This is a meme going around some blogs in the States, and I haven’t been tagged for it, but I like it so much I’m going to do it anyway.

It’s simple: 8 Things I Find Amazing in Picture Form. (Plucky Punk and Jack Goff are where I saw this.)

I’ll put all but the first photo over the fold to make life easier for those on dial-up.

#1

Mt Fuji wreathed in mist under a full moon

I won’t be so verbose with the rest of the shots, but I just have to natter about Mt. Fuji. The above photo was sent to me by a friend with a link to a whole series of photos of Fuji on one site that were all gorgeous. I’ve since sadly lost the link (although here’s another gallery of lovely shots), but I was very much reminded of Hokusai‘s classic 36 views of Mt. Fuji while looking through pictures that felt almost more like portraits of the sacred mountain. Mt. Fuji is one of those places where the weather conditions over the peak commonly produce lenticular clouds, often called by the locals a hat or cap of clouds [link] [link]

#2

Butterstick!, the baby panda at the National Zoo in Washington DC, originally uploaded in January 2006 by Peter F. Martin. The kyootness is overpowering.

#3

The lake at Sissinghurst Castle, part of the world-famous garden which is on my list for visiting someday

#4

The moon framed by San Francisco's less famous bridge, theBay Bridge, taken by Fred Larson for the San Francisco Chronicle

A link to this image was posted to a mailing list last year.

#5 – I know I blogged this one a few weeks ago, but it’s still haunting me.

Sack Race. Who? Why? I dunno.

#6

Ripley. Just because.

#7

digitalis mertonensis, aka foxglove

I love the precision of this photo. I don’t have the patience for this type of photography. It’s another one someone sent me yonks ago because at the time my front garden was full of foxgloves.

#8

Another picture link posted to a mailing list long ago - a spiral cauliflower. Get a load of those edible fractals!

And a bonus pic that’s not so particularly amazing, but is a memory of a favourite time:

Charity Head Shave, originally uploaded by me.

From a fundraising effort a few years ago, this is my favourite bald photo. I raised money from all the kids at the togsprogs’ school who wanted to see me cut my long long hair off. I now know just what I’ll look like if I become a Buddhist nun.

So, I tag anyone who’s in the mood to take some time out from more dreary pursuits. Leave a link in comments.

Categories: arts & entertainment, Life

Tags: blogging, photoblog, photography