Candy Glass
Frequent readers will have noticed over the past few days that part of the top image has been serving as my header, in the holiday spirit, and all that. These are glass candy canes, about the size of the typical edible variety. We used to be able to buy them in Oak Bay at a very reasonable price, and over several years stocked up on a bunch of them. Then we would give them away as presents to friends, sometimes to people that dropped by over the holidays, that kind of thing. I have heard from some of these friends that they have used them ever since as tree ornaments and that they are among their favourite things on the tree. Which is a very nice outcome from a simple act.
Sadly, we no longer have an affordable source for glass candy canes, so the numbers are diminishing at home. They reside in a shiny red cup – a truly awful cup that is well suited for this task and good for nothing else at all – with a ball of tinsel which I think might have been a cat-toy. All year but for a week or two they live on a shelf in a glass fronted side board, barely visible but ever present, declaring with a quiet determination their festive attitude and reminding us of our friends and their enjoyment of small things.
So, since they were on the kitchen table, and since the macro was on the camera, they have become today’s subject matter. Best wishes to all of you for a great day today.
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Canon EOS 5dii, SMC Takumar 100mm/f4 macro lens, f-stops ranging from f4 to f16, various shutter speeds from 1/3 to 1/30 second, lighting from adjacent window and overhead room lights.
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burnt embers 
They look good enough to eat!
Happy new year. 🙂
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Thank you! They do, but trying would likely result in a tale of woe.
Happy New Year as well, and continued success with your blogging – may there be sufficient angst in your life to provide raw material and inspiration, but not so much that you don’t have fun sharing it with the rest of us 🙂
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Happy Holidays and a fantastic 2012!
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And Seasons Greetings to you and yours. My best wishes for the New Year as well 🙂
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The photos are great and I love the story behind them. I have been admiring your header photo for days, now I have the “big” picture!
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I like it when the little things have a bigger story to go with them. These candy canes have all kinds of stories, some of them not known to us I am sure. Some of them learned years after we have given one away. There are probably sad stories of breakage, and loss and run aways, but we generally don’t hear of those. Could probably write a kids book about them, if that was one’s bent. In your case you might want to know that they have a lovely sound when properly suspended and struck the right way. Like that guy (Diego Stucco) you link to who has tiny microphones and finds music in nature like a photographer with a macro lense finding hidden beauty.
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Oh, you should record them! Great idea!
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Well, I will suggest it to my teenage son who has recording equipment, but I suspect he won’t be interested if the suggestion comes from me.
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I love these…they are so festive….Merry Christmas to you and your family!
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David – thank you and Merry Christams to you and yours. 🙂
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I have never seen anything like these glass candy canes. They are universal symbol of Christmas. I love colored glass anything. It’s the only thing I have ever collected. Your photo with the lighting makes them sing!
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Hi Barb. I am glad you like them. I have no idea of their point of origin, but they were so inexpensive that I suspect they were made overseas for export. It’s too bad we can’t get them anymore.
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What magically looking things they are! Really pleasant photos!
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Hi Alexandra – thank you for visiting. Can you imagine one of these hanging by a string (they are quite heavy) within reach of Usyaka or any other frisky cat? What fun! My cat is very self disciplined about this kind of thing, but no sooner was the tree up, than she was up on its table sniffing around – looking for cat toys I expect. Seasons greetings to you and your elegant friend.
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You are a master of the “found object” photography. That’s what my teacher years ago called the assignments, “found objects”. We would have to go to a certain location (sometimes even home) and photograph something that interested us and make a mini-portfolio. It sounds easy but to do it well was very challenging.
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Thank you for your kind words – you are making me feel awfully good about my photography. You might have noticed I added a “Kitchen Table” tab to my blog which is where these “found objects” will end up being archived. I have never had any photo instruction, but I suspect that I would not enjoy the pressure of an assignment like that. It takes a certain level of relaxation for me to recognise these opportunities. Thank you again. Seasons greetings to you and yours.
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Wow! Wonderful! so simple and delicate, I love them, and the photos! A wonderful christmas to you and your loved ones 🙂
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Anne – thank you and God Jul to you and yours.
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My loved ones send you to this story, which has a northern feel from your part of the world
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Lovely photos of the Glass Candy Cane family. Prior to seeing the family photo shoot, I had not even paused to think that my Lola might miss her family, especially today. I wonder if in my absence and neglect, she is finding her way home.
Happy Christmas.
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Hi Jane – welcome to my blog, its so nice to have you visit. Your Lola was well brought up and does not mind in the slightest that you have gone away for the holidays. They have few expectations, though for company they do like to hang around with other ornaments. The long association with their boisterous red cup has inurred them to the loud personalities of the more glitzy decorations found on many trees. Happy Christmas, and safe travels. 🙂
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Wow, these are great shots. 🙂
Merry Christmas! 🙂
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Thank you Nandini – Merry Christmas!
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They are super beautiful !!! 🙂
Merry Christmas !
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Merry Christmas Mathias, and thank you so much.
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