Haiga (haiku with photographic images): Haiga (haiku with photographic images) Since the early 1960s I've enjoyed combining my passion for photography with collecting and writing...

Uuglypher Loc: South Dakota (East River)

Haiga (haiku with photographic images)

Since the early 1960s I've enjoyed combining my passion for photography with collecting and writing haiku, the short free-verse Japanese poetry form.
Some haijins (haiku poets) combine their poems with drawn, painted, or photographic images that show a thematic relationship with the chosen haiku. it varies; sometimes the haiku comes first, sometimes the image inspires an appropriate haiku.

I have previously posted a few haiga :

http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-298904-1.html

http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-298904-1.html

....and herewith post two more.

Please offer C&C on my haiga, and please, if you are similarly fascinated by the combination of haiku or other short poems with your images, post some examples of your own.

For information on haiku and writing them, simply Google "haiku" to find many informative websites. Many books on haiku and haiku anthologies are available online...and are very inexpensive. One of my favorite sites for books on many topics (including haiku and photography) is: <abebooks.com>

Best regards,
Dave

Preening

(Download)

Warmth

(Download)

jim hill Loc: Springfield, IL

Uuglypher wrote:

Haiga (haiku with photographic images) br br Sin... (show quote)

Uuglypher Loc: South Dakota (East River)

Hi, Jim,
Thanks for your comment. I prepare the text in the image using the "keynote" presentation App in my iPad. I use "Keynote" a lot in preparing instructional slides for classes and workshops, and putting text in the image is easy and a big PLUS for its use.

If you use PS there is a text tool in the marginal tool menu. It's logo is the Upper case letter "T". You have a choice of fonts, sizes, and colors

Billyspad Loc: The Philippines

As ya know Dave I often include song lyrics with an image so does this count as haiga. Most are free form verse but obviously not written by ol'Billy.
Your feathered friend is a beautiful shot my man.
If Im honest the adding of verse gives them the appearance of a greeting card but I send cards like this so for me its just fine.

http://www.dailyzen.com/cards for instance.

See you did not realize the resident Philistine would know about Zen huh.
Zen involves dropping illusion and seeing things without distortion created by your own thoughts.
Not a bad way to critique posts I reckon

Billyspad Loc: The Philippines

Dual post

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

Uuglypher wrote:

Haiga (haiku with photographic images) br br Sin... (show quote)

Dave: Love the images and the thread. Can't participate much till I get home late next week, have only the most sporadic phone service and nothing more, so ya'll keep feeding the thread to keep it alive! Perfect for this section since it blends arts.

Now Billy you don't want to get me started but you offer no surprise in your comments here.

Billyspad Loc: The Philippines

minniev wrote:

Dave: Love the images and the thread. Can't participate much till I get home late next week, have only the most sporadic phone service and nothing more, so ya'll keep feeding the thread to keep it alive! Perfect for this section since it blends arts.

Now Billy you don't want to get me started but you offer no surprise in your comments here.

Aw min can I help it if my mind and body are as one and I am in a constant state of Zen!
And there are no surprises in Zen just realization.

Be good to have ya back the forum is not the same without ya.

Bob Yankle Loc: Burlington, NC

Synchronicty - doesn't seem like an apt name for the simple beauty but is accurate for the effect. I have always been a fan of haiku ...... it's a form I took to naturally when I was first introduced to in high school, lo those may moons ago. Then I lived in Japan for 3 years and it got infused into my blood.

Uuglypher Loc: South Dakota (East River)

Billyspad wrote:

As ya know Dave I often include song lyrics with a... (show quote)

Hi, Brother Billy,
From the first time you posted a combination of song lyrics with an image it was obvious that making an effort to convince you of the creative value of combining text and image in a cohesive artwork would be not unlike "carrying coals to Newcastle".
Likewise, the frequent combination of brief, thoughtful titles, often with a somewhat oblique sub-intent is also an obvious effort toward the zen / Haiga mind-set and concept.

The reward of fostering a zen approach with Haiga has been to sharpen my personal perception of my poetry...be it of image or of words...and of the novel realms of creativity I find in their combination. Whether by serendipity or purposeful intent, the final result may appear full-formed or may require refinement to reach fruition. Either way, I find it a rewarding journey of introspective exploration, there being so many ways to emphasize a common essence via combined visual-poetic semantics.

It has become obvious to me that more than a few here in UHH are similarly inclined and I am eager to see more purposefully posted evidence of this fascinating realm of creativity.

Dave

Uuglypher Loc: South Dakota (East River)

minniev wrote:

Dave: Love the images and the thread. Can't participate much till I get home late next week, have only the most sporadic phone service and nothing more, so ya'll keep feeding the thread to keep it alive! Perfect for this section since it blends arts.

Now Billy you don't want to get me started but you offer no surprise in your comments here.

Hi, Minnie,

I, too, am convinced that many here can fruitfully contribute to this thread.
The evolution of the Japanese poetry traditions has clearly encompassed a range of conventions and compositional "rules ... Not unlike the "rules" of photographic composition! Comparing and contrasting the works of the "masters" of haiku (Basho, Buson, and Issa) is wonderfully instructive and inspiring. As you might expect, the variety of artistic license taken by the translators of the original Japanese poetry into English has resulted in many different perspectives!. Reginald H. Blyth, Wm. Hendrrson, and Higginson are three notable translators, and van den Heyvel has authored some notable anthologies of modern haiku.

So jump in...the water is invigorating!

Dave

Uuglypher Loc: South Dakota (East River)

Bob Yankle wrote:

Synchronicty - doesn't seem like an apt name for the simple beauty but is accurate for the effect. I have always been a fan of haiku ...... it's a form I took to naturally when I was first introduced to in high school, lo those may moons ago. Then I lived in Japan for 3 years and it got infused into my blood.

Hi, Bob,
I have no doubt that your experience with the variety of filtered effects you've shown us can contribute mightily to experimentation with the Haiga genre. I do envy you your experience of having lived in Japan for a time and gaining perspectives on Japanese culture attainable in no other way!
Dave

Uuglypher Loc: South Dakota (East River)

Another Haiga

Close encounter...of the memorable kind.

Dave

Sage Creek Wilderness, SD

(Download)

jim hill Loc: Springfield, IL

Uuglypher wrote:

Haiga (haiku with photographic images) br br Sin... (show quote)

You managed to inspire me to give it a go. Since one of my three minors is in Far East Studies (mainly China) I have come across Haiku from a scholarly view. Never tried my hand at it until reading your piece.

Alice and I were in need of a Christmas card for 2015 so I set out to find a photograph and tried to match it with a bit of classical Haiku, 5-7-5. From what I remember the final line should be in contrast with the first two lines. If this is in error please to correct me. The photograph and the Haiku are the inside of the card. Probably taking my life in my hands by posting the result but for better or worse, here it its:

Inside of 2015 Christmas card

(Download)

jim hill Loc: Springfield, IL

Uuglypher wrote:

Another Haiga

Close encounter...of the memorable kind.

Dave

This one is really great, Dave. Well thought out and delivered.

Uuglypher Loc: South Dakota (East River)

Jim,
Your posted Christmas card makes my heart swell! Your Haiga captures, in my opinion, to the greatest extent possible, the spirit and intent of the Haiga art form. I would find it impossible to come up with a better example of the EnglishHaiku 5-7-5 pattern. Since Henderson popularized the English form just after WWII the trend has slowly evolved toward a shorter poem, more like unto the 17 onji-based haiku than the 17 syllable English form...but when I find a 17-syllable, 5-7-5 haiku of the quality of yours, I'm encouraged to go back to that "Beat Generation's" form of haiku favored by Ginsberg and Kerouak. I recently re-read "On the Road" and was reminded of my admiration of J.k.'s style!

I'm a bit house-bound, recovering from my second knee replacement, but if your travels take you two just a couple hundred miles North, I'd love a chance to get together.

Best regards to you and Alice and thanks for your comments on my most recent posting. That haiku came to mind, full formed, even before I pressed the shutter!

Dave