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Irishman in the Middle East
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge -Leading Lines
Posted on January 20, 2020
Thanks to Tina for this week’s Leading Lines challenge. Tina’s photos are visible here and are really worth a visit.
MB’s offering includes the leading line of the Doha Corniche sea wall, leading the eye to the Doha West Bay district in the background.
Windows with a view
Posted on January 13, 2020
Windows with a view.
Thanks to Amy for the ‘windows’ challenge.
MB offers an original MB Monet-type effort for this week’s challenge.
MB kids you not.
On second thoughts, describing MB’s composition as ‘Monet-like’ is not to do it the huge justice it so thoroughly deserves.
Minimalist, yet not.
Textured, yet not.
A window, yet not.
Blurry, yet not (that’s where Mr Claude Monet enters the MB scene).
A genre of photography not yet invented, so to speak.
MB entitles his composition:
Skiers. Yet not. Through the dirty window of a French Ski Lift.
You are so full of crap MB.
That’s probably a shot you forgot to delete.
It’s a total bullshit shot.
And now you’re pawning it off as some sort of Photo Fine Art.
You think you’ve fooled us MB.
Yet not!
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Special Spot Shots
Posted on January 5, 2020
Thanks to Ann-Christine for 2020’s first photo challenge – Special Spot Shots.
MB was back home for Christmas and spent an inevitable morning, camera in hand, at Lough Gur lake. Weather was nice. Beautiful morning.
Herewith:
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – On Display
Posted on December 16, 2019
Thanks to Amy for this week’s ‘On Display‘ challenge.
MB has selected one of his aerial display shots from his Doha Corniche early-morning walk on Friday last.
A Friday Stroll
Posted on December 13, 2019
MB decided to kick off his weekend with an early-morning stroll along Doha Corniche this morning. The Corniche is MB’s favourite walk in Doha, being 5km long, give or take. So if one parks one’s car at the Islamic Museum car park at one end, as MB normally does, one gets the full 5km and the same back. 10km. Walk or run. As you wish. Or mix the two. As MB often does. Read More
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Abstract
Posted on December 6, 2019
Thanks to PA for the Abstract challenge.
Voila – MB’s offering:
On first impressions, the above small section of a vaulted church ceiling seems abstract in appearance. On closer inspection, one sees the remains of religious murals, mostly long disappeared by the vigors and passage of time. MB took the above shot in July 2019 during a visit to the Selexyz Dominican Bookstore in Maastricht, Holland, easily the most beautiful bookstore that MB has ever visited.
The church was built by the Dominican Order in 1294. All went swimmingly for exactly 500 years until French Emperor Napolian invaded in 1794 and expelled the Dominicans from the country. Since then, the church has served as a parish church, a warehouse, and an archive. In 2007 some bright spark had the great idea to turn the building into the stunning bookshop that we see today.
One can make out a coffee shop in the area of the former church altar area (if one has a magnifying glass!) in MB’s below pic. MB tasted its wares on his visit and can recommend it highly. What better way to enjoy a freshly-smelling new book than sitting in an old church altar, drinking tasty coffee and munching delicious fresh pastries?! Absolutely none, if MB can answer his own question!
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Creepy
Posted on November 10, 2019
It’s the weekend
Posted on November 8, 2019
Climb a tree!
In August 2014 MB found himself in Sudan, compliments of a wedding invitation he received from a young Sudani friend. MB took the opportunity to do a bit of exploring. Sudani friends organised for MB to visit an area called Soba with his camera, just outside the capital city, Khartoum.
It was the middle of the day when MB arrived with his Sudani friends. Most of the Soba male inhabitants were missing, having travelled to the city in early-morning to sell vegetables or bottled water in markets and street corners.
By Westerns (or many other) standards, Soba is extremely poor, with the inhabitants living a subsistence-level lifestyle. The houses people live in are not far removed from the houses their sheep and goats live in. But regardless of the relative poverty, most inhabitants that MB encountered had a smile on their faces, especially the children.
MB caught the kids in his below pic at their favourite tree.
So this weekend, MB suggests that you go climb a tree, if you can.
And be damn grateful for the hand of cards that life has dealt you.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Seeing Double
Posted on October 27, 2019
Thanks to Tina for this week’s Double challenge.
MB caught these two doing steward duty at the Redbull Soapbox Race he recently attended in Amman, Jordan. Wonder what they are seeing?!
Lens Artist’s Photo Challenge – Filling the frame
Posted on October 6, 2019
Thanks to Patti for this week’s Filling the Frame challenge.
You may have thought that there is no alcohol production in the Middle East. But if you did, you’re wrong!
MB was in Jordan a few weeks back, primarily to attend the wedding of a work colleague. Whilst the wedding was a ‘dry’ wedding, involving as it did two Muslim families, beer and alcohol generally are freely available in Jordan. On the day after the wedding, MB killed some time with a local friend visiting two great pubs. Both sold a Jordanian brewed craft beer called Carakale, after the local brewery that makes it.
And a damned fine tipple it is.
Sláinte!
To check out the Carkale brewery, click HERE.
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