HX Report
Irishman in the Middle East
Foto Friday – Fanar Mosque (Qatar)
Posted on February 24, 2017
Shot of the top section of Fanar Mosque, at the Souq Waqif area, Doha, Qatar.
Weekly Photo Challenge – A Good Match (MB’s challenge to Banksy)
Posted on February 24, 2017
The guideline for this week’s photo challenge from Ben is as follows:
“This week, share a photo of a satisfying pairing from your own life. You should by no means limit yourself to edible stuff — You can mix and match places, people, objects, and activities that represent your idea of a harmonious, pleasing combination.”
And no better man to ‘mix n match’ people and/or objects and/or anything else you care to mention than artist Banksy. MB has used a Banksy shot or two in previous weeks challenges, from his visit with daughter MB2 to the Moco Museum in Amsterdam in November 2016, which featured a Banksy/Warhol exhibition.
MB has tried to look up this painting online to find an explanation. ‘A painting on a painting’ was the only description MB could find, so he remains in the dark as to any deeper meaning. Maybe it’s just a piss-take on art generally. MB will very much welcome the thoughts of HX followers in this regard.
However, who but the artist himself can really shine a light? So Mr Banksy, assuming you are a follower of MB’s HX blog (and if you’re not you certainly should be!!!), please tell MB WTF this painting is about???!!! MB can clearly see that it’s got ‘a good match’, but apart from that………………………..
Foto Friday – Rainfall
Posted on February 17, 2017
Rainfall.
It’s been a week of daily rainfall in Qatar this past week. MB has seen nothing like it during his many-year Middle Eastern sojourn. Alas, however, he didn’t manage to capture any Qatar rain shots. Read More
Weekly Photo Challenge – Against the odds
Posted on February 16, 2017
What are the odds of having 9 cows approach you in a field in HXland and all individually lining up in perfect formation for the shot. A billion-to-one MB imagines. Ok, maybe a little less, but the odds were small for sure. To be a photo critic for a moment – the shot is only spoilt to some small degree by another cow lurking behind cow Nr 3 from the right. There’s always that one cow……..!
Anyway, here is MB’s effort for this week’s photo challenge: ‘Against the odds’ –
Foto Friday – Sport
Posted on February 10, 2017
The WordPress website has henceforth moved the Weekly Photo Challenge to Wednesdays, so MB has decided to launch his very own Foto Friday – with due regards and acknowledgement to blogger friend J, whose advice and free consultancy on this matter proved inspirational and invaluable, yadda, yadda, yadda.
Foto Friday will have no set theme, other than acting as an exposé of a small fraction of MB’s photo library.
Tuesday coming is a public holiday in Qatar – it’s the National Sports Holiday when all and sundry are encouraged to partake in some sporting activity. This is encouraged partially due to very low sports participation rates amongst native Arabs in Qatar (and more generally in many Middle East countries).
So MB is giving followers a sports theme shot from his HX homeland from June 2015.
Weekly Photo Challenge – Shadow
Posted on February 10, 2017
Ok, Ok! MB knows that he has used this pic previously in the photo challenges, so quit your moaning. The theme is ‘Shadow’, and as MB is in possession (with full copyright) of the greatest shadow photo in the entire history of Shadow Photography, there was just no way he would not use his awesome shadow shot for this week’s photo challenge.
So, Ansel Adams (RIP – alas), Gregory Hysler, Steve McCurry and other MB Wannabees, eat your photo hearts out and gaze in wonderment at MB’s s**t-hot shadow shot (MB is also a poet!):
Evening of June 20th, 2015. Summer Solstice eve. Grange Stone Circle at HX, Limerick, Ireland. The setting sun throws a great tree shadow slap bang in the centre of the circle as a few suck-calves (Irish farming expression) laze in the evening sunshine.
Awesome or what?!
Wicked MB!!!
Weekly Photo Challenge – Solitude
Posted on February 3, 2017
HX Report 