Lens-Artists Challenge #62 – Silhouettes

[Categories: Photography, Photography 101 Forever
[Photos this week are hosted right here on WordPress.  Somewhere…  serene.]

[All photos might be right-clicked to open in a new tab or window.]

The Lens Artists Challenge is hosted this week by Patti.

When I think silhouettes, I also think contrasts.  Outlines stark, or at least distinct, from the surrounds.  Sometimes they are simple shapes, sometimes complex lines.

My photos are just a few days old.

Rigging on the USS Constitution, Boston, Massachusetts.

Per Wikipedia, the Constitution is the world’s oldest commissioned naval vessel still afloat. HMS Victory is the oldest commissioned vessel by three decades, but she has been in dry dock since 1922.^[9]

The John Hancock Tower in Boston is really, really tall.  Really.  62 stories.  Silhouetted by whatever sky is left it is not blocking.

The statue of ice hockey legend Bobby Orr begged to be photographed, despite its position in front of the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge in the background.  It’s a busy photo, but thar’ be silhouettes, matey.

Water cannons on a firefighter boat at Mystic Seaport Museum, itself a 19 acre reproduction/restoration of a thriving mid-nineteenth century shipbuilding and whaling port.  Fascinating place.  I recommend it.

The Charles W. Morgan whaling vessel at the Mystic Seaport Museum.  “Built and launched in 1841, the Morgan is now America’s oldest commercial ship still afloat – only the USS Constitution is older.”  Mystic Seaport is loaded with information on the old whaling industry.  Though we now have legitimate concerns for our whale populations, back then, before petroleum and electricity, whale oil was used for lamp lighting.

Per petroleumhistory.org, “The first principal use of whale oil was as an illuminant in lamps and as candle wax.  Other uses came in time.  In the 1700’s it was noted that the burning oil from sperm whales glowed brightly and clearly and did not have a disagreeable odor like the oil from right whales did (Bonner, 1989).  The sperm whale was the main whale being sought for its oil when the petroleum industry opened in 1859.”

Cheers.

Weekly Challenge info from Tina:

“Each Saturday at noon EST we will publish a photo challenge similar in form to the now-defunct WPC. If you choose to participate, please make sure to tag your post with the name of our group LENS-ARTISTS so that all of the responses can be found together in the WP Reader. Please also include a link to the challenge moderator’s post. One of our 4 moderators will host the challenge each week.”

Week 1 – Patti of https://pilotfishblog.com/

Week 2 – Ann-Christine aka Leya of https://lagottocattleya.wordpress.com/

Week 3 – Amy of https://shareandconnect.wordpress.com/

Week 4 – Tina of https://travelsandtrifles.wordpress.com/

Check them out.  Also search for Lens-Artists to find posts.