Class Rings and Yearbook Pages
previous / nextBoredom is an interesting motivator. The landscape is dull, not much reason to wander my regular haunts for photo ops the past week or so. It is just muddy and dull. So I've been bored...very bored.
My birthday is coming...later this week, so I've been waxing nostalgic. I came across my old class ring a couple of weeks ago in an old jewelry box. I don't really wear jewelry. I don't own much really good jewelry other than my engagement ring, anniversary band, and a ring that had belonged to my grandmother. I'm not really much of a jewelry person. I find jewelry kind of annoying to wear actually.
This year my youngest had the option of buying a class ring. My oldest got one, my middle son did not. We talked about it and I told him that while they are kind of fun at first, for the amount of money and length of time he will wear it, likely just during his Junior and Senior year and the summer before college, I think they are rip off and a waste of money. My oldest, who owns one, agreed.
Once you leave high school behind the ring sits in the drawer. I cannot think of anyone I know who wore their ring beyond the summer after their Senior year. I do know some that wear a college ring but not many of them either.
Now I look at the ring and I wonder why I still have it. My Yearbook on the other hand has been quite well thumbed through the years. I wasn't that fond of High School. It was not the most memorable time in my life and was rather anti-climactic. In a couple of years it will be my 30th reunion...not sure if I will go, I haven't gone to any of the others. Maybe I will go to the next.
That is my ring and my yearbook, yes that is my senior photo just behind the ring and yes I do know it is blurry, and no I will not shoot one with the photo in focus...
Oh yes, boredom was the motivation behind this shot.
NIKON D700
Nikkor 60mm f2.8 Micro
1/320 second
F/22.0
ISO 200
60 mm
My birthday is coming...later this week, so I've been waxing nostalgic. I came across my old class ring a couple of weeks ago in an old jewelry box. I don't really wear jewelry. I don't own much really good jewelry other than my engagement ring, anniversary band, and a ring that had belonged to my grandmother. I'm not really much of a jewelry person. I find jewelry kind of annoying to wear actually.
This year my youngest had the option of buying a class ring. My oldest got one, my middle son did not. We talked about it and I told him that while they are kind of fun at first, for the amount of money and length of time he will wear it, likely just during his Junior and Senior year and the summer before college, I think they are rip off and a waste of money. My oldest, who owns one, agreed.
Once you leave high school behind the ring sits in the drawer. I cannot think of anyone I know who wore their ring beyond the summer after their Senior year. I do know some that wear a college ring but not many of them either.
Now I look at the ring and I wonder why I still have it. My Yearbook on the other hand has been quite well thumbed through the years. I wasn't that fond of High School. It was not the most memorable time in my life and was rather anti-climactic. In a couple of years it will be my 30th reunion...not sure if I will go, I haven't gone to any of the others. Maybe I will go to the next.
That is my ring and my yearbook, yes that is my senior photo just behind the ring and yes I do know it is blurry, and no I will not shoot one with the photo in focus...
Oh yes, boredom was the motivation behind this shot.
NIKON D700
Nikkor 60mm f2.8 Micro
1/320 second
F/22.0
ISO 200
60 mm
Labels: conceptual, D700, Jewelry, macro
posted by Laurie at 12:00 AM
37 Comments:
What a lovely sharpness it was in this photo .. well done, I like it alot.
Such a great shallow depth. There is nothing like an upcoming birthday to get one taking a trip down memory lane. I like this...
Hello Laurie,
the design of the ring is very masculine and brings up Greek Antiquity.
In France, there is no jewelry sold in High school.
So your birthday is coming for the end of the week? :)
very nice product shot, did you take it in the new studio?
I like the classbook left in blur.
We don't have these class rings over here in fashion btw.
Happy (advance) Happy Birthday!
Bitter sweet memories of High School?
Nice composition and DOF.
The ring doesn't look very feminine.
Boredom is sometimes a good motivator. - It`s a fantastic shot (like always), superb dof, .... I like the composition.
Great composition and juxtaposition
Out of boredom...comes creativity. Love the focus...but more - I love the nostalgia and personal symbolism. Am with you all the way on the 'value' of a high school class ring! :-)
You continue to amaze me with your ability to tell a story with a photo, with great composition and technical quality to boot.
Thanks all...It is not nearly as large as it looks in this photo but the class ring was not very feminine.
The rings came in 3 sizes if memory serves. There was a Large Men's ring, medium and very small women's. Most of the girls got the medium like the one shown. Even the small women's was much like this. It had the school mascot, the cougar, on one side with the letter "C" as shown here, and on the other side an image of the high school and the year of graduation with the name of the school around the stone as seen here.
Today's rings come in many more styles and sizes from the catalogs that have come home with my kids.
I just remembered that there was an interesting ritual with the rings. The turning of the rings...you had to get 100 people to turn your ring, 99 times to the left and the 100th time to the right.
Hi Laurie
It's always nice to see your new work!
A brilliant shot with great details and well composed, bravo à toi!
You have really rendered the colors and details nicely in this one!
Laurie, I will try to answer you through/by a translation-program. So I normally write in Dutch and the translation-program translate the text into English. Maybe a little bit difficult to follow, but you can understand a little what I mean, I hope..! First, the boredom ..., it does not last long and it will be spring! I love it! Then you have your birthday this week! I wish you a very pleasant day, so: Happy Birthday, Laurie! I'm from the year 1951 and I wonder how old are you ..., Laurie ...! But I cannot/may not ask a lady her age ...!
Have a very nice week!
greetings,
NANNE from FRIESLAND
Amazing detail captured in the ring and I like the use of your photo in the background. I sure your story strikes home with many of us with similar thoughts and experiences. A well conceived and executed image. Congratulations.
>"I just remembered that there was an interesting ritual with the rings. The turning of the rings...you had to get 100 people to turn your ring, 99 times to the left and the 100th time to the right."
And then your finger drops off?
A jewel deserving of a princess, a treasure for a birthday.
Laurie it is remarkable this shot with a very big opening, I like this ambience ****
boredom sometimes result in great stuff.. like this one.. :) nice work..
Cool. By contrast, UK high schools are so antiseptic - we wouldn't dare to organise class rings, based primarily on health and safety reasons. We're so precious lol.
Nice shot, Laurie. Is that your picture there? Although I still have my class ring ... I think, it was a waste of $$$, to be sure. I went to my 20th anniversary, back in 2000 and it was fun. I sincerely doubt that I'll go to the 30th reunion, next year ... if we have one. Our dead-beat president didn't even have a 20th. A few of us formed a coup and did ourselves!
what a creative way to deal with being bored!
i like that the ring which you don't particularly care for is in focus and your image (which looks lovely actually) is not in focus. i think that's a great choice.
Hey Laurie!
Extraordinary detail and texture my friend... Score 1 for boredom... I wish you the happiest of birthdays, you are a special lady...
Jerry in Tampa
excellent composition here. fantastic details and also dof. i wish you all the best for your birthday
One thing for sure. Your pictures are not boring.
Nice and sharp shot.
You explained in a picture an entire state of mind! (by the way i am in the same mood as yours)
Happy Birthday Laurie!
lovely detail and dof laurie
Notwithstanding this shot is a boredom product, I must say that it is really nice! I don't like the ring, but the blu is nice and also the yearbook on the background!
A fine close up with that beautiful blue stone. I like your comment very much.
I have the same feeling atm: im very bored, the weather outside is quite gray and as a cool addition to all that i've got flu!
Beautiful shot Laurie, the sharpness is exceptional and great DOF. High School ring, I am impressed. I can't even find my wedding ring. Haven't gone to a reunion either, left there 2 weeks after graduation and never went back to that city, over 30 years ago.
Very nicely laid out and the blue sparkle from the ring jumps off the screen. Oh those days of velour, bell bottoms, long hair and platforms ;)
Nooooooo we DEMAND one with the year book photo in focus LOL.
You are no fun :)
Have to say this is a stunning image, saw it the day you 1st posted it up and been back a few times just to look at it. Boredom sometimes brings out the best in us :)
wow, such a sharp capture! Any post processing?
@ iVahid...thanks nothing more than RAW conversion, and curves.
So perfectly focused and we all know that the main issue with macro photography is focus.
Now, without the ring, there would be no photo and no story. I think we keep these items, just because, because they remind us of a carefree time with no worries - we had the rest of our lives ahead.
Looking back on old stuff is nice - it might make me sad as well but hey - it happened.
Happy birthday Laurie
Good image, good composition, professional work.
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