Haikography

[Dave Leaton]

A cuckoo cries,
and through a thicket of bamboo
the late moon shines

The photo of Rosina’s (above) called to mind the Japanese poetic form haiku. Individual haiku (hokku) were once parts of long poem chains called renga. Renga were socially constructed, sometimes in friendly competitions, sometimes during parties (that could last for days), and sometimes simply as a creative act among friends.

Haiku creation and photography have a great deal in common. Master Basho (the author in Japanese of the two haiku in this post) once said that poetry attempts to “capture the universe in a grain of sand.” This can be understood in a few different ways, but I’ve always understood it to mean that if a person studies a grain of sand and comes to understand all of the forces that have placed that grain in that particular place at that particular time with that particular composition and shape, then indeed one can come to understand a great deal about the universe. Reading poetry, like reading a photograph, is not a static exercise producing an absolute result. It is a relative process, integrating whatever the reader brings to the reading at the particular time of the reading. People change, pictures change, poetry changes.

How reluctantly
the bee emerges from the deep
within the peony

Right now, that’s how I feel about Panoramio. It’s a lovely place to be, but I have crap to do and places to go.

Anyway, the creation of renga chains of photography seems an ideal exercise for this forum. The idea with the succession of “links” is to work with the themes and elements in the previous photograph and/or the overall chain, but in some way try to advance or comment on those themes and/or elements. Patience is important—the idea is to give the elements a real workout, just as the Japanese masters gave cherry blossoms and the moon real workouts (and let’s not forget that grain of sand).

I imagine things like this have been done before, but not here, and not now, and not by us. So who wants to provide that all-important opening photograph? Or should Rosina's, above, with her permission, provide the opening?

[Fairfield112]

Quote Rosina:

Fairfield112

[Astrid Lied]

Quote Fairfield112:

[Snipe]

Quote Astrid Lied:

Quote Fairfield112:

[Snipe]

Perhaps if we always "quote" the last post with pictures we will end up with a story told without words. How interesting...

Obviously don't quote this post... Quote the one before it...

[Dave Leaton]

Quote Snipe:

[Snemann]

Quote Dave Leaton:

[Snipe]

Quote Snemann:

[mark_ncompass]

I hope you don't mind but I'll re-establish Rosina's original inspiration from Dave...

[mark_ncompass]

Quote Snipe:

Quote Snemann:

Quote Dave Leaton:

Quote Snipe:

Quote Astrid Lied:

Quote Fairfield112:

Quote Rosina: