Accidental Renaissance

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[ The round, age-worn face of a middle-aged man emerges from pitch black darkness, with lighting reminiscent of the works of Raphael. The soft focus and neck-up cropping makes his skin look almost luminous against the deep shadows behind him and his mouth is pulled into a slight grimace. His large, grey-blue eyes seem to look past as rather than at us; They are framed by messy and sparse eyebrows and deep bags beneath his eyes. His thick moustache and goatee bisect his face and call attention to a strong, slightly cleft chin. His hair falls in tight reddish brown, close-cropped ringlets around his face, they shine here and there in the lighting. His light blue-grey turtleneck sweater is visible beneath the pure inky black of his jacket that melts into the darkness behind him. The overall effect is one of a working class man caught in surprise rather than a formal portrait sitting. ]

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[ A bearded man in profile fills a dark-colored glass jug with pale beer which foams out the opening. The sun shines on the man's pale grey beanie which is pulled down low over his brow, covering his hair entirely, save for a small tuft of deep brown hair at the nape of his wide sturdy neck. His face is obscured in shadow and the lower half of his face is completely covered by a very fluffy but well-groomed beard. The sunlight casts crisp shadows on the ropey muscles in the man's forearms, softened only by a light fuzz of body hair that blends in with his pale skin. He wears a dark purple t-shirt and a number of beaded necklaces made of natural materials. In front of him, to either side, are rows and rows of clear pint glasses glinting in the low-angled sunlight and here and there in the background the sunlight catches metallic surfaces albeit fuzzy and out of focus-- A bright shiny copper tank, a steel tank with a surface that seems old and pitted, shiny rivets in trendy mis-aligned rusted tiles, the tap dispenser which has intentionally amateurish welding to create a more handmade aesthetic. There is something cloyingly artificial and hipsterish about the decor. A very mundane-looking large-diameter white PVC pipe snakes off over his head and off to one side, somewhat spoiling the faux antique look of the place, but it's one of the few clues that this is perhaps a real working brewery and not merely a theme bar aping the style of a brewery. ]

This is a photo of a bull rider I took at a local rodeo yesterday.

A group of four female athletes are in various states of repose after completing a relay event at the Olympics. Three are looking toward the upper right at something offscreen; the woman on the left has anxious tears in her eyes. The fourth young woman is facing the woman on the left who is crying and comforting her. All are wearing orange racing tank tops and blue athletic shorts. They all have long hair that is either partially up and braided or completely braided.

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[ A large table laid with rustic-looking breads and an ornate tea set is interrupted by the unexpected presence of a curious cat. The table covered with an undyed rough canvas-like table cloth and upon it lays broken pieces of fine white bread torn from unusually-shaped loaves in the background: Wide, flat, and disk-like but absolutely massive, as wide as seat cushions. They have decorative stamped impressions on them of saucer-sized spirals, making them look quite fancy. Some bread chunks are on a plate that matches the fancy tea set, other chunks rest directly on the cream-colored tablecloth in the foreground. There are two teacups, partially filled with tea, with their matching teapot slightly farther away from us. It is white porcelain with large gold flourishes painted on it with smaller black details-- An oddly expensive looking detail when compared to the rustic look of the room with uneven mud-colored stucco walls that are bare save for a window where blindingly bright morning light pours in, with rustic-looking clutter on the windowsill and the faint outline of a door on the opposite side. Surveying the scene is a white cat with black spots, it’s front paws cheekily resting on the tablecloth so we can only see it’s head, chest and paws peeking up from it’s hiding place. It’s expression seems unimpressed by the grand spread of food, but one paw is stretched slightly forward and tensed, and it’s eyes are fixated on the bread loaves, leaving the distinct impression that the cat does not intend to remain a passive observer much longer. ]

Image transcription for the visually impaired:

[ A pale horse rears upwards. It has a cream-colored mane and is outfitted in highly ornamented riding gear in black, orange, and green. The horse's head is flung back dramatically, it's mouth grimacing against the bit in it's mouth, it's dirty yellow teeth bared. The bottom half of the horse is obscured by a tight-pressed crowd of casually-dressed people, their hands reaching towards the panicking animal, creating a sunburst-like effect, or perhaps like the foam of a crashing wave. It's long mane flies wildly in the breeze as it emerges from the sea of people around it. The sun beats down harshly in the foreground and most people in the crowd are wearing short sleeves that reveal suntanned arms, sunglasses and hats can be spotted in the crowd, in the very front people seem oblivious to the panicking animal, creating a sense of unease about how the next few moments will unfold. In the background, the tightly-packed crowd is cast in deep shade, pressed against a dirty and mildewed stucco wall, creating a pleasing contrast to the brilliant white form of the horse but also creates a sense of claustrophobia because it is not immediately apparent where people would escape to if the situation is not handled correctly. Barely visible to one side is a formally-pressed man in a black suit with a traditional riding helmet, he does not seem panicked. You can also barely see that the ride on the horse's back has not fallen off, their foot is still in the stirrup, suggesting this is all a part of some elaborate show and no one is in actual danger after all. ]

Josie, a neighbor's West Highland White Terrier, on the front steps. I took this picture.

Picture of A’ed Abu Ameo, captured by Mustafa Hassouna in October 2018, during a protest to lift the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip.

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[ A young and handsome man, with a reddish beard and long blond hair sleeps on a couch, wrapped in a green blanket. At first the photo appears as if he is standing with his eyes closed, saint-like, but closer inspection reveals that is is in fact napping on a grey sofa and the photographer snapped this photo by holding the camera above him. His form is almost entirely obscured by the deep folds of the green blanket, the only parts of the man which are visible is his face, a few fly-away strands of long blond hair escaping the place where the blanket has formed a hood, his reddish beard, and his bent left arm which rests in a loose fist on his chest. The lighting is soft and the scene feels vaguely religious, reminiscent of paintings showing a dead Christ before resurrection. ]

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[ A Tibetian woman clutches what appears at first to be a bunch of small white flowers, but upon closer inspection, it's the white plugs of PC power supplies dangling below her rough, well-muscled hands. She is wearing a yellow hat tied under her chin with a faded white scarf and has a traditional but ragged Tibetan-style jacket tied around her waist. It is sky blue with yellow trim. A pair of dark pink gloved hands reaches in from outside the frame ready to receive the PC parts, and a figure wearing a similar color bends over facing away from us in the upper right hand corner. Everyone appears to be standing on and among stacks of brown cardboard boxes. The background is unfocused but appears to be industrial scaffolding. ]

[ A white chicken in soft, hazy light, sitting on a wood perch, on a dark background ]