haiku::photo 5 — sono-mama mata

The Haiku Foundation welcomes you to haiku::photo.

M. H. Rubin says

I’m having more fun and I hope you are too. So many wonderful haiku here. I think we’re seeing fewer snapshots, and many more interesting photographs.

Beverly Jay, “Danceland”

First is this one of the dancers. It feels like a real moment, an everyday moment maybe, and the little juxtaposition with the sign made me smile. Not laugh, just the right kind of smile.

Nick T, “Robin”

Second is this simple shot of this bird. I’m sure you can feel the simplicity and formality here, and the juxtaposition of the bird (real) and the bird (not) also has a kind of knowing smile.

simonj simonj, “Who, Me?”

Third are the llamas and sheep. I feel its weak compositionally, certainly executed quickly, I like the sheep looking over the shoulders of the llamas. I like their expressions.

Too many runners up, and I liked many for different reasons.

Biswajit Mishra, “Shovel and Beer Bottle”

Such as this one of the bottle in the snow. It’s an awkward composition, but it feels both ordinary and some common experience in it. It’s not instantly clear what you’re seeing, but you see it, and you recognize.

Olga Leskiw-Suzuki, “Barbers”

The haircut is an interesting moment, a bit exotic, a little informal, but I like the moment caught and it was really the person entering frame on the right that made it for me — it’s the second beat and it was nice.

Cristina Povero, “Herding”

And the cat in the bushes. The composition is a bit on the nose, the cat didn’t need to be so strongly central, but I liked the cows in the background, it takes a moment to settle into the scene and moment of it. It works. (and if you’re looking at such things, it has a similar structure to Povero’s other submission of the teapot and cups, if you look at it).

Now I’m going to take the relatively unprecedented move to do with I do in my workshops — and I apologize in advance for how rude it really is. But I’m going to take the winners this month, truly my favorites here, and show a way I might have edited/cropped them differently for effect.

Robin Before and After

This one, for instance. It’s poorly composed, the weights are off and the subject is in the center which makes it feel too forced. Pushing it out of the center lets the weight of the dark tress counter the interesting subject. And you get closer ,which is nice.

Who Me? Before and After

For the llamas, one of the issues is that the background sky is empty and over weighted by the content below. It doesn’t add anything and mostly pulls out. I tried to find a way to crop it out without creating a ridiculous aspect ratio, and couldn’t really do it. I also eflt the color didn’t add anything to what was happening and while it’s nice, I thought I’d show that the color isn’t part of the story. But in the end of the day, I don’t like mine better. Just showing the sort of thinking that is involved.

Danceland Before and After

And finally the winner had a lot of space that was separating me from the subjects. I went back and forth whether it was nice to feel the emptiness around them, but the haiku is about the sign and them dancing, not about the isolation, and so I felt it was maybe a stronger haiku pushed in a bit, and the color also didn’t seem to add much. I also could go either way on this one. A fine photograph in any case.

How did our voters see it?

Our Next Focus: sono-mama

What we’re looking for: photos of everyday life

Next month the assignment is the same, it’s hard to make a haiku so I want you to keep up your practice, just like you do with the written form. I will say that it is springtime, or supposed to be, so as much as your kigo is whatever inspires you, see if your image can speak to spring. (And if you send me a blooming flower it had better be a photo I’ve not seen before.) I’m loving your work! I hope this is fun.

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— M. H. Rubin

How to participate:

First, view Rubin’s site. Once your feel you have a grasp of the principles, take some photos that align with this month’s theme. Select your best, and submit them below by midnight March 30. Voting runs April 3 – 10. Results, commentary and the new topic will be announced here on troutswirl on April 15. Good luck!

Note: This isn’t haiga! There should be no text attached to your photos. What we are looking for is, precisely, haiku::photo!

Curated by internationally renowned photographer M. H. Rubin, haiku::photo is an opportunity to combine two areas of artistic knowledge. Anyone with a camera can explore the application of haiku principles to the craft of photography., first by viewing Rubin’s site, then by posting their best efforts related to our monthly theme here on the THF site. The result is a visual kukai, and results will be housed in the haiku::photo archive.