“To be far from the madding crowd is to be mad indeed.”
~A.E. Coppard
Boxing Day, Sydney 2013
Bangkok Celebration
Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo
“Walking into the crowd was like sinking into a stew – you became an ingredient, you took on a certain flavour.”
~Margaret Atwood
Fun at the Mall
Times Square Pair
Rush Hour
“The nice thing about crowds is that someone can throw a bottle and you don’t take it personally.”
~David Sedaris
Window Shoppers
Outdoor Concert, Sydney
Crowd Control, Bangkok
Humanity
Where are the crowds? There ought to be crowds. Send in the crowds.
With warm wishes to you for a Happy New Year
and a much better 2021.
Jane Lurie Photography 
Very nice pics…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Karmuhil. Was hard to imagine crowds at the time. Now, maybe I can.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, for sure… 👍
LikeLike
so, beautiful
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, SJ. 🙂
LikeLike
Am especially enjoying that one by David Sedaris 🙂
LikeLike
Haha, Kamus. Sedaris is a gem. Glad you enjoyed these. Thank you. 🙂
LikeLike
Hi, Jane – I was immediately attracted to these images when I saw one of them on your blog’s homepage. Can you tell I’ve been in social isolation far too long (or that I previously lived in Beiing for 14 years)? I wholeheartedly agree with your closing line — there ought to be crowds!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Donna. It felt strange to look at these images and memories of being in huge crowds. Someday, we will be comfortable and safe again. Your time in Beijing must have been wonderful. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip there…it was so long ago in 2000!
I appreciate you stopping by. 🙂
LikeLike
These are great images that remind us those days… 🙂
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thanks, Amy. Felt strange going through these memories. Glad you enjoyed. 😊
LikeLiked by 3 people
Great street photos. It seems a bit odd now to even think about being in a crowd
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks so much, Sarah. Agree, it felt strange going through these images wondering when we will ever feel comfortable doing this again. Appreciate your visit. 😊
LikeLiked by 2 people
Your wonderful photos are a testament to the deepest truth about humanity: We NEED each other. If we ever get past the tribalism and greed, we may realize this. Here’s to 2021 and a more humane world!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks so much, Amy. You are right, we need each other! Appreciate your visit. ☺️
LikeLiked by 2 people
Wow … crowds indeed! I am glad I can stay away from crowds quite easily here in SW Colorado! Great photos and quotes as always Jane.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Denise. It was strange looking at these images from times past. It would be fun to experience it again someday…in small doses. 🙂 Glad you can enjoy your wide open spaces!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful pictures, Jane!
Wishes and your family a Healthy and Successful Year in 2021. 😊
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks so much, Sylvia. Glad you enjoyed. All the best to you and yours in the upcoming year. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
No crowds at Sydney this year. It must feel strange.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes, very strange! I read there’s another lockdown due to a spike. Compared to here, Australia has had great success with people adhering to the rules.
LikeLiked by 2 people
It seems so. There is a far greater awareness of hygiene and when we need to wash our hands now. We are not in lockdown but New South Wales has partial lockdown in certain areas where there has been a cluster of cases. Mostly related to one another.
Having said all of that, I related a story on my recent post about how protocols can get out of hand very easily at permitted social events, even when everyone has the best intentions to start out with.
LikeLiked by 2 people
For more human contact in 2021.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes indeed, Diego. We must have hope. Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank You .Seasons Greetings from India .Pictures you have posted are very nice
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you so much, Vishwanath. I appreciate your visit and wish you a happy 2021.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like the angle you picked for this post Jane. Happy New Year!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Maria. During my daily walk on Boxing Day, I got to thinking about all the crowds I’d experienced. Glad you enjoyed this look back on something that seems so strange now. Happy New Year to you and your darling daughter!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Jane- thanks for this dose of close encounters. Oddly enough my introverted/reclusive nature has almost enjoyed this pandemic… except it has been simply awful in every other way.
Wishing for a far better coming year for you, your family and all of us on this planet (human and otherwise)! 🥳
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much, Gunta. Embracing the silver linings of this past year and dreaming of freedom in the new year. Warm wishes to you and Eric for a better year ahead. I appreciate our blogging friendship. 😄
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a nice idea, Jane, dipping into crowds of people for a New Year’s wish. These are fun to scrutinize. You sure have traveled! I like the Times Square photo very much. The color palette is delicious and there’s a great buzz of activity. I recognize the last photo’s location – not from going there in person, but from going there in your photos. 🙂 My favorite here is the black and white – Window Shoppers. That’s a moment chock full of humanity. It makes me think of Rembrandt’s Night Watch – it has the same feeling of chaos from the figures engaged in different activities and facing different ways, but at the same time, it’s strangely unified. Hey, wouldn’t that be an accomplishment for humanity! 🙂
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thanks so much, Lynn. Boxing Day reminded me of experiencing intense crowds which spawned this series. Photos that have now taken on a much deeper meaning. I’m so glad Window Shoppers hit home for you and I love your description. Feeling unified…yes, just what we need.
Wishing you and Joe a happy and safe start to your new year. Thank you for your blogging friendship and sharing about photography- it means a lot. 🌟🤗
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great photos from the pre-COVID era! Let’s hope that the new year makes a lot better. All the best to San Francisco👍👍👍
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks very much, Detlef! We all can dream of normal days ahead. Warm wishes to you and yours in the new year! 🌟😄
LikeLiked by 1 person
My, you’ve been in crowds and on fringes of crowds. It must’ve been an adventure. I prefer open space. Whether we return to how it was before, I don’t know. I think most of us would be kind of leery for the first couple years after COVID, mostly watching from the sidelines with fingers crossed.
Many happy new year cheers and greetings to you and your family. Stay well, stay extra safe. 🙂 🙂 🙂
LikeLiked by 3 people
Hi David, Was feeling nostalgic for traveling. It felt so strange seeing all these people together. Agree, that feeling the ease of doing this again will take a long time. Thanks so much for your blogging friendship and encouragement of my work. Wishing you and your family a safe and happy new year! 😄🌟
LikeLiked by 2 people
I must admit I don’t miss crowds and traffic jams, but your photos were a wonderful reminder of a “normal” world, Jane. A happy HEALTHY New Year!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thanks, Susan. We all can dream, can’t we? Someday we will start to feel normal again. Wishing you and yours a safe and healthy New Year, too. I appreciate our blogging friendship. 😃
LikeLiked by 1 person
This seems so long ago! I must admit, I’m not a fan of being in the middle of crowds but your photos are fabulous and strangely energizing. All the very best to you Jane and your family in the coming year!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you, Caroline. Agree, I was captivated by the strangeness of these scenes and how it made me yearn for the good old days. Happy New Year to you and yours. 🌟
LikeLiked by 1 person
As a claustrocrowdophobic I am surprised to look at all these wonderful shots of people and enjoying them longingly. It is funny that I find myself wishing to be able to mill about in a crowd when normally the thought wouldn’t occur.
LikeLiked by 3 people
What a perfect word, Steve. 😀 I had a similar reaction- a feeling of nostalgia for the good old days when at least we had the choice of getting lost in a crowd. Glad you enjoyed going through these fond memories. Thanks very much.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Amazing pictures.
Yes, it looks like from another world…
…here we are in lockdown. The streets are empty.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thanks, Rabirius. Very strange to see, isn’t it? I wish we were in lockdown as our cases in CA are surging at a frightening pace. Stay safe and here’s to a better year ahead. I appreciate all your creative work!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes. It is.
Stay safe and healthy as well.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Happy New Year. I confess I do not miss crowds, but I do miss the opportunity to be with people.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Happy New Year, Lisa. I agree, crowds are overwhelming but the thought of them now is somewhat appealing. Thanks for your blogging friendship over the years. The best to you and your family in 2021.
LikeLiked by 2 people
And to yours as well, Jane.
LikeLiked by 2 people
A thoughtful post. We are missing the crowd. A year has passed with uncertainty…Taught the lesson of sustainability. With the loving memories of those cool days, I think the world is moving forward to a new tenant. A tiny germ and 700 billion folks😥.
Hope for the best.
Have a promising and peaceful year ahead.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you, Rosida. Hopefully, lessons have been learned. Wishing you a happy and better 2021.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much and wish you the same🥰
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank You and Wish you the same
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Jane, this was such a lovely celebration of our species across the globe. I would guess our view of crowds is forever altered after Covid, which makes these photos that much more profound and sweet. I so enjoyed the quotes too, and had a warm chuckle at your play on words with sending in the “crowds.” All of your photos are a real treat, but I like to pick a favorite. The two I liked best were the Bangkok Celebration with the orange lanterns dancing over the crowd; and the Times Square Pair. Happy New Year to you, dear friend.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Hi Jet, Loved reading your warm words. Thanks so much. Glad you enjoyed those two in particular which are favorites. Someday this may all feel like a distant memory and we will walk in crowds once again.Happy, healthy new year to you and Athena. Thanks for being such a great blogging friend. 🌟
LikeLiked by 1 person
Over the past year living with a habit to keep distance to other people when you are outside of your place makes me feel uneasy seeing so many people together. That is a little sad and I hope that we get back to normal soon.
Happy New Year!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Me, too, YC. Even when I watch movies now with unmasked crowd scenes, it makes me uncomfortable. Someday we will ease back into normalcy. Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy New Year. Thanks for your blogging friendship.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Happy New Year indeed to you and yours. Your photo for Humanity is similar to one I took at Lake Atitlan in Guatamala. Where was yours taken?
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thanks, Andrew. And to you, too. I shot Humanity on the bluff overlooking the ocean in Santa Monica. A favorite spot for sunset worshippers. 🙂 I bet your Guatamala shot is beautiful.
LikeLiked by 2 people
These images are most thought provoking and unsettling. The Rush Hour image with that appropriate mural is great. I enjoyed the rather quirky quotations. The last image with its caption gave me a pang. Very best wishes for the New Year to you too and may it bring better times …
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Carol. Boxing Day reminded me of the crowds that I’ve been part of and it seems so odd to see now. Warm wishes to you for a healthy and happy new year. I really appreciate our blogging friendship. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Jane – warm wishes to you and yours too and for the year ahead. I also appreciate the connection we have made via blogging, and your remarkable photography totally stands out.
LikeLiked by 2 people
😊 Thanks!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I weep for humanity, Jane. I weep. It is human to be close and to share. I have refused to fear any virus but to see the pandemic of fear in this world is horrifying. I pray this insanity stops and this world learns how to live with germs as we always have done and we can actually stop being paranoid of what is normal on this planet, that which is called microbes. Loved your photography. It gives me hope …… thank you!! xo
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hi AmyRose, It’s been a sad year but hope is on the horizon. I definitely fear the virus and have lived accordingly. Glad you enjoyed these crowd photos, a reminder of what our world will return to someday in the future. Wishing you a healthy and safe new year. 🌟
LikeLiked by 2 people
Happy new year and let’s hope its a better one
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Andy. And all the best to you in the new year. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
It actually gave me goosebumps seeing those crowds of unmasked people. It seems light years away since we were able to go out in public without masks and social distancing. I’ve almost forgotten what it feels like to not worry about getting infected. I was talking to my sister in South Africa today and wondering aloud about how long it will be until we can visit her again. Oh yes, “Send in the crowds” again and how wonderful that will be when COVID is just a bad memory. Happy New Year, Jane. 🤗
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hi Sylvia, Me too, when I was going through the photos. I know how much you must miss your sister. Hopefully, 2021 will bring better days. Happy New Year to you and yours! 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
These are lively and colourful images – yet I don’t know when it’ll feel ok to be in a crowd again…
Anyway, all the best for a better 2021!
LikeLiked by 4 people
Thanks, Adam. Weird to look back on these and I agree, it’ll be while. Wishing you a much better 2021. I really appreciate your blogging friendship. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
I do miss the hustle and bustle of normal life. A fine gallery. Best wishes for 2021, Jane.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Belinda. These photos were a stark reminder of what is missing n our lives. All the best to you and yours in the new year. 🌟
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you for a wonderful year of your photography!!! You have an incredible eye and a delightful knack for pairing images with words. Can’t wait to see lots more all through 2021. Cheers!
LikeLiked by 2 people
What a lovely way to start the day, Freddie. Thank you so much. I look forward to your posts filled with your great sense of humor and playfulness. Best wishes to you and Recluse Man for a happy new year! 🌟
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mau I wich you and your family all the best for 2021. We all hope for beter future.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks so much, Rudi. Best wishes to you, too, for a happier 2021. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Intriguing post, Jane. When will we feel comfortable being part of crowds again? Especially liked the serenity of the last photo.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Janie. I think it will take a long time even after it is safe. A mental retooling of habits. Glad you enjoyed these photos. 🤗
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such a clever post…… remembering what once was …
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Linda! Feeling nostalgic.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Looking forward to new beginnings…
All the best!
✨☀️🙏🕉️♾️☮️🙏☀️✨
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thanks, Graham. You, too! 🌟🌈
LikeLiked by 2 people
Best wishes to you and yours, Jane, and here’s hoping for a better 2021, though I predict it will be towards the latter end of the year at the earliest….
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks so much, Sue. It is hard to wait but we need to stay the course.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Sadly, we do
LikeLiked by 2 people
Good pictures, Jane, and I like the final one especially, very well titled. And yes, let’s hope for far better in 2021. Stay safe, my friend! 🙂
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thanks so much, Adrian. I found it so strange to look at these images now. You, too, a safe and happy new year! 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
This looks só wrong… and to think that feels so wrong!
(even though I am no ‘crowd person’)
LikeLiked by 3 people
I know, doesn’t it Noortje? Very strange to revisit these shots to see what life used to be like. Thanks for visiting.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Where are the crowds?” Love that whole line, Jane. Yes, let’s pray for next year!
janet
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Janet. Suddenly came to me…😉 let’s have hope for 2021.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I miss the company of people; of friends and family. I certainly don’t miss the crowds.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Well said, Khürt. Crowds sure can be intimidating. Thanks for stopping by. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wonder if I will ever be at ease in a crowd again? To think that I used to wade through it with nary a thought. I’m sure we’ll make our way back… keep the dream alive, Jane. ❤
LikeLiked by 3 people
Hi Eliza, It is strange to think back on, isn’t it? Someday, but it will probably take a long while to feel comfortable again. Thanks for stopping by. Wishing you and yours a happy start to 2021. 🌟❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh I remember back when we could be out in crowds! Seems like a hundred years ago. These are great shots Jane, of more normal times. Times Square, Rush our and Humanity are my faves.
Merry Happy Everything to you and yours. May 2021 be better!
Alison
LikeLiked by 5 people
Hi Alison, I know! Feeling quite nostalgic for being in places like this. The pulse of a crowd. Glad you enjoyed those in particular. Wishing you and Don and happy, safe start to the new year. Thank you!🌈
LikeLiked by 2 people
So strange to see all these maskless people in large groups. Makes me wonder what we were catching without our masks.🥴
LikeLiked by 4 people
I completely agree, Sharon. It is weird to see how things used to be. Our thoughts, too, about the benefits of wearing masks in places like this in the future! Thanks, friend, and wishing you a happy new year. 🥰
LikeLiked by 2 people
Happy New Year to you and Bob and family, too!
LikeLiked by 2 people
😃❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Where are the crowds?” Was my thought exactly as I looked at these. As a Chicagoan it is eerie not seeing this like I used to
LikeLiked by 4 people
Thanks, Christopher… even when I watch movies with crowds now, it feels so strange! Let’s hope 2021 brings back some normalcy.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Won’t it be nice when we can gather again like that mask free?!
Happy New Year🎉
LikeLiked by 4 people
It sure will, Carolyn. It was strange viewing these images of all the maskless people. Thanks for stopping by – wishing you a happy new year! 🌟
LikeLiked by 3 people
Given shot from the past of the no-mask era, sure hope they return. Best wishes to you and yours for 2021 and Happy New Year! Well done, Jane!
LikeLiked by 5 people
Thanks, Frank. Wishing you and yours a safe and happy new year!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good juxtaposition with how things are now, and a good take-off on the line from Sondheim.
LikeLiked by 4 people
Thanks, Steve. I know how much you love word play. Glad you enjoyed this one. Missing being a part of something bigger!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful reflections Jane and yes ever curious as to our next steps forward … imagine … sending you and your loved ones joy ~ smiles hedy ☺️💫
LikeLiked by 4 people
How good to see the Sydney we know and love in this wonderful New Year post Jane. Many thanks for your contribution to one of this challenging year’s pleasures. We send love and best wishes to you and all the familyxSally
LikeLiked by 2 people
I thought of you looking at these images, Sally. How great to hear from you. Yes, someday the Sydney we know and love will be back. A happy and safe New Year to you all. Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Hedy. Missing the hustle bustle. Curious indeed. Wishing you and yours joy right back. 🤗🌟
LikeLiked by 2 people