Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Fossilized seashell

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I look at this and I'm reminded of all the hours I used to spend as a child looking for shells at the beach, or better yet for fossils whispering to us from the depths of the ages. I love the subtle delicate shaping of this one, making it look almost soft. It almost defies comprehension, how something as ethereal as the imprint of a shell or a plant can survive through the millenia, creating a memory of itself from the very soil in which it lies. How long did this small treasure have to wait, unseen, for me to find it?
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Thousands of years?
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Hundreds of thousands?
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Perhaps even millions?
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Or perhaps maybe just a few weeks ;-).
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Take another look and see what you think.
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I started experimenting with focal black and white this afternoon, veered off into sepia, and from there one thing led to another until I ended up with my "fossil".
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I am so loving photoshop...
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40 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very well-done. I don't feel up to it yet.

Leora said...

Fascinating. I looked at your photo and I thought, what kind of shell is that? Great lead in. Your writing adds to the post.

Can you identify the pink flower? (can someone else?) I see thick leaves that might hold a lot of water in a country that doesn't have a lot to spare.

Robin said...

I haven't the faintest idea Leora, I'm not good with flower names and I don't even remember where this one is from. I shot it last winter sometime, perhaps at Kibbutz Hefetz Haim? (Anyone who was there with me recognize it?)

The Riverbum said...

Very nicely done!

Felisol said...

Hello Robin,
Are you familiar with the term (and creature) sea star?
I thought that had to be your fossil.
I'm easily conned.
The think leaves of the fragile star reminds me of my Rhododendrons.
There are a zillion different species.
They like sour soil and moist.
Or, perhaps it is a lily??
Nice stunt anyway.
From Felisol

Rose said...

I thought it was a clematis flower...but I was wrong. Besides it don't have enough petals for one. But it is nicely done.
btw, I don't think I have told you, but I really like your header picture. It is different and inviting in a different way than scenic shots.

Anonymous said...

You had me going with your fossil! Great post and lovely pictures!

Ralph said...

The star looks like a delicate flower whose petals have been cast in plaster. It is an elegant iteration with a subtle 3-D feeling in its surface...frame it, and it looks great in any gallery!

Susan Helene Gottfried said...

COOL.

I'm going to have to start bribing you to do WoM graphics for me, aren't I?

anymommy said...

Fooled me! Really cool. I went back and forth several times before I was convinced it was the flower.

Carletta said...

Aren't you very clever Ms. Robin!
I knew it wasn't a sanddollar but couldn't place it in my mind. I smiled when I scrolled down.
I so want Photoshop - but then I probably couldn't put it away. :)

Anonymous said...

Well done. I think it was really a fossil at first. Mine is up "beach" check it out if you have free time.It is m first entry in Sepia Scenes.

SandyCarlson said...

That is a wonderful optical illusion, Robin.

Anonymous said...

W O W !!! I really thought it was a fossil! That was Out-Of-This-World Cool!!!

EG CameraGirl said...

Ha! Very cool, Robin. ;-)

PJ said...

Smarty pants! All I could think was were there flowers when fossils were being formed? then I scrolled down...you really got me!

Janet said...

Knew it was a flower...a fossil flower, but a flower nonetheless.

Anonymous said...

I can't decide which version of your photo I like best, they're both lovely. I also fell for your ruse - totally believed it was a fossil.

Anonymous said...

I was going to say it looked like a delicate paper flower, but then I saw the real McCoy. Wonderful, Robin!!!

Lea said...

This was so fun! Wow, I thought... but wait, that isn't a seashell... why... it's a fossilized flower, does Robin know she has a fossilized flower???

You got me!!!! XO

"Sunshine" said...

Very cool! I don't have Photoshop--didn't realize all the possibilities until I started reading your blog :)

Phyllis Sommer said...

lol - you are too funny!

Mojo said...

You really had me going with this one. At first I was sue it was 'shopped, then I wasn't, and then I scrolled down.

Nice work!

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed your writing and your photography.

Sherrie said...

Hi!
Great Job on the transformation!! I was convinced it was a fossil! Have a great day!!

Sherrie

Anonymous said...

tricky tricky! :) i did like looking for seashells though...

Dianne said...

you did an amazing job!

Jientje said...

Ewww! My comment is gone!
I said, that I had to come back, because Mozilla would not show me the second picture! And what a surprise I got! Very clever Robin!!

Anonymous said...

Well done. It's so cool.

Libby's Library said...

Okay - you fooled me!

Anonymous said...

Great post Robin..I have PSE, but am not comfortable with it and don't do much with it..Michelle.

Claremont First Ward said...

It's amazing how different it looks fossilized!

Jill said...

Oh I really need to get photoshop...

Your photos are amazing. They helped catapult me into buying a new lens for my Canon DSLR. Yay!

Mozi Esme said...

Very creative! I am really wanting to get photoshop now...

Tina - omme i London said...

LOL - that's brilliant!

Cheryl Pitt said...

Gorgeous! it almost looks hand carved :)

Anonymous said...

My goodness girl. If the photography wasn't fantastic enough, now with photoshop, you REALLY rock!

Annie Jeffries said...

Very clever and creative Robin. Nice job.

maryt/theteach said...

Robin, you fooled me! I couldn't believe such a perfectly outlined "shell" but I beleived it. Then you showed me what you did! Oh my! What a stunning job! :)

Nalini Prasanna said...

Such pretty pictures!!