Perspective is important to every photographer. With the creative use of perspective narrowed down through the lens of a camera, a bit of gravel can look like a barren desert landscape or a few trees can trick the eye into thinking you’re deep in a centuries-old forest.
Who hasn’t seen real estate photos that inexplicably make a house and its rooms look several times bigger than they really are? Photos aren’t objective — they show what we want them to show.
This week’s photo challenge is about perspective: post a photo which is not what it seems to be.
The Daily Post – Ash
The Pacific Northwest is home to some beautiful totem poles and while I enjoy studying the stories they tell I have yet to take a great picture of a full pole. Instead I focus on small snapshots of images that stand out to me and this contemporary installation on the Edmonds Waterfront is a great example.
This cedar Friendship Tree pole was carved by Steve Jensen to reflect the enduring relationship between Edmonds, WA and Hekinan, its sister city in Japan. The artist worked with students in both towns to select images that reflected the character of their communities and the word “friend” in Japanese along a sea turtle representing longevity are two elements selected to celebrate the friendship between the two cities.
Posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Perspective.
Northwest Frame of Mind 
What a great perspective!
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Thanks Joanne. 🙂
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Nice choice and photos.
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Thanks LD. 🙂
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great shots!!
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I’m glad you like them!
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i’ve actually tried to take a few shots of entire totem poles, but they look awkward — like sticks standing tall against the sky. Your pics are great — so interesting to see something up close!!1
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Thanks Rusha! The big poles look so great in real life and my photos are always a disappointment. This was my solution. 🙂
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[…] Weekly Photo Challenge: Perspective | Northwest Frame of Mind […]
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[…] Weekly Photo Challenge: Perspective | Northwest Frame of Mind […]
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You hit the mission of the challenge directly on the head. At first glance I thought I was looking at Polynesian carvings and never would have guessed they were part of a totem pole.
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Thanks for your nice comment! I was happy to find a good place to post these photos and am glad they fit with the theme of the challenge. 🙂
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A complete totem pole would certainly be difficult to encompass well. I enjoyed the smaller perspective.
janet
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Thanks Janet. 🙂
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I’m so glad you said that. Lisa! I thought it was just my inadequacy. Well, partly it is, but the ‘snippets’ are so much more interesting. 🙂
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I’m glad you agree Jo! It’s fun to discover common experiences too. 🙂
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A great choice for the theme, Lisa 🙂 I like your snipets 🙂
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Thanks Paula. 🙂 I’ve been wanting to post them but didn’t have the right context…I’m glad I waited!
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It’s a weird concept this “friendship cities”-thing. They do it over here as well. Do these cities attend each others birthdays? Are they having sleepovers?
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All good questions. 🙂 I’ve wondered the same things…
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I had just photographed a sculpture in wood similar to this. I didn’t post it for the challenge because I didn’t have time to upload to my computer. The wood on the sculpture had sections like the ones you’ve posted.
I like the way you’ve shown your prospective with these photos.
Great choice … perfect. ~~~~ : – )
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Thanks Isadora, it’s nice to know we were thinking along the same lines this week. 🙂
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