Weekly Photo Challenge: Merge – The Past with the Present

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The past is strapped to our backs. We do not have to see it; we can always feel it. -Mignon McLaughlin

I took this week’s photo challenge by guest host Gary Ng Gnostec Photography in a bit of a different direction.  The challenge stated “Sometimes, you have to appreciate that the world will collide around you and present you with said collision, wrapped up in a plastic album sleeve, for sale in a local used record store.”  My world sometimes collides when I think about the past and try placing it in the present.

The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there. -Lesley Hartley

I am constantly reminded of how things were when I was a child and how they are now.  The merging of the past with the present is always around you whether you are talking about rules, regulations and standards of living or just how different things look or are perceived in this era

The past is a good place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there. -Anonymous.


There is a saying about how you can’t escape your past and another saying about how you can never go home.  This to me is an awesome juxtaposition where two random always connected but distinctly different objects are always present and always moving in a parallel motion.  Who you are and who were and who you are now along with what you can and cannot change determining who you will become.

My photos represent the past merging with the present.  How some things change and some stay the same.  Enjoy.

Dad and 3 daughters approx 1970-1971

Dad and 3 daughters – 2011 – Haute Pink Photography

2 daughters – 1995 approx

2 daughters – 2012 – Haute Pink Photography

Bestie in high school – approx 1984

Bestie from high school – approx 2010

Sisters approx 1973

Sisters 2011, Haute Pink Photography

Best friend from high school with her husband – 1984

Best friend from high school with her husband – 2012

Mother and daughters – 2002 approx

Mother and 2 daughters 2012 – Haute Pink Photography

I have realized that the past and future are real illusions, that they exist in the present, which is what there is and all there is. -Alan Watts

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More about the challenge:

Merge. The world is made up of many things. There is a saying that opposites attract, and this is true for relationships and other things. What about photography? Many surprises can come out of merging two different entities into one. Sometimes this fusion of the elements is what we call art.

For instance, try placing an object where it does not belong. Or, juxtapose two different objects. The statements they make together may be contradictory, but remember: break the rules and experiment. As for me, I love merging the arts, especially two distinctly different types of art. On one side, there is the performing arts—a ballerina, for instance—and on the other side, there is architecture.

”Merge” is the weekly photo challenge from WordPress this week, and you can see all the entries here.

Gary Ng is an architect and photographer based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He is the founder of Gary Ng © Gnostec Photography and author of his photo blog. Subscribe to his updates via his website, blog, or Facebook page.

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25 thoughts on “Weekly Photo Challenge: Merge – The Past with the Present”

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    • The beauty of these challenges don’t end with the week.. it’s a worthwhile one.. when I first saw it I was like .. “MUAH” Not going to do it.. i thought so many people had an excellent take on it.. I just couldn’t figure it out.. then I happened to be going through some old photos and I noticed the one of my daughters, with my youngest on her sister’s back..and thought.. I think they have a recent one like that.. and that’s how that totally took off.. it was very cool.. and then with my dad.. and sisters.. loved it. so back to keep it on the burner then let me know when it hits you. I don’t think these challenges should be forced.. I kept trying with a different one to make something happen.. then it just came..

      Reply ↓

      • I can’t find the thread where you asked about my camera … I’m using a very humble, non-techie, point and shoot Sony Cybershot that is 8 years old. I’d like to move on up to a 12 megapixels but I don’t want to give this one up – it has been very trust worthy. Thank you for your comments on the posts. 🙂

        Reply ↓

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