Imagination. A Photography and Poetry Prompt
It’s funny how sometimes things happen for a reason, isn’t it? I left my poetry and photography prompts last week to share the reading I wrote for a friends wedding – which was extremely well-received – and also because I couldn’t really think of anything for the prompt ‘imagination’.
Last night Ross and I were watching Greys Anatomy and there was a presentation from Dr Amelia Shepherd about a tumour that she was due to operate on. She called the part of the brain that helps feed your imagination ‘the dreambox’. This then helped me come up with an idea for my poem, below.
The image is of a light trail over a wine glass. I have been practising this as part of a monthly assignment set by Practical Photography magazine. It was taken in a dark room with the camera mounted on a tripod. The camera was on manual mode with the settings ISO100, 30″ shutter speed, aperture of F16 and set on manual focus. I used the timer setting of 10 seconds for minimal camera shake. I used a mini magnalite torch with the bulb exposed to draw round the subject. The only edit was cropping the image. To me, the light trail looks like a spooky potion spilling over the top – just in time for Halloween! For a recording of me reading ‘Imagination’, please click on the link below the written version of the poem.
Imagination
The dreambox that’s inside my brain
It helps me see things time and again
Not things in the sense of real
Nor the ones you touch or feel
The things I mean, they aren’t quite there
They are my castles in the air
The things that appear to me in my dreams
When something isn’t always what it seems
The presence of someone watching over
The fairies that dance among the clover
The clouds that form pictures in the sky
The things you see in your minds’ eye
A daydream or a flight of fancy
Pretending to hunt zombies as a vigilante
Walking on pavements, don’t step on a crack!
The bear might be there behind your back
So you see all this visualisation
By some, may be called an hallucination
But I can’t stand all that speculation
To me, it is my imagination
Victoria Welton 21st October 2015
That photo is stunning! Wow!
Hi Victoria, now that is one stunning photo, that one day I’d like to be able to emulate! It looks so unreal! The poem is beautiful too. I’ve never thought about it before, but there is a thin line between imagination and hallucination.
xx
That is GREAT shot. I get that magazine too, it has a lot of cool stuff in. I have not done any light painting though, but you have inspired me to give it a try
Mollyxxx
Thank you Molly. It really is a great magazine, isn’t it?! I love the inspiration it gives you x
I love what you’ve done with the light and the glass, it really does look like something wild and out of control spilling out and your poem is very clever too, particularly the last verse. (Having never met you, I loved hearing your voice too!)
Thank you Phoebe 🙂 That is such a lovely compliment x
OOh I love Grey’s Anatomy but am a now a season behind, I must catch up! What a fab photograph, it really coveys the theme of your prose perfectly. Congratulations again for another great poem. Thank you so much for linking up to My Captured Moment x
You need to Heledd! The previous 2 seasons were a bit ‘meh’ but this one was great! Thank you very much xx
This is so, so clever and creative. I can see why they photo prompted the poem. What a stunning photograph and a beautiful poem.xx #mysundayphoto
Thank you very much Chloe 🙂 x
that is a really clever and wonderful shot victoria. i love the light streaming from it.
Thank you very much 🙂 x
What a fantastic effect, great camera skills! I’d like to try something like this, it does look like potion spilling out! Beautiful poem too x
Thank you so much 🙂 x
That’s an amazing photo. Well done.
Thank you x
Great photo and what a lovely poem xx
Thank you 🙂 xx
This looks great – I’ve never seen anything like this before #MySundayPhoto
Thank you 🙂 x
How effective is that! It sounds easy but *cough cough* I’m sure it isn’t.
Love your poem too Victoria.
It took a lot of patience and practice but I got there in the end! 🙂
That looks great. I’ve always wondered how this is achieved… But it sounds way more complicated than I had hoped.
It’s such a clever technique and one I just can’t get the hang on. Brilliant work
Thank you for linking up
Wow what an amazing photo. I am still an amateur and just use an automatic camera, I would have no clue how to use a manual, but wow, seeing this is so inspiring. Thanks for sharing.
Katrina #sundayphoto
Love the photo! And the poem too. The last paragraph is my fave bit… we all see things differently that is the beauty of it! #mysundayphoto
That picture is stunning. It’s lovely to hear you reading your poem, it brings it to life xx
What a wonderful photo and such lovely words…You are so talented x
Great shot. Well worked out. I think I need to practise these in time for Bonfire night and sparklers.
That’s an amazing shot! Looks like something out of a film. You are so talented Vic! #MySundayPhoti
What a fantastic photo ?
what a wonderful and unusual photo it is mesmerising. Your poem is lovely I wish that I could write poetry x #mysundayphoto
That photo is amazing – and yes, it does look a little like a spooky potion. I love the poem too, the third verse especially sums up imagination so beautifully and I love the repeated rhymes in the last verse 🙂
The photo is so beautiful and clever.
Great poem too 🙂
The wine glass had me mesmerised. I had to keep looking at it. It’s a wonderful capture and accompanied by your wonderful poem x
Great poem, and I’m loving the photo. Presumably this is a long exposure time, use of some kind of torch with some impressive editing? I’m loving it, however it’s done! #MySundayPhoto
Thanks John ? I’m so glad you like it. I’ve updated my post to show what settings I used!
What an amazing photo (and poem). So clever. It really looks magical. #MySundayPhoto
Lovely poem and I just love the effects on that photo. You should do a whole series on the one glass, it looks so good!
Such an interesting shot it got me clicking over. I must try light painting at some point. I love the interplay of light with the crystal in juxtaposition to the wood.
I love my imagination, I think it’s a great thing. It can help when your stressed or when things get bad.
Incredible photo Victoria, the effect is amazing.
It was great to hear you reading your poem too. Thanks for sharing.
I hope you have a great Sunday ;D
I love this photo; the effect is magical and very cleverly done. I can see how the idea of a ‘dreambox’ can spark so many avenues of the imagination and I think you’ve captures the spark of imagination really well in your poem. It’s beautiful how you’ve brought the image & words together.
#SundayPhoto
I love this! Such a beautiful photos – full of imagination indeed. xx
Wonderful poem with such depth and meaning and perfectly linked to the photo.
Smashing on both counts.
Painting with light is something I haven’t tried yet, though I did finally switch the Nikon to manual this week for my Sunday photo!
Great poem. I sometimes wish I could switch my vivid imagination off but it does produce some good stuff amongst the weird claptrap! 🙂
xox
Thank you so much Lisa 🙂 x
Love the photo, so clever! The words are wonderful too, I especially like the third verse. You have described imagination so well x
Thank you Sara – I am really enjoying learning about light trails. So glad you liked the poem too 🙂 x
The photo is magical, I can see how the image sparked your imagination and the words for the poem.
Thank you Lorraine 🙂 x
That photograph is so amazing! It’s one of my favorites so far. It’s the perfect photo to go with your lovely the poem and the prompt of imagination. I must say, I do love listening to you read your own work. Your words take a different tone and I feel as though I understand your message a bit more. Thank you for always indulging us with your work on #ThePrompt! Have a fantastic rest of the day!
Thanks very much Maria – I am so glad you like everything 🙂 Thanks so much for linking x
Your photo is mesmerising! I love that the imagination is referred to as the dreambox. That is indeed great poetic inspiration. I love this one, as usual. Thanks for hosting #prose4t
Thank you so much, so pleased you do 🙂 A pleasure! x
What a fascinating photo! I’m not surprised you found it so inspirational! I can certainly see similarities between that chaotic pattern and what goes on in my head!
Thanks Lucy 🙂 x