Although one knows better these days than to trust what is said in the news, it makes sense that air travel is much affected by current events.
Yet our skies are often criss-crossed with contrails so, clearly some folk are flying.
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Why do I find contrails irresistible?
Is it because they are made by aircraft flying over?
That would be to assume I like aeroplanes. I did…once.
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Maybe it’s that I am captivated by lines?
And that I like to watch contrails morph. Sometimes they make pleasing photographs.
Pleasing to me. I often hear my father tutting about the sorts of pictures I take. He was a professional and a perfectionist who obeyed the rules, in photography if not always elsewhere.
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Here, I like the contrail that parallels the power line, while those higher up pass at right angles. Tall, straight trees are also lines.
Do lines represent order? I’ll admit to being a compulsive straightener-upper.
When I briefly shared an apartment with my friend Tim, it drove him mad and he went around pushing everything out of alignment. A relief for both of us when his house became available and he moved out!
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For the most part, I prefer images of the natural world, but as a human, I am conditioned to man-made creations, some of which are attractive.
Contrails are a by-product, modified by natural forces. Maybe that makes them acceptable?
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At ground level, Nature provides other subjects.
Wallflowers have appeared randomly here and there, dots of colour that attract beetles.
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Cheerful buttercups feed hungry bees.
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The very simplicity of a buttercup makes it exquisite.
We expend time and effort chasing what is rare or exotic, overlooking what we regard as ordinary, but I find it is rewarding sometimes to pay attention to that which is at our feet.
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Literally. Ground ivy grows profusely without encouragement or care.
“It is considered a noxious weed, though it has historical uses in brewing and traditional medicine.” So says the internet.
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Flowers are a challenge for me, especially those that are tiny like yellow rocket which the internet tells me is a type of cress, a member of the mustard family:
How to Eat It:
Leaves: Young leaves are best picked in early spring before the plant flowers. They can be eaten raw in salads, providing a peppery, cress-like flavor. As the plant matures, the leaves become increasingly bitter, so it is best to boil, steam, or sauté them in stews or stir-fries.
Stems and Buds: Unopened flower buds and shoots can be harvested and cooked similarly to broccoli.
Flowers: The bright yellow flowers are also edible and make a great colorful garnish or addition to salads.
It is considered an invasive weed, but at the rate we are going, we may be very grateful for it before long.
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Bright sunlight is another challenge, but it offers highlights against heavy shade.
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Darkness and light.
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My glasses had transitioned to dark and I could barely see the camera screen.
So I pointed and shot blind.
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Definitely not my father’s sort of photograph, but I love the way light finds tiny surfaces and picks them out against the shade – that single, tiny flower at the end of a thin, delicate stalk.
Like a beacon of hope.
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Love your beacon if hope ending!
I still go around straightening things, but it’s a shame I never take a straight horizon and always have to straighten it later.
Your father sounds methodical but I don’t think I treat photography like that…I love people photos but candid shots.
Your contrails are lovely and as long as you enjoy take ng the shots, that’s all that matters. 😉
And we SO need one of those. Beautiful photos and a glimpse of hope. Thank you
Thank you, Carolyn, for the inspiring reflections and beautiful photos of flowers, sky, and the beacon of hope!
Joanna
Your Dad may not have liked them, but I think they are superb!
Our recent mini-heatwave seems to have woken up the bees here at long last. There was one in the house yesterday, and I managed to guide it out through a window with no damage to it. Many conspiracy theorists do not believe that contrails are a product of aircraft flying overhead, have you seen their theories? Best wishes, Pete.
‘Contrail conspiracy theories—often referred to as “chemtrails”—erroneously claim that long-lasting white trails left by high-altitude aircraft contain nefarious chemical or biological agents sprayed on the public. In reality, these are simply condensation trails: ice crystals formed by warm, humid jet exhaust in cold, high-altitude air.The Core TheoryThe fundamental belief of contrail theories is that normal condensation trails dissipate quickly. Theorists believe that when white lines persist, spread out, and cover the sky, they must consist of added substances rather than water vapor.Believers suggest these trails are intentionally deployed for various secret operations, including:Solar Radiation Management (Geoengineering): Purposely reflecting sunlight to alter global temperatures.Weather Modification: Controlling or inducing changes to local weather.Mass Manipulation: The belief that agents are being sprayed to control the population, administer pharmaceuticals, or limit population growth.’
If we worried about all those conspiracies, I think we’d not get out of bed each day!
Contrails are the two dimensional geometry exercises in 3D. Consider the cosmic impact of two bits of energy, people if you like, intersect like lines in space, interacting and moving on – points on the life line. We know in 2d those lines then continue on until the don’t. In 3d they can as you note, morph. Bending in the cosmic stream to possibly cross again. The old If I don’t see you in the future I ‘ll see you in the pasture riddle. To me, contrails are representations of us. Man made? Maybe. But only by our transgressing through the natural order.
I never think about ‘rules’ when I take photos – as long as what I see is beautiful to me, I’m happy with my camera (without thinking about depth, two-thirds … or whatever you have to think about when you are a photographer). Love the buttercups – it looks like sunshine.