Today I combine two challenges, one on Leading lines and another on America. First the photos from here in Tuscany, and then a poem about them in America.
.
L
e
a
d
i
n
g
.
l
i
n
e
s
.
For a change, let’s start with the gallery. This is a place around here which I pass daily in all seasons. This is where my mind goes first when I hear leading lines. It’s a place of many lines, and no matter how I wish to be led by them, I stay put, scratching behind my ear.
It’s not wrong, one of the quotes from Tina’s Lens-Artists challenge post:
“Photography is the easiest art, which perhaps makes it the hardest.”
Lisette Model
Do not call a doctor, but this is how the inside of my head looks like: 186 photos of the same parking structure, gathered in six, almost seven years. And I managed to choose only 20.

Every month gets two photos, except July and August since then I prefer to flee back to Slovenia and leave the beach to happy pest bathing.
This exposé on lines is a good symbol of my photography. This is what I think about my skills: leading maybe not nowhere, definitely somewhere, most often in more directions at once.
Thank you for your attention. It must be harder for you than for me. 😀
January 2016. Hard to call them leading. Also January 2016, just ten days later and very early. February 26, 2016. February 26, 2018. What a difference two years makes. March 2017. Shadows are promising… March 2018. Looks more menacing if I’m included. April 2018. The yellows arrive. April 2018. Now we are talking? (Or are we?) This structure is opposite the one on other photos. May 2017. Looks like I’m being swallowed. May 2013. Poppies always help. June 2016. This roof adds more stripes. June 2018. Rhododendrons in full swing. September 2017. I like the view but still try to include these poles in some sensible way. Early October 2017. Uuuu, this one is scary. October 2017. See what I mean? Impossible to make sense of all these. October 2017 (yes, October gets three photos). This female dog appeared under the fence of a property. Bestia was uber happy but she didn’t rescue herself just to be tied up in another relationship again, and ran off almost immediately. We never saw her again. November 2017. I’ve had it. This is the last stage of line disease. November 2018. Yes, let’s drown them. December 2015. Note to self: Not everything can be solved by black and white. December 2017. I say: “Lead!” But actually I don’t want to follow.
And now a poem and photo on America. Actually on its war profiteers, terrorist attack planners and other killers, as watching the film Everything Is a Rich Man’s Trick made me feel. You can watch it on YouTube, it’s long and distressing, but I find it refreshing and calming to have hard truths hit me on the head and open my eyes on the daily basis.

Leading stripes?
Stripes and stars:
l’America.
Ginkgos, gringos,
Miss World, Mr. Right,
misleading, misled, missiled.
In response to Patrick Jennings’ Pic and a Word Challenge #216: America
and
For Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, hosted by Tina of travelsandtrifles.wordpress.com: Leading lines
Just amazing though Jan is my fav.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Bojana. Both photos of Jan or one more than the other?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I loooove the purple one.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Jan 2016 and Oct 2017 are my favourites. An amazing structure Is it still standing Manja ?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Bushboy. It is still standing indeed, with new wooden legs that have been replaced since. It’s me who got discouraged, it seems, seeing that there are no photos from last or this year. Also, I’m not taking my camera with me at all times any more. I have too many photos already. Why are you asking? Do you have a suggestion which angle to use? 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
No reason Manja, just curious 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for going thru the process MM! My favorite of these is the puddle – and the pups of course :-).
LikeLike
Thank you, Tina. Your comment went to spam but I rescued it. 🙂 Sorry for being late but I had too many photos gathered and it took me a while to narrow them down. Thanks for the exercise.
LikeLiked by 1 person
How cool trust you take so many artsy photos of this parking structure –
It is inspired me to not be holding back on areas that I find myself frequently taking photos of! I will keep going
Anyhow – the diversity in I it photos is wonderful and I looked at the photo that had the thumbnails too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for detailed viewing, Prior. 🙂 I’m glad to hear that a post like this can inspire. I suppose that’s why I keep doing it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes – and it is your art — and artists gotta make art and create – right
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, how few words you use to so succinctly describe my former home. <sigh>
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Patrick. Is it just a former or the original home? I thought you were a Canadian working in Hollywood. 🙂
LikeLike
<grin> It’s complicated. I’m a Canadian born in West Germany on a Canadian Air Force Base whose father later left the air force to work for TWA flying passenger jets all over the world. That meant moving to the USA (after a brief stint back in Canada) at 4 years old where I lived until I was 20. Moved back to Canada (Whistler, a ski resort near Vancouver) for a couple years, then to Vancouver which became more-or-less permanent home.
I work in the vibrant Vancouver film industry, AKA Hollywood North.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for the info. 🙂 Sounds happening. I just don’t know if you could ever forgive me for taking you as a Hollywood type. 😉 (I don’t! It’s just that I thought only there movies were made, obviously.) :p
LikeLike
Vancouver and Toronto often vie for third largest production city in North America. I believe it’s Vancouver at the moment, after LA and NYC.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh… and no worries. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had a little check… IMDB knows. You are NINE years older than me, and I thought we were the same generation. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
A generation is about 30 years. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
What’s a year, anyway? Just some days bunched together. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
heh. There’s a meme going around: “January was a tough year, but we got through it!”
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love your dedication to creating a project photographing the parking structure over a long period of time. A great way to study, improve and reflect on your photographic journey. Well done, Manja.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Jane. 🙂 I’ve never thought of it as a project. I had to assemble all these photos now before posting 20 of them, they hadn’t been even tagged or in the same folder. I just pass by and click, and then show and not reflect much, as for improvement, if it happens it’s spontaneous. I like it this way.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sometimes a series happens just like you described. To me, a project is simply a theme, or a plan to study a subject with my lens.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Line disease hey? I like November.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Jan. It rolled out this way. 😀
LikeLike
It’s good to have a photographic muse (this parking structure) which allows you to get all creative and see its many moods. I particularly like the reflection.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Draco, means a lot. 🙂 I feel that I’ve reached a stage where I’d need more know-how to improve.
LikeLike