AKA Abraham Bacoln

… but I do so love the number seventeen, so today I decided to compile for you, in no particular order, seventeen of my favorite pictures from Flickr.

I’m not saying these are my mostest favorites, just the ones that really got my attention today. If I made the list tomorrow it might be completely different. Also I don’t claim to be a photography critic, these are just things I like. OKAY HERE GOES:

This untitled picture by Neckro is fantastic. At first glance it looks like he’s amazed that a ring has appeared on his forefinger. Then I notice the thumb on the right-hand side of the image, showing that both of his hands are up in the air, and his face takes the appearance of someone apeing being surprised at his own magic trick. Add to that this guy’s crazy look with the very pale eyes, skin almost as white as his shirt, the head pulled back a bit, and a hairstyle that makes him look like he’s traveling way too fast, and you get this wonderful sense of surprise.

Mom in the Car by Patrick Bean makes me smile every time. It has a fantastic retro look that isn’t retro at all because it’s real. The interior of the car, the hair, the clothing, the slide defect – it completely captures the essence of looking at another time.

single basket pour by king seven is a perfect example of “the kind of shot I would never think to take” that helped (helps) change how I think about my pictures. Aside from the composition the colors are rich, lush, and intense. The detail is fantastic.

Tell Me — Who’s That Writing? by _mpd_ is everything that I want to shoot some days: wood texture and natural light. You just can’t get any better than this.

095 by jens b. is a beautiful candid, or if it’s posed then this guy knows his stuff. The choice of crop at eye level and slightly off focus impart a tangible sense of anonymity while the body language is unmistakeable. I feel cold and uncomfortable just looking at this.

Snow Friend? by greenamp just charms me to no end. I passed by this image countless times until one day I really stopped and looked, and found everything perfect. The framing gives a fabulous sense of something missing, and her expression is a mix of curiosity, interest without being overly concerned, and something else I can’t put my finger on (or should that be “something else on which I can not put my finger”?).

Dave by candlelight by fast eddie 42 first came to my attention by way of some article discussing alternate lighting, in this case candles. Everything about this picture screams old-timey wizard until you see the Bic pen, spiral notebook, and pocket calculator.

Fight by Phil Sharp showed me that sports photography can be beautiful.

Morning by lockgruv catches my attention every time I flip through my favorites. I think it’s the way the clothing matches the dark stars while the shirt, the aquarium, and most importantly his eye keep you moving back and forth to the big blue star. His expression isn’t unhappy, but isn’t particularly glad either. It’s just … morning.

thebaby by ***blah just cracks me up. I have no idea what inspired this photo but it is so well done. The best part is that none of the cigarettes are freshly-lit. That would make it too obvious.

I [heart] coffee by *davidsαngle reminds me that though usually I don’t care one way or the other for high-speed photography of objects being dropped into liquid that there’s always an exception to be made. The use of the oblique single flash and otherwise jet-black set is phenomenal.

mum by B0GIE makes me feel like I’ve just done something wrong.

the bees by hackett is another reminder that though usually I don’t have strong feelings about a genre (in this case, flowers) there are stellar standouts that can sway my opinion. In this case the early March sky feels cold, not yet spring, and the addition of the bees really brings it home.

Joyful Ed by *cassiopeia* makes me smile every single time. I think it’s the playing cards on the floor that do it for me.

Butt Head by elo_001 gives me confidence that when I see someone with an interesting face I need to approach them to get their picture – mainly in hopes that I’ll capture something like this. I don’t know who this guy is but he looks like a lot of fun, and his face is supremely expressive. Elo’s choice to shoot against the open warehouse door really brings the subject out.

Cemetary outside Williams, AZ by CalamityJon is the saddest picture of a teddy bear that I have ever seen. If called upon to create a sad teddy bear picture with unlimited time and funding I could not top this image.

And finally,

lena….. by Hensdill is one of my earliest Flickr favorites. There is such an undeniable sense of motion in this picture that it almost makes me recoil. Sometimes I fear for that girl’s safety, as if she’s headed into the mouth of an angry beach beast … and other times I can see it for what it really is.

Thanks for the mention. Of course, I can’t really take any credit for a picture that was taken an least 5 years before I was born.

On another note, my sister-in-law got married at that very altar in “Tell Me – Who’s That Writing” by mpd.

Comment by Patrick May 29, 2007 @ 8:34 am

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thanks for sharing. i enjoyed seeing these shots.

Comment by rebecca May 30, 2007 @ 1:53 pm

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Yeah, I work with that guy. He’s a great guy. He’s proof that you can be older and still alot of fun. Thanks for using my photo. I’m glad you enjoy it.

Elo

Comment by Elo May 31, 2007 @ 3:51 pm

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