Saturday, May 25: Friday’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge is In the Background: The places that we pass through day after day, or even once in a lifetime, leave in their small way, echoes and traces of themselves upon us. But so often when taking self portraits or pictures of friends, the places themselves become a soft blurred mush of indistinct semi-nothingness, the limelight stolen by our smiling faces. In today’s challenge, let’s turn the tables. Take a picture of yourself or someone else as a shadow, a reflection, or a lesser part of a scene, making the background, or — as in the example above — the foreground, the center of attention.
I’m not sure I really “get this” challenge, but here are a couple of attempts. Adam, with his mouth watering, is the blurry background with the tofu sandwich as the center of attention.

there’s Adam, all blurry in the background, mouth watering over his vegan sandwich
In this one, taken at the Sahab Hotel on Jebel Akhdar, the blurry background of the Sahab is shown upside down and in the foreground, in the glass of wine.

The Sahab Hotel in the background, and again in the foreground, upside down in the glass of beer

Alex is in the background, covered completely by the glass, but you can see his face in the foreground in the glass of beer
And finally, in this picture of a vintage shop window in Carytown, Richmond, Virginia, it’s hard to tell the background from the foreground.

Vintage Shop window in Richmond, Virginia
And finally, in Dubai, UAE, the Burj al Arab in a mirror, though we’re still in the foreground!

Us in the mirror with the Burj Al Arab in the background
These are some great shots, Cathy, especially the wine glass ones and the storefront. I love reflections. They can get creative.
I love reflections too, Lynne. Thanks so much!
Wonderful photos, especially your son and the beer !
Thanks so much, Kathryn. 🙂
Love the first shot with the glass of beer.
Thanks so much, Colline. 🙂
Ah, CATHY, you’ve got it perfectly.
Thanks so much, mrs. carmichael. 🙂
brilliant photos.
Thanks so much, Joan!
Brilliant, especially the wine glass!
Thanks so much, Gilly! 🙂
Love the beer glasses – quite creative catbird!
Thanks so much, Tina! 🙂
Great selections, Cathy! Really luv that fourth one!
Thanks, Stephen. 🙂
The wine glass photo is my favourite!
Thanks, Carol! 🙂
Some great pics – my favorite is definitely the second one, with the hotel reflection upside down in the glass. There is something spooky and beautiful all at once there.
Thanks so much, Annette. I thought that was a cool picture too. My son actually pointed out the reflection in the glass. It is a little spooky and beautiful, isn’t it?
Nice, I like your interpretation of the theme.
Thanks so much! 🙂
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OOHHH I think you have “got” this theme – perfectly!
Great photos 🙂
Thanks so much, Marianne! It was a tough challenge, I thought!
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Fantastic shots! I lived in Muscat, Oman from 90-95 and I remember Nizwa very well!
Ah, glad you like them. How did you like your time in Oman?
amusing: “the blurry background of the Sahab is shown upside down” – a method to make pathetic architecture lightweight …
Haha, funny, Frizz!
I think the last two really nail the challenge Cathy! But they are all beautiful 🙂
Thanks so much, Madhu! 🙂
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Oh, you get it! Sure you do!
Thanks, Lynn! 🙂
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Great photos. 🙂
Thank you so much, Arindam. And thanks for visiting. 🙂
hmmm, vegan sandwich…
I know you like that, Marco!
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