Seeing 2010 (#33)

Tonight I spent an enormous amount of time constructing a new panorama, one of San Francisco Bay at night, but after consideration and close inspection I was dissatisfied: the "post-ready" version lacked critical sharpness which exists in the originals . . . thus I'll revisit my work flow and try again.

Meanwhile, this submission is an image recorded at the end of that (long) San Francisco expedition; indeed it is the next to last photograph taken that evening. Those familiar with the city will immediately recognize it as the landmark Coit Tower.

A rare bit of overt manipulation here on my part: conversion of all but the edifice itself to black-and-white, in order to yield a contraction between the welcoming warmth of the structure and the ominous, swaying wind-whipped tree -- the tower itself seems to be leaning just out the branches' assaults. An apparently threatening sky adds to the drama, and lends an acute sense of safety and yearning offered by the inviting lighted window -- so close, and yet achingly beyond reach.

The Tower, #6582

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: March 2, 2010; Canon 20D; f/8 @ 30 secs; -1 EV; ISO 200; 21mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#32)

An experimental offering:

Alviso is a quirky incorporated area at the north end of San Jose. One of its more whimsical facets is the grandiosely named South Bay Yacht Harbor. The harbor is actually the extreme fringe of a slough which itself is an outcast of sorts from San Francisco Bay.

On a lark my friend Jerry and I recently made the trek to this odd outpost for some nocturnal photography. The photograph below is a panorama comprised of nine images stitched together. As the photograph shows, there are either three or five vessels moored in the Yacht Harbor, depending upon one's definition of what actually constitutes the harbor here.

This is only my second genuine effort at creating panoramic imagery. The view spans roughly 160 degrees; left-to-right corresponds to south-to-north (thus the general direction photographed is west).

Unfortunately due to technical limitations of this blog milieu, which I've not yet been able to transcend, the full-sized image can't be viewed by clicking on the small version below (although an expanded version will appear). In order to see the true full-sized version (3366x768) click here. (Once the full image loads it may be helpful to press the F11 function key to maximize your screen's viewable area. Press F11 again, then your browser's Back button, to return to this blog.)

South Bay Yacht Harbor, Alviso, 2:00am, #6457-6456

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: February 28, 2010; Canon 20D; f/8 @ 20 secs; -2/3 EV; ISO 400; 22mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#31)

For your consideration . . .

Visions of a near-death experience? Or, perhaps a Wormhole of the cosmological species?

The scene depicts a paradox: the instantaneous capture of what seems to be a rapid passage of time. The mood is ominous -- a long tube at high velocity, marked by a stark white bolt above which strikes towards an undefined red object far removed . . . an ember? A warning sign? Whatever the reality turns out to be, a swift collision with a revelation seems imminent.

Tunnel Vision, #6572

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: March 2, 2010; Canon 20D; f/13 @ 1/5 sec; -2/3 EV; ISO 400; 18mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#30)

For your consideration: two starkly different canvases, one depicting grandeur and elegance on an epic scale, rich with color and complexity, the other a monochromatic close study of graceful simplicity and abundant texture.

The first image is one of many to come from a recent evening photographic excursion with my dear friend Jerry, the second nocturnal outing this past week (the first being a late night exploration of the surreal scenery in Alviso). It was a dark and stormy night featuring: gusting winds, a low sweeping cover of broken clouds, and just-past-full moon which occasionally broke through. This photograph was taken from the Marin Headlands' overlook at Battery Spencer.

(When a senior in high school, circa 1977, I took what has become an award-winning black and white photograph in the bunkers at this location using my Minolta XE-7. Times have changed . . .)

The second offering was taken during a visit to my friend Ben's family's cabin in Twain Harte; a lengthy discussion was underway and I had at my disposal: my hat, a table, and my camera. Voilà.

* * *

Golden Gate, #6520

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: March 2, 2010; Canon 20D; f/11 @ 25 secs; - 1/3 EV; ISO 200; 21mm.

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Untitled, #6096

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: January 30, 2010; Canon 20D; f/11 @ 8 secs; -2/3 EV; ISO 200; 55mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#29)

Two offerings for you consideration, two examples of Macro photography illustrating a powerful contrast both in hue and form and chaos versus parallelism.

The first, taken around midnight, is an extreme closeup of quite weathered paint on the side of a building in Alviso. Photographed under low-pressure sodium street lighting (which gave a distinct and highly-saturated yellow-orange cast), this version has been converted to black & white in order to place emphasis on form and texture as opposed to surreal coloration. The setting for this scene was fascinating: two buildings, side by side and architecturally sharing the same simplistic design, were also apparently of approximately the same age . . . yet one of the structure's paint job was in nearly pristine condition while its neighbor's coating suggested that perhaps the unit had been recently returned from a lengthy stint in a time machine. It was this striking contradiction in their surface conditions which drew my attention to the buildings.

The second entry is a simple study of the elegant, graceful and surprisingly complex patterns which are ubiquitous in the nature which daily surrounds us, if we'd only slow down long enough notice. This leaf, humbling living out its brief existence just beyond my residence's stair case, caught my eye by its privileged and lucky position in a ray of sun just before sunset. I dashed upstairs to grab my camera and tripod (necessary for most extreme macro work) and just barely managed to set up and capture this before the direct lighting illuminating the veins vanished.

This latter image displays one of my favorite compositional themes, that being the irony of how a relatively tiny portion of the canvas can grab attention so as to become the main subject of an image . . . in this case, the scar, the arc of which also nicely echoes and reinforces the many similar trajectories of the leaf's arteries and broader outlines. The background leaf provides a solid anchor and balance to the scene, establishing depth and repeating the overall symmetries throughout.

* * *

Untitled, #6430

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: February 28, 2010; Canon 20D; f/8 @ 1/3 sec; -1 1/3 EV; ISO 400; 100mm.

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Scarred Leaf, #6617

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: March 2, 2010; Canon 20D; f/11 @ 1/5 sec; -2/3 EV; ISO 400; 100mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#28)

For your consideration . . .

While out for lunch I spotted a shiny object in a crosswalk when crossing a street; it tuned out to be an orphaned watch face. Perfect subject to test the resolution of the new macro! The item's actual diameter is just under 1.75", thus this submission is a considerable magnification.

I'm quickly (re)learning that macro work can be extraordinarily time consuming, with respect to setting up the camera and arranging the subject; distance determines magnification, light management can be problematic, and then there are the issues of focus and depth-of-field. Ah, but the results of such efforts are often quite rewarding.

This submission is a simple of study of subtle texture combined with a bit of incongruity. To lend a bit more abstractness to the scene I photographed the object on a sheet of aluminum foil, the result of which is to transform the watch face's edge into a sweeping arc hinting at a dynamic passage of time. I considered entitling Numbers Even & Odd . . .

Untitled, #6404

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: February 27, 2010; Canon 20D; f/11 @ 4 sec; -2/3 EV; ISO 400; 100mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#27)

I've long loved extreme closeup photography; while a senior in high school I earned money photographing ceramic art work which enabled me to buy a macro for my Minolta XE-7 film camera.

It's been seven or eight years since I abandoned my entrenched adherence to traditional film photography for the digital universe . . . thus after several years of coveting -- and thanks to birthday gift funding assistance, today I treated myself to the purchase of a sparkling new Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro EF lens.

I spent the afternoon today -- which was cold, extremely windy and prone to unpredictable and frequent downpours -- at home becoming acquainted with my new favorite tool; the first series of experiments were devoted to a burning incense stick and the various patterns of smoke flowing heavenward from its ember tip.

For your consideration then: a modest study of a quiet scene of grace and tranquility (and yet another example of the Principle of Impermanence).

(Serenely) Incensed, #6353

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: February 26, 2010; Canon 20D; f/11 @ 1 ¹⁄₃ sec; ±0 EV; ISO 400; 100mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#26)

For your consideration, two selections . . .

The locale of the first is a site which I first photographed on a foggy morning many years ago (+25 is plausible), a statue of Father Serra.

That first effort was done on black-and-white film, and the best image on the roll was one where I laid on my back at the statue's base. The result was a perspective of a figure looming overhead against a flat, dark gray sky, arm and index figure thrust across the frame conveying an angry threat or reproach. From an emotional context it remains one of the most powerful photographs I've taken . . . it's working title is Father Knows Best. Yet, to date I've never published that original B&W effort.

The image offered here is one of several taken one a morning of rather different atmosphere, from a much delayed and long overdue return to the setting of the aforementioned negative. The mood in this scene is rather more optimistic.

The second entry below is a close up of the convergence of a tree with a staircase guard rail. Nature's power of perseverance and implacable progress towards growth never ceases to amaze me; here, as the tree grew up against the metal, it simply enveloped what it couldn't move.

My motive in creating this particular composition is to provide a more subtle nod towards the genesis and evolution of life; I'll leave the discernment of this to the viewer.

* * *

Father Points The Way, #3579

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: August 25, 2008; Canon 20D; f/11 @ 1/200 sec; ±0 EV; ISO 100; 47mm.

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Untitled, #2424

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

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Details: February 28, 2009; Canon 20D; f/9 @ 1/250 sec; -1/3 EV; ISO 400; 85mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#25)

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday Dear Hannah . . .

Today (February 23rd) is the occasion of my step-daughter's fourteenth birthday . . . almost impossible for me to really comprehend! She entered my life (and I her's) when she was but four . . . and it is quite amazing to have watched her grow into a delightful, bright, vivacious and confident teen. We've gone from playing "Hangman" (with Hannah's two words - "cat" and "ax") to discussing politics, world history, science and my ignorance of what passes for modern music. It's been a wonderful journey of discovery and growth.

Like my sister Ami (see prior entry), Hannah too is an eager and willing model, and a lot of fun to photograph.

Hannah, #3470

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: October 1, 2008; Canon 20D; f/10 @ 1/250 sec; -1/3 EV; ISO 400; 66mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#24)

Finally, my sister makes her (long overdue) debut on this site . . . I've had the great fun of taking innumerable shots of Ami throughout her life, but (as is true for all of my family members) precious few seem to find their way to the public arena.

Of all those who've permitted the intrusion of my camera, Ami has been the most fun to photograph: she's an unfailingly willing, enthusiastic and playful poser, quite happy to participate in spontaneous constructions whether serious, mysterious, aloof or, as in this case, droll.

The scene here is the deck of our parents' home in rural Lake County. It was just moments past sunset on Thanksgiving weekend; the lighting was quickly fading and robbed the setting of some of the contrast I would've preferred. Still, the composition turned out quite nicely; I included more overhead space than might be typical to allow a greater sense of depth to the perspective, which also yields a subtle hint that the statue might indeed be floating just off my surprised sibling's shoulder . . . We were in the woods, after all, where odd events transpire from time to time.

Ami and Nymph, #5631

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: November 26, 2009; Canon 20D; f/11 @ 1/100 sec; -2/3 EV; ISO 400; 49mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#23)

For your consideration: an unexpected scene from a local cinema. Perhaps a post-modern variation of a drive-in?

I was drawn to the jumble of juxtapostions here: the pristine condition of the Mercedes against the decrepit, deteriorating marque; the German auto parked rather incongruously at the entrance of an American theater - perhaps trapping the audience inside -- with an Arabic banner in the booth . . . the clock positing a time of either mid-morning or late evening, either of which defies the lighting; the cherry red subject against an otherwise pallid canvas.

Beyond the myriad of odd contractions this image offers a considerable degree of formal composition, with many elements of repetition, balance and geometric symmetries, bringing high structure to mysterious setting.

Cinema Car (9:25), #3461

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: July 19, 2008; Canon 20D; f/14 @ 1/30 sec; -2/3 EV; ISO 200; 66mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#22)

For your consideration: easily the oddest edifice I encountered on the island of Hawaii a few years ago. I would've taken several more studied images of this looming, mute, altar-like tool but for the the constraints of being a passenger in the lead sedan of a car caravan.

There was nothing remotely like this structure within sight. Its function was a mystery to me, but its scale and skyward orientation suggests that it may have played a role in keeping the Earth in its proper place in Ptolemaic schemas of our Solar System.

Hawaiian Gear (Geocentric Ruin), #8207

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: August 28, 2007; Canon 20D; f/10 @ 1/250 sec; ±0 EV; ISO 100; 22mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#21)

This entry is a delight to offer: a candid portrait of a candid, sweet and beloved friend.

Rose has blessed my life with her wit, intelligence, compassion and unfailingly good nature for a good many years. We don't see one another often enough; the occasions of our rendezvous tend to be rather extemporaneous -- "Hi! What are you doing right now?" often as not leads to a delightful meeting in relatively short order.

Recently she accepted a spontaneous invitation to visit me at home one afternoon when I was preparing to matte and frame some prints. During her brief stay she paged through a photography book I'd recently acquired, The Life of a Photograph, and I learned something new about this close friend: she is a life-long art lover, and has a deep and broad appreciation of many genres. Her enthusiastic enjoyment of this artist's eclectic approach was a joy to share; I took this image as she paused to glance up from the book.

Rose Wesley, #5560

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: November 10, 2009; Canon 20D; f/11 @ 1/25 sec; -2/3 EV; ISO 400; 80mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#20)

For your consideration, an offering from the Drive By Shooting series. I am particularly pleased with the undulations, complexity and rich chromatic spectrum.

The form reminds me of a (highly charged) version of a character from the Beatles' film. (Or, in an alternative universe: a solar filament.)

The Hand of God/Yellow Submarine, #5961

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: December 28, 2009; Canon 20D; f/5.6 @ 2.5 secs; -2/3 EV; ISO 400; 55mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#19)

For your consideration: a study of geometric progressions, undulations and hints of dangers lurking in paradise.

The location - not far removed from Kona; the scene - a toddler seeks an adventure but seems poised to find the experience disappointing . . . Unseen, just beneath the ripples, swam a plentiful population of gracefully gliding sea turtles. They moved with far greater grace, confidence and ease than the higher lifeforms above.

The Chase, Hawaii, #8199

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: August 27, 2007; Canon 20D; f/9 @ 1/200 sec; ± 0 EV; ISO 400; 22mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#18)

For your consideration: fleeting, faint and ethereal as this form may appear to be, it is nonetheless a hot subject.

In days long gone I had a penchant for asking friends philosophical questions for entertainment and perhaps even enlightenment. One of those queries: What would you consider to be Man's greatest accomplishment?

(Note that this can be distinctly different from invention.)

My thinking is, the domestication of fire: it is the one "substance" (if it can be so labeled) which universally commands respect throughout the animal kingdom -- its power as a source of immense pain is readily and seemingly intuitively apparent. Consider then the courage, undoubtedly driven by the instinct for survival against cold, of the first humans' efforts to harness this unforgiving spirit. And this feat enabled the invention of clay tablets (language support), brick (sturdy shelter), smithing, steam plants, thrust for Man's lunar excursions, and birthday cake candles, for starters.

So: what say you?

Oxidation, #6179

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: January 30, 2010; Canon 20D; f/5.6 @ 1/3 sec; ± 0 EV; ISO 400; 45mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#17)

For your consideration: what apparently poses as the epitome of feminine chic and allure in a post-modern society . . . Roughly hewn and strong jawed, blank eyes testifying to a vacant, virtually emotionless stare, as if in disbelief of something vaguely apocalyptic yet inevitable looming in the distance.

All the more attractive standing in as it did for a Christmas season window display in a local mall; might the incongruity of this as a symbol of glad tidings and good cheer be the source of her countenance?

Orange American Beauty, #5811

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: December 22, 2009; Canon 20D; f/6.3 @ 1/20 sec; -1 EV; ISO 400; 45mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#16)

Greetings.

For your consideration, from the nascent Drive By Shootings series, a scene depicting unbridled spontaneity: deep in woods mysterious, a rush of spectral forms bound for purposes and destinations known only unto themselves . . . as fleeting and ethereal as the photons which defined them.

Fantastic Phantasmata, #5946

© 2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: December 28, 2009; Canon 20D; f/5.6 @ 2 secs; -2/3 EV; ISO 400; 39mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#15)

For your consideration: portrait of an innocent . . . but how to read his expression? Wariness? Worry? Beseeching? Or is does this depict a quiet satisfaction experienced while surveying a proud accomplishment?

Despite spending an hour or so closely photographing this model, cooperative as he was nonetheless he kept his thoughts to himself.

Untitled (Behind Blue Eyes), #6145

©2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: January 30, 2010; Canon 20D; f/11 @ 1/320 sec; -2/3 EV; ISO 100; 73mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#14)

In this entry, a pair of images for your consideration -- from two eras of my photographic sojourns.

The first is a scene from the beaches near Cambria, a canvas illustrating considerable contractions with respect to motion: the form would appear to be plunging downwards, yet its wake suggests otherwise. This tension is magnified by the intuitive sense that the body rests passively (if momentarily) on a surface . . . yet the cord jutting in from the bottom seems to be forcefully fixing the subject in place, providing an additional source of energy. I particularly like the shadow's evocation of a snail's silhouette . . .

+ + +

The second photograph was taken shortly after sunrise on a bitter cold, extraordinarily windy morning, c. November 26, 1989, from a (closed!) State campground near Lone Pine; this submission is another from my transparencies archive.

Taken during a personal Vision Quest I had embarked upon (destination: the Saline and Death valleys, the Grand Canyon, and then on to Tucson, Arizona), I had been awakened from my hypothermic restless sleep by vicious winds gusting against my truck's camper shell. The night before I'd cooked up a quick pot of spaghetti and hurriedly ate it while watching the stars being just as quickly consumed by an approaching mass of storm clouds. When I sought shelter in my truck's bed and sleeping bag I had not yet seen the spectacular nature of this segment of the eastern Sierras due to the darkness.

Thus when I (reluctantly) emerged into the freezing dawn I was utterly stunned by the stark needle-like peaks and the snow being blown off the summits; against all instinct (as an Arizonan I'm not keen on cold) I grabbed my camera gear, somehow managed to climb on top of my vehicle to afford the best unobstructed view possible, and spent an unknown amount of time fighting to keep from being blown off whilst taking many images of one of the most beautiful sights I'd ever seen.

* * *

Untitled, #4600

(c)2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: September 5, 2009; Canon 20D; f/9 @ 1/100 sec; -2/3 EV; ISO 100; 55mm.

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Mount Whitney Portal, November, 1989

(c)2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

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Seeing 2010 (#13)

For your consideration: an entry from the Christmas Mannequins series.

This piece offers yet another insight as to how marketers may have come to view their clientele: half-brained and prone to fuzzy thinking. I find it surreal that the modern notion of chic entails utterly featureless figures only superficially mimicking the beauty of the human form. Then again, this may be just a store window's homage to a slice of cubism.

Belated update: a viewer of this entry replied with a single word comment, which would have made a deliciously succinct title: Lobotomy.

Fuzz Head with Green, #5809

(c)2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: December 22, 2009; Canon 20D; f/11 @ 1/10 sec; -2/3 EV; ISO 400; 55mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#12)

This evening I drove up to San Francisco to meet a friend, Gary, for dinner. Since it has rained nearly continuously locally for the past three days -- and more is forecast throughout this night and into tomorrow -- I chose to leave my camera at home.

Big mistake: despite driving through moderate downfall for much of the way, the city itself was sparkling clear with air as clean and crisp as it only can be after a multi-day scrubbing.

In lieu of new material, then, this submission is drawn again from my prior milieu of transparencies. This image was taken in Lake County on a winter's eve, at dusk, circa 1998. Beyond the well-structured geometry, the composition holds a sense of tension, even subtle danger: the branches seem to claw and reach for the trails above, as if to prey upon the unwitting cargo borne by the safely passed aircraft . . . jets which may have also barely avoided a quite different hazard.

Transits

(c)2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

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Seeing 2010 (#11)

For your consideration, another image derived from my archive of color transparencies - a body of work spanning roughly 1977 - 2002. This image, taken circa 1986, is one of those relatively few from the distant past which I still vividly recall taking.

Once upon a time I lived with Mike, a good friend and fellow hiking enthusiast. Between 1985 and 1989 Mike and I hiked Yosemite at least six times annually (the Tuolomne Meadows region in the summer, the Valley Floor in the winter). A ritual of those halcyon summer excursions was to descend from the High Country and spend the last few hours of Sunday afternoon taking in the sights of the Yosemite Valley floor, before exiting the park for the long, weary drive home.

On one such visit we discovered the Ansel Adams gallery; Mike was supportive and encouraging of my photographic pursuits and so patiently indulged the ample time I took touring this visual feast. When we finally emerged from the shop the sun was down (so far as the valley was concerned), it was nearly dark, and as I looked up this spectacular sight took my breath away. Knowing the lighting conditions were changing extremely rapidly, I dashed for our vehicle, grabbed my camera (a Nikon F2), and managed to take this single shot -- the last on the roll of film. It would not matter had I more: this incandescent orange faded so quickly that it would've been gone by the time I managed to reload.

The vast range of color contrast made taking this image challenging and a bit of a guess: I barely had time to fix the lens and shutter settings in order to properly expose the granite monolith. I knew the rest of the scene would be rendered in silhouette. Even with the sun shining on Half Dome's face the lighting was poor; I had to steady myself as best as I could, standing in the middle of the parking lot in order to get a clear view; this image was taken at either 1/30 or 1/15 sec, at the widest aperture possible (f/1.4?). Consequently, the full-size view reveals a bit of softness due to subtle camera motion. Still, the sceme was gorgeous and perhaps a slight bit of softness can be forgiven.

Half Dome Sunset

(c)2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

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Seeing 2010 (#10)

For your consideration: a return to the Drive-by Shootings theme.

This construction was taken during the drive back from a daylong visit to Spirit Rock with my close friend Brad. His generous offer to be the chauffeur for our journey allowed me, as passenger, to take forty-one shots over the course of about an hour. I promised him I'd use one of the resulting photographs in my next post, so that he'd have the pleasure of an "I was there" moment. (My idea, not his!)

This thematic experimentation is bringing me a tremendous amount of pleasure, as each image is by definition both utterly unique and unreproducible -- perfect examples of dualities of apparently frozen singularities in time coexistent with the implication of Impermanence. The resulting tableaux project potent displays of motion, yet are themselves static: a subtle inversion of the reality at hand.

The consequent abstractions lend themselves to almost limitless interpretations. For me this particular composition recalls the playful and mystical writings on quantum physics discussed in a book I read many years ago.

Dancing Wu Li Masters, #6061

(c)2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: January 16, 2010; Canon 20D; f/8 @ 5 secs; -2/3 EV; ISO 100; 52mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#9)

This submission is one I've been eager to post for several years . . .

The setting depicted is that of the Tucson Mountains, as seen from the Saguaro National Park (East).

As I wrote in my prior entry, my wife's deep generosity has afforded me the luxury of a slide scanner; this entry is the result of (finally!) producing a digital version of a transparency which is one of my all time favorite personal images.

Taken circa 1982, it is remarkable that I still retain the clear memory of shooting this scene, in the company of my dear friends Jonathan and Debra Altman and my cousin Jim McGill. One slightly unusual aspect of the event was the location: the Saguaro National Park is actually two sites (East and West), separated by 30 miles, and while as a group we made innumerable visits to the West district (which is on the back side of the mountains in this image) trekking through the East park was a relatively rare event.

Although I lack specific exposure data, of these details I am confident: the camera was a Minolta XE-7, a joy to use; the lens was a Rokkor-X 135mm f/2.8, and the film was Kodak Ecktachrome.

This transparency was #9 of one hundred twenty-one which I displayed (projected) during the first ever formal exhibition of my work, a show I titled Transparent Thoughts and which was graciously hosted by Paul and Maria Suni in their home in Los Gatos, California, on December 31, 1996. I've waited a long time for the opportune moment to share this vision with a much larger audience . . .

Octotillo Sun

(c)2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

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Seeing 2010 (#8)

A scene from the archives . . .

Prior to 1994 I had traveled relatively little -- I'd only been east of Arizona once, an interminably long summer vacation in Texas in 1972, and the extent of my other excursions were confined to the Pacific coast States and Hawaii.

This myopic geographical exposure changed when I joined a software company and began globe trotting as a database designer. Between 1994 and 2001 I was sent on several lengthy visits to various western European nations (including living in England for a time), took a six-week excursion through a slew of Asian Pacific rim countries from Singapore to South Korea, and set foot in about half of the States.

These were tremendously personally enriching experiences. They also took place during the closing years of the traditional film era. During those days the vast of majority of my photographic work was in the realm of color slide film. Consequently I toted my heavy but wonderfully rugged Nikon F2 and an array of lenses with me on most business trips, and was able to amass a modest body of imagery on transparencies. (My first love is black-and-white photography. After graduation from college in 1984 I rarely had access to a darkroom, however, and I find appalling even the thought of having someone else process and print from my negatives, thus I turned towards color work as a means to keep my "photographic eye" active. )

A couple of years ago my dearest Julianna gave me, for my birthday, a dedicated slide scanner. As she has also been incalculably helpful and encouraging of my transition from traditional film to the digital medium I've not devoted as much time as perhaps I ought producing images from my transparencies.

Here, for your esteemed consideration, is one. Since film does not provide the luxury of digital EXIF data, nor did I but very rarely keep exposure logs when shooting film, I cannot provide information as to date, lens, emulsion (certainly either Kodak Ektachrome or Fuji Velvia) or exposure settings. Of course, such arcane specifications should be but remotely relevant to the purpose of an image . . .

Untitled, c. 1997

(c)2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

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Seeing 2010 (#7)

It was on the stormy side today, in that slate gray, amorphous, blustery and wet style characteristic of what passes for winter in northern California.

Thus this offering: a rather more interesting display of the majesty possessed by some species of clouds . . . gauzy giants such as these habitually dominate the summer skies in my beloved southern Arizona; this image captures a rare local appearance, near San Juan Bautista. I remain endlessly fascinated by the power and perpetually changing beauty created in these towering structures comprised of millions of indistinct water droplets. An example of a whole which profoundly exceeds the aggregate of its constituent parts.

Clouds, St. Francis Retreat Center, #8437

(c)2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: September 23, 2007; Canon 20D; f/13 @ 1/500 sec; ±0 EV; ISO 200; 85mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#6)

For your consideration: a scene depicting life's determination to persist in the face of seemingly inescapable obstacles.

This image was taken in the late afternoon sunlight; it was extremely breezy which caused this thin stalk to be nearly continuously whipped to and fro. These unpredictable and frantic movements, accentuated by my near-macro approach, mandated an extremely fast shutter speed in order to freeze my subject in place.

A beautiful irony is on display here: the steel is strong, solid, inflexible and implacable in its duty as the demarcation of a barrier . . . yet nonetheless proves to be no match for the force of a flimsy organic wisp. Of course a question goes begging: what possessed the plant to force its way between the post and wire in the first place? Hardly the path of least resistance. Perhaps a better title for this simple study should be Stubbornness.

The Fencing Match, #5827

(c)2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: June 2, 2007; Canon 20D; f/9 @ 1/800 sec; -2/3 EV; ISO 800; 64mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#5)

This entry: dualities.

For quite a long time I've held a rather cynical view of the frenetic consumerism which has so utterly removed the magical spirit from the Holidays of my youth: jousting for parking spaces, quid pro quo driven gifting, Muzak flavored carols and Santa decorations appearing before Halloween (!!!) all push back the tender notion of spiritual reverence and Good Will Towards Men to the realm of dim nostalgia.

As I wrote in a prior entry, virtually none of the surreal store front mannequins on parade in the local shopping malls conveyed anything remotely evocative of Joyeux Noël, but rather served only to reinforce the notion that a detached, Kafkaesque ennui is our modern collective condition.

Hence, the first tableau is another from a series of mannequin images I took during the recent Christmas season. Here the duality is ironic: inanimate objects sharing a secret communqué . . . and with a suggestion of vacant disinterest at that.

The second submission is offered as a humorous antidote to the first; this photograph's raison d'être is the delightfully surprising shadow which draws a smile across the surface and allows the old, deteriorating truck's door handle to be seen as having considerably more optimism than that held by plastic models.

* * *

Sweet Nothings (Telling Secrets), #5827

(c)2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: December 22, 2009; Canon 20D; f/8 @ 1/60 sec; -1 EV; ISO 400; 52mm.

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Man Handle, #5869

(c)2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: December 25, 2009; Canon 20D; f/11 @ 1/600 sec; -2/3 EV; ISO 100; 55mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#4)

Tonight's submission: perhaps a bit more "mainstream."

A close friend and artistic critic of this blog, regarding the prior post, opined, "Hmmm, [I] ought to find some new material." A semi-kind way of stating, "What were you thinking?" and "That image is not very good."

As we all tend to have attachments to our own creations (especially true for the narcissistic, sensitive artist types such as yours truly) such feedback can sting a bit . . . and true confession, it did. Still, the truth be known, at the time I posted Abstract (Jovian Dreams), #5469 even though I too was dissatisfied with the image and really debated whether or not I should have put it up for viewing. It suffers from over processing, if nothing else. (The subject matter's relevance and capacity to evoke responses will naturally vary for each viewer. Yet, let's face it: when even the artist questions the efficacy and authenticity of his own piece -- as I did -- well, it would've been better to defer. We can all agree it was not my best effort.)

Combined with having trudged through some particularly difficult times in recent days, this last dubious effort left me feeling a bit hesitant and cautious about posting anew. Then I perused a slew of photography magazines recently, and was once again reminded of the vast variety of work considered by others worthy of publication; there was material both amazing and in the "huh?" domain from my perspective.

Thus my confidence in my own vision was buttressed, and despite having the worst day in many months today (featuring, among other things, the experience of having my car vandalized and my beloved tripod and related equipment stolen) . . I'm baaaaaaack.

For your consideration, then, a peaceful scene from the heart of a small valley through which I travel when en route to my parents' home in California's wine country. My wife graciously put up with an interruption of the drive long enough for me to hop out of our vehicle to take a few shots in the rapidly fading and changing light. It was very nearly dark, and had we been just five minutes later to this venue it would've been too late.

(Fear not: abstracts and other oddities will return to future posts soon!)

Pope Valley Dusk, #5842

(c)2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: December 24, 2009; Canon 20D; f/11 @ 1/100 sec; -2/3 EV; ISO 200; 22mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#3)

Tonight's submission is an abstraction derived from a combination of unfamiliar terrain, a singularly unexpected object (a giant amongst peers) and sharply angled lighting which produces not only a highly textured surface but also striking and disproportionally large shadows.

A surprising degree of suggested motion exists here: the large ball's angled and rising shadow implies an ascent in in progress; the sweeping grooves above the parallel chains echo this vector. Below the shadow's march across the image are notches diving towards the bottom, offset by rising cuts and a comma swimming toward the frame's right edge.

And, finally, a mystery: from whence the jagged shadows? The lower line of orbs which sit on the surface? Or from their levitating kin floating above?

Abstract (Jovian Dreams), #5469

(c)2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: October 30, 2009; Canon 20D; f/11 @ 1/200 sec; -2/3 EV; ISO 100; 25mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#2)

Tonight's submission is an follow up to last night's, taken moments later from essentially the same location.

The glow of the last year's last full (and blue) moon hazily illuminates this canvas from ±235,000 miles distant, ironically as a sort of negative silhouette eclipsed by a dormant light standard. Where it not for having been taken at 1:20 a.m., this image might easily be interpreted as a solar eclipse, rather than the pseudo-lunar species presented here.

Note the faint coronal ring, formed by the mist-laden evening atmosphere.

San Rafael, New Year's 2010, (Lunar Luminescence), #5991

(c)2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: January 1, 2010; Canon 20D; f/11 @ 30 secs; -2/3 EV; ISO 100; 18mm.

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Seeing 2010 (#1)

Well, in a trivial manner an auspicious start to the new decade, posting-wise: hustled to prep the image below so as to publish it on New Year's Day . . . seems I just missed the strike of midnight for January 2nd . . . and in my haste an utterly empty entry went out. (Note to blogspot: bad idea to have the default mode for pressing Enter as "Publish Post" rather than "Save As Draft.")

Ah well, here's the first submission of the year nonetheless . . .

After a delightful evening of Thai food followed by enjoying comedian Louis Black with my wife at the Marin Civic Center Auditorium in San Rafael, I wandered around the Civic Center grounds.

The Moon was full (in fact, up until 11:59:59 p. m. on December 31, 2009, it was a Blue Moon) albeit slightly obscured by high, thin clouds. My initial goal was to capture a beautifully-lighted fountain set in the midst of a huge pond, but before I could equip myself with tripod and camera and get out to a workable vantage point the majority of the lights illuminating the various parking lots, sidewalks -- and fountain(s) -- shut off.

Still, beneath of La Lune's ethereal glow there were a few subjects of interest. I had the entire vast compound to myself, so far as I could tell, which made the scene below all the more eerie: it was utterly silent, with the glowing orb high overhead my only companion. These flag-topped structures reminded me both of turrets, and giant sentinels, providing a subtle sense of protection against the isolation and loneliness inherent in the dark expanse I found myself.

This offering is one of the first few photographs I took this New Year's Day (at 1:10 a.m., in this particular case). The scene presented here is quite removed from my normal mental image of Marin as a place of green hills thickly carpeted with foliage, boat docks, art shops and cafés. I rather like this disquieting juxtaposition . . .

San Rafael, New Year's 2010 (Midnight Sentinels), #5984

(c)2010 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: January 1, 2010; Canon 20D; f/8 @ 30 secs; -2/3 EV; ISO 100; 18mm.

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