Out of Many Came One

-Plz click on photo for better view-

One of my many guilty pleasures is interacting with total strangers and taking photos of them…often with their approval. Since I also have an insane affinity for t-shirts that have well-designed iconic images on them, my camera recently worked overtime during a late night stroll with friends in town as we went to see a fireworks display.
I came across these kool chaps whose 5 different pics (taken in different parts of town) I put together into one because the Icons on their tees mean a lot to me & also as a reminder of all the crazy fun we had as they willingly agreed to pose for photos.
Left-to-Right, starting in the middle with the boy on the bike..
-This kid must have been 7 or 8yrs old when 2Pac died but he let me know he is one big fan. His tee has a photo of the Icon from the Gridlock'd movie which is one of my favorite screen performances by the late Amaru (T.I.P).
-Although he's not cracking a smile in the pic, this one's another wise-joke cracking youth that I let know I like the two Hip hop icons on his Tee & he quickly told his buddies to clear & make room as I took this must-have photo.
-Another kind youth that gladly let me take a pic of him rocking Ali The Greatest. This was way past midnite and he didn’t mind posing for the camera right in the middle of the thick, late night crowd. He kept telling funny stories as I clicked away:)
-My absolute favorite of all photos I took this night. This guy was the funniest I saw & I just had to let him know I was going to do a double take for the expression he had on his face:))
As Credd, a photo fanatic friend noted, “he's got that 'are you for real? expression going on” , very true since he was a little unsure of how to pose for this stranger asking for a photo-op so he acted funny as his girlfriend and buddies kept mocking him. I absolutely like the very rare kind of Ray Charles Tee he’s sporting. I just couldn’t let slip into the depths of the night crowd. Before I went on looking for more nice tees, I reminded him & the rest that I'll be emailing them this pic & also have it on my blog to which he asked: "Yo! Is it gonna make me famous?" My reply: "I Can Make U Famous!" Well, atleast out of many came one & he stole the limelight,lol!

Not Afraid

This post is inspired by this site's efforts to bring together people from all over the world in a photo sharing experience to stand together with Londoners and the UK as they get on the path to recovery. The many photos already submitted carry the message: We're Not Afraid, which is also aimed at the perpetrators of this senseless violence.
The site is currently reorganizing so they could cater for the over 400 pics in the queue. I'm sure the one I submitted yesterday 5pm is yet to posted so in turn ...
A reminder to all y'all cowards that In these cities, we have no fear & we shall not forget.
We will teach our young & old to stand strong & not live in fear of your plots & actions.

With pride we will spread the message everywhere possible. We'll walk, eat, drink, sleep & even dress to this principle:)

Your inhuman actions only serve to strengthen & bring us together right here, up there, yes..here & there, over here, in here & there, again here. Stay with me now, the list is longer than your evil grudges so go see hers, his, yep...hers, his & hers, and again his. Best believe if I left anyone out their's will be here faster than you can say damn!
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-A couple of close friends asked me to TLC their pics for the site and 2 agreed that I post their's on this blog (one coming up) & I just may make room for some more. Please let me know if you'd like to have a pic of your choice TLC'd to reflect the message for personal use or to post to that site :))

Photo used with permission from a long-lost blog friend. Words, captions & extras by the blogger.

Stand Strong

Life is not meant to be easy my child; but take courage: it can be delightful. -George Bernard Shaw
At least every 2 days I come across a photo or artwork whose appeal I find virtually impossible to resist. The original, unaltered pics from which I made this montage were no exception and I am very grateful to Mer i969, a fellow photo aficionado for allowing me to give these pics, which he called The Splash, that little extra TLC. Am also glad for his written consent to freely apply my interpretation of the two pics in the form of a sequential filmstrip, the accompanying words I keyed on the montage among other things & to share it with friends & family.
Something stuck in my mind on seeing the pics and especially lil’ gal’s reaction: Courage. The girl’s unfaltering courage is the perfect reminder that:
-“Courage is the most important of all virtues, because without it we can’t practice any other virtue with consistency”- Maya Angelou
- “Audacity augments courage; hesitation, fear ” – Publius Syrus
- “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear- not absence of fear” –Mark Twain
And to the little boy in red I would teasingly say:
- “Courage is the knowledge of how to fear what ought to be feared and how not to fear what ought not be feared” – David Ben Guiron
- “A Coward dies a thousand deaths, a soldier dies but once” 2Pac
- “Whatever you are trying to avoid won’t go away until you confront it” –Anon
To everyone else: Stand Strong because:F.E.A.R = False Evidence Appearing Real, and...
Original pic: here