I got it down to five.
Three are Haikus. Examples of minimalist simplicity. They all work, but it’s impossible to pick a favorite amongst them. The fourth is social commentary. Interesting in and of itself, but it doesn’t really work without the title: Interpreting the United States Army to an Ojibwa at Historic Fort Snelling. If it needs the title it fails as a photograph by my own rule set. (Though it may be tested yet by a salon judge in September because it fits the Through the Window topic.)
Which leaves us with this…
A moment captured from a bright, but bitterly cold, walk through the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. My not quite completely dry bronze Krylonmist filter is screwed onto the lens for its trial run (in less-than-ideal conditions.) I was lining up yet another shot of the Spoonbridge Cherry (#4,654,358), when these two hooligans, ignoring several posted signs, ran into the frame to climb on the art. Saving me from cliché (if not mediocrity) and, at least in my eyes making the picture.
Moments later they noticed I was taking pictures. Being their mother’s obedient sons, media trained since birth, they stopped playing long enough to pose properly for the camera. I go back and forth as to which of the two pictures is my favorite from the (otherwise unremarkable) day.
Next, I use Mom’s Samsung phone to make a portrait of the entire family flagerlantly violating the Minneapolis Statuate that prohibits climbing on the statuary. Hey, I’m not the boss of them.
Edit to add…I may have just this moment shortened the title of the Fort Snelling photo to White-Mansplaining (to an Ojibwa). (Or maybe I need the Ojibwa word describing my people.)