Monday, March 12, 2007

Manic Monday #5: Click


This is what my desktop currently looks like. I got the show-your-desktop idea from one of Ian's posts over at EDog's Everything Page. It's a shot of a sunrise over Mount Makiling, where I spent last weekend. It's about 1.5 hours away from Manila.

Sunrises and sunsets are beautiful, but what I find amazing is how fast and easy it is nowadays to share such sights with people from all over. Just take a picture with a digital camera, transfer the image to your computer, and with a few clicks of the mouse it can be emailed to friends and relatives or posted on sites for other people to see. You don't even need a computer to do that, come to think of it. If you have a camera phone, you can use MMS to send the pictures you take with it. And it can be so much fun.

In some cultures, though, people are superstitious about picture-taking, shying away from having their photos taken. They believe that the camera steals a part of their spirit, capturing it.

In a way, I think they're right.

A sliver of time frozen on a screen or on paper (if you have the photo printed). A modern relic of a moment that can never, ever be recaptured. You can try to replicate all the conditions present in the photo but it wouldn't matter--nothing will ever be exactly the same. Because that moment is gone forever. And the memory of what you were feeling at the moment that the picture was taken will probably dissipate like the mountain's morning mist if it weren't for certain stimuli that tug (sometimes most unexpectedly) at remembrance.

Such as a photograph.

And for a few seconds you're transported back in time, feeling the same feelings and thinking the same thoughts as when the camera captured that particular moment. That dead moment--which springs briefly back to life in your mind because you saw a ghost.

Sound is also a powerful stimulus, as is smell. Wouldn't it be cool if a camera could capture scent in addition to image? Or perhaps not.

**********



What is Manic Monday?
A multi-blogger meme, in the spirit of Wordless Wednesday, Thursday 13, Friday Feast, and Photo Hunters Saturday.

How to participate?
Visit Morgen's It's A Blog Eat Blog World any time after 4pm EST on Fridays to discover Monday's theme word. This will be a word with multiple definitions.

Use one of the definitions to inspire your Manic Monday Post = perhaps a photograph, a story, a joke, or a stream of consciousness paragraph inspired by the word. Be creative, and have fun with it.





30 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Lizza,
took me a while to come across your blog (up to my ears in cement and surf as usual!).
If you could send me a photo of a green mango salad with smell and taste, in fact forget the photo just send me the salad! Thanks...

LH said...

Growing up, my mom was superstitious about having her photo taken. I think she was afraid she would see an evil spirit lurking above her once the film was developed. I'm not sure...the memory is actually so vague to me now. She is a different person these days though and loves having her photo taken. Sometimes when I look at a photo of food or something...I swear scents are rising from the picture! Hope you are doing wonderfully, my friend!

P.S. My desktop is waaaay too messy to share at the moment. I need to file and clean it up. Funny...now instead of cleaning our houses before someone comes over, we have to clean our desktops. That is actually a hilarious thought!

Kiyotoe said...

Personally, I love taking pictures. I think I started to realize as i got older that pictures really can hold sentimental value. If for no other reason it can at least remind me of a good time or a happy occasion even if I can't remember exactly how I felt when the picture was taken.

That's abeautiful shot on your desktop.

houseband00 said...

Looks like someone's asking for a photo-tag. =)

Lizza said...

Penfold: Haha! I'm sure the post office won't agree to send it because it smells rather pungent (the salad, not the post office).

Wow, you finally got around to surfing. Yay! And thanks a lot for stopping in.

Laurz: Cleaning our desktops...that is hilarious. I never thought of it that way.

Come to think of it, there are lots of superstitions about taking pictures.

Lovely new profile pic, btw.

Kiyotoe: Yep, unless you're a dumbass like me who sometimes happens to clear her camera's memory card before transferring the pictures to the computer. D'oh!

Houseband: Nope. Na-uh. Oh, wait. You want a photo-tag? Then I hereby tag you. ;-)

Anonymous said...

I totally agree on the photo
It's like, no way the same scene can be exactly the same
I want to drift back to the good old photos, may be stay there a couple of days
:P

Prometheus said...

Liz, ya sure yer desktop's this clean everyday? Or didja do some spring cleaning before snapping it? Most desktops, including that of Prometheus are icon collages.

Gattina said...

Yes it is amazing what you can do today with pictures. It is especially nice when your family is not living at the same place as you in that way for example grand parents can follow the development of a baby etc.
I have met some people during my travels who wouldn't allow me to take a picture of them because they believed it stole their souls. You just have to respect it.

Scott from Oregon said...

How come Darna isn't drinking a San Miguel *cough cough*?

Lizza said...

ZI: Yeah, enter a picture and just laze around.

Prometheus: Well, I moved about three work-related notepad icons to their respective folders prior to taking the screenshot.

Still, my desktop is rarely ever messy. If I notice more icons than what I'm used to, I start hyperventilating. Which is weird because I'm a cluttery person offline.

Lizza said...

Gattina: I find other cultures' beliefs and traditions so fascinating sometimes. Glad to see you drop in again. Have a great week!

Scott: She thinks she might be gaining weight so she's trying to limit her San Miguel intake. Not that she's succeeding, but at least she's trying. :-D

thethinker said...

Very beautiful desktop. I guess I really am vain because I've got a picture of my friends and I on my desktop.

houseband00 said...

Your neck-neck! =)

Lisa Ryan said...

I love the idea of being able to capture scent. At least at certain times. Spring rain, ocean shots, flower gardens, etc..

Odat said...

I can't see any of your pictures!
;-( I'll try later...
Good post tho!
Peace

Steven said...

I have a UFC logo on my desktop right now...

It's not quite as dreamlike or serene. ;)

Steve~

Schmoop said...

I have a baked potato on my desktop. The sour cream and chives make it look really sexy!! Cheers...

Anonymous said...

Mr. Fab: You're welcome. It was my pleasure. :-D

Thinker: Nah, that isn't vanity. It's a visual reminder of friendship.

HB: Neck-neck mo rin! :-D

Lisa: Certain times is the key phrase. I agree. :-)

Odat: In case you still don't see it, it's a picture of a sunrise. :-) I'll head on over to your site in a few. Got lots of major catching up to do!

Steve: You're baaaaack! Yay! Okay, my mind totally blanked on what UFC is, but now I remember. What, no naked pics of you and Tami doing the nasty? Haha!

Matt-man: That does sound absolutely dee-lish. But to make your fast even more interesting, you should have a pic of loosemeat sandwiches or a big, juicy steak on your desktop. :-D Cheers!

Alice (in BC Canada) said...

Great writing. Made me think... the "click" of the camera taking the shots... the "click" of the button on my camera dock as I transfer the pics to the computer... then the click of the mouse to view them, then to save them for later. There's also clicks involved with burning them to CD for backup, and to taking them in for printing, or if you print them at home. There is a lot of clicking involved with this whole process. LOL.

I too wish some smells could be captured in photos... and am glad that some can't be. :o)

Unknown said...

So, my desktop-potatoe (*LOL* Matt-Man) is someone you really don´t wanna see, Liz - Naked Matt-Man? No, we all wanna see =)
It´s Robbie W., but I confess I like your desktop wallpaper lots more because it´s a great shot AND a nice retrospection.

Please tell me about your secret: How the heck can you keep a desktop so clean??? I need a DIY-guide, please!

xoXOxo,

San (who´s curious about having her picture taken but loves to take pictures of anybody else)

Lexa Roséan said...

beautiful photo
I'm in a different mindset this week. I change my screensaver often but this week it's a photo of the hunky Pullo (Ray Stevenson) from HBO's Rome. :)

Crazy Working Mom said...

That photo is beautiful. It'd be hard to get anything accomplished if that was my desktop...I'd want to keep looking at it! *LOL*

Lizza said...

Alice: Wow, you're right. Lots of clicks there. :-D

Sanni: Just sort them into folders and put away the ones you don't use often. Or you can just put them in the blue bar below. :-D

Frank should take lots of pictures of you! :-)

Lexa: I never got around to watching Rome, but it looks interesting. I should get the DVD. Thanks for visiting again.

Crazy Working Mom: Ah, but the picture is a pale reproduction of the actual sight. :-D

Travis Cody said...

I've visiting today from Morgen's for Manic Monday.

These are wonderful thoughts you've shared today. I'm glad I stopped by.

Cheers!

CS said...

Nice post. I'm a huge fan of how easy picture sharing has become. But please tell me how you get a copy of your desktop - you didn't just take a photo of it did you?

Lizza said...

Travis: Thank you very much! Glad you stopped by.

CSL: No, I didn't take a photo of it. Just press the Print Screen (Prt Sc)key on your keyboard to capture the image on your screen, open your Paint program, paste the image onto the blank space (press Ctrl and V at the same time), and save it as a JPEG image.

Sidney said...

That is why I like pictures! :-)

Lizza said...

And it's a good thing you do, because I like your pictures too! :-)

H said...

I wish there was a way to photograph thoughts.

your post got me thinking about all the inventions I've been meaning to 'invent' since I was little.

Lizza said...

The idea of photographing thoughts is nice. But I think the way your words put images in my mind is much better. :-)