{just for fun} WATER PLAY

We have a beautiful outdoor shopping center nearby that is home to a magnificent marble fountain.  It’s beautiful from every angle.  Renaissance at Colony Park in Ridgeland, MS, welcomes shoppers with a massive, hand-crafted Italian fountain made of quarried marble.  It’s designed in the likeness of a fountain in Rome which has four sea horses.  This exquisite creation  is 16-feet tall and sprays 14,000 gallons of water per minute into the lower chamber.  Ever since the first day I saw it, I have been wanting to take pictures of it.  Why?  Because of the water, of course!  One of my favorite things to do with my camera is stop water or blur it.  While driving past the shopping center this past weekend, I excitedly realized I had my camera with me.  So I quickly requested that my husband run me by the shopping center for a moment.  He said, “Sure, what do you need?” – as in what store did I need him to pull up to.  I replied, “Oh, no store!  I want to play with the water.”  With a puzzled look but no further questions, he turned into the parking lot, and as we passed by the fountain I yelled, “Right here, you can stop right here!”  “In the parking lot?” he asked.  “You want me to stop right here?”  Then I pointed to the marble fountain and said, “Yes, THIS is the water I want to play with!”  So he parked the car and out I hopped and the next 45 minutes were total fun.  Even though the sun was going down and I didn’t have my flash with me to help capture crisper images, here are some of my favorite photos from that play time.

 

I cannot imagine being so gifted as a craftsman that I could cut a chunk of marble to the point of it looking life-like.  But this artisan surely was; and he surely did.  These horses seem to have emotion.  They appear forceful yet graceful.  I could just sit and look at them for hours.  Beautiful.  Entertaining.  Why is water so mesmerizing?  The same with watching the flames of a fire.  They just draw you in!  The next three images may look the same, but the difference is in the water behind the horse.  Subtle yet different captures of the water flowing on and around the horses.

 

In the image above, the horse looks powerful.  In the one below, it appears soft and gentle.  This is a great example of how the framing of a shot can provoke a particular emotion from a photograph.

 

This is one of my favorite photos.  It looks as if the horse is charging right at you, running with all his might.  And the water seems to add a sense of speed and force to the image, too.

 

And then as I was walking back toward the car, I spotted these pretty flowers and just couldn’t pass up such a pretty photo op.  These colors together just make for an eye-pleasing image.

 

I love purples and greens together, and this flower bed was nothing but purples and greens!  Click.

 

Whenever I shop at Renaissance, as I pass the hand-crafted fountain, I always roll my window down and enjoy the refreshing sound those 14,000 gallons make as they spill over and down upon the chiseled horses.  I am reminded of God’s gift of craftsmanship to mankind.  And of His refreshing the earth with water.  And for that very fleeting moment, I feel refreshed, too, and am thankful for His many blessings; the great ones as well as the simple.  As you hustle and bustle through your day, don’t miss the gift of beauty that surrounds you!

Special thanks to Jeff for always being willing and happy to stop the car for an impromptu photo session of whatever!