Thematic Photographic 424 - Green!

Leafy goodness - for now
London, ON
September 2018
Photo originally shared on Instagram

In advance of the Northern Hemisphere going bonkers over the fall colors, I wanted to take one last opportunity to remind myself that green is a color, too, and it also deserves to be celebrated. Mundane and everyday? Yes, that's the point.

It’s also the foundation for this week’s Thematic theme, green. I haven’t focused on colors much, of late, and I’m hoping to change that not only this week, but in the near future. Because there’s something to be said for looking closely at all the shades, tones, and variations of a color and having a little photographic fun with it.

Your turn: So what’s next? Take a pic with green in it. How you interpret the theme is entirely up to you - as long as you enjoy the process, we’re good. Post it to your blog, website or social media account, then leave a comment here to let everyone know where to find it. Visit other participants to spread the photographic fun. If you’re into hashtags, spread the word using #ThematicPhotographic. If you're new to this, head here. And thank you for making Thematic such a highlight!

Thematic Photographic 423 - On the street

Urban chaos
London, ON
August 2018
Photo originally shared on Instagram

I've been doing a lot of walking around this summer. Working in a new neighborhood on the edge of the downtown core has given me ample reasons to wander the streets in search of new sources of inspiration. While some of it is big, brassy, and new, this week's Thematic launch photo suggests that isn't always the case. You're looking at the back of a row of buildings that front onto tony Richmond Street (aka Richmond Row.) IMHO, the front-facing parts don't hold a candle to the laneway you see here.

In fact, the view is often more interesting when you get around the back of a thing and peer beneath the literal and figurative covers. Facades are pretty thin, after all, and all it takes is a quick walk along virtually any street to confirm that very simple fact.

Your turn: This week's Thematic theme, On the street, celebrates the random or not-so-random pics we shoot when we're out and about. If it's a street view, we want to see it. Post it to your blog, website or social media account, then leave a comment here letting everyone know where to find it. Visit other participants and feel free to invite a friend along for the ride. To learn more about how Thematic Photographic works, head here. Otherwise, happy shooting!

Thematic Photographic 422 - Lights On

Civic Nation, at rest
London, ON
August 2018

I've been staring at lights a lot lately. Like so many habits of mine, I'm not entirely certain why I do so, but the rapid shift in lighting technology - incandescents, halogens, and fluorescents are rapidly giving way to LEDs that are far more energy efficient, significantly more flexible, and way cooler-looking - is literally changing the way we see buildings, infrastructure, vehicles, and anything else that needs to be lit up. Maybe that's why.

Whatever the reason, I had one of these moments with my car a few weeks ago. As I drove home from dropping my lovely wife off at the train station on a quiet Saturday morning, I caught a glimpse of a cool building and thought I should shoot it. When I was done, I figured the car was as clean as it had been in ages, so more photos were called for. I have a thing for Hondas. The lights remind me of parentheses: Perfect for a writer-type like me.

Your turn: Thematic is all about taking a weekly theme - this week's is Lights On - and coming up with cool, creative ways to reflect it in your own photography. Take a light-themed photo and share it on your website, blog or social media account. Leave a comment here letting folks know where to find it. Visit other participants to spread the photographic joy. And don't be shy: If you know anyone who loves photography, drag 'em over here encourage them to participate. For more on how Thematic Photographic works, head here. Have fun, and thank you!

Thematic Photographic 421 - Many, many things

Hungry yet?
London, ON
August 2018
Photo originally shared on Instagram

There's a certain hypnotic quality to staring at large amounts of the same thing. Looking into the repetitive abyss can overwhelm the senses, play games with your mind, and generally make you a little bit woozy. Or, in this case, hungry.

Chocolate covered raisins - called Glosettes here in Canada - take me right back to my childhood, when my grandparents would bring us boxes of them whenever they visited. Here's an earlier view through my lens. Sure, any kid would love a sweet treat, but what really fused my brain to this particular confection is that fact that my grandparents knew we liked them, and took the time to pick them up for us. It was an early example of unfettered kindness, and it always made me feel warm and fuzzy.

In adulthood, I've found it cathartic to shoot them - quickly, of course - in the bulk barrel at the grocery store. It's the cheapest form of nostalgia imaginable, especially when I manage to avoid tipping off the in-store security team.

Your turn: Take a photo containing many examples of the same thing. Celebrate repetition in any form, and share it on your blog, website or social media account. Leave a comment here letting folks know where to find it, and feel free to visit other participants through the week. There's no right or wrong: The whole idea of #ThematicPhotographic is to expand our photographic horizons a bit and have some fun in the process. If you're new to Thematic, click here for more background. Enjoy!

Thematic Photographic 420 - Floored

Industrial disease
London, ON
August 2018
Photo originally shared on Instagram

I've been sporadic with Thematic - hey, that has a ring to it! - because life's been a bit busy over the past few months. I quit my old job and started a (much better) new one. We went on an epic family road trip to a faraway place. I pulled waaaay back from my on-air work because I realized routinely getting 3 hours or sleep per night wasn't all that healthy.

As I've adjusted to this new, much more balanced life-reality, I've realized just how much I needed to change. I wasn't riding the bike as much as I should have been. I wasn't taking as many photos or writing as I would have liked. And most critically, I wasn't spending enough time with the fam. They deserved more of me.

Somewhere in that turbulent mess, Thematic got left aside. As I slowly realign my brain to this new routine, I'm finding myself carting my camera along more often. And I'm spending more time at the keyboard not only for work, but also for play. I'm once again letting those voices inside my head create stuff to both read and look at.

This photo reminds me of the need to look down every once in a while. Floors may not get the attention they deserve, but stopping to shoot the usually-ignored steel plate floor during a recent day at a local indoor activity centre was an important milestone in recapturing the spirit that not so long ago defined who I was and how I chose to interact with the world. What seems unimportant and routine is, in fact, the exact opposite, and I'm pleased to be back in the groove, proving that point with every word I write and every photo I take.

Your turn: This week's Thematic theme is floor. Take a picture of a floor - or the ground, or anything around where your feet would normally be - and share it on your blog, website, or social media account. Leave a comment here with a link letting folks know where to find it. Visit other participants throughout the week, and check back here next Monday for another exciting chapter in Thematic history. Because we're back on a weekly schedule, folks. Spread the word. And please accept my thanks for coming along on this journey.

If you're new to Thematic, head here and all will be explained.

Thematic Photographic 419 - Red

Mom told us to eat our vegetables
London, ON
May 2018
Photo originally posted to Instagram

My old BlackBerry - a Priv - gave up the ghost last week, so I replaced it with a Google Pixel 2. I did so for two reasons: It's a powerful, no-compromise device that runs an unadorned version of raw Android. And its camera is, according to the reviews, pretty slick.

So I left the world of BlackBerrys behind for the first time in 11 years (heresy!) because I figured a great camera more than offset the fact that I'd have to get used to thumb-typing on glass.

After an initial spontaneous photo shoot (fruitography!) in the neighborhood Sunripe grocery store, I'm inclined to think it was the right choice. Which means joy has returned to the pixelated land, and grocery stores throughout London and beyond are now on alert for a strange-looking nerd with a photo fetish. At least I say "thank you".

Your turn: As this is Thematic Photographic, you're probably asking about this week's theme. It's red. As in the color. Like the red radishes above. Or whatever else tickles your eye over the next week. By now I'm sure you know the Thematic drill. If not, click here and all will be explained.

The Cole's Notes version is this: Take a pic that evokes this week's theme. Post it to your blog, website or social media account. Leave a comment here letting everyone know where to find it. Visit other participants and feel free to return/re-post, and drag a friend kicking and screaming into this. Looking forward to seeing what you all come up with. In the meantime, I'll be in the corner over there nibbling on a salad.

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#ldnont #fruit #vegetable #whatever #red #fruitography #google #pixel2 #teampixel #spontaneous #grocery #store #shoot #photography #not #busted #this #time #next #thematic #photographic #thematicphotographic #stilllife #salad #nature #miracle #london #ontario #canada

Thematic Photographic 418 - Trees

Where the fog paints the trees
London, ON
February 2018
Photo originally posted to Instagram

The world isn't always as clear as it could be. But if you peer through the murk, your path eventually becomes clear. Or so I'd like to believe.

Your turn: This week's Thematic theme is trees, because it occurred to me as I was cycling to work this morning that they're about to put on something of a show - at least in the northern hemisphere. So I hope over the next week you'll get out there, shoot pics of trees, share 'em, leave a comment here letting folks know where to find your awesome work, and then visit other Thematic participants, because sharing and learning are what this thing is all about. Are you in? Still need convincing? Go here to learn more. Or just grab your camera and have at it.

Thematic Photographic 417 - Dirty

Please wash me
London, ON
February 2018
Photo originally posted to Instagram

Canadian winters are notoriously hard on cars. Road grime makes them relentlessly icky, while road salt tries to return them to dust from whence they came.

And yet, dirt can make for a fun photo - but only if you take the time to shoot it in the first place. Which on this cold February day in the middle of my snowy, messy driveway, I did. Now it's your turn.

Your turn: Take a photo that celebrates, evokes or otherwise reflects this week's Thematic theme, Dirty. Post it to your blog, website, or social media presence, then leave a comment here letting folks know where to find it. Visit other participants to share the photographic joy. Head here if you're new to this - and all will be explained. Most of all, have fun with it.

Thematic Photographic 416 - Water

Frozen in time and space
Jensen Beach, FL
December 2017
Originally posted to Instagram

I have a bit of a thing for water, especially when it's in an ocean and it rolls onto a sandy beach as a wave. Bonus points if it's especially windy, or around golden hour, or both.

If you're shooting water through a lens, you never quite know what you're going to come up with. And every shot is absolutely unique, never to be repeated. So you stand there with your feet dug solidly into the soft sand, planted just enough apart to fight off the wind as you scan through the viewfinder for the next wave, the next moment that'll present itself, then disappear, in less time than it takes to blink away the spray from your eyes.

If I lived here, I'd be here every day with a fully charged battery and an empty memory card. But I don't, and am only here for a blink before I have to rejoin the fam. So I shoot fast and try to remember as much as I can from this abbreviated experience. Because the sound of the pounding surf, the feel of the spray on my face and even the faintly salty smell of the crashing waves will have to live in my memories until I can return to this hallowed spot.

For this week's Thematic theme, water, my wish is that you can find that similarly special spot from which to shoot, and think about the stuff we don't always have time to think about. But should.

Your turn: Take a picture that evokes, suggests or supports this week's theme, water. Post it to your blog or social media account, then leave a comment here letting folks know where to find it. Visit other participants to further spread the photographic joy. If this is your first Thematic experience, head here to learn more about our weekly photo sharing insanity. Otherwise, grab your camera and enjoy.

Thematic Photographic 415 - Junk Food

That's so twisted
London, ON
February 2018

I may have been silent here on Written Inc. these last few months, but I was out there almost every day with a camera. And as has long been my habit - or obsession, I'm not entirely sure which - I took many weird photos along the way. Like this pretzel at a London Lightning game at Budweiser Gardens. It was the last one they had, and for reasons I still do not understand I felt compelled to remember how it looked before I brought it back to our seat.

Yes, it had too much salt on it. No, I didn't feel guilty. Some days, you just have to enjoy the moment.

And speaking of moments, this photo kicks off this week's Thematic Photographic theme, Junk Food. What's Thematic? Only the most fun you can have with a camera and an Internet connection this side of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Thematic is our weekly photographic sharing and learning activity. Read on for instructions. Or head here for background.

Oh, and the good guys won the game. Must have been a lucky pretzel.

Your turn: Every Monday, I share a theme (this week's...Junk Food.) Then you take a pic and share it online somewhere (blog, Facebook, Instagram, wherever) and leave a comment here telling people where to find it. Visit other participants to share the photographic joy. Repeat as often as you wish throughout the week. Use the #ThematicPhotographic hashtag and don't be shy. The only rule? There are no rules. Just enjoy.

Thematic Photographic 414 - Knobs & Dials

Only in a Jeep
London, ON
April 2017

As touchscreens rapidly take over from traditional controls in everything from cars to kitchen appliances, it's only a matter of time before we've pressed our last button or twisted our final dial. I've never been one to stand in the way of technological progress - indeed, my career has been largely based on tech - but I fear we're losing something along the way.

There's a tactility to traditional knobs, dials, switches and other analog controls that no touchscreen can ever replace. When you're at the wheel and you want to bump up the fan speed, you can easily do it by feel if your HVAC system uses a big old manual control. You control it with little more than subconscious muscle memory while the rest of you tends to the very important task of keeping the car between the lines.

I love my touchscreens, but they simply can't pull that off. So when I saw this mode control dial in one of the Jeeps from the work fleet, I had to shoot it. Because no one really knows when this, too, will exist only in software.

Your turn: Take a picture and post it to your blog or website - or use one you've already taken and/or uploaded - that evokes this week's theme, Knobs & Dials. Leave a comment here letting everyone know where to find it, and visit other participants to spread the photographic joy. Feel free to visit and contribute again throughout the week. And have fun, because Thematic is all about fun. For more background on how Thematic works, head here. Thanks, gang!

Thematic Photographic 413 - Pretty in Pink

My ride
Dorchester, ON
May 2017

Behold my brightly-colored bicycle. It's a Specialized StumpJumper Comp that I've had for longer than I dare admit. I'm not really about things, as I don't tend to covet physical objects or use them to define who I am in the eyes of others. But I love this bike. It fits me. It feels like it was made for me, and riding it - to/from work, or wandering the hinterlands that surround our town - is an indescribably joy because of this well-made-yet-simple machine. I'll never understand why Specialized painted a men's bike in burn-your-eyes pink, but I'm glad they did, because it makes me smile every time I walk up to it.

Sometimes when I go somewhere, I'll take a picture of it in all its imperfect, dirty glory. Here, it's parked on a bridge over the Thames River in a lovely little town east of London. This was my first stretch-the-distance ride, where instead of riding in loops close to home I instead ventured further into the countryside. As I get deeper into the season, the distances get further and the rides get harder. But as long as I have this lovely pink thing - and a moment or two at the turnaround point to grab some pixels to remember the moment - I know I'll always find my way back home.

With this in mind, let's celebrate all things pink for this week's Thematic. If it's any shade of this fab color, it's time to shoot a picture and share it. Who's with me?

Your turn: Take a pic that suggests or evokes this week's theme, Pretty in Pink, and post it to your blog or website. Alternatively, find a pic you've already taken and/or posted. Leave a comment here letting folks know where to find it. Visit other participants to spread the photographic joy. And pop back again through the week to add additional pics as they occur to you. Head here for more background on how Thematic works. And please accept my thanks for making this little weekly photo-exploration exercise of ours such a joy.

Thematic Photographic 412 - Architecture

Stone-faced
Toronto, ON
February 2017

If you find yourself staring at buildings because you find them neat, know you're not alone. Any structure of any era has to offer at least one redeeming reason for a stare or two. Even if it's a glass-and-metal box, there's got to be something there that connects with your soul.

And because I've been shooting human-created structures with alarming frequency of late, I'm hoping you'll consider doing so, too. If anything, it eases my guilt for missing Thematic last week. In the party atmosphere that was my birthday, I forgot to hit the Publish button. Bad Carmi.

Your turn: Take a pic that ‎evokes, supports or merely suggests this week's theme, Architecture. Leave a comment here letting folks know where to find it. Already posted something online or in your archives? Share it, too! Visit other participants to raise the fun quotient and feel free to post more contributions through the week. For more info on how Thematic works, head here. Most important of all, have fun with it!

Thematic Photographic 411 - Gardens Galore

Colors of nature
London, ON
April 2017

I don't know a whole lot about plants or gardens beyond the sad fact that I tend to kill them. It isn't intentional, but of all the people born with the innate ability to nurture plant-based life, I'm not one of them.

Doesn't mean I can't appreciate it photographically when it grows on its own, though. So when this particularly colorful example of hen and chicks - or sempervivum - presented itself in the garden underneath our kitchen window, it was an easy call to point the lens down and have some fun with it.

We had some fun with this pic on Instagram and Twitter. For the next week, I hope you'll do the same here on the blog. And on yours!

Your turn: This week's Thematic theme is gardens galore. Feel free to take a picture of a garden. Or a garden plant. Or a garden of plants. Or anything that's alive and lovely - remember, it's all about how you choose to interpret the theme, and there are non wrongs here. After you're done shooting, post the pic to your blog, website or social media presence, then leave a comment here letting folks know where to find it. Did you already post something long ago? Share that, too! Visit other Thematic participants to share the Thematic goodness - we'll be at it all week. New to Thematic? Here's the lowdown. Thanks!

Thematic Photographic 410 - Reflections

No longer alive
London, ON
April 2017

I took a photowalk the other morning, my way of killing time while our daughter was at work. I hadn't been out in a while, and I deliberately brought the wrong equipment with me - a lovely old 85mm lens that I almost never use because it lacks that do-everything convenience of a zoom.

Looking at what I brought back, I realize I've been missing the point all along because a fixed focal length lens forces you to shoot in a completely different way. You have to use your feet and your brain to pre-compose, and soon enough you find you don't much miss being able to zoom in and out with your fingertips. Photography isn't always about taking the easy way out, and this long-overdue walk turned into a nice reminder of that.

I also forced myself to shoot monochrome - another throwback to when I used to challenge myself to look at the world differently. More of this looms in my photographic future, as well.

Your turn:  This week's Thematic theme is Reflections. Please share a pic or three (however many you wish) of something that supports this theme. Be liberal with how you interpret the theme, as that's the point of the exercise - so mirrors, bodies of water, even car windows are all fair game. Post your pic(s) to your blog or website, then leave a comment here letting folks know where to find it/them. Head here if you'd like more info on how Thematic works, and feel free to drop by again later in the week - bonus if you bring a friend. Enjoy!

Thematic Photographic 409 - Stuff you find in the basement

Dirty old cables
London, ON
April 2017

Some folks see basements and storage areas as icky and dirty. They may be right. But that doesn't mean they aren't worth a little photographic love, as well.

Which brings us to this week's Thematic theme, stuff you find in the basement. This theme will work nicely if you actually have a basement. But in case you don't, any old storage area will do. Or a dark, dusty place with lots of old stuff hanging around. As always, there's lots of creative room here, so have fun with it.

Your turn: Take a pic that reflects the "stuff you find in the basement" theme - or find one you may have posted online - and then leave a comment here letting everyone know where to find it. Repeat as often as you wish, and feel free to pull in a friend. We'll be doing this all week, so don't be shy. And if you're new to the Thematic thing, click here and all will be explained.

Thematic Photographic 408 - Orange

Multicolored
London, ON
April 2017

This week's Thematic theme, orange, marks a return to the world of colors. My brain was having difficulty processing the scene you see above, because it never dawned on me that carrots could be anything but orange in color. I guess I need to get out more.

Your turn: Shoot something orange. Or something that suggests orange. Or makes you think of orange. Share it on your blog or website, then pop into the comments here and let everyone else know where to find it. Visit other participants and feel free to post more from your collection later in the week. For more info on how Thematic works, follow this link home. And enjoy! Because that's why we do this!

Thematic Photographic 407 - Picture of a picture

Lookin' at my shoes
March 2017
London, ON

Look really closely at the card on the wall. Our daughter took this pic of her very photogenic pair of sneakers, and this was one of four of her photos on display her school's photo exhibit last month.

Many things come to mind when I see this shot. First and foremost, she's really talented. She sees things in ways unique to her, and she has the technical and artistic chops to capture the scene and tell the story. Her portfolio is a delight, and I say that not as a biased dad, but as someone who appreciates this kind of creativity.

This is also a picture of a picture, which not all that coincidentally is this week's theme. Sometimes the context of a photo or a scene becomes the story, as it did here on this important night in the life of a young artist. I often think about where and how a given work is seen or otherwise consumed, and what goes through the minds of those doing the consuming.

For the next week, that's what we'll focus on, as well.

Your turn: Take a picture of a picture, then share it on your blog, website or social media presence. Leave a comment here letting folks know where to find it, then visit other participants to share in the fun. Want to post another pic later in the week or bring a friend along for the ride? We'd love that, too. Thematic's rules, such as they are, are here. Otherwise, happy shooting, and thanks!

Related: Dahlia Levy Photography on Instagram

Thematic Photographic 406 - Electrical & Infrastructure

What keeps this place alive
London, ON
February 2017

I have a number of odd habits, one of which revolves around looking into the shadowy corners of quiet rooms in the vague hope that I'll see something no one else has noticed. Sure, maybe we see this stuff all the time, but do we really see it? Take the time to think about it a little?

Probably not. Hence the photo above. I don't even know what it is, but I know it plays a role in my day-to-day life. It's a switchbox on a back wall in one of the studios I use at the TV station. I'm pretty sure if this thing wasn't here, I wouldn't be going on-air. So, thank you little ignored box of stuff. And thank you to the gifted people in this place who make it all work. I'd be nowhere without them.

Your turn: This week's Thematic theme is electrical and infrastructure, because even the everyday and the forgotten can be photographically compelling. Take a photo that evokes, suggests or reflects this week's theme, then post it to your blog, website or social media account. Leave a comment here to let folks know where to find it, then drop by other participants to share the photographic joy. Bring a friend, and drop by later in the week to see what everyone's up to. For more info on how Thematic works, head here. Thanks gang!

Thematic Photographic 405 - Wheels and tires

All-season goodness
London, ON
March 2017

Take a close look at the average tire today and you're looking at a marvel of computer-generated engineering. Every aspect of the design you see here was painstakingly crafted to meet a specific set of performance criteria. Tires have to be quiet, efficient, durable, affordable, and safe. A little bit of fun thrown into the mix doesn't hurt, either. Balancing these often-conflicting criteria isn't as easy as it seems.

These unassuming rubber rings literally hold your vehicle to ground below, and despite the fact that we ignore them in the day-to-day of zipping from one place to another, we really do owe them a little more attention. And thanks.

Your turn: You know the drill, right? Take a picture that supports, evokes, suggests or even merely hints at this week's theme - wheels and tires - and post it to your blog, website or social media presence. Leave a comment here letting folks know where to find it. Visit other participants because nothing inspires great photography more than sharing. If you're new to the Thematic thing, check this link out. Otherwise, have fun. And thank you.

About this photo: My colleague, Andy Oudman, put new shoes on his car earlier this month. It isn't often that I get to shoot brand-new rubber, so before long we both found ourselves standing in the parking lot chatting happily about how awesome tires can be, and why they deserve more than a passing glance as we make our way home after a long day.

Related:
This photo on Instagram
carmilevy on Instagram
Where the rubber hits the road, Jan. 2016
Let's get dirty, Oct. 2013