Saguaro Wanderings: June 2010

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Seeing 2010 (#90)

For your consideration: a pair of scenes to be found at the building I've come to cherish, my workplace since December 3, 2008 . . . a posting of sorts which has become the most rewarding and enjoyable tenure of my career.

Alas, today will be my last as a library staff member; tomorrow I shall report to my next venue a few buildings and a universe away.

Someone's notion of a good budget decision (odd, as my salary follows me) is the force majeure propelling my relocation. I depart with considerable grief over the loss of daily interactions with quite a few of my peers who've become good friends, as well as a sense that a vast array of yet-to-be explored opportunities and challenges remain unfulfilled -- aborted.

The past few days in particular have become surreal and unexpectedly difficult; I have been walking in a twilight zone of simultaneously relishing and feeling the loss of final walks down favorite corridors, visits to some of the myriad nooks and crannies and other favorite, private haunts throughout my daily rounds. The worst of it has been making terms with the impending finality of losing virtually unfettered access to this wonderful structure and its denizens.

So, the dreaded day has arrived (or will when I get out of bed). Thursday a new adventure begins -- one which may well turn out to be spectacularly rewarding. Time will tell. In the meantime, this entry and a few to come are offered in homage to the sweetest environment of my work history.

Au revoir, mes amis. À bientôt, j'espère.

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Lobby, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., #8809

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Details: June 14, 2010; Canon 20D; f/5.6 @ 1/50 sec; -2/3 EV; ISO 100; 17mm.

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Tree of Knowledge, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., #8559

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Details: June 7, 2010; Canon 20D; f/5.6 @ 1/200 sec; -2/3 EV; ISO 400; 100mm.

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Thursday, June 24, 2010

Seeing 2010 (#89)

For your consideration: two images selected specifically for a day which not so long ago I would've never thought possible -- my last staff meeting as a member of the excellent IT group which so adeptly serves the San José State University's main library. A very, very sad event, indeed. (I do, however, fully intend to return to this group, and sooner than later . . . )

Thanks to the gracious good humor of my fellow team members, a tradition has developed to end the weekly Monday morning work reviews with a visit to this blog. It is projected onto a large wall, allowing my peers to peer at the odd and eclectic photographs and commentary which spring (and sometimes ooze) forth from my oeuvre.

Thus: for the first offering, a view of the "University" entrance to the crown-jewel structure of the campus (my "office of 470,000 square feet," as I have frequently described it to family and friends). This was taken early in the morning on the first official day of Summer, 2010.

The second selection is from the Gates Pass area west of my hometown of Tucson; it depicts a battered yet still standing saguaro cactus (pronounced "sa-WAR-oh"). As it represents the eponymous symbol of this photography blog -- and being a survivor of obviously challenging times --- I feel this entry to be acutely apropos for this final curtain on our last group gathering in its current composition: a clutch of exceptional and hugely successful people.

Although we will continue to see one another frequently, I shall deeply miss the particular chemistry, growth, enjoyment and wonderful conversations I've been honored to share with you all since December 3, 2008. Thanks to your trust, mentoring, respect and encouragement I've had the job of my life. I can never adequately express my gratitude.

(Oh: I've been promised that the remaining skeleton crew of the MLK IT staff will continue the Monday-with-James' Blog Tradition . . . have no fear: I'll be calling for personal critiques Monday afternoons!)

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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Library, #8948

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Details: June 21, 2010; Canon 20D; f/11 @ 1/400 sec; -2/3 EV; ISO 200; 18mm.

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Saguaro, #8572

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Details: December 5, 2007; Canon 20D; f/11 @ 1/200 sec; ±0 EV; ISO 400; 44mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#88)

For your consideration: wall of frames, as askew in its arrangement as it was was odd in its placement as an impromptu photography set at a wedding.

Celebrating Krista and Justin, #8716

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Details: June 12, 2010; Canon 20D; f/5.6 @ 1/1252 sec; -2/3 EV; ISO 400; 44mm.

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Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Seeing 2010 (#87)

For your consideration: a moment at Jack London Square.

The night before I took this I watched a Robert Redford movie with my wife; Mr. Redford lead a prison uprising with a key goal being to raise the warden's American flag upside-down as a statement not only of victory but also duress. I suspect that any parallel accomplishment here is just out of reach.

Flag Grab, #8888

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Details: June 20, 2010; Canon 20D; f/11 @ 1/1001 sec; -2/3 EV; ISO 400; 100mm.

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Monday, June 21, 2010

Seeing 2010 (#86)

For your consideration: scenes from an amble through Jack London Square.

In its own fashion this pair of images depicts conflict and release, serenity verses chaos, unpredictability and the illusion of knowing. Each scene's composition is constructed of elements in opposition: a looming, ponderous form threatening to smoother a portal to freedom; foundations for smooth sailing poised on a chasm's edge.

Neither photograph offers a predictable fate; in both tableaux the trajectories of origination and destination remain mysterious, beyond ascertaining.

Uncertainty is resolved by participation (willing, or not). Enlightenment, however, is not guaranteed. C'est la vie, n'est-ce pas?

More will be revealed -- perhaps.

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Untitled, #8917

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Details: June 20, 2010; Canon 20D; f/16 @ 1/125 sec; -2/3 EV; ISO 400; 100mm.

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Precipice, #8928

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Details: June 20, 2010; Canon 20D; f/29 @ 1/50 sec; -2/3 EV; ISO 200; 100mm.

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Sunday, June 20, 2010

Seeing 2010 (#85)

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

For your consideration: a pair of images to honor my father.

As with most dads I'm sure, mine possesses a fair range of moods from serious and considered to jovial and playful. He's wise, good humored, an avid reader who loves to learn, and can be a gracious host.

Above all, he loves his family deeply. And his family loves him.

Just three weeks ago dad celebrated his 70th birthday, and to demonstrate our deep respect and love for him a surprise party was thrown. It was a splendid success, and the day marked one of the rare times I've witnessed my father shed tears of joy and appreciation, and well as relish in the affection and attention his many friends and family members showered upon him. It was sweet to share in his happiness, and wonderful to participate.

When not engaged in story-telling and conversation (he is a bit of a social animal) dad can take on wistful, contemplative airs; I doubt his mind is ever very still. He considers things deeply, and is passionate about his beliefs and opinions.

These two photographs show dad in both a glowingly happy mood and in deep thought; the settings were his recent celebration party, and during a ride on BART after shopping for a suit for my brother Eric's wedding last year.

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Dad and Ami, May 29, 2010, #8316

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Details: May 29, 2010; Canon 20D ; f/5.6 @ 1/200 sec; -1/3 EV; ISO 4 00; 50mm.

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Pensive Dad, #2939

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Details: May 5, 2009; Canon 20D; f/6.3 @ 1/250 sec; -1 EV; ISO 800; 75mm.

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Saturday, June 19, 2010

Seeing 2010 (#84)

For your consideration: a sublime canvas to convey a bit of peace and ease after what has been an usually taxing week.

My wife Julianna has treated me to several delightful, amazing adventures over the years; our week-long visit to the Big Island of Hawai'i in 2007 was certainly one of the sweetest.

During our stay (at a friend's rented house a bit outside of Hilo) the heavens put on a spectacular show by means of the finest lunar eclipse I've ever seen; the glowing reddish-copper coloration of the Moon gave it a breathtakingly three-dimensional aspect. Set against a jet-black night sky, freshly scrubbed crystal-clear by a gusty rainstorm, the event was riveting. I rousted my love from her bed at 2.00am to take in the celestial experience on the deck from which I'd been gazing, and she too was deeply moved by the beauty overhead.

I took the sunset photograph below on the very same day preceding the eclipse; nature was certainly in fine form, painting the sky so lusciously as a prelude to the sun's second act yet to come later in the evening. Here, however, an ocean liner is the companion to a bit of solar choreography -- Luna would get her turn in a few hours.

Appearing on the horizon as it does, the vessel reminds me of a childhood joke, the gist being that the history books we learned from were incorrect regarding Columbus' voyage to America: contrary to popular belief he sailed with seven ships . . . four of which fell off the edge . . .

Hilo Sunset Ship, #8227

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Details: August 28, 2007; Canon 20D ; f/9 @ 1/160 sec; ±0 EV; ISO 200; 55mm.

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Friday, June 18, 2010

Seeing 2010 (#83)

For your consideration: a pair of portraits, exemplifying contrasts in gender, race . . . and species . . .

Among the innumerable blessings of having had the privilege to work at the library has been the opportunity to meet some very cool people from a broad variety of backgrounds and interests.

The gentleman in the first image continues to be one of the greatest delights among my fellow staff members. An utterly reliable, diligent and top-notch student worker in our IT department, Mr. Jeffries is also a talented artist (his primary field of study) and has allowed me to casually mentor him in photography. Intelligent and caring, Micah also has a wicked sense of humor and considerable wisdom appreciated by many. He tolerated sitting for this photograph during lunch at the local greasy-spoon eatery Peanuts.

The second offering is a much delayed return to the surreal group of entities commonly known as mannequins. (See my Mannequin series here.) This plastic soul vacantly staring into infinitely shallow depths provides many jarring juxtapositions against the studied glance of my genuinely human friend.

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Micah, #8549

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Details: June 7, 2010; Canon 20D ; f/5.6 @ 1/40 sec; -2/3 EV; ISO 400; 100mm.

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Platinum Gaze, #5837

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Details: December 22, 2009; Canon 20D ; f/11 @ 1/200 sec; -2/3 EV; ISO 400; 55mm.

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Thursday, June 17, 2010

Seeing 2010 (#82)

For your consideration: a tableau of structured ambiguity.

The universe seems at once chaotic and kaleidoscopic on vast scale beyond comprehension. Yet amidst the apparent randomness exists an elegant and beautiful order. Consider our own Solar System: each of the the planets traces an endless circuit around the Sun in the same direction, and virtually on the same plane (the Ecliptic Plane) as the others. Similarly, galaxies -- massive collections of billions of stars each -- are found in one of only two general forms (or designs, if you prefer), elliptical and spiral. Billions of them.

So too on the microscopic end of things: the human body consists of arteries and veins laid out in a well-defined and specific topography . . . each channel awash in a myriad of elements including red and white blood cells, hormones, platelets, dissolved proteins and more . . .

At the quantum level things become ever odder: an electron's position can be surmised, or its velocity -- but never both simultaneously. Thus: an architecture of symmetry and uncertainty defines our very essence.

Here, an image illustrating such a landscape.

Cellular (Genesis), #8488

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Details: June 9, 2010; Canon 20D ; f/11 @ 1/80 sec; -2/3 EV; ISO 400; 100mm.

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Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Seeing 2010 (#81)

For your consideration: a macro image of an elegant and sophisticated life form, striving to reach upwards towards its Source . . .

Photographed in my office, basking in the natural light of the late afternoon sun.

Untitled, #8598

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Details: June 9, 2010; Canon 20D ; f/11 @ 1/80 sec; -2/3 EV; ISO 400; 100mm.

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Monday, June 14, 2010

Seeing 2010 (#80)

For your consideration: a pair of black-and-white submissions, studies in form, texture and perhaps a bit of incongruity.

The image of the chair is the last I took during my retreat last weekend. On either side of the chapel's exterior are two courtyards. In my experience guests of the retreat center infrequently visit these serene, enclosed spaces. This chair seemed to buttress this observation; quite weathered, it appeared to have been propped against the church as an afterthought . . . The pose struck me as one of exhaustion, as if even the chair itself was worn out from waiting for someone to use it. Taken just after high noon, the sun being essentially directly overhead nicely accentuated the wall's texture; the shadow cast becomes a silhouette ironically mimicking the chair in its upright posture.

The second photograph was taken yesterday at a wedding. Moments before several toddlers were gleefully running amok beneath and betwixt these floating ovoids; a wonderfully playful shot was there but alas I wasn't quick enough to snap it. Still, common, otherwise unremarkable balloons can be surprisingly photogenic. There was an ethereal feel to this congregation of delicate stark white forms straining for freedom from their tethers against the background of a stand of redwood trees bearing sharp needles.

I deliberately exposed for the balloons' highlights so as to let the background foliage go dark in deep shadow areas, accentuating the simplicity of the foreground subjects against the complex structure of the trees. The blackness in the left portion of the frame adds to the sense of the balloon's attempted march across the scene towards the lightness beyond and above, while the central bare trunks parallel the ribbons and reinforce the tension of an attempted escape from earthly bondage.

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Leaning Chair, #8484

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Details: June 5, 2010; Canon 20D; f/8 @ 1/800 sec; -2/3 EV; ISO 100; 100mm.

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Balloon Uprising, #8746

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Details: June 12, 2010; Canon 20D; f/5.6 @ 1/2000 sec; -2/3 EV; ISO 400; 100mm.

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Saturday, June 12, 2010

Seeing 2010 (#79)

For your consideration: a candid portrait of a good friend. Perhaps one of the last taken of him as a bachelor . . .

A few years ago I had the great pleasure of introducing Mr. Rex and a couple of his friends to the nooks, crannies, and traditions known to long-time visitors of the St. Francis Retreat Center. Great guys, all; my favorite memory of that weekend was shepherding them during the midnight walk down the entry road under a breathtakingly star-studded sky. We enjoyed a good deal of banter along the way . . . as well as a blissful time in silence as we paused at my own personal "meditation pullout." We stood and listened to the gentle breezes whispering over the fields and through the trees while gazing heavenward for streaking meteors. A couple of the younger men had never before had such a deliberate experience -- to consider the wonder and vastness of the cosmos in silent reflection -- and they reported that it made a considerable impact on them.

Getting to know Mr. Rex during and since that gathering was and continues to be a real treat; he's been a frequent source of not only warm feelings but also insight and good humor, and he's respected by many of his peers.

Today is going to be a momentous occasion in his life: he's getting married! Much to my great surprise, he's invited me and my wife to attend. The invitation list is very small, and I am genuinely, deeply humbled to be included in his inner circle for such an important moment on his journey. An amazing gift, and we wish him and his bride-to-be, Krista, all the love and blessings possible in their new life together!

Oh: about the image's title: our groom's full name is Justin Ricks, but I inadvertently captioned the image on my smugmug site as Just Ricks -- a typo which happens to serve as an apt description for an image featuring a single subject!

Just Ricks, #7976

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Details: May 15, 2010; Canon 20D; f/3.5 @ 1/60 sec; -1/3 EV; ISO 400; 100mm.

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Friday, June 11, 2010

Seeing 2010 (#78)

For your consideration: an interpretation of angst, despair and beseeching.

Several times each year I make a pilgrimage of sorts to the St. Francis Retreat Center, a holy place sweetly nestled in the serene foothills above San Juan Bautista, most recently last weekend.

The grounds features a modest pond (when water is present -- blissfully so this year after an extended drought); a peaceful circuit of this aquatic scenery can be strolled on an encircling paved path. In addition to a pleasant variety of views afforded by the walkway, one can also take an aging yet compelling installation of the Via Crucis.

These passionate depictions consist of porcelain reliefs mounted on brick edifices. At various times of day (particularly in the very early morning and late afternoon) the portraits are endued with heightened dramatic texture by the low angled lighting acutely washing across the anguished faces. The points of emphasis quickly shift with the arc of the sun . . .

Here the nose's shadow grabbed my eye, being incongruously reminiscent of Cyrano (or Mr. Hope!) rather than tracing the grace of Mary. As always: it is about the light -- and sometimes its absence.

Sufferer, #7951

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Details: May 15, 2010; Canon 20D; f/11 @ 1/100 sec; -1/3 EV; ISO 200; 100mm.

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Thursday, June 10, 2010

Seeing 2010 (#77)

For your consideration: a myriad of similar forms, suspended in a sea of glass.

This tableau presents an unexpected sense of depth, drawn out by the variety of ovoids and speckles captured in layered degrees of focus in a thin depth-of-field.

Sharply defined pockets of emptiness are scattered throughout, providing subtle yet inverse mimicry to the dominating teardrop of paint. The photograph suggests the notion of a singular, core reality existing within a chaotic, ill-defined universe; the void may not be so devoid after all.

Primordial/Ooze, #8457

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Details: June 5, 2010; Canon 20D; f/3.2 @ 1/1000 sec; -1 EV; ISO 200; 100mm.

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Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Seeing 2010 (#76)

For your consideration: an image presenting a dichotomy, one which subtly speaks to a fundamental illusion of our existence . . .

This metal structure seems rigid, solid and firmly set in place, yet also evokes a sense of motion by its sweeping, spiraling form. The flowing arc suggests a transit, taking the eyes on a gracefully curving journey of some distance -- even as it is clear that the scene is inert.

Therein lies the mirage, which permeates our consciousness.

For, thanks to the occasion of gravity's victory over centrifugal force, those of you reading this entry presume yourselves to be sitting (or standing) firmly in place, relatively motionless in space, on terra firma. Au contraire. In fact, each and every second we are all far removed from where we only just were.

Consider the case: days are measured as 24-hour increments -- simply because the sphere upon which we plant our feet rotates on its axis in roughly that time (to be exact: 23 hours, 56 minutes, 4.09053 seconds). Earth's circumference is approximately 24,000 miles at the equator; as 24 hours are required to make each revolution in reality our planet's surface is turning at a rate of some 1,000 miles per hour. (The farther one is from latitude zero the smaller this speed is, but I'll let you mull that over without further comment.) Ergo, with every passing sixty minutes we all have unwittingly taken a 24,000 mile trip.

That's just the preamble, however. The Earth's 365-day parade around the Sun covers a distance of 292,000,000 miles (give or take a few) . . . consequently our spinning mobile home carries us along at a brisk clip of about 18 1/2 miles every second of every day of our lives (that's 67,000 mph). And yet: that's not the half of it. Sitting near the outer edges of the galaxy we call the Milky Way, our entire Solar System is itself rotating at a 155 miles/second, even as each second the Milky Way itself hurtles through the universe (towards Leo in the night sky) some 185 miles.

Thus the profound nature of impermanence: from the instant of birth until our expiration, normally quite removed from our immediate perceptions, we're in a state of perpetual velocity across the universe, such that each Present Moment is literally far removed from all others. (A moment's reflection on this reveals just how fruitless 'geographics" are -- before we even pack we're no longer in the place we're trying to escape!)

Spiral, #8218

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Details: May 23, 2010; Canon 20D; f/2.8 @ 1/60 sec; -2/3 EV; ISO 200; 100mm.

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Thursday, June 3, 2010

Seeing 2010 (#75)

For your consideration: studies of one of the most ubiquitous objects of the human experience, nearly immediately recognizable out of commonality yet surprisingly complex and widely variable in its manifestations and depictions.

Perhaps this new theme arises from a recent, personal development: for the past two months or so I've struggled with a bizarre degradation of hearing in my right ear. Despite perfect (even above normal) function in my left, any ambient or background noise really creates problems. I have an entirely new appreciation for the simplicity of clear acoustics.

In any case, this entry exists to demonstrate the tremendous span of universal recognition of a familiar form rendered from quite different perspectives and dispositions.

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Ear, #7949

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Details: May 15, 2010; Canon 20D; f/11 @ 1/100 sec; -1/3 EV; ISO 200; 100mm.

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Ear, #8004

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Details: May 16, 2010; Canon 20D; f/5.6 @ 1/10 sec; -1/3 EV; ISO 400; 100mm.

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