I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay
Watching the tide roll away
I’m just sittin’ on the dock of the bay
Wastin’ time
Stephen Lee Cropper / Otis Redding
How often in this busy world do we take the time to just sit? Sitting to enjoy a view, to take a pause from all the activity that fills our days, to simply relax? And if we do, are we ‘wasting time’ or are we using it wisely to recharge our batteries?
Anne’s Lens Artists challenge this week is all about relaxation. I usually find mine watching a good TV programme, reading a book or at the cinema – none of which is particularly interesting to photograph! So instead I’ve searched through my archives to find images of other people relaxing. All over the world, I discovered, I’ve spotted people sitting; if not always ‘on the dock of the bay’, often in equally restful places.
Is it a coincidence, I wonder, that many of these people are older? I think not. It seems that as we age we not only need to relax more, we also appreciate the benefits more. It also struck me that many of my photos were taken in Italy, a country where a slower pace of life is arguably more appreciated. There are quite a few too from Paris; unsurprising, given how often we visit.
My feature photo however was taken in Puerto Varas, Chile.
On the city walls, Lucca, Italy
Breakfast time on the rue de Buci, Paris
By the Seine in a Paris heatwave
By the Canal Saint Martin, Paris, in the same heatwave
Low tide at Buckler’s Hard, Hampshire, England
In the Piazza Costituzione, Cagliari, Sardinia
Locals in Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre, Italy
And in Ferndale, California
Station café, Roccasecca, Italy
One man and his dog, Lecce, Italy
Village cricket pitch in Minster Lovell, Cotswolds, England
Feet up in Bandipur, Nepal
In a park near Chinatown, San Francisco, California
In Seattle, Washington State
And finally, could you be more relaxed than this?
Spotted in a car park by the beach at Deception Pass, Washington State
10 Comments
Wandering Dawgs
Sarah, beautiful collection of people relaxing. I love that you chose the lyrics from Sitting on the Dock of the Bay for your title. My favorites are the Feet Up in Napal and the locals relaxing in Italy.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Beth ☺️ Those women in Nepal were incredible, as they’d spent much of the afternoon hauling heavy loads up a steep hill into the village! They deserved their relaxation time for sure.
Brenda's Thoughts
These photos are incredible, Sarah! You really do have an eye. It is true. The older we get, the more we understand the necessity of relaxing. It is imperative to our well-being. Lovely post!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Brenda, I’m so glad you liked these photos ☺️
Tina Schell
These are terrific as usual Sarah. I’m always reluctant to photograph people but find they end up among my personal favorites. It seems you’ve definitely turned it into a fine art!
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Tina ☺️ I find I’ve become braver over time about shooting people, so a lot of these images are fairly recent, but the lady in the San Francisco park is a much earlier attempt!
isaiah46ministries
You captured the universality of humankind: we all need rest and moments of reflection and peace.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much 🙂 But credit for the theme must go to Anne, I only found photos to match it.
Easymalc
I thought you were going to give us the poem by William Henry Davies to start with. You know the one – What is this life if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare etc. Great images as always Sarah.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Malcolm 🙂 That poem would fit the theme of relaxation but I needed a sitting quote, not a standing one!