July 15 Theme/Challenge: Simplicity and Complexity

This challenge is for both photographers and artists. The idea is to explore simplicty and complexity. When is simple good and when is it too dull or boring? When is complexity good, and when is it too "busy" or "fussy"?

Post your pictures to July 15 (for intakes). Outtakes can be posted on the 14th or 16th. Use the post and comment options on the lower left of the posting window to adjust the date. You can post on the designated date or before OR anytime afterwards, as long as you change the date so that it fits in the time span of this theme/challenge.

Email me at taittems@gmail.com if you need an invitation to join the blog.

You may say anything reasonable about your own or other's photos, and, please, at some point in your comments, address the issue of simplicity and complexity in photos and/or art.

Hung in the Balance, Collateral Damage VN

Hung in the Balance, Collateral Damage VN, by Mary Stebbins, Tait.

If prayers help and poetry helps and art helps and even war supposedly helps, then why do we till have war?

And why innocent people?

This is a submission for complexity, and before judging it too hastily for busy-ness, please consider that it is 42 X 35 inches in its full size.

I realize it IS busy, but all the elements in it seemed important to its message. SO what I want to know, is, IS it too busy for it's full size? Is it too busy for its online size?

I'm upset by the killing of so many innocent people. And I feel helpless. I don't know if art helps in any way. I hope it does. 

Liquid Simplicity by Joe Terni

100% water with added salt. How simple is that?

Joe's Great Simplicty Shot!!!

Moonlight Simplicity

I like the way this is split down the middle with the line of trees to separate the crop from the sky. I like the simple sky which shows up the moon to full advantage. Without the line of trees and the moon I think this would be very stark and uninteresting.

Nautical Complexity - Outtake

I find it much harder to take a decent complexity shot. But after looking for triangles for Photique I liked the repetition of triangles not only in the sails but the boom and hull in the forgeround make a triangle and a sort of triangle in the middle with the slipway to the lifeboat station.

Pastoral Simplicity - Outtake

The reason I took this was because of the sky. But for simplicity's sake I tried it with a plain sky. It was so bad I will not even bother to show you.

Nautical Simplicity - Outtake

I think the simplicity of this image would be improved without all the detail of the buildings on the shore.
Possibly I should clone or layer in something more simple.

Mr. Key Challenge Photos

Please post your Mr. Key Photos to July 1, 2006 no matter when you took them. Then, they will all be together. Add notes. The date change dialogue is on the bottom left in the tan bar of the posting box under post and comment options. Thank you! :-)

A Journal History of Mr Key by Marsha Smith

Mary, Your Mr. Key blog is very interesting and easy for folks to see everything. I just wanted to let you know exactly how this came about. Somehow it has gotten lost in the shuffle that this started with me and that when it is all over I want Mr. Key back. You are welcome to use both of my Mr. Key shots and the history of how his journey started if you like.

KK Parker posted a photo of a whole bunch of keys. All hotel keys but one. She asked which was different and I just happened to be the first person who saw the odd key.
She congratulated me and told me I had won the key of my choice from the photo. I chose the key with the S since my last name is Smith. I was really surprised when she actually sent it to me. I then made up a "postcard" from 'Mr. Key' to KK saying he was enjoying Texas. This is the link for that shot.

When she saw this, Terry Ellis said how cool if he could visit everywhere. So I sent him to her in California. She posted her shot and then sent him to Bobbie Davis. Bobbie was really busy at the time and didn't post for a long time. I got worried and posted this shot.

Then Bobbie posted her shot and sent him on to you. So at this point that is all the images there are. I am really pleased with everything and hope the momentum keeps up. Kate Jackson is a great place for him to go next and she says she is sending him to 'the flaming pair' in Georgia. I am keeping a journal of his travels and would also like permission from all who host him to use the images in the journal. When he has made the whole trip and gone as far as he can I would like to send the journal and Mr. Key back to KK Parker.

Marsha Smith

Mr. Key Visits Texas by Marsha Smith.

Mr. Key Visits Texas by Marsha Smith. Click image to view larger. Visit Marsha's BP Gallery.

MISSING, Mr. Key Missing Poster by Marsha Smith

MISSING, Mr. Key Missing Poster by Marsha Smith. Click on Image to view larger. Visit Marsha's Gallery.

Mr. Key Visits South Dakota, by Bobbie Davis

Mr. Key Visits South Dakota, by Bobbie Davis. Click Image to Vew Larger. Bobbie Davis' Gallery at BetterPhoto.com.

Mr Key Visits Sunny Southern California, by Terry Ellis

Mr. Key Visits Sunny Southern California, by Terry Ellis. Visit Terry's BP Gallery.

"Sit Down!!!" (Mr. Key visits Greenfield Village"

"Sit Down!!!" (Mr. Key visits Greenfield Village," Photo by Mary Stebbins.


"SIT DOWN!" (Mr. Key at Greenfield Village) After Leaving Terry Ellis and Bobbie Davis, Mr. Key has been doing a LOT of travelling. He's been halfway around the country three times and is now on his way to see Kate Jackson in Messing England.

One of the many places Mr. Key visited was the famous Greenfield Historical Village created by Henry Ford in Deerborn, Michigan. He was excited to ride with the historical girls, but they had to yell at him to sit down!

Stay tuned for more of Mr. Key's adventures!!! (He wonders if he'll run into Wandering Juanita somewhere.) 

Memorial to Mr Key

The villagers in Messing were so delighted that the celebrated Mr Key came to visit that they decided to erect a memorial in his honour just outside the church and overlooking the playground. He is now more famous here than George W Bush whose ancestors originated from Messing.

Mr Key lends a hand

in raising the St George's flag on Ascension Day from the tower of Messing Church. He stayed for a while to enjoy the view.

Mr Key Lends a Hand No 2

The lads on Thrust were out in front in the Laser SP3 Series National Race off of West Mersea, Essex when their spinnaker pole broke. But Mr Key was on hand to effect a quick repair with the aid of a piece of string. At the prizegiving he was awarded a special trophy when the crew still managed to pass the finish line in first position!!

Mr. Key Hits the Rails

Mr. Key Hits the Rails, by Mary Stebbins. Click image to view larger.

By now everyone has heard of Mr. Key's sad disappearance. I don't know if you remember that I said I had more pix of Mr. Key in both Detroit and NY, so I thought I'd share this with you. Mr. Key was always SO ENTHUSIASTIC when he visited us. This is from our trip to Greenfield village and he is riding Thomas Train pretending to be a hobo--having the time of his life. Perhaps he isn't "gone" but has only hit the rails. If I ever have time, I may have to do a Mr. Key retrospective.