Still life – the poll
Honey, I’m home! Did you even realise I had been away? No? Well, I have been – and done 1000 km in less than 36 hours to go to a meeting. It was a pretty good meeting (as meetings go) but the solo driving did take its toll. I love driving but I miss my family terribly when I’m away. Plus I feel guilty when my kids go to bed without me there. And I missed putting them to bed two days running! (And it didn’t help when Violet asked: ‘Did you have a good holiday, Mum?’)
Anyway, I am keeping a close eye on the polls for the 2011 BB Calendar which I have popped under their own special easy-to-find heading above the banner (click here to check on your favourites, and to vote if you missed any of the previous three polls).
Today’s vote is to help choose your favourite landscape/still life images. Read IMAGES – choose two shots you like most and the most popular will be added to the mix. Please note, that if you have more than one person in the household who wants to vote, you will need to check the site on a different computer (something about cookies allowing you to vote or not).
This set of photos seem to all have a really peaceful quality … which is something I need regularly to settle me down when the dust starts swirling and the job pile reaches epic proportions! Want to help? (It won’t be nearly as painful as the ‘real’ election, I promise!)
Okay… ready… set…. GO!
blue gum
This shot was taken as we drove to my brother-in-laws place – on a creek flat beside a lucerne paddock (hence the round bales of hay in the background). The tree is, of course, a huge blue gum (my favourite native Australian tree). I love the blueness of the sky and the sturdiness and scribble of the tree trunk.
fog view
An early-morning fog photo. Taken pretty much from my back steps, looking north-north-west. It’s soft and dark…a bit like me sometimes!
dam reflection
One of my personal favourites – the water near the dam wall reflecting a VIVID sky. Fun fact: this dam is actually the one which the (non-running) river in the above pic runs into (when it rains!). I love that it’s such an oasis in the middle of the usually-dry landscape.
old shed
Now I don’t know that I have run this one before… but it’s one I have MEANT to post up and share with you all. Anyone who understands my appreciation of old things will automatically see why I love it. It’s an old shed (maybe an old meat house?) which stands atop a ridge near my parents’ place. It was shot in the late afternoon sun and from this angle, you can see clear through the slats on the side. The golden hues make it feel old-worldy, don’t you think?
gum leaves
Backlit. Simple. Gum leaves. Calms me just looking at this one, for some reason…
dust mill
This is DEFINITELY one I have shared on the blog before… technically, it was taken before the last calendar was published, but it wasn’t used in it and keeps coming into my head when I think of Calendar-worthy photos. It says AUSTRALIA to me. This shot was taken as I drove home from helping put together a promotional DVD for Brangus and as the massive duststorms hit the east coast of Australia last year. The dust literally wiped out every vestige of colour around me – and gave me a REAL sepia shot of this lonesome windmill.
dust horse
Also taken during the dust storms. This is my husband’s favourite horse, Trooper grazing at the bottom of the house paddock, as the dust begins to cloak everything. Not QUITE a still life, I suppose. But the composition appeals to me…
loo with view
And lastly, the loo with a view. This image covers the ‘old stuff’ and ‘still life’ angles too. It’s a dunny in the paddock near some yards of a place we bought a few years ago. For the record, there are no toilet facilities near ANY other yards (not counting the ones right near the house, of course) on our place. So this is actually the height of luxury, this doorless, seat-over-a-hole ablution construction…
-*-*-*-*-
Gosh – that’s 8 CHOICES. I told you I’m not good with decisions. REMEMBER – choose your TWO favourites.
And pop a note about your choice and reasons (if you have any) in the coments section – it will put you into the draw for a print of your favourite BB photo (don’t worry if you have commented on other poll posts – the more comments, the more entries!).
YOUR FAVOURITE STILL-LIFE PHOTOS FOR THE 2011 CALENDAR?
- Fog View (24%, 24 Votes)
- Old Shed (22%, 22 Votes)
- Dam Reflections (16%, 16 Votes)
- Dust Mill (12%, 12 Votes)
- Gum Leaves (10%, 10 Votes)
- Dust Horse (9%, 9 Votes)
- Blue Gums (8%, 8 Votes)
- Loo with View (1%, 1 Votes)
Total Voters: 55
Loading ...(And thanks for helping me out!)
22 Comments
Jayne
You’re making this very difficult, you know, with only 2 to vote for amongst the many fab photos.
Jayne´s last blog post ..August 18
Hippomanic Jen
Don’t do it to me. Choosing two images was very hard. Love the gum leaves and the fog view, but could easily have voted for the dam view or the old shed. Simple solution – stop taking such good shots!
Bush Babe
You and Jayne are makin’ me blush – cut it out!!!
Gina
Beauitful pictures!! Love, love, love the Old Shed!!
jeanie
I love the foggy one of the river and how it follows where the river would be!
And of course, I chose Dam Reflection because its what I say to the mirror every morning.
jeanie´s last blog post ..August
Bush Babe
OMG – just snorted my tea out my nose… totally tweeting this response!
🙂
BB
Tracey
One for the gum leaves, I love them. And there’s something about the horse in the dust.
Tracey´s last blog post ..Put another log on the fire
Pencil Writer
Ditto above. It is SO difficult to trim the lot down to two. Don’t envy you the final vote.
They’re all so good, BB! I also love the “dust horse” and the bottle trees not shown here, and, and, and, *sigh*.
I’m helpless. Don’t listen to me!
Tara Booth
Windmills are such a feature here too! It wouldn’t be a proper Eastern Cape (where I am) landscape without a windmill! 🙂 So I had to vote for that one.
And the leave. Because the colours are gorgeous and it’s really hard to get a good, simple photo of back lit leaves. I’ve tried!
Tara Booth´s last blog post ..No Computer Crashes 39-365
Sal
…tranquility, peace, worries floating away, deep breaths of crisp air, thoughts of unlimited and exciting possibilities, rejuvenating – that is what I feel when I close my eyes and think about standing in real life and experiencing the view that is captured in Dam Reflections. Thanks BB, views like that help keep life in perspective for me!
A Novel Woman
Finally got online and in here to comment! Slow internet at the cottage = frustration at my end.
I LOVE all your photos so it’s pretty difficult to choose. I don’t think you can go wrong with any of them, quite frankly.
Hope you’re having a good winter whilst I have a good summer. It’s been a real beaut this year.
A Novel Woman´s last blog post ..MIA
Jayke
I chose “Fog View” and “Old Shed” because those really make me long for the open fields of my home town. Although Dust Horse also really caught my eye, Trooper looks like a not overweight version of my horse, Oliver.
Jayke´s last blog post ..Overprotective
Leenie
They are all superb. But old sheds have a soft spot in my heart and I love the composition of the blue gum tree. Hehe to Jeanies “dam reflections.”
Leenie´s last blog post ..SEE A PENNY
Kelly
This was the hardest poll yet, simply because I love ALL the photos this time. Usually one or two (or three or four) stand out for me.
I went with Gum Leaves (because I love the green and the way they are back lit) and Fog View (because of its peacefun, yet almost eerie quality). I also loved tDust Horse and Dam Reflections. Heck…I loved them ALL!
You know….if I didn’t know where Fog View was taken I could almost imagine it being in the Great Smokey Mountains or even Africa (think “Gorillas in the Mist”).
Kelly´s last blog post ..Ouch!
Nancy in Iowa
It’s hard, ain’t it hard! Yep – a tough decision. I love fog, though – 7 years spent in the San Francisco Bay Area – so I picked Fog View for that memory. Then on to the great dusty horse and tree – magnificent!
Kate
I love the Dam Reflection, BB. It’s so beautiful and crystal clear. Also enjoyed the Old Shed. This is fun!
Kate´s last blog post ..Lots of good going on
trish
The windmill because it’s such an awesome capture in natural sepia.
The old shed because of the colours & shadows …all of them are calendar worthy.
trish´s last blog post ..Snuggles
Tabby Cat
The old shed is such a poetic image, it tells us stories of what it once was, while it’s beginning to blend into the reds and oranges of the grass….
The dust horse is just plain gorgeous 🙂
TLee
i am not with the majority on this one. i liked the shed one too, but then came the dust storm horse and the dam refelction is the best one of this group hands down for me.
TLee´s last blog post ..Two For Tuesday 1
Sally
I absolutely love the Old Shed photo, its just so tranquil and beautiful.
And I love the Fog View because well I love fog 🙂
It was hard to chose two photos from this fantastic lot
Patches
Oh goodness…so hard again! Still trying to go for the ones that reflect Australia and the bush to me more then pics that I love, but don’t really say “Australia” so much. All these pics are so fabulous though!
Audrey
They are all such amazing photos. So glad the final choices are not up to me!! But also glad for this opportunity to add my two cents worth. LOVED fog!