Please share your first response before reading the hidden notes below. The photographer is looking for an unbiased initial impression.
Feedback Focus: Artistic / Expressive
Questions for Viewers
What comes to mind when you see this?
About This Image
Yesterday at my weekly show at the Local Farmer’s Market a Sycamore leaf fell from the tree that I was under and it landed on my credit card reader. I found it interesting and serendipitous so I snapped a photo of it on my phone. I decided not to move the leaf until either the show came to a close or a customer needed to pay. Many thoughts came to my mind as I looked at it. Some fanciful, some whimsical, and some reflective.
Did the tree want to make a purchase?
Do You accept Leaf-Pay? (I’m often asked if I accept ApplePay)
What if we paid our way through life with leaves?
How is a leaf any different than paper money?
What’s the value of a leaf? (Probably a hellava lot more than paper money)
Am I selling nature?
Is this tree trying to tell me something?
It was a seemingly insignificant moment that if reflected upon has some deep meanings there.
Technical Details
Camera: Apple iPhone 17e
Lens: iPhone 17e back camera 4.2mm f/1.64
Focal length: 4mm
Shutter speed: 1/208s
Aperture: f/1.6
ISO: 20
Just some in-phone edits and then resized in PS for posting.
Yeah, I’m not getting it. I feel like this is an allusion to something, but nothing comes to mind. I get “tap-to-pay” but the leaf doesn’t imply anything for me. Also, the white spots on the background are very distracting. The light is nice, and the image is certainly crisp and clear. But is it a metaphor, an allegory, ? This will probably bother me now, for a while…
Youssef: First irreverent thought, “What is the credit limit of the leaf?” I suspect this is an accidental discovery and if it is I find it whimsical and amusing. After reading your comments I can see you felt the same. Chance encounters like this can be a hoot. I have a shot off my phone that you have just made me want to share. Thanks and good on you for taking things not super seriously. >=))>
Youssef, you clearly have an inquisitive mind that goes off in fun directions…and why not. With your description in “About This Image” I had a LOL moment re: apple pay. Not every image needs to be profound.
Thank you!
Alice
This is just plain fun, Youssef. A great dig at our digital world. I love the composition and more important here the message. I’d be interested to know if any of your customers noted it and commented.
Honestly, initially this is confusing. The leaf is gorgeous btw, and so that by itself makes this a cool and interesting image.
Without the backstory, I have no idea what the blue disks are. Yeah, I recognize the “tap” to pay symbol, but obviously I’m not familiar with the blue disk. I guess one would have to be in to merchandising and selling products to get this.
Having said that, Serendipity certainly makes itself known and I can totally understand your reaction to this little event. I guess the problem with the view - as with most all photographs… is that we weren’t there for the experience and there’s really nothing with the image that gives me a hint. Even the bg is a mystery, but again, very clear once you know the backstory.
this is a lovely surrealist image. I’t doesn’t need to make sense and we can all make whatever back story we like.
From my point of view I have “the commercial capitalist world vs the planet”. Should the natural world keep paying for our ongoing lifestyle costs ? particularly as Autumn is coming - maybe we are coming to the end of the Anthropocene
Ok I may be over thinking it… but nice surrealist image
I hadn’t encountered one of these things, but pretty obviously one of the newfangled ways to pay. I love your wonderful musings about the encounter!!! Gave me a big smile – after I repressed the thought about what Nature was probably trying to tell us. We’re definitely coming to the end of the Anthropocene. “Not with a bang but a whimper.”
My initial reaction was an Edward Weston still life. Perhaps it’s because I’m rereading his day book yet again. Weston would create images such as this of subjects he found around the house, grocery store, or the beach. He would arrange them over and over until it was to his liking. He bristled at suggestions that they were metaphors for anything though.
Dennis_Plank
(Dennis Plank)
selected this as an Editor's Pick
12
I really liked the juxtaposition of the leaf with the latest in technology here.
Thank you @Huw_Thomas , @Igor_Doncov, @Kris_Smith, @Lon_Overacker, @Bill_Fach, @Jim_Gavin, @Diane_Miller, @Dennis_Plank, @alice, @Gary_Hook for your replies and thoughts. I just found it so strange that the tree I was under dropped its leaf right on my credit card reader. It was near the end of the day so I never bothered to remove it unless a new customer came it, but no one did. So I photographed it before cleaning up. I did not think this would earn an Editor’s Pick, but thank you for that as well.
