Black and white photo of ornate two-tiered cloister arches
Colombia,  Oman,  Pick a Word,  Portugal,  Rajasthan,  Themed galleries

Gallery: pick a word (June 2024)

June 29, 2024 / 21 Comments

A good photograph is one that communicates a fact, touches the heart and leaves the viewer a changed person for having seen it.

Irving Penn

That description of a ‘good photograph’ sets a high bar for us to aspire to. If I can do even one of those three things with an image, I’m satisfied!

Paula’s Pick a Word challenge sends me scouring my archives each month for photos that not only match her words (not always easy!) but also satisfy me as an image. I’ll leave you to decide, however, if any of them meets even one of Penn’s criteria. And indeed if they fit Paula’s words!

I never stick only to her five words however, as I like to tell you something about each photo. But I do try to be more succinct for this challenge than for most of my posts!

This month my photos will take you to Portugal (twice), Oman, Colombia and India. And I’ve tried to include some at least that you won’t have seen in previous posts.

MONASTIC

Ornate two-tiered cloister arches

The cloisters of the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos in Belém, near Lisbon, Portugal

This is a UNESCO World Heritage site and considered one of the finest examples of the late Portuguese Gothic Manueline style of architecture.

ABANDONED

Old truck half-buried in a sand dune

An old truck outside the entrance to the 1,000 Nights Camp in the Wahiba Sands, Oman

The truck is now half buried in the dunes and has been left here as a tourist photo opp, as the sign suggests.

CRYSTAL

Large opening in rock with a blue-lit cross at one end

The Salt Cathedral in Zipaquirá, Colombia

Although called a cathedral, this is really a Roman Catholic church constructed in the tunnels of a salt mine 200 metres underground. It utilises the caves left behind by previous mining operations. The huge cross behind the main altar is an illusion. It appears from a distance as if it has been carved from salt but it is in fact a hollow opening in the rock behind, cleverly lit to appear solid.

ECHOING

Looking up and out of a cave

Looking out from a sea cave at Ponta da Piedade, near Lagos in Portugal

The limestone cliffs here have been eroded by wind and waves into dramatic arches, pillars and grottoes like this one. And yes, the echoes are impressive!

AFFABLE

Smiling man in a check shirt

A friendly local shopkeeper in Narlai, Rajasthan

A guide from our hotel, who lives in the village, took us on a stroll to meet some locals and see something of daily life here.

21 Comments

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