As many of you know, I post distracting images on Fridays, not to confuse you, but more to amuse you.

Sometimes though, I get confused about perspective. Many of the people here had a much different perspective of the path we were hoping to be on & now have found that what we thought we saw, is not the reality we had hoped so much for.

So I`ll open with a little confusing perspective of California Dreaming.

CALIFORNIA DREAMING

I do have to thank all of you who have been so generous with your compliments, comments & additions, that I post on Fridays, to try & distract you for all the important work you do.

These images are to reinvigorate you in our common cause.

I`ll start off with a dark flower, that nonetheless, is a miracle of nature as are all the flowers I`m privileged to have growing in my yards here in Malibu.

BLACK SUCCULENT

These images are a look back into some of my files.

They are to distract you you into looking back into your past to see where your paths diverged, into who you are now.

I keep looking back & realize that I`m really looking into how my past decisions can lead to a better situation if used in the present.

The first opening image, is what I was working on last night.

Since no one here readily volunteers for portraits, I study lighting effects on a white plaster statue I have in some of my eclectic horde of junk.

By looking into the past, I lit this statue & colorized it after fitting her with a beret, to remember my thoughts when I used to be in love with so many of the girls in the sixties.

(By clicking on this image, you can see other shots from my little study.

Studying portraiture lighting entails shooting subjects at night.

These are up to one second exposures, lit by a little LED flashlight I received for christmas from my granddaughters)

Plaster Portrait

As usual I post these distractions on Friday, so you may get a break from the sometimes tedious week past, & a place where you might get an energy burst.

These images are of the sky, that endless expanse of wondrous things.

I`ll begin with these Red Hot Pokers to light the way.

#1

As usual, on Fridays, I post a series of, sometimes related shots, & sometimes random ones.

I`d call this set random, though I often do have a common thread in the set.

If you find such a thing tonight please advise me.

The only common theme in tonight`s shots is that they should distract you from conformity.

To set the mood, I`ll put this shot up to pique your curiosity.

YUCCA MOON

Making noise to effect change is not always something one can hear, but that one can see.

These distractions are to help one see things that you may not hear, & I hope they do make a little noise in your already busy & hectic lives.

So, I`ll begin with this.

Silent Scream

For those who know that to “Yell Louder” works, I recruited one of my fish to show you how it`s done properly.

I hope these images give you a little respite from your daily grind.

I`m late with my Friday distractions due to a few expected circumstances & a few unexpected.

Nevertheless, I would rather try & distract you a little later than not at all.

This little friend of mine is named Lukey, & we have to all bet our future on our children.

He`s The Wild One.

YING YANG

Impressions of feelings evolved from visual stimuli

& what stimulates my impressions of what I feel, & why.

This is my usual distraction post.

I do have to try much harder, it seems, to distract myself from the very important issues of the day.

My issues may not be as pressing as yours, whatever they are, but posting distractions, works for me.

I hope to be held responsible, for alleviating your pressing worries, or ameliorating your happiness.

No matter how hard it seems to struggle against the travails of your situation, a hand of compassion is reaching out.

Grab that hand or reach yours out to someone less fortunate. Please.

IRON BARS, INNOCENCE

These are my distractions for you on this Friday.

They are all of light overcoming the darkness we sometimes seem trapped in.

In the beginning there was nothing.

And God created light

There was still nothing

But now you could see it.

To honor therevolutionarysieve`s request, I open with this.

Hopes Dreams & Aspirations

At the age of reason, we begin to see ourselves as what we would or could be, in numerous fantasies. These are manifested in dreams sometimes & in daydreaming at others. It would seem natural, that these reveries would usually cast us in a good light & unintentionally, always steer one away from the dark side.It has always been my fantasy that the dreamers of the world, the young ones, with the purity of their aspirations & hopes, should have theirs fullfilled.

My Friday night distractions involve some images that were taken because of my surprise at seeing them, while others were taken because of the surprise the subjects were experiencing, or about to be.

I`ll open with this Iris montage that surprised me, when I opened my front door this morning. They are surrounding my little fountain.

Take a peek & change your outlook, maybe.

Things are pushing many of us to renounce our hopes, but those hopes were our dreams.

Hope may be lost, but dreams are forever.

FOUNTAIN FLOWERS (today)