Wednesday, October 03, 2012

TP 215: Shiny

Carmi has the theme of "Shiny" for this week's Thematic Photographic. I think he may have had more 'metal' in mind- but I think I tend to focus more on the way light can shine to make some things seem shiny. All of the photos for this post are actually from my recent trip to Europe, and are mostly from Paris.

These first two photos are from a Sunday walk mid-April when I had just arrived, and was getting over jetlag. Unusually, I had lunch at a beer-type restaurant that wasn't typically French looking, but I love the way the light shines off the stools, the counter, the beer equipment, and the bottles and glasses.


We shop-addicted Kiwis moan when shops are closed for public holidays- but in a big city like Paris, on a normal non-Sales week, you won't find many shops at all open on a Sunday. I loved the way I could see the buildings reflected in the shiny glass of this fashion shopfront.


Once I left Paris behind, I spent seven weeks walking- and the snails on the ground became some of my closest allies. Often when you saw many of them on the trail it was because it was raining, but sometimes the sun was shining, as on this beautiful little shell.


The endpoint of my walking was in Santiago, a centre of Christian pilgrimage for many centuries. If you were fortunate, you got to see the botafumiero fly, full of incense that in times gone by would have overcome the stink of all those who had walked far without washing much... I love the contrast here of the shiny metal and the cathedral stone.


Before I left Europe I had several more days to explore in Paris. One thing that took me by complete surprise was a shiny bridge that I hadn't noticed before. From quite some distance you could see all the sparkling in the sunshine- and close-up you could see it was brought about by padlocks, placed there by those who wanted to announce their love to the world.


And to finish, two fun-filled sculptures- whose shiny-ness is down to their paint surface. I love these near the Centre Pompidou: they make me laugh.

 (and I actually quite like the boisterous bright sculpture contrasted with the untidy graffiti behind.)


18 comments:

  1. Wow, you are having fun with this thematic photographic project! Great photos that all are shiny!

    Michèle

    ReplyDelete
  2. It is fun.... and this week was a great excuse to look back at my trip photos!

    ReplyDelete
  3. A lovely selection of shininess! The last two are fun - and I love the little yellow snail. The bar looks very inviting, with its warm glow.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Funny thing is that the bar wasn't all that inviting to start with- waiter was in a grumpy mood. But strangely, when I started typing on my iPod Touch he seemed to see me in a different light and became quite chummy. It was funny!

      Delete
  4. Replies
    1. Yes, I really wanted to say that I became 'intimately' acquainted with snails- and slugs and worms- as I walked- but thought that might be misunderstood! Any Camino-walker would know what I meant though!

      Delete
    2. Yes, snails, slugs, worms and lots of other creatures that find themselves in our path! I also have lots of photos of these tiny creatures.

      Michèle

      Delete
    3. I knew you would understand Michèle. I used to think maybe I was a bit odd taking photos of snails, even amongst the walking pelerins, until I was talking to someone else who had done it, and others joined in the convo...

      Delete
  5. Paris in the Spring. What better place to start than a bar?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. lol I would like to point out I never started at the bar. On this Sunday I had been to Mass at a nearby church, carefully chosen for its magnificent organ music!

      Delete
  6. That is a very perky little snail! Friendly too!

    And the Pompidou Centre is wonderful - we went there years and years ago, and it was just as much fun!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gilly, I hate to admit, I never went inside the Pompidou Centre- the queues were too long with tourists!

      Delete
  7. Oh this was a wonderful little tour of shiny and all these that sparkle so nicely! I'd stop for a cool drink in that bar any time, and then carry on back to all the fun stuff waiting outside. I wish I could find a fence around here with locks on it, but I fear there aren't any near me. I may have to start one!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was fairly surprised to see this fence. I've been in Paris a few times but had never been across this bridge before!

      Delete
  8. I like how the bottles in the top photo appear to glow because of the light placement.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I think the lighting was quite clever- made it seem quite magical!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I can't pick a favorite: They're all gorgeous. I love the light of the bar - it almost seems to materialize out of space. I love when light is that soft, that pliable and subtle. The bridge is a poignant scene - every lock has a story. What a delightful series!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your encouragement Carmi. I love the light of the bar too, and I think it almost looks better in a photo than it did to my eyes at the time. I saw people adding locks to the bridge- it is all done with such hope and love.

      Delete