January 14, 2008
Starving Artist Needs Frames!
Well, I can hardly make the case for the first part of this blog title from a physical perspective. And financially I am far from it as well. Thanks be to the Lord. However, it is not necessarily the best time to lay out a great deal of cash, even for the sake of art, which is exactly what I will be doing over the next few weeks as I get ready for a photography show that I will be putting on in February at the seminary I am attending. At any rate, if you are in the St. Louis area and wish to be of help and have some old frames laying about that you are willing to let go at a low price (or no price :), well, I am your man.
I am looking for nice-ish, wood frames, with glass, of sizes 14" X 18" or above, though some a little smaller may be OK too. If you are willing and able to participate, email me, and I will come by and have a look, and then, if I want the frame, you can pick your price from the handy price chart below.
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September 25, 2007
On Its Way, Like Grey at the Temples...
...only the opposite.
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September 24, 2007
Mmm, Stella!
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September 23, 2007
When it Sparkles in the Cup
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September 22, 2007
One Ceiling, Two Kinds of Light
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September 18, 2007
Still Lifing: Afternoon Light
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September 15, 2007
Dog ::: Man ::: Beer ::: Man ::: Wine
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September 14, 2007
flower ::: vase ::: steeple ::: mall
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August 19, 2007
The Color of Rest is Green: A Vacation in 37 Pictures
It occus to me that I do not really write blog entries any more, a truth that I would like to remedy at some point in the future. I am not sure entirely all the whys and wherefores, but I am convinced they are not all positive. Still, until those posts come, here is a brief photolog of a whirlwind vacation that took me from St. Louis to Milwaukee (to see the Cards win 8-0) to Green Bay (to catch the end of the Packers practicing with the great Favre himself taking snaps) on Thursday; from Green Bay to Escanaba in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and back on Friday; and through Chicago (to spend the afternoon with Tanya and Heidi) and back to St. Louis on Saturday.
Needless to say it wasn't the most restful vacation, but it was full of wonderful sites. Including a lot of the great outdoors. And, my, it was great, indeed, and awesome and lovely. My host in Escananba, my friend Dan's step-father, said while I was talking to him about living in the U.P. that he has come to the conclusion that "The color of rest is green." And I think that is well worth quoting and true, unless of course you sandwich it between a great, great deal of traveling.
This past weekend was also a great culinary tour as well. Mmm, mmm.
Wednesday: St. Louis pulled pork barbeque at house church.
Thursday: Steak at the Texas Road House (with peanut hulls on the floor)
Friday: Whitefish, Perch, and Walleye platter at the Buck Inn (courtesy of my host)
Saturday: Chicago deep dish at My Pie Pizza on Clark Street and a fully loaded Chicago style hot dog.
Brilliant.
And adding to all the natural and culinary splendor was the opportunity to visit Goodwill in the U.P. Now you may think it rather silly to go six hundred miles to simply to hit a thrift store, but though they are very similar generally, it is interesting to see if there are any regional goods. For example, if I had more time to peruse, I could have tried on a pair of snow pants. As it was, I did not think I came away with anything uniquely regional, though I did get a blingerific green t-shirt. But when I got home, I saw that my $4.99 green, wide-slot toaster, had both English and French writing on it. Pretty cool, eh? The thrift-stores in Chicago along Clark street were surprisingly affordable, but, no, the real thrift stores of Chicago will have to be left for another day, when I can find an accomodating and knowledgeable native to help locate them in all their musty glory.
Finally, thanks, Dan, for helping provide me with such a thoughtful and well-planned vacation, and thanks, Heidi and Tanya, for the silly and fun afternoon in the city of broad shoulders.
OK, without further adieu, here are the 37 pics, which is a lot, but you must know, if you know me at all, that there are actually many more ;)
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August 16, 2007
The Gel Series and Haiku Contest Notice
I am sure there are better things one could be doing when one is leaving for a trip at 6am the next morning, like packing, for example, or sleeping perhaps. But I saw this cool angular pattern of bubbles the other day after I had used some gel and as I packed it tonight I wanted to capture it for posterity. The first two shots are sink shots, the latter with some extra lighting.
Oh, and the haiku contest deadline is extended till next Wednesday. So, far we have only four entries, and with such great prizes on the line. Plus, I am going to be out of town for a whirlwind vacation, so that gives you haiku procrastinators some extra time. Come on now, we really have some quality judges in the wings, so lets get them a little more material to work on.
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August 15, 2007
Orange Red
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August 13, 2007
Wedding Number Five - The American Side
I don't think I have been to as many weddings of a summer as I have been to this summer. In addition to two friends having gotten married, three of my cousins' daughters have gotten married. At the beginning of the summer, the daughter of a cousin on my Mom's side of the family was the first. Then a few weeks ago it was the wedding reception of a cousin's daughter on my Dad's side of the family. This past weekend, to complete the symmetry, the sister of the first cousin's daugther got married.
Looking at the pictures from these last two wedding posts and knowing that I deeply appreciate and resonate with the aesthetics of each, but more deeply with the latter, should go a fair ways in helping you understand my outlook on my cultural heritage and the dance my blood cells do within my veins.
Actually, for this wedding I was asked to be the informal photographer for the reception. Eek! I have as yet to get an external flash and was very nervous about missing key moments. And, alas, a few did go flittering by in the banquet room darkness as my little flash recharged. My cousin-niece (in Pakistan, I would simply call her my niece), in response to my worried banter, was as gracious as she is lovely in the pictures below, and that's pretty darn gracious. Most of these shots I got just before she walked in (sometimes it pays to be a little late to things) and just after the wedding, respectfully staying out of the way the real photographer, which is an imminently sensible practice. Musn't interfere with the professionals doing their work.
Enjoy!
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August 12, 2007
Susans
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August 6, 2007
Some Color From a Pakistani Wedding Reception
There were even more examples of lovely Pakistan dress than these but it was rather tricky to shoot these and maintain a level of propriety. Even these required a certain amount of surreptitiousness. Not so the shots of my cousin's radiant daughter below, who got to wear not one but two wedding dresses during the course of the evening. Please pardon the slight lack of focus.
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Bug
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Blue in Clayton
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July 29, 2007
Green
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Coming Home at Dusk
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Courthouse
This is not really a commentary of any sort. I was just intrigued by the shape of the razor wire and the Federal Courthouse happened to be in the background.
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That Game Was Awes!
...as my flatmate Nathan would abbeviate it. Could I have witnessed the turning point of the Cardinals season? Hmm. Not likely, but one can hope. And I will take three runs in the bottom of the ninth to win the game any day. The boys ran out of the dugout at the end of the game like it was the World Series.
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July 27, 2007
An Evening in the Garden
On Wednesday evening our house church went to the Whitaker Music Festival in the Missouri Botanical Gardens. Good music, good food, delightful company, and, of course, the garden itself at dusk. This photo shoot was on a quick run through and on several of the pictures I did not get the focus right. Still, there are some nice shots. Click on the picture above to see more.
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July 21, 2007
The Big Day...What's a Groomsmen to Do
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A Little of the Far East Along Manchester
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July 19, 2007
Thunderhead from the Park
A couple of weeks ago, after some stirring games of racquetball, I walked with David Lim over to the Muny, and despite my general sweaty and stinkiness which seemed to stand out all the more for walking amongst fresh Muny goers, I persisted in getting some shots of this stunning cloud before heading to home and cleanliness. Now, that's dedication to one's art.
I need to get a better photo editing program so I can work on the dark bits of the picture whilst leaving the light bits alone. These look fine, but still I have lost a fair bit of detail from the clouds. Here is the cloud over the course of about half an hour as it changed its shape, though the first picture may have been a different cloud. There are slightly different color effects on each of these pictures. Apologies.
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July 13, 2007
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhoods of North St. Louis
This past wednesday, I took the day off of work to take some pictures for Harambee, a youth training program affiliated with my church. Youth are given training, and work either mowing lawns (for the younger children) or doing tuckpointing (for the older children). The children are given a decent wage, get to interact with mentor/supervisors, receive Biblical wisdom for life and work and salvation, and get to be a part of an effort to provide widows and the poor with important services to demonstrate the love of Christ through the church.
Here are some pictures from journeys through various neighborhoods. These neighborhoods are full of photographic possibilities, from architectural details to lovely urban gardens to human interest shots. I want to resist the impulse, which is definitely there, to simply get some artsy shots and to take from the neighborhood. Not that such picture taking is necessary wrong, but it would be better to have a care for and connection with the people who live there. Here are just a few shots that I managed to get that were not part of my main mission, along with several of the children's handiwork.
gordon's house
message is a bit off, but good artwork
"
an old photographic subject of mine
may refinement never quash the impulse toward beauty
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July 10, 2007
More Dragonfly and Their Surrounds
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July 5, 2007
Summer
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Glory Above the Strip Mall
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June 29, 2007
By Special Request, Some Pictures
Here you go, brother. How do you like them apples...er, only its a dragonfly, in two views, with one highly stylized.
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June 19, 2007
Some Night Shots, And Then It's Off to Bed...
...early for a change. Tomorrow, I'll post a poem on John 8, which I wrote a while ago, to supplement the discussion which continues apace.
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Things That Are White and Yellow and Creamy, And I Don't Mean Creamed Corn
More photos from this past weekend. And you really must click on the last three to view them at a larger size, particularly the last one. You won't be sorry.
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June 8, 2007
Lunchtime Shoot
I have been wanting to photograph the walkway below (which was once used as a greenhouse) since when I first saw it 5 years ago. I had better get the shots in before I leave. I do regret now not having the opportunity to shoot it in all types of weather as I had wanted.
hallway chandelier
self portrait I
self portrait II
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Fountain
I once stove to be a what I then considered a purist in digital photography, to only fix a picture to what it looked like when I took it. After realizing that manipulating the image through processing to get different effects has a long history in analog photography, I chilled a bit. Still, sometimes when I come up with two different takes on the same scene, as with the colors in the first two pictures below, I begin to wonder again about my finaglaing. For the record, I think the true color of the trees that day was closer to the second picture.
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June 6, 2007
Glow
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June 3, 2007
And Now the Sun is Setting ::: And Now the Sun is Set
__________________________
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June 1, 2007
Wow! Now That's What I Call Photography!
First let me say that Facebook is an amazing connector of long lost friends, even as it is a massive Black Hole sucking in vast swaths of time. Here are some photos of Shahesha Lock who was a junior in high school when I went back to volunteer at my high school in Pakistan during the 1992-93 school year. Yeah, I actually was her husband Josh's house father for 6 weeks or so. Me as a house father at 23, now that's a scary thought. Actually, I did very well, thank you very much, and it was a lot of fun.
Oh, and I would highly recommend viewing the slideshow and looking at all of these as there are some amazing shots, especially of many of the lovely folk of Pakistan. At the very least, you have to go up to the shot of the goat wearing the sweater.
Oh, and Facebook is amazing. So much more visually pleasing than Myspace and so much better at creating social networks. Myspace still has an edge in sharing multimedia, music, videos, etc. if you don't mind the aesthetic nightmare in whic it is wrapped.
Correction
Shahesha informs me, via the aforementioned Facebook, that the photography is Josh's principally, though she does doe some protraiture.
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May 30, 2007
Visions of Speed, Vicariously, Courtesy of David
A couple of years ago, I ran the St. Louis half-marathon, only I didn't. Having registered but not undertaken the requisite training, David chose to run the race in my stead. And I finished quite nicely, thank you very much. What's that scripture passage about building a tower?
The biathlon (which more correctly should have been called a duathlon) at Highland this Memorial Day was one that I had also thought of under taking, but couldn't quite manage to train for the five mile run in time. I did, however, go along for moral support, and to take pictures. I am still getting the hang of sports photography.
The 5 mile run and 15 mile bike route was lead off by a gentleman in a wheelchair. Amazing. I can't imagine how he handled the hills.
I managed to catch the frontrunners...
...but didn't manage to catch decent shots of David until the end of the run and the transition to the bike.
Here is the specialized bike of the gentleman in the wheelchair which is pedaled using one's hands and, I think, his everyday wheelchair. I am not sure if he had any help in the transitions, but I imagine he is pretty self-sufficient.
Here is David finishing along with another rider who seems to have hit the pavement somewhere along the rainy course.
The end of a 19 mph average bike segment. Nice.
In this final shot, David represents his cycling club, which in turn represents Christ. In a cool story, during the run a fellow runner remarked how the ICCC put on the best post-race food for the races they sponsor. There is a point for doing everything well as unto Christ.
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May 29, 2007
Twilight on Lewis and Clark
Well, today I tendered my resignation at Lewis and Clark Community College in order to attend seminary this fall to pursue a Masters in Divinity. This has been a decision I have taken a long time to come to and which I have not taken lightly. If you are the praying sort, I would appreciate yours, that I will see this through and listen to see where God may be taking me.
At any rate, after visiting a dear Uncle who is very close to going to be home with Jesus and his sister and after the day's events, I was a bit pensive and just relaxed by taking some pictures of beautiful Lewis and Clark at twilight. These are sans tripods, but still convey the beauty. It was perfect night.
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May 28, 2007
For the Scots
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May 25, 2007
My Sister's Garden
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Taraxacum 2
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May 23, 2007
The First Day
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May 15, 2007
From the Hard Drive ::: Outdoor Miscellanea
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May 11, 2007
From the Hard Drive ::: Fire and Feathers and One Tiny Flower
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April 17, 2007
ReFreshment
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April 13, 2007
Eastermath
I don't know if people get post-Easter blues the way that some get post-Christmas blues, but this week has been rather grey. Even some of my friends who are self-avowed winter lovers seem to be getting a little tired of the grey and cold. I may be getting a little tired of it too. Though, generally, this is a favorite type of weather and very nice for creating startling contrasts in photos. Here is a selection from Sunday afternoon until this morning.
ah, the catholics kick our aesthetic kiesters everytime
(well most times, some of the statuary, etc. is as horrid as the worst protestant bookstore kitsch)
"when i grow up"
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April 11, 2007
Pelicans on the Mississippi
Are you looking for a nice little day trip from St. Louis? Do you like birds? Well, you might check out the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary near Alton, Illinois. You don't even have to go to the center, just come up to the Missouri end of the Clark bridge and explore the wetlands around the river. There are an amazing number and variety of birds. Of course, in the winter their are the eagles, but just now there are masses of pelicans and other ducks and, yes, the ubiquitous Canada Goose, which has to be the most equisitly beautiful pest in the world.
While you are in the area, you might also want to check out the Confluence Point State Park. Pretty cool, to see the rivers mixing.
I will leave singing the praises of the Great River Road and Grafton and Pere Marquette State Park and Calhoun Countyfor another day, but those are also cool sites in the area.
Addendum: A flying pelican for Jill.
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April 4, 2007
Wikipedia! Paint! Powerpoint!
Where to begin this entry? Well, as a librarian I feel compelled to tell you that Wikipedia is an encyclopedia which is created by Internet users who may or may not have received formal education about the topic upon which they are writing. It is a collaborative encyclopedia, so the facts articles present may be challenged, etc. There have also been some instances of hacking. Moreover, many college professors (and I think rightly) will not accept articles from Wikipedia for college papers.
Having said that, I dig Wikipedia. I still think there are better choices for college level research, but it is an excellent place to find basic information, especially about topics which are either not traditionally covered in encyclopedias or will not appear in a print encyclopedia until the publishing cycle catches up. Need information on the meteoric rise of the Arctic Monkeys? Need the box scores for last year's World Series? Wikipedia is your place. And even though I am strong supporter of formal education and degrees, etc. etc., especially now, hobbyists and fans often may know a great deal about a topic and have done incredible amounts of research on it. Also, Wikipedia will tell you when a particular part of an article is under dispute or when information in a particular article is still developing. I think this displays an admirable intellectual humility or transparency.
At any rate this article was not intended to be about Wikipedia at all, but about Paint, a graphics tool which has come free with every version of Windows. I just read the Wikipedia article about Paint and was so excited to discover secret features in Paint that I had to toot Wikipedia's horn. Actually, that was not even the real impetus for this article, but we'll get to that in the last paragraph.
I like Paint because, together with PowerPoint which is not free but is readily found in offices, schools, etc., I can come up with a poor man's graphics suite. I am too lazy to go into all the hows here, but PowerPoint allows one to layer items and add text easily and Paint allows one to work at the pixel level. And by carefully bouncing pieces back and forth (though each time one saves, one loses details I think) I am able to make such things as blog banners. My masterpieces, in my opinion, are the banners for The Moon is the Spoon of the Sea, Guinea Pig Voices in the Night (though this actually entailed some sketching and pencil coloring), and my latest creation for Sweet Chicken. I am really excited about the Sweet Chicken one just now, but well The Moon is the Spoon took the most crazy Paint/PowerPoint mashup skills.
Even though I am proud of my work, I must simply say I am not worthy to examine the pixels of the artist who created Mona Lisa in Paint, in 2 hours and 30 minutes, no less! Enjoy and be amazed! P.S. The video has a soundtrack.
Afterwards, pull up a picture of the real Mona Lisa on Google, the Paint version is not nearly as fine, but it is not bad. If you are really a geek, hit print screen on the Paint version when it is done and paste it into Paint, enlarge it, and examine the pixels. Wow.
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March 30, 2007
in rain and from the right
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March 29, 2007
The Same Dandelions by Headlight
As I was leaving work tonight, I noticed that the dandelion on the left which I had photgraphed earlier in the day had already bloomed. Pretty amazing, but I guess they grow fast. I really tried hard to get a steady picture by headlight, but this was the best I could manage before I grew weary of the process. Still, I think it has a kind of cool, ghostly kind of vibe to it.
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And, I'm Back...
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March 26, 2007
The Rest of the Shoot
Well, though I am taking a needed break from taking pictures, here some that go with the ones I recently had published in Catapult and which I promised to post today.
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March 23, 2007
A Lunchtime Walk or Proof That Lewis and Clark Community College is Extraordinarily Beautiful
A major reason our grounds are so lovely is that we, along with SIUE, are part of the Missouri Botanical Gardens East program.
It should be noted, that the most delicately beautiful flower of the bunch, the first one, is natural and would not survive in most suburban yards, having been killed either chemically or by the mower.
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March 19, 2007
Three Views of a Flag in Snow ::: St. Patty's Day
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Hike ::: Castlewood
the album cover (yeah, go ahead and name the band)
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March 17, 2007
Welcome, Lucy!
Well, the long saga is over and Lucy is finally here. I must confess that this was not the first picture I took. Perhaps I'll blog that one at a later date. No, actually, Lucy took her first shot somewhere around 2:15pm yesterday and this one was her 235th, taken earlier this afternoon. So, I do get good use out of my cameras, to say the least.
As for the outfit (though, I must insist I don't really wear outfits), well, I thought I would go with a Pakistani-American theme, with a black kameez and jeans.
Seriously, though, I am very thankful for this camera as it is really nice, and also thankful for the reminder to hold all gifts loosely. I hope that makes sense. If you want to know more about the details of the camera and a trustworthy place to get one yourself, just shoot me an email.
I am also thankful for good, and generously giving, friends, like the author of Bacon's Great who very kindly provided a great camera case, which can easily go around my neck for safer carrying :)
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March 16, 2007
Parting Shots / Screen Shot
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March 13, 2007
Tree and Leaf
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March 10, 2007
It's Back to Lucy
Well, I think my camera nightmare is over, but let me make this educational. Some camera sites which promise you fantastic deals, want you to call after you have made your order so they can sell you accessories. If they don't get enough extras out of you, they simply won't fill your order. Thankfully (and I really hope this is true) they don't generally mess with your credit card number, but I am going to be checking to make sure. If you are unsure about a store, just do a Google of a store's name in parentheses followed by the word review. For example, "The digital expo" review. Shame on them.
As far as sites that are good, well, obviously Amazon and Buydig.com (where I bought my first camera), Beach Camera (which I believe is the same company as buydig), and, I am really hoping, J & R Music and Computer World (their ratings checked out).
The camera I am (hopefully) getting is not nearly as large as the other one I was getting. However it is a brand new version and the upgrade of my old camera, and so it should be very nice. How about we hold off introductions and specs till I have it in my anxious hands...but I am back to calling her Lucy. I wait with bated breath....
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March 8, 2007
Sometimes the Flower's Not the Focus
I think that in each of these cases the flower was, indeed, intended to be the focus. However, as they are, they are a good reminder that sometimes when we make the flower the focus, we miss out on other things that are important or, indeed, on beauties of a different order altogether...
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March 6, 2007
Goodbye, Lucy :: Hello, Caspian
Though, Lucy is clearly my favorite non-Aslan Narnian character (followed by Puddleglum, Reepicheep, Edmund, Jill...the list could go on), the camera that I had affectionately named after her never showed up, as after a week of waiting, Amazon finally said, "Oh, by the way we're out of that model."
So, I went ahead and decided to do the upgrade which I had considered earlier. And for about 158 extra buckaroos, I am getting significantly more camera. I am feeling rather materialistic about itl, the new camera's price, the old camera lost, but I intend to put it to good use. Still, one wonders about it all.
This camera is silver, and since silver is a somewhat royal color and since this camera is bigger than the other one, this one is going to go by Caspian, whose hair, in any case, turns silver by the time of, yes, the Silver Chair. OK, enough with the silver. Here is hoping that the non-Amazon vendor I selected actually comes through. The vendor ratings checked out, but it is always a bit of a worried wait. For those who are interested, here's Caspian's specs. Alas, ladies, it isn't that Caspian.
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March 5, 2007
One I Was Saving
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February 27, 2007
Winter Walk
cast out
only one way
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Tea and Sympathy...Actually it was Oatmeal
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February 26, 2007
Lucy is on Her Way!
Well, thank you, all of you who did, for the prayers for the recovery of my camera. Alas, I think she is gone for good. I am not sure of the purpose in things like this, in losing a camera due to sheer stupidity, other than learning to be more careful. However, I did take the time away from access to a fine camera to take stock a little about why I take pictures, to put into proper perspective the rearranging of pixels. I do not think my perspective was too much out of whack, but it was good to be reminded that all good gifts are on loan to us and that my significance comes from quite another Source than catching images, however lovely or true they may be.
Thank you also, friends, who have offered me loans of your cameras. That was very sweet. And special thanks to the friend who anonymously replaced one of the 5 or so CD's that were also tucked into my camera bag.
So, I briefly considered getting an upgrade, but the price was still hard to beat on my previous camera. And, so, in a week or so Gomer's sister, Lucy, will be here in all her glory. And, then, the romance will begin again.
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February 13, 2007
From the Day
windows
in the ride
the dead marshes
self portrait in snow
drifting
snow day for the shovels
st. francis
dialling down the day
shadow
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Four Views of a Stump
The photos below are not from this snowy day. No, the story of this snowy day is quite different and goes something like this. Last night, I go to sleep far later than I should. This morning, I call the school at 6ish to check if we're cancelled. No such luck. Looking out the window reveals only a drab brown world. I return to bed and, having trouble getting out of bed, call work and leave a message saying I am going to be late. I drive over. It begins to snow. And no one is here. It seems they called our snow day at 6:49am, which seems extraordinarily late to me. But, hey, its a snow day. A SNOW DAY!!!!!! I love the sound of that. Now, to actually use the gift well.
Here are pictures from a previous snowy day. It has been a good winter.
There's no days like snow days.
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February 9, 2007
Elemental
I think this is the first time in my five years of working at Lewis and Clark that the Mississippi has frozen over, or very nearly so. This is a picture from this morning. The view from the bridge itself was better, but I don't think the police would have liked me pullilng over much.
It seems like that in the years I spent in the area in my youth it would freeze over more often and we would get more snows of a winter as well. This winter has been great, though, with more snow, more cold weather, and ice on the river. Of course, not that the people of Calhoun County are enjoying it too much. However, I suppose that is part of the bargain when you choose to live in lovely Calhoun County, between the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. Go over on a ferry sometime, preferably on a bike, and check it out. It is lovely.
The ice in the river, though, is exciting to me, not just because it is because of the cold, but because it is a reminder that we truly are at the mercy of the elements and the God who controls them. The river is not closed at Alton, but barges have to break through chunks of ice that have built up because of the lock and dam and have begun to freeze together.
Last Friday night at 10pm, after a nice meal with the boys, Jesse and I decided to test drive his sweet, new ride (he can tell you about that). We ended all the way over north of Godfrey on the Great River Road. Jesse pulled up by the river and we got out, only to be greeted by the bright spotlight of a barge. It was a bit like being a deer in a headlight, and I was hoping not to hear any popping sounds. After the barge passed, in the cold, cold, cold moonlit night, we could hear the ice as it flowed by, brushing against the solid fringe of ice near the shore. It was one of those wild, lonely sounds that reminds you of your mortality and smallness. A little scary. Rather awful, in the proper sense of the word.
This second photo is a picture of a picture on my wall at work, which was taken 15 plus years ago in the upper peninsula of Michigan at InterVarsity Christian Fellowship's Cedar Campus. Which is like a long lost friend to me with whom I have lost connection. It is a lovely place for a vacation, in a family camp, Valentine's day weekend, or just camping.
Occassionally, standing next to Lake Huron, I would get a similar feeling to the one I got while listening to the ice, one which this picture somewhat conveys. Standing upon the shore, one is on the lip of a vast submerged canyon. Thinking of the cold vastness, of the icy depths, listening to the constant lapping of the waves against the rocks, puts "you" into perspective.
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February 8, 2007
Multimedia Eclectic-From the Hard Drive
creep one
who you calling ugly
eve's dilemma
here comes the sun
le charme de sud
there is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel's veins, and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains
creep two
perfect for piecing quilts
Grandma's Hands
Grandma's hands were smooth and white
When I was a child.
And labored long at tasks untold
From dawn till well past setting sun,
And sometimes cuffed me into line
Along with words though stern, still kind
To make a young boy wise.
And when I'd grown
They'd labor still
Well into the night
With untold thimbled needle thrusts
Punctuating time.
But then they were but skin on bones
That would wrinkle up in mine
As hand in hand we'd talk and sit;
I'd listen with delight,
To tales of life and love and woe
And watch those transparent hands in mine
And see the blood go coursing by.
Grandma's hands were smooth and white
When I was a child.
another snowbug
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January 29, 2007
Keep the Light On
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January 25, 2007
Dry at the Fountain
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January 22, 2007
"We've Hauled Some Barges in Our Day, Filled With Lumber, Coal, and Hay!"
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January 20, 2007
It Shaped Up to be a Good Saturday
a monstrous start
prince kong
alhambra on the mississippi
you are the salt
keeping it up
metro
bus
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January 11, 2007
Miscellania II-More Selected Recent Photography
Different photos; same arc.
papa!
"we work all day for sugar in our tae"
ball :: boy
glow three
"sugar plums"
bones
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January 9, 2007
Miscellania-Selected Recent Photography
After composing and reviewing this entry. I realized that these pictures all share the common thread of a vibrancy and variety of color.
miss maddie's room
happy birthday, jesus!
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January 5, 2007
Diner Series: Master Kraus
condensate
a bit surreal
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January 2, 2007
Too Good to Pass Up-Two Views
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December 19, 2006
The Last of the Ice and Snow...
...though, hopefully, we will get lots more of the latter; the former is pretty, but, my, it does create some havoc and misery.
I don't know that it affected these shots very much, but I recently discovered that my camera has been on a "Cool" picture setting for several weeks. Not sure how it got out on that setting, but it is a rather promiscuous camera, leaving me for a few days every now and then, so who knows. It gave every indoor picture a blue tint, as if everyone was a member of the Fugate family, well at least the white folk : ) And white walls are also an icy blue. I was hoping the "Cool" setting would help to up the coolness factor in photos such as the one at the end, but no such luck.
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December 8, 2006
Second to Last Ice and Snow Post, or Maybe the Third
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December 7, 2006
Some more of Ice and Snow
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December 5, 2006
To the Woodshed
Here is one photgraphic subject from the recent winter storm. During much of the morning, my brother served as artistic director saying, "Hey you should get a picture of...," often pointing out some interesting detail or angle. He has got a good eye.
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November 21, 2006
Wet and Windy Night
About a week and a half ago, I set out to walk to Laura and Meg's for a Social Justice Club meeting on the Palestininian Israeli Conflict, which consisted of a good presentation, good discussion, and warm fellowship. I decided to walk, not remembering the forecast which called for rain, frigid rain I might add. Well, I had on a corduroy jacket and my flat cap or derby or bunnet . Needless to say, after 3 miles or so, my jacket and bunnet were drookit and I was freezing. It was worth it, though, to feel like I was walking somewhere in Britain on a wet and windy night. Only it wasn't Britain, and here are the pictures taken with camera shielded by cap and jacket and hand to prove it.
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November 9, 2006
Autumn Glories' Last Post...
...probably not, but here are some shots (titled and untitled) of leaves that have been pressing in the hard drive, and one of advent on its way.
lewis park
And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
"petals on a wet black bough"
paging dr. seuss
a bruised reed he will not break
impressions of light and color or ok, so it's out of focus but still looks cool
o come, o come...
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November 6, 2006
i heart autumn x two
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October 31, 2006
Minnesota : Illinois
mn
after first frost
lake city
harvest home
glow on the farm
the walker
_____________________________
il
cold rain
can you hear me now?
blustery
fallen
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and a bonus one from mo
coffee and cigarettes*
*though, if the truth be known the cup on the left is actually tea. artisitic license. and, yes, I popped the colors a bit on this one and the frozen lillies, oh, and on the deer. And i used to be such a purist.
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October 10, 2006
Weekend Edition II-And Two From Monday
OK, so it was a busy weekend with the camera. And hopefully it will be back to words soon too, as this has become somewhat of a photoblog. The camera is away on holiday for a few days (a holiday from me at least), which is good as it was getting a bit addictive...don't know if you noticed.
"in the beauty of the lillies"....i never understood that hymn line, seeing as it was a stable
seed pods
pensive player
lillies too
loam and flower
steeple : light
glow on steroids
contrail
drive-by with windshield bug
huskers
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October 9, 2006
Weekend Edition
Mmmm...oatmeal!
Highlanders in the park
Rose on Skinker
Slanting light
Glow
Lord take the dimness...
Shop
Burning globes with moon
Brother
diner
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October 5, 2006
Zoo Sculpture
This sculpture is incredibly detailed and brilliant, particularly at sunrise, bathed in clean light and casting sharp shadows, or backlit with fall foliage.
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October 4, 2006
Monarchs
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September 28, 2006
Lunch Break Guerilla Photography
The clouds and blue sky were brilliant today, warranting a lunch time photo drive. I work in a beautiful area.
There are some new ones in the Nature and Flowers set too...
Finally, a self-portrait from the end of today's exploits to show off facial scruff, which prompted a student worker the other day to remark, "So, are you trying to look like a bear," later covering her remark with some mention of it being a teddy bear she meant. Yeah, that helps. It was amusing. No really I am going more for the George Clooney look. Yeah, that would be Clooney ala Syriana.
Oh, and the camera and I have our first separation tonight. She is off to see Chihuly glass, whilst I go to the ball game. The break will be good. My last picture today was number 903. That is about 300 pictures per week, if you are keeping score at home.
Go Cards!
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September 21, 2006
Reasons to Clean Your Car
OK, so I have a perpetual struggle with clutter. Rather like Pigpen, it seems a cloud of clutter develops everywhere I go, bedroom, office, and, yes, car. I blame it on entropy. Not having the classic guy reason to strongly battle entropy when it comes to my car i.e. impressing a potential significant other, yesterday I discovered another one, for my camera to see better. My baby needs some clean windshields! And judging by the time we've been spending together, I think it is getting serious.
Now, I don't really recommend taking pictures while driving and talking on the cell phone. OK, so I wasn't on my cell phone. However, the sky was just too amazing, I was late for house church, and I was very careful, so I risked getting the shots you will see if you click on either the second take of the leaves at my Dad's or the Busch eagle. Oh, and if you see smudges from the dirty windshield, just pretend that its a cloud. How does one get smudges on the inside of a windshield anyway.
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September 19, 2006
Hitting the Loop
The Loop in University City is so picturesque that the photos almost take themself. I did have to wait patiently for some of them though (click on the photo above to go to the photostream.. Having a hard time getting going today I elected to take the morning off (and then the afternoon too), and these are the fruits of my walking, as well as the beginnings of another cold, I'm afraid. Also, having been sick so much, I am beginning to think of myself using that antiquated term "sickly." Groan.
The dangers of smoking
It was only upon looking at this picture on the computer that I realized someone has carved a face into the stump. If I had realized it, I would have turned the cigarette around so it fits better with the title I gave the shot.
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September 18, 2006
In Series
So, this may be the beginning of a series of sorts...
...and perhaps another one for cell phone towers. This one I am going to call "Ubiquity."
And, more flowers. Wild ones this time.
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September 12, 2006
Lucky Number 13
I have added some more photos (flowers, advent, passion, hydrants, harry) to the Misc. Photography-September 2006. Thanks for indulging this wee honeymoon with my new camera. Click on the hydrant to go to the photostream.
I am also a big fan of this number 13 who also wears red. He had a tremendous start this week. Here's hoping his offensive line steps up and he has an injury free season, so we get see what he's got left in the tank.
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September 11, 2006
The Dassler Effect Gets Eyes
Well, I have wanted a digital camera for quite a while, but I waited, until the prices went down and until my itchy trigger figure could not resist any longer. So, on Friday the mail brought a much anticipated package. If you are the sort that cares about specs on cameras, here is a link. I have not gone out just with a mind to taking pictures yet, but if you click on the picture above (yes the one with me in my Mr. Rogers cardigan) you can go to my new Flickr account (which I haven't figured how to get to talk to my blog just yet) and see some pictures from this past weekend, about a third of which I did not even take myself.
Oh, and if you are in the market for a digital camera and want some guidance, holler and I can recommend some good review sites and discount sites.
So here is looking forward to a more visually sharp blog, or perhaps more accurately to a blog with a greater percentage of visual sharpness actually created by the blog's author instead of from pilfered photos and art.
I have not forgotten about Sadness, Part Deux, by the way....It will come.
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August 14, 2006
If Ever I Become a Member of Some Christian Vegan Association...
...here is some blackmail material.
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August 12, 2006
Vacaciones
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August 8, 2006
Wag the Dog
Today as I made my new blog banner, I wondered about the ethics of A) using someone else's art as a starting point for my banners, and B) manipulating that work i.e. taking out a bit that I don't want to use. Note the place in this banner just to the left of where the green and red meet at the bottom. You should see a little square patch. Is it any different if the art work is in the public domain or by a famous artist? Do I have any rights if I took the picture of the artwork? I don't really know the strict answer to these questions and don't feel the pressing need to find out, even though I am very careful about not illegally copying music. I suppose the salient point is whether I am robbing the artist of their livelihood or not.
I continue to be fascinated with the concept of digital manipulation and truth, however. Here is an earlier post on the topic.
And then today there is a story of a freelance photographer in Beirut who doctored (and rather badly at that) images of the war in Lebanon, including the one below and one of an F-16 dropping flares.
The accompanying video is even more interesting as it discusses potentially staged war footage in the same conflict and how this is a tactic that has been long used in wars to varying degrees. And it was bloggers who first pointed out the pictures to Reuters, who subsequently removed the entire catalog of the photographer from their files.
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July 1, 2006
Follow the Breadcrumbs to some great Photography
Roommate Lloyd is back in the blog saddle with a new post on midnight (and other) photography. Check it out. You are in for a treat. Click on the banner to see larger images of the photos.
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June 1, 2006
Three Views of a Tree
I have the very good fortune to live near a very cool part of St. Louis, which I rather take for granted. Still it is lovely to be able to pop out for a cup of coffee or dinner or a movie or just a walk. These pictures aren't fantastic, but I am a sucker for a tree with Christmas lights, and Tanya was kind enough to loan me her digital camera.
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May 16, 2006
SSSSSSSSSSSS.....Mmmm, Fresh Bacon!
Good stuff.
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March 10, 2006
The Experiment Continues-Dollbear
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March 9, 2006
Fade to Black and White and Grey: Props to Microsoft
Every time I shut down my computer I get a little lesson in photography and aesthetics. On Microsoft's Windows XP the screen slowly goes from color to black and white. It reminds me of the differences between color and black and white photography. I don't have the knowledge or the time to get into that here, but just looking at these screen captures shows some of the differences. In black and white the whites pop out and one can see contrasts better (though this might not be the best print to show that). With this print, though, the glory of the golds is completely bled away.
This little miniature is an example of Islamic Art, it is Persian I think, which I found when doing a little web research on the what sorts of representations Islam allows in art. It is really quite lovely.
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January 20, 2006
New Year's Trip Selections
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January 6, 2006
New Banner
Today is Epiphany, the day my father says is the right time to take down Christmas decorations. Well, the decorations at the apt are staying up for a wee bit longer to prolong the cheer and maximize the care in putting them up. The blog is de-decorated however, with a new Narnia-esque banner courtesy of my brother to at least keep the winter theme going.
Oh, for a nice wet snow like this one with its monster flakes. A snow with smaller flakes because it is colder would be even better, particularly if the accumlation were greater and stuck around for longer.
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January 1, 2006
New Year's Day
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December 14, 2005
For the Sins of Edmund, Aslan
Art from Cornerstone 2005.
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October 31, 2005
Autumnal-Halloween Edition
I do not know if the colors are just more lovely/intense this year or that my perception of them is heightened. I suspect it is the former. Thank you, Lord, who Hallows souls of women and men, to be free from decay and death.
Here are more beautifully dying leaves and some toadstools for Halloween.
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October 25, 2005
Imagism and a Beautiful, Sad Reflection from Over the Rhine
In a Station of the Metro
The apparition of these faces in the crowd;
Petals on a wet, black bough.
-Ezra Pound
Pound said that this piece began as poem of over thirty lines. Half a year later he cut it in half. This was the final product. A distillation of the image experienced down to its very essence and, hence, a classic example of Imagism.
I am not a huge devotee of Imagism, being rather verbose myself, put I can see its power as a sort of extreme poetry to convey one image with intensity which can work to create all sort of conotations and connections in readers. The second line of this poem works for me because I like the dark, almost pensive, trunks of trees after a rain. And while that association for me is largely positive, I can see how bright, windblown leaves against that background can be used to describe the alienation of people in a subway station.
I told you I tend to verbosity.
I bring up Imagism at all simply to introduce an Imagistic experiment of sorts with one of my latest photos. If my pixilation was more dense I might have taken it further.
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Here is a lovely bit of writing form Linford Detweiler of Over the Rhine about their farm in the Autumn and the death of a beloved pet and time with friends and time with friends at Christmas.
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October 23, 2005
Autumnal
Below are the results of half an afternoon off, a camera, a minimal amount of digital tampering, and a coldish, overcast autumn day. The misfire that captured my cardoor will serve as the abstract portion of this exhibit. The last is a longing for the Advent season.
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"Lord, Give me a Sign"
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September 20, 2005
Digital Tampering
The blog veered a bit philosophical yesterday and continues so today. At one point in time I rather vocally objected to digital manipulation. When Photography Today's tag line went from "the world's largest photography magazine" to "the world's largest photography and digital imaging magazine" (or some change to that effect), I was chuffed. In a fundamental way, I saw such changes as the latest assault on truth. How could one be sure of what the real image was? And the question was not completely without merit.
This question has severl components. First, on a technical level my brother Virgil and I considered how digital manipulation allows one to correct for poor photographic technique, as did sundry darkroom techniques in analog, tangible, get-woozy-from-the-chemicals, hope-to-share-a-dark-room-with-a-lassie-and-see-what-develops photography (mind you the last descriptor in that sentence I have not experienced). If one is a film purist, then this is a legitimate objection. Digital effects, though, are somewhat democratizing, in that they allow lesser photographers to capture images and then correct them later. There is, of course, something lost in the knowledge department, which is lamentable (as I lament as librarian that people no longer understand where their periodical articles come from and how to use an index), but the results are often stunning. Advances in digital camera technology truly allow anyone to take what might be a very good eye for creativity and composition etc. and easily capture/create the vision that they see.
On an artistic level, digital manipulation allows one to easily abstract from a basic representation of reality into something that is more of a piece of creative art. Of course, one could do this to some degree with the aforementioned anlog, tangible, etc. etc. photography as well, but, again, it took skill. Now amateurs can do some pretty amazing things.
There are other philosophical aspects to the entire question of perception and representation including its degree of objectivity vs. subjectivity, which involves photons and rods and cones and how we see and memory etc. which I really don't know a whole lot about. For now I leave you with two pictures one uncorrected and the other corrected. The latter, corrected one, seems to me how the scence actually looked and which I was unable to capture with my disposable. Still I am pleased with both and particularly like the rays of sunlight filtering through the dust and the light glowing around the people. I need to work on my scanner resolution issues unfortunately. Sorry.
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May 28, 2005
life
life 
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leaves II
leaves II
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leaves I
leaves I
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October 20, 2004
Art Bonus
There won't be many of these. I don't do much art. I may add a new meaning to this piece to my existing ones for it if the Cardinals lose this baseball game. (Hey a bloggish thought).
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