Graffiti found on the side of a building in a downtown Anchorage park. Originally posted on my Downhill Stream of Conciousness tumblr blog.
Graffiti, downtown Anchorage
Nothing special to this, it’s just something I want to reflect on. As graffiti-based art, I think it’s rather beautiful. But I don’t think I captured anything in the image other than “it was here & I saw it.” I didn’t even capture it in its environment.
What would you do with this?
From this morning:
Mug and a spiderweb
The setup: my daughter woke me up early, and insisted on a fresh-grilled hot dog for breakfast. I’m cool with that – I mean, we only have certified parve hot dogs* (all beef), so we consider it kosher to have them at any time.
Yes, that pun was deliberate.
So I go out, and see a deliciously sunny morning. Ran for the 80-400mm lens & looked around for interesting things while the grill warmed up, then while the hot dog roasted. One of the first things I noticed: the spiderweb, which isn’t that sharp here. It was kinda insignificant, unless against a dark background. But when I placed the mug next to it, I noticed a wonderful reflection of light coming off of our home. Yes, I was using the side of our home as a reflector.
And I thought that was cool enough to post in its own right.
Another thing that I liked about this: when thinking about Jay Maisel’s philosophy of watching the edges, I felt that I pulled this one off just a bit better than I have in the past. It’s like I’m on the very edge of understanding how to put these together without adding in distracting elements.
And that feels pretty damned good.
* Hebrew National, in case you care.
Referring to yesterday’s posted image, how about a sunrise through a filthy window?
Dirty sunrise
Originally posted on my Tumblr blog. You might want to check it out if you haven’t seen it in a while. I have been sporadically posting cell phone shots there. In some cases (like the dirty sunrise posted here), I like them better than my higher-quality ones.
Even if they tend towards the hipster side.
Early Morning
It’s a rough time of the year, the approach to the solstice. Sleep comes slowly, and what little to be found is fitful.
It’s too bright out. It never really feels like bedtime. It seems like I should be out doing something.
The image above: taken at 5:30 in the morning. The sun had risen about an hour earlier, but was still at a sharp angle. You’re looking directly north, with the sun at NNE. I was awake at 3:30 that morning, and it was already starting to get light…
At last year’s rehearsal, I made an image out of these dancing shoes. It was one of my favorites for the year, enough so that I added them to my tenset for 2010.
This year I made another:
Dancing Shoes #2
Seems I have a year-to-year theme going on.
Look closely & you’ll see a lack of detail. Hand-held in extreme darkness with the 50mm f/1.4 lens…
Soapy Abstract
We’re washing the grunge out of the house: we’ve rid ourselves of much of the rocks & pebbles that accumulate over the winter, and washed (finally) the winter’s grime off the cars.
At one stage in the car wash, you’re covered in this stuff. I still haven’t captured quite what I want, but it’s a start.
A study in contrast and dynamic range of light:
Spot the gecko
Taken in Kihei, Maui in March 2011.
Specifically this one:
Dog in Shades/Too Cool for Me
Meta information is typically information about information. In the case of a photograph, the meta information might be the location, the time of day, f/stop, shutter speed, weather conditions, etc.
A couple of days ago I was given an update from a relative of this dog (well, the owner), making it information about the location where the photo was taken – meta-meta-information. The news isn’t really good, I’m afraid: the owner sold the building, and the new owners apparently don’t allow pets. So out goes the dog and his owner, it seems.
In a way, as someone who has lived in Alaska for some time and who has traveled around, I find this sad. Most places are so homogeneous that there’s nothing special to ‘em. Lahaina is like Waikiki is like downtown Kona is like Cozumel is like the San Diego piers is like Catalina is like Long Beach is like any other beach in California is like… well, you get the picture. And yeah, each location has its own flavor, language, and feel, but the similarities are striking. Businesses strive for consistency, land owners strive for higher property values…
…So it’s rare to find something that really sticks in your mind. Ketchikan does that, if you’re a tourist, but only somewhat: it’s nice, rustic-ish yet homey in a Pacific NW sorta way. When the fish are running, you can catch ‘em right in the middle of town – that’s something you won’t forget anytime soon. And these dogs (there is more than one): You just don’t forget ‘em.
Now Ketchikan is a little more forgettable.
Disclaimer: of course, all of this is predicated on the commenter being honest, but I have no reason to disbelieve the core of the information.
Another remarkable image in Why Photographs Work
VV was here
Call me a fan. The treatment of an elephant in the old Yousuf Karsh manner is remarkable – this one image (the image in the book itself, not Kilroy up there) speaks to me.
I really want to see it in a larger format now.
Nudibranchs, off of Elua Beach. These guys aren’t that rare, but it is uncommon to see them so close to one another.
Gold Lace and Pustule Nudibranch
Who knows, maybe one was gonna eat the other?