- “To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” — Elliott Erwitt
Those of you who hang out with me here on my blog and on my Facebook page know how much I enjoy taking pictures and sharing them with anybody who will take the time to give them a look. That sharing pictures is so much different than it used to be. And easier. And cheaper.
When I got my first camera as a Christmas present when I was maybe nine or ten, a girl like me who had to buy her own film and flashbulbs and pay for the eventual processing fee, had to be really sure she wanted to take that particular picture. You couldn’t just point and shoot everything and take a dozen pictures of the same thing hoping to get that perfect shot. Well, I couldn’t because I didn’t have a money tree anywhere around my house. Or an allowance. I don’t remember exactly how I came up with those long ago photo taking funds, but I did have fun when I had some fresh film in the camera and knew I had the opportunity to take either twelve or twenty-four pictures.
But oh, how much more fun it is now to simply pull that ever present (well, most of the time anyway) phone out of my pocket and snap away whenever I see something that catches my amateur photographer’s eye. I enjoy taking nature shots. I like catching a butterfly sitting still enough for me to zoom in on it and I like a peaceful pasture scene or a snake in the grass. I have taken a zillion or two photos of flowers and I’m always ready to take another one. And no need for me to even mention the hundreds, maybe thousands, of pictures I have of the grandkids. That has slowed down some now that the kids are older and not as ready to pose for the camera. They are even mostly past the take a dozen selfies stage.
I have also taken many pictures of my furry buddies through the years. I used up some of my precious film back when I was a kid taking pictures of my dog buddies then. And now, I can go wild snapping photos of the dogs. But Frankie isn’t much better at posing than the grandkids. He’s always too busy for pictures. My sweet Oscar, the dog I had before Frankie, was much readier to take a selfie with me any time I wanted. But with Frankie, I have to try to hang on to him to keep him in the picture and then something always jerks his attention away. Plus Frankie has made it more interesting taking my nature shots too since I often have him on leash when I spot that perfect picture. Do you know how hard it is to hold the leash of an impatient dog while you try to focus in on a flower? And forget the butterflies if he’s ready to run through the bushes!
Now I have Marley, dog two. Marley doesn’t have to be leashed when we go walking. He comes when I call him and doesn’t like to get out of sight even when the wild turkeys waggle their wings at him and Frankie is off for the chase. On those occasions when Frankie isn’t on leash, of course. When the turkeys waggle their wings at him when he is on leash, I better have my feet set and ready to hang on or I might be chasing turkeys at the end of a leash too. But sweet Marley stays with me. At least he has so far. I’m hoping he’ll teach Frankie some manners and that Frankie won’t teach Marley some bad tricks.
Name the Caption Game
I’ve been trying to catch a good picture of Marley and he’s not much of a poser out in the fields either. But I did catch this picture of him this week and bingo, it looks perfect for our first “Name the Caption” game. The game is simple. All you have to do is make up a caption you think fits the picture and leave it in a comment. That will get you an entry in a drawing for winner’s choice of one of my books and a grab bag book by a different author too. Each time I post a new photo for you to caption and you leave a comment (any comment will do if you can’t come up with a caption) then you’ll get a new entry in the drawing. Deadline for entries will be September 14, 2019 at midnight EST. I’ll use a random number generator to pick the three winners. You do have to be at least eighteen years old to enter.
So what caption would you add to Marley’s picture here? He’ll be glad to hear what you think and so will I.
Comments 67
I think my human is coming!
Author
Ola, Marley is a very good dog who does want to keep up with where his human is all the time. Unlike a black dog named Frankie that I know. LOL. So that might be exactly what he’s thinking.
“It’s a bird, it’s a plane …no, it’s Superman”!!
Author
I like that one, Pamela. I think I should have looked up too to see Superman. 🙂
Looks like he just saw a bird flying overhead and is saying “I don’t trust them crazy creatures swooping above me”.
Author
That could be, Hope. I thought at first you were going to have him worried about getting pooped on. LOL. Marley isn’t quite as interested in birds as Frankie is, but that might mean he wants them to leave him alone.
Is that thunder I hear Frankie? Lets hurry up and head to the house!
Author
He’d be a good dog friend to warn Frankie about thunder, Connie. Frankie does not like thunder and he’d be ready to hurry to the house. Marley doesn’t seem to be bothered by it. So maybe he can hold Frankie’s paw during storms.
I see an elephant. And a dinosaur. And a…………
Author
Hey, Kathy. You and Marji have Marley seeing things in the clouds. At least I think you’re thinking he’s seeing things in the clouds. Or maybe an elephant and a dinosaur are pounding across the pasture right toward us and I’m so busy taking pictures I don’t notice. A good dog like Marley would have to try to warn me. 🙂
What do I spy with my little eye?
Author
Cute one, Lisa. Do you think he’s going to say the color is blue for the sky or green for the trees and grass? I’ve had fun playing that game when I was a kid and then again with my grandkids. Why not with Marley?
Fall is definitely in the air!!
Author
Yes, it is, Martha, and I have no doubt that Marley knows that. Animals are tuned into nature.
Lord, Thank You for allowing to come live with my new Owner Ann and my new best pal Frankie
Author
It’s very good to have a praying and thankful dog, Chrystal. Several of the comments have Marley thinking a prayer. And why not? God did make these sweet dogs to keep us company and give us love.
“Is this my best side?”
Marley is a beautiful fur baby!
I haven’t read the other comments yet, because I wanted to comment first. But I always enjoy these posts. Enjoy your day, everyone!
Author
Lavon, you and Roma were on the same wavelength with your comments. Sweet Marley doesn’t have to worry about the best side the way some of us do. He has two best sides. 🙂 Fun that you commented and then read the other captions. That would make it more fun, I think. I need to come up with my own caption, but I doubt if I can top all of these.
Marley is saying” Hello up there nice to see you”.
Author
That could be, Donna. He’s not a very big guy. At least not next to Frankie.
I love it here!
Author
Hi, Loretta. I do hope Marley will love it here. So far it’s been going well with Frankie and him wanting to be close together. And Marley’s tail is docked, but he wags it like crazy whenever you talk to him.
That cloud looks like a dog chasing a wild turkey!
Author
Hmm, that must be Frankie. How did he get up there? Frankie did chase after a bunch of wild turkeys last week. Looked like a flock of twenty plus, Marji. I was sure he’d come back with one, but he didn’t. Guess they flew in time. Marley didn’t see them across the field and he’s a good dog he wants to stay close to me and not chase off to who knows where. At least so far.
“Thanks for the good times!”
Author
That’s something we all like to say, Melanie. Thanks for the good times! Could be we should think about those good times more and push aside the times not so good if we can. But dogs they can have good times every day. A squirrel to chase. A stick to fetch. A doggie treat to eat. Good times!
“Was that a raindrop that just landed on me?”
Author
It definitely could have been, Suzanne. We did some walking in the rain last week. Frankie doesn’t care if he gets drenched, but Marley is a little less eager to run out into the rain. So he could have been checking out the weather.
“Do I smell, BACON?!!!!”
Author
Love this one, Karen. Great caption. 🙂
Hey, God. You still there?
Author
Always, Nancy, but then sometimes we do have to look up and ask since we sometimes lose our focus. So maybe Marley is focusing in. 🙂
Oh, this is definitely my best side. Now take the picture!
Author
Marley has some best sides for sure, Roma. I know plenty of people who think about their best sides when they take a picture. Me, I think about it when I look at the picture after it’s been taken and wish I’d thought of it before the picture was snapped. LOL.
Is that Superman?
Author
That’s a good one, Paula. Love it.
” Lord, I sure would like to catch me a rabbit today”
Author
That would be what Frankie would be thinking for sure, Phyllis. So maybe Marley shares his appetite for rabbits. LOL.
“Hey God , thank you for this human you gave me to! Life is sweet!”
Author
Life is sweet this time of the year when it’s rained to water the grass and the sun is shining without the humidity melting you. Guess Marley could definitely be thinking that too and being glad to be part of a new family.