions/explanations like Low Key.
• Instagram is an unstructured photography "app," for sending photos and short videos to other members/followers via a smartphone. There's no frequency requirement. One can have a small personalized membership, of close friends and family, or it can be used as a marketing tool or anything inbetween.
• 365project is a daily photo posting site with members all over the world. There are optional challenges, but I haven't participated in them much. I don't think there are too many Israelis in it, so I try to give an idea of my life via daily photos. 

If you're a member of these groups, say "hello;" follow me, too. 

Some photos are used for more than one of the groups/apps/sites. Here are some recent photos:

365project

Overripe Olives

Fall from the tree...

"Flower"
I used two new techniques here. Negative color and a new application recomnended by a framer. Thanks

Location: Shiloh, Israel

Critique: SHRED AWAY! I feel no pain.
This photo qualifies for the "Extra Credit" challenge: "New Technique"

Most nights I take a picture as I kick off my shoes and "share" what the pedometer has counted.

12,167 #steps #go_binyamin #shilohisrael#publicdiet #tryingtoloseweight #fitness — ‎at ‎שילה הקדומה Ancient Shiloh‎.‎  

Most nights I take a picture as I kick off my shoes and "share" what the pedometer has counted. I then combine the two with another app, layout, and then post the product on Instagram, plus facebook and twitter.

Each of these groups suit different needs and offers different sorts of challenges for me as a photographer and a person. One thing I found very amusing. During a session of the "intergenerational group" at the Senior Adult Education program I'm in when the students were asked what surprising thing they learned about "their senior citizen," my student said:

"Batya has an instagram account!"

I don't understand why she was surprised, but... now we follow each other.

New Graphics on "Layout"

This morning when I finally got out for a morning walk, better late than never even if shorter than I need... I took a few pictures. I decided to let the "Layout" app on my phone turn them into a collage.

It seems that the app had updated automatically, and the page was a bissel different from before. That's a good way to "delay dementia," since it means getting used to something new. And the bonus is that there are more and nicer graphics and choices. This is what I put out on Instagram, twitter and facebook:

What do you think?

Photography Fun!

As you may know by now, I'm in three very different internet photography groups, 52Frames, Instagram and 365 . They are all very different. I'm sure there are other groups or whatever you want to call them.

52Frames is a weekly challenge from which I'm learning photographic principles that I never would know without it unless I was taking a photography course. It began, if I'm not mistaken, on Facebook, and even though there is a site, the feeling of "group" is via on FB. Here are a couple of my most recent photos for them. I'd appreciate your input, either as a comment here or on Facebook by clicking the title.

Paper

Abandoned

365Project is daily, and themes or challenges are optional. I post almost everyday. You can see my photos and become a "friend" by clicking here.  Here are a couple of recent ones:

Lastly is Instagram which has the least amount of structure and restrictions. You can post multiple times during the day or very infrequently, using your membership to see other photos. I post from my phone, not the computer, but pictures show up on Facebook. You can find me as shilohbatya.

Enjoy!

Photography Fun!

I've been having great fun with the photography groups I'm in 52Frames, Instagram and 365 Project. Each is different. If you're involved with any of them, then please check out my photos, follow me where relevant etc.

The latest 52Frames challenge was Negative Space, and here's mine:

"Work of Gd"
Sunrises and sunsets here in Shiloh are totally amazing. All I needed to do was a drop of cropping. That's the real color you see.

In 365 project I used a different sunrise the other day. You can find me by looking for shilohmom.

Sun Peeking

As the sun rises....

You may notice that this is the same view but a different day and time.

On Instagram I'm shilohbatya and I post at least a couple a times a day.

This is my latest mosaics project made in the Senior Citizens activity program.

Each group has a different emphasis, which I enjoy.

Complementary Colors and Other Pics

As you know, I'm in three photography groups or programs or apps or however you want to categorize them:

• 52Frames, which I've been a member of for well over three years
• 365Project, click here, shilohmom, for my page
• Instagram, click here, shilohbatya, for my page

Each of these photography groups is different. 

• 52Frames, as you may be able to guess from its name, is a weekly photo challenge. They/It sets a specific weekly theme, photographic technique, and each member sends in one picture which is added to its album, which can be seen on facebook or the site.
• 365Project permits one photo a day, any you want.
• Instagram encourages not only encourages unlimited pictures each day, but also allows "movies."

On 52Frames we had to photograph Complementary Colors for this week, which was really easy, but I did want a photo that wouldn't look like anyone else's. It had to stand out being different. That's why I chose this one.

"Purple and Yellow"
I took some great fruit/vegetable photos, but those purple beads got to me. The last time my youngest granddaughters were over, the two year old played with them... So I put them on top of my "sugar jar," and love the look of those complementary colors.

But since I also love a couple of others, I just have to show them to you. Maybe one of these two would have gotten more attention; I've never been good at guessing these things. It's just that each year when we have this thing, there are lots of photographs of fruits and vegetables. I'd love your comments/opinion.

Train Approaching
Jerusalem Lightrail

Candystripe Rose
Usually the roses on this bush
 are white or the palest pink.
I've never seen one looking like this

Sometimes it's hard to judge which photo to chose for 365Project. There is an option to delete and then upload another one during the day, but I really prefer not to. These are a couple of my recent photographs.

Instagram is sort of like a visual/pictorial facebook or twitter. There are days when I'm not home and I make it a photographic diary showing where I've been and what I've done, all shot and submitted with my smartphone. The advantage of being able to post both still and moving pictures can make it very interesting and enjoyable, but the account is only by smartphones, even though you can see pictures on the computer. I just wasted a lot of precious time trying to find links for two connected pictures, which I'll give you from other media sources. Yes, I gave up.

What do you think of these? They are both on my Instagram page.

As you can see, there's lots going on for us amateur photographers. 

Instagram, Too, Along With 365Project and 52Frames

Yes, you can follow me on Instagram now, I'm shilohbatya. I haven't posted too much yet, nor have I figured out all the stuff. But just give me a bit more time, please. I just need a bit more time to figure it all out. A few months ago I went to a workshop about it and promised myself that when I get a new smartphone, I'd join. And I kept that promise. Of course I can't expect to figure it out in a jiffy.

And I've been doing the 365project as a photographic diary, as best as I can.

This week's challenge for 52Frames was Leading Lines. I ended up using a photo I had taken at the cemetery in Tel Chai, northern Israel. It's a bit subtle for that technique, but I wanted something a different.

"Leading to..."
...the end...

I had taken lots more photos with leading lines, but I chose this one.