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Can I ask you what you think ?

Antonio Correia

Well-known member
I would like to make a collection of images, with photographs taken over the years about one subject: Religiosities

I am not sure if the word is the correct one, at least in English, but the idea is to show places of worship, and people involved in religious acts. I think I have a lot of photographs which can fit this series.

As usual, my tendency is to make soft sepia-toned images. I have worked on this one over an hour producing various versions until I stopped in this one.

The borders are meant to be this way, looking like old...

Any tips on the Religiosities word and/or the image itself ? Thank you.

I have printed this image on a simple A5 and I am stunned by the result. Very good start for a series IMHO.

i-47KfK7k-XL.jpg
 

Antonio Correia

Well-known member
But as people are involved, it looks to me that religions is a bit restrictive, isn't it ?...

Or perhaps just "faith", "creeds", "beliefs"...
 

Jerome Marot

Well-known member
But as people are involved, it looks to me that religions is a bit restrictive, isn't it ?...

Or perhaps just "faith", "creeds", "beliefs"...

"Religiosity" is pejorative. You don't want that.

"Religions" or "Faith" seem equally good, with "Faith" being a bit more positive and "Religions" more neutral. "Worship" is another possible choice.

That people are involved is a given in religions.

This being said, English is not my first language. Other members of this forum are probably more competent than I.

(religiosity
[ri-lij-ee-os-i-tee]
1. the quality of being religious; piety; devoutness.
2. affected or excessive devotion to religion)
(the second definition is the pejorative one)
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Antonio,

"Religiosity" is a very highly respectable, (always non-offensive), academic term in psychological studies looking at all the diverse religious traditions, beliefs, thought and behavioral aspects of our lives. It covers all aspects of religious faith, belief, holiness, the nature of the divine, concepts of heaven and afterlife, concepts of a soul, spirituality, accountability, reward, punishment, judgement, offerings, sacrifice, right, wrong, justice and injustice, duty, charity, rules of conduct, holiness, profane, spirits, evil, Satan, Angels demons, observance, customs, ceremonies, cohesion, belief, practice, orthodoxy and even rebellion!

Of course, Donald Trum could "tweet" it as an insult about some preacher who called him out for lying, and then it would have a mocking derogatory effect, but "the Donald" could do that with any word as in "bleeding out of her "wherever"!

Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Hi Antonio

simply "faith" ... it would be the best ...

That word is a very succinct summary of the entire subject. However, by itself, it is limiting. Still it is the basis for a good title.

It could be


"Faith" : images of man's religiosity in diverse cultures.​


That makes it easy to understand, is not judge mental and promises representative opportunities for any photographic sampling one could imagine.

Asher
 

Antonio Correia

Well-known member
"Images of man's religiosity in diverse cultures" that what it is all about.

Thank you Asher !
However, I am still fighting about the title. So far, I am retaining Faith but I find it to be too succinct.

As Asher pointed out, "Religiosity" is very respectable and non-offensive and very broad on the other hand which fits the idea.

I Post here two photographs very different one from the other which I am including in the series. More will be worked with the final title.
I decided to stay with straight borders but using a soft-toned sepia.

Thank you for viewing and commenting ! :)

i-dvBbvcV-XL.jpg
i-zP4QBCW-XL.jpg
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
"Images of man's religiosity in diverse cultures" that what it is all about.

Thank you Asher !
However, I am still fighting about the title. So far, I am retaining Faith but I find it to be too succinct.

As Asher pointed out, "Religiosity" is very respectable and non-offensive and very broad on the other hand which fits the idea.

I Post here two photographs very different one from the other which I am including in the series. More will be worked with the final title.
I decided to stay with straight borders but using a soft-toned sepia.

Thank you for viewing and commenting ! :)

i-dvBbvcV-XL.jpg
i-zP4QBCW-XL.jpg


Does anyone else see a feature of commonality, besides the record of faith and the celebration? It i experience a quality of "depth". In the first, the sculpted figures are recessed in the wall. So they go back and penetrate the space in the rock. In the second, the wide angle perspective forces us to build a "diorama", where this "reanectment" is playing out.

I wonder whether I am alone in this perception of depth as being a strong linking factor? If so, Antonio, then maybe you should look out for that feature as something desirable.

Asher
 

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
"Faith" is often used, ill-advisedly, to mean "religious faith". We see it in such phrases as "faith-based programs" in some area (perhaps the matter of providing meals for the homeless), meaning programs sponsored by some religious organization.

But that is far too specialized, and narrow, a meaning for the word itself. I have faith in the laws of physics, And I have faith that New Mexico Gas will continue to provide natural gas through my meter and connection.

I prefer words that actually describe what they are intended to describe.

I speak of people who seriously partake of a "religious faith" as being "religious" ("My parents were fairly-regular churchgoers, but they were not 'religious' ").

That is a use of that word as an adjective; as a noun, it has another traditional meaning in some religions: those, such as nuns and monks, who devote their lives to an ascetic, religious life.​

I think "religiosity" flows naturally, etymologically, from that adjective: "The property or condition of being religious."

Best regards,

Doug
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
"Faith" is often used, ill-advisedly, to mean "religious faith". We see it in such phrases as "faith-based programs" in some area (perhaps the matter of providing meals for the homeless), meaning programs sponsored by some religious organization.

But that is far too specialized, and narrow, a meaning for the word itself. I have faith in the laws of physics, And I have faith that New Mexico Gas will continue to provide natural gas through my meter and connection.

I prefer words that actually describe what they are intended to describe.

I speak of people who seriously partake of a "religious faith" as being "religious" ("My parents were fairly-regular churchgoers, but they were not 'religious' ").

That is a use of that word as an adjective; as a noun, it has another traditional meaning in some religions: those, such as nuns and monks, who devote their lives to an ascetic, religious life.​

I think "religiosity" flows naturally, etymologically, from that adjective: "The property or condition of being religious."

Best regards,

Doug


Doug,

Words are all metaphors. So each can have diverse meanings. It's only context that makes the meaning clear. It's as if one has a $20 bill and to buy apples it's worth 20 US dollars but to change to smaller denominations on the street in Manilla, it might be only worth 18 and if has no change and one needs to give a tip, it might then be worth just $5.00.

"Faith" is a gentle word when used to discuss religion as a cultural phenomenon between Christians of different denominations or with believers of other ways of worship. It would not apply, however to a religion of worshipping idols apart from Hinduism and Buddhism, as tolerance and respect are really limited. Faith is a politically tolerant way of religious folk banding together to extract concessions such as grants and tax breaks from the government.

"Faith" is also a reference to personal belief and there it has no nefarious connotations, just sincere devotion to a creed and deity. In fact, there is a sense of honest, righteous, modest, valid and special human nobility to sincere faith, as in the photograph, below.



i-S5t9cCW-XL.jpg




Of course, "faith" can also be given to the value of a check issued in "good faith".

In all cases, we know, by the context, that we rely on the value of the US dollar by your trust in the monetary system being intact, and not that it has value by divine ordination.

"Religiosity", although a perfectly well formed word, unlike, "faith" is more of a descriptive term by folk looking at the phenomena involved in religious belief and practice and is more often than not, in my experience at least, used in a more cynical vein then the work "faith".

Asher
 
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