Seeing 2010 (#146)

For your consderation: a colleague from work, in a rare outdoors sighting.

Andy is a fascinating, razor-sharp fellow, possessed of quick wit and astute skills in the IT universe. He is also infused with an artistic flair of which I've only seen rare hints.

I'm grateful for his willingness to pose; although the lighting was quite muted by means of a largely overcast day, I've been wanting to capture that fence of earrings for quite some time.

Andy, #2395

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

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Details: October 27, 2010; Canon 20D; f/9 @ 1/320 sec; —2 EV; ISO 200; 100mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#145)

For your consideration: the essential component of an activity which has undoubtedly been the stuff of frequent dreams since time immemorial -- an avian instinct performed with the greatest of ease and grace . . . an endeavor which inspired majestic human achievements (Apollo 11 and its progeny) as well as our species' propensity to also conjure up nightmarish distortions (ICBMs and their ilk) of grand notions and inventions.

Regardless of the complexity, mass and mission of the craft at hand, the fundamental properties remain elementary: adequate thrust and lift from aerodynamics. Dove, glider or SR-71, the principle remains the same. As does the ultimate goal: glorious release from the invisible bonds of gravity.

Feather, #2098

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

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Details: October 23, 2010; Canon 20D; f/6.3 @ 2.5 sec; —1/3 EV; ISO 400; 100mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#144)

For your consideration: spheres suspended in an acrylic atmosphere, eternally conjoined as an arching constellation (The Hook?).

Images often rely upon angular perspective to convey a sense of depth within the constraints of a two-dimensional surface. Here, however, the perspective is implied by a duality of focus and tonal range: the bubbles' sharpness and clarity pull them towards the "surface", while blurriness and shading render the less-defined orbital neighbors as somewhat distant.

These visual cues rely upon the brain's predetermined rules for spatial interpretation.

Thus this photograph demands the solving of a puzzle: what is the reality here? Are these objects minuscule -- pockets of an unknown gas swimming in a largely transparent bath of some sort? Are they hovering? Rising? Moving in coordination or chaotic, unrelated paths?

Or is this submission that of a system exoplanets, inhabitants of a far off corner of a parallel Universe, a few of which possibly home to alien photographers?

That this presentation was taken with my 100mm Macro lens argues against the latter proposition. In fact, the largest of these globules is perhaps the size of a BB.

Orbitals, #1861

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

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Details: October 16, 2010; Canon 20D; f/4 @ 1/200 sec; —2/3 EV; ISO 400; 100mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#143)

For your consideration: a visitation, perhaps, of glowing spheres upon a glassy, gently rippled plane . . . a canvass of delightful illuminations and unexpected mysteries.

Offered in honor of a spectacular day: an enlightening audience with the Dalai Lama, followed by a talk given by Karen Armstrong, both at Stanford University. In between: nourishing time with Julianna, and both meditation and photography (in a large meditation garden).

Despite shadows and uncertain currents of late, there is a constant plethora of joyous experiences, presently and eternally, to be relished.

Untitled, #0715

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

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Details: August 25, 2010; Canon 20D; f/13 @ 1/200 sec; —2/3 EV; ISO 200; 100mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#142)

For your consideration: an oxidized terrain, with aspirations and airs of Klee & Miró.

What to make of this canvass? A satellite image of a long abandoned, post-Armageddon housing tract? Fossilized cells from an alien world? Perhaps an ancient cave painting of the first Stone-Age car experiment, à la Duchamp . . .

Linger, and enjoy exploring the possibilities.

Untitled, #1671

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

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Details: October 9, 2010; Canon 20D; f/9 @ 1/1252 sec; —2/3 EV; ISO 400; 100mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#141)

For your consideration: an abstract offering from the Glass Series. Also, a second experiment with HDR (five exposures combined; details listed are for image # 1764.)

Reminds me a bit of Nessie, she of the Loch fame.

Vortex Emergence, #1764-1768

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

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Details: October 10, 2010; Canon 20D; f/5.6 @ 1/125 sec; ±0 EV; ISO 400; 100mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#140)

For your consideration: an expression of life, fresh and awakening, reaching for its own enlightenment.

Arising Rose, #1487

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

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Details: October 6, 2010; Canon 20D; f/8 @ 1/320 sec; —2/3 EV; ISO 400; 100mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#139)

For your consideration: a tableau educing fond - even aching - memories of innumerable, Impressionistic Arizona sunsets from my youth. Life was much simpler then . . .

One small detail, however: except in the arroyos immediately after the sudden torrential downpours known as monsoons, such spectacular displays of nature's palette were notably absent of water in my deserts.

This offering is my first attempt at High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging, and is comprised of three photographs combined and processed in Photomatrix and Photoshop CS3. The exposure settings given pertain to the mid-exposure photograph of the trio utilized.

Skies such as this are relatively rare in this part of the country, but a standard coda to a Tucson summer afternoon. Thus it was an added pleasure to have witnessed this on the eve of the Autumn Solstice -- the last full day of summer.

Sunset, Alviso, #1298-1300

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

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Details: September 21, 2010; Canon 20D; f/6.3 @ 1/100 sec; ±0 EV; ISO 200; 17mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#138)

For your consideration: an intruder reminiscent of of the Twilight Zone.

At least those episodic nightmares were predictably limited to thirty minutes; those surreal times were more innocent than modern life.

I've had my own dose of Rod Serlingesque staging this week, culminating in a acutely painful plot twist -- claw marks raked across the psyche, familiar terrain bleached of color, rendered as disorienting and alien as this monstrous appendage.

Talons, #1324

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: September 21, 2010; Canon 20D; f/5.6 @ 1/60 sec; —2/3 EV; ISO 400; 44mm.

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