Deflection in the Old City
Sometimes you get the shot even if you don’t mean to. I was focusing on the buildings in the old city of Jerusalem when these two gentlemen walked into my shot. The one on the left was trying to avoid my taking a picture of him but in doing so gave me an image I was quite pleased with.
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Women of the Wall
The women’s section of the Western Wall always seems so much more crowded than the mens but that’s because that section of the wall is much smaller. The mosaic of women, from every religious affiliation, jostling (respectfully) for a spot at the wall is a testament to the solemnity and reverence that this site commends.
I used Topaz Impression to create the final image and give it a softer look. Don’t forget you can use the discount code ELPHOTO for a 15% discount on any Topaz Labs product.
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The Bar Mitzvah Procession
While in Jerusalem I met with some friends for coffee at Mamilla Mall. I had arranged to meet my husband and son in the old city at the Western Wall but I was late. I ran into a bit of a road block….a Bar Mitzvah procession that was also making its way to the wall.
Now I probably could have veered my way through the crowd but truth be told this was such a joyous experience that I took my time and walked with them for a while. The festive mood of the family and guests, the live music and dancing was infectious.
Jerusalem Break
The natural Jerusalem stone of Mamilla mall, the Orthodox Jewish gentleman in traditional black garb, I saw this scene as I was walking by and although it was a bright sunny day immediately envisioned it in black and white.
I have a challenge for you. I’m think of submitting this in a competition but can’t think of a unique title for it. Any suggestions?
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2015 My Year in Review
Every year Jim Goldstein runs a project on his blog, JMG Galleries, where he encourages photographers to post their best pictures of the year. It’s a great project and I’ve participated every year. When I started participating about 4 years ago I thought, “what a great way to have pictures seen by a whole new audience.”
That was me when I first started blogging but now there are so many other reasons that I participate. Yes I still like that fact that I may reach a new audience but more than that I find this to be a difficult and yet rewarding exercise. It’s tough to cull through your work and pick what you think may be the best of the year. It really gives me a chance to go though my images (some that I haven’t looked at for almost a year) and decide whether they’re good enough to make the cut of the top 10 or 15. I try to review my images from a technical perspective and from a creative one. Certainly I’m drawn to certain images due to the circumstances of where and when they were taken. The picks may not always be perfect and certainly wouldn’t win any awards but art is subjective and what one person views as a masterpiece another make look at and dismiss entirely.
It’s been a busy and rewarding year both on the photographic front and from a family and work stand point. I’ve taken on a new role at work which was unexpected at the beginning of 2015 but I am loving it. The only downside has been that its been so busy that my photography had to take a bit of a back seat.
From a photography perspective I’ve continued to sell prints and license new work which is always very exciting and rewarding. I won’t make any specific commitments for the new year because I know that my day job will still be taking up a lot of my time but learning new photographic techniques and honing my craft is something that I know will always be important and I will find and make the time to do it.
If you have a chance jump on over to Jim Goldstein’s site here in or about the second week of January and he should have a list of year in review post listed for your viewing pleasure. There’s always a great list of photographers on there, you won’t regret it.
As always you can click on the images to enlarge them or to Purchase a Print.
Cuba
Refracted Water Drops
Cuba
Hilton Falls, Ontario
Boston
Muskoka
Lake Ontario
Old Montreal
Jerusalem, Israel
Jerusalem, Israel
Tel Aviv, Israel
The Guitar Player
We were walking through the Cardo (Jerusalem’s main street 1500 years ago) and this young Orthodox man was sitting there playing guitar. He wasn’t asking for money, he was just playing a selection go Bob Dylan and Simon & Garfunkal.
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Edith Levy Photography 