Saturday, May 23, 2009

What is Beauty?

How does one define beauty? What makes an object beautiful or a work of art beautiful?

Perhaps it is best defined as the aesthetic pleasure gained from perceiving something that you believe to be attractive. Or, put even more simply, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". That perception owned by the beholder is never static either and is in a constant state of flux based on what is going on in that person's life at any given moment in time.

When I'm out on a hike, I am always the one lagging behind everyone else. Mostly because I come armed with a camera and can't help but stop to take photos of what's around me. I will admit that I am more distracted by things that require a close up inspection than I am of the grand sweeping landscapes before me. Macro is a muse that I spend a lot of time with.

This was a very big rock that had lots of irregular surfaces. In this particular case, the irregularity made for a very abstract shadow. Any bystander who saw me taking this picture might have thought I was off my rocker as it didn't look like my subject matter was worthy of a shot!

Every week, a group of us from around the world post our shadow shots over at Hey Harriet. Entertain your muse by stopping by to see what others have posted!

11 comments:

Sylvia K said...

Really interesting shot! Great color! Happy SSS!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

just jody said...

i love that! i'd have been drawn to it too. thanks for sharing.

A Wild Thing said...

I hear ya...everyone is always saying 'come on, you're taking too long'...'where is she'...but when you have really open eyes, you don't want to miss a thing...wonderful shot, I would've stopped too!

Your posts always give me moments to ponder...thanks!

Hey Harriet said...

I also prefer the little things I stumble upon and their details rather than those grand sweeping landscapes you mention. I like your abstracty shadowy rock!

whizkid said...

The darkness in the centre just pulls you in! very well captured.

Jaime said...

Oh I hear you about the macro world! I hold people back when I am hiking with them too...often when I want to explore the world with my camera, especially the macro world, I will go by myself so that I can spend as long as I need on my tiny subject.

PJ said...

Sigh, I know the feeling. I'm always off somewhere taking photos, moving in close. I love the high contrast for this one. I imagine you had a lovely hike. Happy SSS!

Rosebud Collection said...

I think that shot was neat..so different. Happy SSS..

That is the chicken said...

This is a very cool shot. I think it looks like two people having a conversation (the shadows I mean). Love the colour of the rocks.

d smith kaich jones said...

This is a very cool shot. It's one of those where I find myself adjusting my focus from the shadow to the rock & back again & I see totally different things. Music symbols in the shadows, a fist in the rocks.

I hope you keep lagging behind so we get to see more shots!

:) Debi

Linda said...

Beautiful picture---kind of looks like one of those visual brain teasers.

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