Spotlight Photo ~ Your Favorites of 2012

When I agreed to help choose the Spotlight photos once a month, I had no idea that I'd find myself looking down the wrong end of the lens on the toughest week of the year. You guys outdid yourselves with your Favorite Photos of 2012. A heartfelt thanks to all who participated. Your photos were all outstanding.

I loved all the wonderful photos of the people, animals, bright scenery, and special places. Your generosity in sharing special moments in time and snippets of your lives was completely overwhelming.

If you haven't had an opportunity to visit all the posts, I strongly encourage you to do so. You'll thank me for that gentle nudge because I only chose one photo to spotlight this week.

One of the reasons I've hung around FMTSO for so long is that each week participants are asked to push themselves to meet new challenges and, at times, to stretch outside their comfort zones. I don't know about you folks but there are weeks I feel I've failed miserably to capture the essence of the challenge with my photos. We are humans doing our best to be part of this community and to learn new ways of viewing the world around us.

I don't generally explain my reasons for choosing the photos for the spotlight but this week I've decided to do just that so you'll understand why Shuji's photograph of this simple, utilitarian piece of pottery lying on the rocky ground caught and held my attention.


It's a haunting photo and my eyes were immediately drawn to the crack in the lip of the pot.

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "There's a crack in everything God creates."

Some of the most powerful lyrics from Leonard Cohen's song, Anthem, are:

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in.

As hard as we strive to capture the perfect photo, we're destined to fail. It's only in the work that we grow ~ both in our photographic skills and in life.

I am humbled by the gift of your visions and I thank you for the opportunity to take a glimpse inside your worlds.

Happy shooting in 2013.

Peace,
Cheryl

Comments

  1. Cheryl, thank you for the beautiful words. For capturing what is so great about the FSO group. And I agree this is a great photo, chosen from among many great photos. good job.

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  2. Cheryl, this was a lesson in photography for me. I am not to the point that you are yet and that is why I stay with this challenge. I visit NatGeo daily to look at their photos and see such amazing entries. This is indeed a great photo.
    Peggy

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