When this week’s Sunday Stills appeared in my Reader this morning, I had to laugh. Accompanying the handsome photograph of power lines striding out across seemingly endless ploughed fields, the challenger proposed we might like to submit intentionally shot power lines, or photographs ruined by power lines – noting that as bloggers, we probably all had both. I can attest, that as a blogger, I have intentionally shot a scene ruined by power poles and lines, and since it’s cold and I can’t seem to sit still long enough to concentrate on the wordy post I’ve been working on, I quickly dashed to my Farewell II file to find my power line shots.
Captured in colour, I’ve converted them to monotone to emphasise the proud and optimistic story of moving the power out of the Kaleniya River hydro stations around Laxapana and Maskeliya, and also the unsightly veil they threw across nature’s grandeur. I also include my final capture from that trip: a street in Galle where the power lines seem to be draped like garlands. Perhaps one day they will be made to look beautiful as well as utilitarian?
The Wanderlust Gene 
they look like beings, tall sentinels holding something precious as they pass it from one to another, all the way into the town to make those abundant garlands … how wonderful for the shopkeepers is all I can think … receiving this bounty … great story Meredith, sorry you are feeling cold, we are almost hot in our northfacing house on a sunny day here … but then you are used to much warmer weather!
Much warmer weather, and also this unit is sited to keep cool in the summer, not warm in the winter (that’s the theory, I’m sure, just a shame it has absolutely no insulation!). I’m draped in 2 mohair rugs and a wool shawl and I’d be sitting outside in the glorious sun except there’s a cold wind from the arctic … Hope you’re feeling better this morning Christine?
Of course you got the power story 🙂
I am feeling lots better and we even walked along the beach, slowly! Too bad about the insulation, how to build for cool in summer and warm in winter has been known for hundreds of years, but now builders are bog ignorant or don’t care, they rely on airconditioning and heating to do what they should have done with good design and construction … it really makes me angry!
Me too, really boiling mad – especially when I think of how unsustainable it is.
Soooo glad you got out onto the beach – hope you were able to breathe that lovely fresh air. 🙂
Takes me back to my Greek days, Meredith. It was almost compulsory to have a cable dangling in shot 🙂
You- struggling for words? I don’t believe it! 🙂 Have a happy week.
Concentration shot, Jo – frozen toes and fingers and just cold … a novel experience! 🙂
A terrific series Meredith! The last shot gives an impression of a caged waterfall! The garlands of electrical lines on the Galle street seem far more refined than in some of our big cities….Marie’s Chandi Chowk entry is a good example 🙂
Look forward to the wordy post 🙂
The wind’s died down a bit so maybe the house will warm up enough so I can concentrate. I know I was looking forward to feeling cold but now my toes are frozen after a second record-breaking cold night, i’m not so enthusiastic Madhu 🙂
Oh yes, very refined – especially when compared to the mayhem of that Delhi street Marie captured! 🙂
Madhu, that’s a wonderful way to describe that poor waterfall – thank you 🙂
I’m grateful that here in the States (Louisville, KY)…they are doing more underground wireing …leaving Mother Nature more of her beauty!
It surely must be more efficient to have everything underground – not to say wonderful to see nature release d from the poles and wires! 🙂
I really like 4. And thinking about this, why do our photos have to be so pristine as to want only scenes that have none of what’s really there? Your 3a, the waterfalls with the lines in front, would make a wonderful abstract photo with the lines in front, if it was in color IMO.
I think I’ve learned to look past the “ugly” and see the beauty behind something like power lines. I was a little taken aback by a comment in one of my posts of a landscape that had a power line and the commenter asked why I hadn’t photoshopped out the line. First of all I don’t own photoshop, and secondly I hadn’t even noticed the line…I saw the landscape.
You’re absolutely right, of course, Angeline, but sad to say I tend to move heaven and earth in my attempts to eliminate the power lines from my shots – and yes, once or twice I have erased them post-processing with the little clone tool in Aperture (like you I don’t have photoshop and could never manage to eradicate w whole pole!). Is it because I’m a hopeless romantic, or because I need to manage everything? I don’t know, but I’ll try harder to look beyond the poles in future. 🙂
🙂
PS – Angeline, what’s “colour IMO”?
I meant if the photo was in color it would look more abstracty with the lines as is, to me…In My Opinion.
I’ll give it a try – making it ‘abstracty’ 🙂
Bonus points!
I wonder if one day they will be extinct.
Oh yes, definitely – the way we’re going, sooner than later! Sorry Gilly – I’m feeling very pessimistic about what we’re doing to the planet these days. Coming back home to a new government that wants to overturn all the small steps we’ve at last managed to make – all in the name of populist politics. How my blood boils … No, I don’t think there’ll ever be the money to put them all underground – as to a different type of power, or transmission … it’ll take a miracle, or a disaster, we’re slow to change, I fear.
I like the series. It’s an interesting juxtaposition of the natural world and man-made world. Beauty vs the utilitarian.
Thank you! The juxtaposition was more obvious in the colour shots, but I’m glad you could see through to it in the monotone. 🙂
If lines are the focal point then they make for interesting photos, like your collection. Loving warm weather like I do, I sympathize with being cold. The energy it takes to stay warm leaves one rather unmotivated for creativity. Here’s hoping for sunshine and no wind to warm your bones. Meredith.
Nice lines. Aren’t you glad you saved those photos. Who would have thought. Try to stay warm Meredith, and drink more tea.
If you look at the powerlines in your images as deliberately placed elements they break up the space nicely. But in reality despite the convenience they offer to electricity consumers they are an eyesore, and a ubiquitous annoyance to photographers. There is a phone app (via Google Store at least for Android) called Retouch Free that you can use to erase unwatched intrusions but powerlines, possibly not.
Excellent pics for Ed’s challenge, Meredith. They look so great in monotone. 🙂
Thanks Sylvia – the monotone certainly emphasised the poles and lines, which is nice really, because the pictures are more about them than ‘spoiled’ landscape shots! 🙂
Certainly an interesting and fascinating tangle Meredith! Am I wrong in thinking how lucky they might have felt to be getting power? I honestly have no idea what the solution is . . . 😦
There is no solution, Patti – we just have to move and take our shots from a different perspective! 🙂
Funny that you posted this, Meredith. 🙂 On our latest trip Bama and I were just about to take photos of a magnificent cloud-draped volcano – then we saw the power cables strung right through the middle of the frame! We had slightly better luck further down the road but still had to squat to avoid capturing those ugly lines.
I surely have many photos ruined by power lines! Here in southern Spain, certainly in the little villages, the power cables are draped along the street in huge bundles. It’s a wonder anything electrical works in the houses.
Sorry you’re feeling cold, Meredith – I’ll try to waft some warmth in your direction 🙂
I think the power lines added to the photos in a strange way – like they belonged there.
Nice series of photos for the challenge. You made an incredible choice when you selected these.
Very nice … !!! ~~~ : -)
I must say that they look good in monotone. I like these photos, M. Power lines, cable lines, network towers are everywhere, I saw on top of castles in Spain. Hope you are feeling better. This one never made to my reader 😕
Power lines can ruin nature, but some have a distinctive attraction to them. When I was young, I was fascinated by the power line towers in my grandfather’s field. Nothing around them but dirt, they took over the landscape and gave it something distinguishing, for lack of a better word.
At least, some aren’t so bad.
Scott
Meredith, I would bet that almost everyone has at least a dozen shots ruined by power lines/towers. I’ve been know to painstakingly remove them from a shot or two. You would think they would come up with something that compliments their surroundings instead of making them so obviously intrusive.
I’ve tweeted this one 🙂
Tweeted, Margaret?