Childhood Truths II
A friend recently said to me that every now and again the specter of my catholic upbringing steals a quick look to see if anyone is watching and when the time is right, jumps boldly into one my photos. Well, I’m not so sure I can agree with that wholeheartedly. Maybe it’s the Irish in me that that is too stubborn to accept that as truth or perhaps my Latin half that still suffers from the guilt of bailing from the church when I found out that God had a 9 to 5 like everyone else.
But one thing that did stick with me from all those years back was an image of a guardian angel hovering over a couple of kids as they crossed an old rickety bridge. So growing up around a lot of bridges I put a fair amount of stock into the role of angels in general. I figured they pretty much had it going on. Needless to say I must have packed that belief away into the little daypack we carry into adulthood for when I saw the above image last weekend out of the blue another childhood truth was devastated and left me asking what in the world could possibly cause an angel to cry.
Giving it some thought I can only imagine that perhaps she may have lost her mortal charge in some ploy gone terribly wrong. Or perhaps she was a moment too late to sacrifice herself for the life she was guarding but whatever the case angels answer to no one. So maybe that makes it all the more difficult to lose status quo as guardian… No one to answer to… No one to say it’s ok.
Comments and faves
CCCvrcak, Hantta, besia, maurosag, and 207 other people added this photo to their favorites.
Ruj (93 months ago | reply)
powerful
Zen Cat (93 months ago | reply)
Thank you Ruj.
Liisa [deleted] (93 months ago | reply)
very impressive indeed!
Mylens* (93 months ago | reply)
I know exactly what you mean but the Irish part.
Very moving words and powerful image, zen.
infomaniac (93 months ago | reply)
This left me speechless. Really, don't know what to say. So powerful, so sincere, so pure!
I might add this to FM at a quiet moment.
Zen Cat (93 months ago | reply)
Thank you all so much for sharing your time here. You comments leave me speechless at times.
Happy.Phantom (93 months ago | reply)
Incredible photo and words.
ImageInnovation Photography (93 months ago | reply)
This is a very emotionally evocative shot. She's probably crying for everything that's going on in the world right now -- all the lost people and lost hopes.
I recently saw a comment in response to a picture of a newborn baby that said: "Welcome to the world. Sorry for the mess."
Lapis Leslie (93 months ago | reply)
Gosh, that's beautiful.
Zen Cat (93 months ago | reply)
Thanks Phantom
@Dotlyc, yeah i agree it may be a mess but it's the only game in town :o
@ Leslie. Thanks,
aileene [deleted] (93 months ago | reply)
The curve of the wings is so nice...
Great shot!:-)
Zen Cat (93 months ago | reply)
Marina, the wings are just so overpowering close up. Being there was a real pleasure.
Zzzzt!Zzzzt! (93 months ago | reply)
very beautiful image and deeply moving words, Zen Cat.
joey kennedy (93 months ago | reply)
amazing morner, powerful emotion, fantastic capture and you deliever it well! made most interesting page, congradulation, nice to meet you, joey!
Zen Cat (93 months ago | reply)
Thanks Joey, and glad to have you here. Looking forward to visiting your photostream.
Lapis Leslie (93 months ago | reply)
I've seen this come up a few times in the "interestingness" reloads. It's just so touching...
Zen Cat (93 months ago | reply)
Thanks Leslie, it's a thrill to pop up in the Interestingness files. Sorta makes one sit back and just wonder. ; )
TooLoose-LeTrek (93 months ago | reply)
Wow, what a great angle on this.
Nice one indeed.
aximetric (93 months ago | reply)
ohiiii!! che bella foto!
Sidereal (93 months ago | reply)
Another winner, ZC - I'd love to know how you shot it and processed it if you have the time. Perfect.
Zen Cat (93 months ago | reply)
@ Jack. This shot was taken with the Olympus E-300 dSLR using a 14-45 mm f3.5-5.6 lens. I started out with a 40-150mm but in this case I wanted a close up and yet a wider angle to capture the entire statue.
As for processing – I shoot in raw format and then use Raw Shooter 2005 (which is a free download for the time being and I find it to be one of the better converters.) In Raw Shooter I de-saturated and adjusted for contrast and converted to tiff, popped over to photoshop and made final adjustments in channel mixer. Of late I do little if no cropping. And there you have it. If you can shoot in raw format, do give it a go.
veru·bouvet (93 months ago | reply)
beautiful
Doctor Beef (93 months ago | reply)
I don't know what I can say that hasn't already been said. Suffice it to say I was moved.
Zen Cat (93 months ago | reply)
Thank you all very much.
yakanama (93 months ago | reply)
i really love this pic... i took something similar in the protestant cemetery in rome this year:
Zen Cat (93 months ago | reply)
Wow! Great shot.
LynkxsTCat (93 months ago | reply)
Just Beautiful.
Sidereal (93 months ago | reply)
Thanks for the explanations, ZC!
cameralucida (88 months ago | reply)
Beautiful shot.
Would you please add it to this pool?
Cimetières/Cemeteries/Cementerios
EndimioN IS BACK ! (85 months ago | reply)
beautiful picture..
once I went to the cementery to take pictures too..
But I couldn't.... Something inside me toldme : that place is sacred.. do not distub it...
so... I brougth a rose... and i left it in the most soltary thomb... :)
A. Xoe (84 months ago | reply)
It's your commentary that perfects your perfect pictures...
Tina Noiret (82 months ago | reply)
La Légende des Anges
Elle appelait
Sans voix
Dans le cyberspace
Sans toi
Les anges se tiennent là
Dit-il
Messagers
Des sphères
Cent voies
Sans traces
D’un clic
sans toit
Les être-là
de l'espace
S'espacent
L ou pas
Tina Noiret
Zen Cat (82 months ago | reply)
Thanks Tina for the poem and kind works.
Pink Sherbet Photography (81 months ago | reply)
So sad and beautiful
Centopeia (80 months ago | reply)
i can feel de crying o.o´
beautiful
foreveravalon (79 months ago | reply)
This one is heartbreaking too. I love your thoughts on what could make an angel weep. It seems so wrong, that a creature so close to God could feel such pain.
Gorgeous lighting
Zen Cat (79 months ago | reply)
Thanks Pink, Centopedia and foreveravalon.
Also a big thank you for reading the text.
ZC
ErinAree (78 months ago | reply)
I'm sorry to hear that something happened to make you think that God has a 9-5 workday ... maybe the angel is weeping because she is so sorry that you had experiences that prevented you from knowing God.
A beautiful shot, truly.
Zen Cat (78 months ago | reply)
Thank you kindly Miss Random.
starry7@btinternet.com (77 months ago | reply)
... i know why she cries......................... xxx
_RedShoesGirl_ (76 months ago | reply)
This is a wonderful image, you are invited to submit this image to Angels Art group.
Please read the rules for the group!
Zen, you are the test subject!
kafka doodle (76 months ago | reply)
A beautiful image of a beautiful sculpture. Congrats!
serenamatthews (72 months ago | reply)
This photo is loved by Here in the Blue, and I'd love to have your photo added to the group~
timeless lady (72 months ago | reply)
this photo gives a feeling...I really enjoy your art!
Zen Cat (72 months ago | reply)
Thanks all. Your comments are muchly appreciated.
bobster855 [deleted] (72 months ago | reply)
This angel is made of stone, no more real than any god imagined by man.
kristindale (72 months ago | reply)
This is beautiful....love it!
Kenyi72 [deleted] (71 months ago | reply)
God bless and loves you all.
Liza Edith Photography (71 months ago | reply)
This is a stunning photograph! but I have to say I cannot agree with the caption! It is actually quite sorrowful to my spirit!
Franciska (71 months ago | reply)
thanks for your pics with angels...I like them too..