jonathan

by graysummers

jonathan livingston seagull


The book tells the story on Jonathan Livingston Seagull, a seagull who is bored with the daily squabbles over food. Seized by a passion for flight, he pushes himself, learning everything he can about flying, until finally his unwillingness to conform results in his expulsion from his flock. An outcast, he continues to learn, becoming increasingly pleased with his abilities as he leads a peaceful and happy life.

One day, Jonathan is met by two gulls who take him to a "higher plane of existence" in that there is no heaven but a better world found through perfection of knowledge, where he meets other gulls who love to fly. He discovers that his sheer tenacity and desire to learn make him "pretty well a one-in-a-million bird."

In this new place, Jonathan befriends the wisest gull, Chiang, who takes him beyond his previous learning, teaching him how to move instantaneously to anywhere else in the Universe. The secret, Chiang says, is to "begin by knowing that you have already arrived."

Not satisfied with his new life, Jonathan returns to Earth to find others like him, to bring them his learning and to spread his love for flight. His mission is successful, gathering around him others who have been outlawed for not conforming.

Ultimately, the very first of his students, Fletcher Lynd Seagull, becomes a teacher in his own right and Jonathan leaves to teach other flocks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Livingston_Seagull

So....'begin by knowing that you already have arrived'.

Your photographs give insights of the you already. So.....Gently Flow Man...Gently Flow.

Peace.

Uploaded13/05/2014 - 06:59
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Posted 13/05/2014 - 07:54 Link
Love it, soon as I saw it, then I noticed why, apart from great comp, the lack of chasing the ultimate in sharpness delivers what you wanted - a gut reaction full of emotion, the Seagull is, of course a bonus
GIULIO57
Posted 13/05/2014 - 10:26 Link
autumnlight
Posted 13/05/2014 - 14:11 Link
You capture the most moving images, the story, so well written giving the picture this title.
bwlchmawr
Posted 13/05/2014 - 15:14 Link
Immaculate timing, Gray. I love the way Jonathan is highlighted against the shadow of the harbour wall. A marvellous sea-scape.
Best wishes,

Andrew

"These places mean something and it's the job of a photographer to figure-out what the hell it is."
Robert Adams
"The camera doesn't make a bit of difference.  All of them can record what you are seeing.  But, you have to SEE."
Ernst Hass
My website: http://www.ephotozine.com/user/bwlchmawr-199050
http://s927.photobucket.com/home/ADC3440/index
https://www.flickr.com/photos/78898196@N05
trixie
Posted 13/05/2014 - 15:14 Link
Wonderful Gray, I remember a Neil Diamond song Johnathan Livingstone Seagull, this brought it all flooding back, a great shot too
drobbia
Posted 13/05/2014 - 17:06 Link
I'm flying, flying! - has me rooting for the gull's freedom of movement against static image.
thanks, tg
"It's not what you look at that's important, it's what you see" - Thoreau
Quote:
Posted 13/05/2014 - 21:28 Link
One of my favourite books growing up... Used to give it to people as presents... Here's to you, Jonathan Livingstone Seagull... Good to see you in the flesh...

Best
Teaka53
Posted 13/05/2014 - 21:52 Link
Truly wonderful
Malc
tommyt
Posted 13/05/2014 - 23:11 Link
Another gem Gray..magical.Best Regards.tommyt.
Posted 14/05/2014 - 09:22 Link
Thank you all for your reflections. I too loved the story of Jonathan. I love the messages it proffers. I have just sent for 'Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah' from Amazon.
"The Latent Image that exists before development is a truly mystical and exciting entity and some subsequent individual photographs can make the spine tingle."

Good Fortune:

Gray Summers. Website www.graysummers.com
Blaze
Posted 15/05/2014 - 08:31 Link
A striking but soft image, so poignant in b/w. I remember the story well .... and Neil Diamond's music.
Posted 16/05/2014 - 09:44 Link
I did have the album on an old cassette alongside a shed load of other Neil Diamond albums bought from a charity shop about 10 years ago. I gave them all to my Dad. I'll have to look into the music again. Heard it a couple of times and it was a bit like Nilsson's 'the point'. A story album. I have Love at the Greek on vinyl and seem to remember it was on there in a long outake. The book is one of my standard reads. It's one of about 10 I'd take to a desert island.

I wonder what 10 of our own or others' photographs we'd take to a desert island?
"The Latent Image that exists before development is a truly mystical and exciting entity and some subsequent individual photographs can make the spine tingle."

Good Fortune:

Gray Summers. Website www.graysummers.com
Edited by graysummers: 16/05/2014 - 09:44
pauljay
Posted 03/06/2014 - 23:04 Link
It seems that Richard Bach did a good job of analysing your photo!
Paul.

Photography is not a sport. It has no rules. Everything must be dared and tried! (Bill Brandt)
PPG
Posted 09/06/2014 - 13:04 Link
Yeh! Met him way back when and showed him this. He just took it and ran with the imagery....no mention of royalties or nods to inspirational source in the forenotes of his book. Writers hey! Totally selfish
"The Latent Image that exists before development is a truly mystical and exciting entity and some subsequent individual photographs can make the spine tingle."

Good Fortune:

Gray Summers. Website www.graysummers.com

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