AI still has a way to go… but it’s interesting

I have been very busy these last few weeks. Too busy, in fact to pay attention to this blog so I thought I’d cheat this time and ask Microsoft CoPilot AI to help me out by reviewing an image I took of our dog waiting in the sunlight on the top of the stairs of the AirBnB in which we stayed recently.

The resulting prose is interesting, sort of impressive, in a pseudo-philosophical way, and of course totally incorrect. See what you think, and roll your eyes:

Me: “write a blog post about the following image: https://reevephotos.com/featured/patience-richard-reeve.html”

CoPilot:

Title: “Patience: A Reflection on Time and Stillness”

!Patience

In the quietude of a sun-dappled forest, where time seems to stretch and fold upon itself, we find “Patience.” This captivating photograph by Richard Reeve invites us to pause, breathe, and contemplate the delicate balance between movement and stillness.

The Scene

The image transports us to a secluded woodland clearing. Shafts of golden light pierce through the canopy, illuminating the moss-covered ground. A gnarled tree stands sentinel, its twisted branches reaching skyward. The air is thick with anticipation, as if the very leaves hold their breath.

The Essence of Patience

What is patience? It is not merely the absence of haste; it is an active surrender to the rhythm of existence. In this tableau, time slows down. The tree’s rings whisper stories of centuries past, and the ferns unfurl their delicate fronds at their own leisure. The sun, too, takes its time to caress each leaf, casting intricate shadows on the forest floor.

Lessons from Nature

As we gaze upon “Patience,” we are reminded of nature’s wisdom. The tree teaches us resilience—the ability to withstand storms and seasons, to bend without breaking. The ferns teach us persistence—the gradual unfurling of potential, even in the darkest corners. And the sunlight, filtered through leaves, teaches us presence—the art of being fully here, now.

Stillness as a Gift

In our fast-paced lives, stillness is a rare gift. We rush from task to task, our minds perpetually racing. But here, in this forest glade, we glimpse the beauty of quietude. The tree does not fret about tomorrow; it stands rooted in the present. The ferns do not compare themselves to others; they grow at their own pace. And the sunlight, unburdened by clocks, bathes everything in its gentle glow.

A Call to Contemplate

“Patience” invites us to linger. To sit on the fallen log, feel the rough bark against our palms, and listen to the rustle of leaves. It asks us to release our grip on time, to let go of urgency, and to embrace the stillness that surrounds us. Perhaps, in doing so, we discover that patience is not a waiting game—it is a way of being.

So, dear reader, take a moment. Look at the photograph once more. Imagine the cool breeze on your skin, the scent of damp earth, and the whisper of leaves. Let “Patience” be your guide—a silent mentor in the art of living fully, one moment at a time.”

So, what do you think? Are we safe from the inexorable march of the machines for a little bit longer?

~Richard

Las Setas de Sevilla

Seville is an ancient city, but nestled in the old quarter there is a remarkably bold, newer piece of architecture. Las Setas (the mushrooms) is a spectacularly large, organic, wooden structure which earns its name because it resembles several parasol mushrooms connected together. The sculpture is the largest wooden construction in the world, covering 3,500 cubic meters, and is lit up at night with multicolored lights and an accompanying sound show. There are walkways across the top which allow visitors to enjoy not only the building but also an aerial view of the city. At certain places on the roof visitors can even influence the pattern of the lights on the whole structure by interacting with a camera, although not many visitors know this!

Despite the colorful evening show, in reviewing the photographs I had taken on out trip to Seville I thought I would show one here which I processed into dark monochrome. To me it emphasizes the wonderful composite wooden structure which resembles the pores/gills seen on the underside of a mushroom. What do you think?

~ Richard

Escheresque

On our recent trip to Montevideo, Uruguay we stumbled across the weird and wonderful Castillo Pittamiglio, a brick building with a ships prow pointing rather conspicuously between two nondescript apartment buildings on La Rambla Mahatma Gandhi.

There’s plenty to see in this oddly constructed edifice, built by the eccentric (and wealthy) architect and alchemist Humberto Pittamiglio. The self-paced guided audio tour makes for an interesting hours or so wandering through the “universe of the alchemist” with its overt and often hidden symbology.

I hope to post a few more images as I process my photos form the trip but one that I particularly liked was taken form the outside balcony looking through to the courtyard. I was inspired to develop this as a monochrome image, based on the style of Man Ray’s solarization process. The resultant image reminded me even more of an M C Escher composition.

Image of stairways at Castillo Pittamiglio, Montevideo, Uruguay reminiscent of an M C Escher drawing

~ Richard

#r2bcheerful58 – Coming out of chokey

If you are sane enough to be naughty (see #r2bcheerful23) you may end up enjoying some time at Her Majesty’s Pleasure in the chokey (prison). Getting out of chokey would then be a real Reason to be Cheerful!

This image is of one of the spur corridors at the now disused Easter State Penitentiary in the heart of Philadelphia. This is indeed a cold, grim place and one that any inmate would have been glad to get out of prior to its final closure in 1971…

170115_r2bcheerful25-Choky.jpg

~Richard

#r2bcheerful33 – Sitting on a Potty

I know we don’t want to get all lavatorial here, but there is something a little bit comforting about sitting on the potty, don’t you think? And as for using the rare Meyer Sniffen Co. Vortex Special from the 1920s, well – job well done, so to speak! And certainly a Reason to be Cheerful!

170111_r2bcheerful33-Potty.jpg

~Richard

52 Week Challenge: Week 43

WEEK 43: Portrait: The Elderly – Tell the story of an elderly person through the power of your camera. Capture the lines of their life.

OK, I’m really stretching it for this one.

As I am not a Garry Winogrand style photographer and I do not relish sticking my lens in people’s faces, nor do I feel confident in snapping away at crowds, in the style of Martin Parr, I thought I’d need to very creative here. In the end I opted to use a photograph of the “old man of the woods,” or the Sumatran Orangutan, taken at Philly Zoo a few weeks back.

Sugiwara (Sugi) was 21 years old on New Year’s Eve 2016,  which makes him middle-aged for an orangutan, rather than elderly, but I still think I meet the challenge due to the nickname for these wonderful primates and also because it shows him in a calm contemplative moment.

170103_52Wk43Elderly.jpg

~Richard

52 Week Challenge: Week 49

WEEK 49: Portrait: Dancing – Whether it’s a professional dancer, or just some kids in the street. Try experimenting with slow and fast shutter speed to both blur and freeze the subject.

 

To use British vernacular, this was a real bugger to do.  The combined challenges of poor lighting (from a photography perspective) and the relatively small aperture of my zoom lens when fully extended meant that there was a fair bit of trial and error with getting this shot. Again, I opted for a black and white composition as there was a fair bit of noise caused by the stage lighting and high ISO setting.

170102_52Wk49Dancing.jpg

~Richard

52 Week Challenge: Week 51

WEEK 51: Artistic: Art – It is time to really challenge yourself. Your artistic interpretation should be art, about art. So meta.

 

Interpreting art can be difficult so how about looking at two pieces through another one… I shall not say what these are, although I have given a few clues for those who wish to play Sherlock Holmes…

161231_52Wk51Art.jpg

~Richard

52 Week Challenge: Week 42

WEEK 42: Artistic: Minimalist – Isolate your subject using the minimalist approach. Inspire someone with your art.

Wow, I am at the last day of the year and I still have 9 photos to complete for the 52 week challenge! This really has been more difficult that I expected, especially after I lost momentum in the summer months. I started on January 7th, 2016 so I still have a week to try to do as many as possible.

161231_52Wk42Minimalist.jpg

This piece is called Red Room Redux as it was a color photo that I desaturated to make it look more moody.

~Richard

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