Archives
"True North"
Sometimes…When our mind wanders and leads us in the wrong direction, all we need is a big sister to show us the way.
"It's Not What You Think"
I am certain she thought my intentions were less than honorable. People can sometimes reach spurious conclusions during an unexpected encounter. I get it!
It was really quite innocent…My camera simply thought her eyes were beautiful!
"Sunflower"
In mathematics, the Fibonacci sequence is one in which each number is the sum of the two preceding ones.
In geometry, the golden angle is the smaller of two angles created by sectioning the circumference of a circle according to the golden ratio; that is, into two arcs such that the ratio of the length of the smaller arc to the length of the larger arc is the same as the ratio of the length of the larger arc to the full circumference of the circle.
Within a Sunflower, each floret is oriented toward the next by approximately the golden angle and produces a pattern of interconnecting spirals. The number of left spirals and the number of right spirals are successive Fibonacci numbers. The beauty is simple yet the complexity is stunning!
The sunflower symbolizes adoration, loyalty, warmth, positivity and strength. One of strong bonds, lasting hope and love…but only if it turns into the light.
"Drift"
Albeit replete with potential subject matter, I rarely photograph at city bus stations. The risk of irrational confrontation outweighs the reward!
This day was different. I had been walking for hours and decided to rest and observe. It soon became apparent that there was an ample supply of people who had no where to go. This was fascinating to me. After all, it is a bus station!
As I contemplated the reason, I realized that many were there to dawdle, sleep, eat, smoke cigarettes, erratically yell at one another and otherwise engage in a whole lot of nothingness. Everything but get on the bus!
With an abundant supply of resources, I suspect the bus station provides asylum from daily life on the street. It is also a public space, so you are free from the harassment of law enforcement. You can always claim you are waiting on the bus.
I wonder where they go at night…when the last bus leaves.
"Vivarium"
Vivarium is Latin for “Place of Life”. It is an area, usually enclosed, for keeping and raising animals for observation or research.
An article I recently read on the subject stated; “An enclosure is considered a vivarium if it provides quality of life through naturalistic components such as living space and natural decor that allow and encourage natural behaviors.”
This photograph certainly depicts naturalistic components and behavior in an enclosed space, but for some reason…I don’t think this is what they had in mind!
"That's All It Takes"
1/1000 of a second. That’s all it took. 1/1000 of a second…One flash of life.
1/1000 of a second…That’s all it takes.
"Cashmere"
A subculture is a group of people within society that differentiates itself from the standard values of the general culture to which it belongs. Examples include Hippies, Furries, Goths, Hip-Hoppers, Cosplayers, Metalheads, Hipsters, and Yuppies…just to name a few.
But why do subcultures exist? Do these groups organically form because the dominant culture does not meet the needs, interests or shared experiences of an individual? Is the choice a deliberate decision that is methodically plotted with careful consideration or is it by unmitigated chance?
It is irrelevant if the process is conscious or not. The sense of identity and belonging one derives from a chosen subculture brings security, fulfillment and comfort…Just like Cashmere!
"Goofy"
You can be crazy. You can be Kooky. You can be flaky, foolish, nutty, wacky, weird, daffy or screwy. I prefer goofy!
"Two"
One greater than One!
"Anything You Want"
“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” Roald Dahl
So, what are your expectations? The fog…or Creativity, Understanding, and Transcendence? What are you dying to live for? What you already know…or the unimaginable?
What are you waiting for? You can see anything you want…but first you have to look!
"Giggles"
If giggles were a color…they would be pink!
"Disconnected"
A mere 25 years ago, this photograph would never have been possible. Then, if you wanted to read, you opened a book or sat down with a cup of coffee and a newspaper. If you needed directions, you unfolded a map or asked the local gas station attendant. If you wanted to play a game, your family and friends gathered around the card table. Now, all these things are instantaneously in one place.
I recently read an article that highlighted the use of artificial intelligence in helping people construct and interact with their perfect digital soul mate. Have we reached the point were where we subconsciously believe that everything we need is on our phone?
I often ponder what would happen to us if our cell phones were rendered inoperable for 30 days. Would we even be able to cross the street?
"In The Moment"
You can spend your time regretting the past or worrying about the future, but spinning your wheels thinking about such things is meaningless!
Dogs live in the moment…and so can we. We can appreciate every day as it comes and be grateful when the sun shines upon our face. It is really quite simple…when we live in the present, there is more time for a conscious life.
"Stroke"
And there he was. The blink of an eye. My camera settings were not what I would prefer, but it still tells a great story…and isn’t that the point?
"Inside The Box"
He is either a Banker, Lawyer or Mechanical Engineer. As someone who often finds security and order inside the box, I can dig it!
"Back To Back"
They travelled from the beach to the shore all day long. Sometimes together. Sometimes apart. It was over and over…Back To Back.
Just a young couple in love who didn’t know what to do next.
"And All That"
Being confident requires a realistic sense of one’s abilities…and most importantly…feeling secure in that knowledge.
After observing theses ladies for several hours, it was obvious that they were self assured in their being and all that goes along with the attitude. I appreciate this confidence and aspire to remember this story whenever I lack courage.
"Imprint"
A mark made by pressing an object onto a softer substance so that its outline is reproduced.
"The Apprentice"
In Saigon, they wash down the streets every night. In the morning, the sidewalk businesses reappear. Food, drink, clothing, trinkets and even lottery tickets are traded. In this case, shoe repair.
In Europe, North America and parts of Asia, this young lad would be in school. Here, he is learning the family business…and by the number of shoes strewed about, it looks like it is a successful one.
"Succession"
Succession: a number of things sharing a specific characteristic, following one right after the other.
"Playing With Shadows"
“Woo-woo! The wind blew in the trees. Squeak-squeak! Went the lanterns. And the dark was all around.”
The book, The Dark, Dark Night by M. Christina Butler follows a frog heading home to his pond after a long winter’s nap. Along the way, he stops to frolic with his friends Hedgehog, Badger, Rabbit and Mouse. As darkness falls, Frog borrows a lantern from his friend, Mouse, to light his way home.
As Frog approaches the reeds at the edge of the pond, he finds himself face to face with an enormous pond monster with huge claws. Terrified, Frog hightails it back to his friends. Each friend returns to the pond with Frog—only to flee when the monster reappears.
In the end, Frog and friends are all amused when Mouse accidentally reveals the true identity of the pond monster. It is not a monster after all—just the shadows created by the lanterns light.
“The four friends laughed and laughed and laughed. Hurray cried Frog! There’s no monster after all! And with a huge happy splash he leapt into the lovely pond at last.”
"Giddy"
I am often befuddled by people’s reaction to the lens. If one holds up a cell phone to take a photograph, the world ignores them. As people wonder the streets and boulevards of the city, they are oblivious to the multitude of video cameras surveilling their every move. Yet, once a traditional camera is raised to a photographer’s eye, the subject becomes rigid, tense, unnatural and sometimes…blatantly contentious! While I comprehend the emotion, it still defies logic.
Difficult to master, hip shooting is a photographic style described as shooting photographs from waist level without using the viewfinder of the camera to centralize the subject. This learned technique is practiced by many Street Photographers for the unique and varied artwork that can be constructed from the photographs. It allows the capture of a natural, relaxed moment without the conflict.
I have been unsuccessfully experimenting with this technique for several months and I have hundreds of photographs of walls, the sky, asphalt, and my shoes to prove it! This composition was my first tangible success…and I was as giddy as a goat on a sunny day!
"Luminosity"
Much of what we learn about an object comes from analyzing its light. Most people can obtain an idea of an object’s luminosity by simple observation. However, appearance alone is almost always deceptive.
Behind the words, there might be complications, behind the laughter, there might be wistful smiles and behind the tears, there might be painful memories…and then again…there might not.
"Identity Shift"
When it comes to “Peer Pressure”, is one’s internal harmony disrupted when faced with the threat of external rejection and conflict…For failing to conform to a group standard?
If one complies, eliminating the external threat, internal conflict appears because one has now abandoned their own logic. To rid oneself of this internal conflict and self-rejection, an “identity shift” is undertaken and one will consciously, or subconsciously, adopt the group’s standards as their own.
When it came to running…I never made the shift!
"On The Edge"
There are many magnificent cities in the world, but few are uniquely bizarre. Places where you constantly ask yourself if your eyes are deceiving. Did I just see what I thought I saw? Cairo, Riyadh, Mumbai, Bangkok, and Rio De Janeiro come to mind.
In the United States, it is not Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco or even New York. All quite ordinary in my opinion. It is Las Vegas and New Orleans. I am not suggesting they are better or inferior to any other city. Just distinctively different. The polar opposite of one’s big city expectations.
To me, this young lad appears to be experiencing the sensory overload common with a visit to the Big Easy. Before you can absorb one experience, another interrupts. Is he on the edge of that chaos? Who knows for sure…but I wouldn’t doubt it for one minute!
"Inverted Balance"
There was once a grandpa who wanted to run with his grandson. He said, “I’m going to defeat you!” The boy said, “Grandpa, you can’t.” Grandpa said, “Come on, get set, ready, go!” The child dashed and ran. The grandpa just stood there running in place.
The grandson came back and said, “Grandpa, you never ran.” He said, “I ran.” The boy said, “Where? You are here!” The grandpa said, “I ran with my sight, and I was ahead of you.”
The boy said, “What about with the body?” He said, “Son, this body is just a wreck, but my eyesight is still good, so I ran with my eyes!”
There was joy. There was love. There was inverted balance.
