Seeing 2013 (#20)

For your consideration:

Gleaming in the still-awakening moments of a fresh day, the distant (fully thirty-one miles from this scene's vantage point) housings of some the planet's premier astronomical instruments stand as ironic sentinels over their brightening surroundings.  The inverted-vee-shaped encasement at the leftmost of the plateau is the world's largest solar telescope;  thus it alone is congruent with the opportunities afforded by the rising Sun, while in contrast its kindred structures are undoubtedly already dormant until well after the dusk, still many hours off.

 Meanwhile, one can rest assured that the non-wandering cacti in the foreground will remain implacably  and firmly rooted in their posts and roles as passive, sleepless witnesses to the full twenty-four hour spectrum at hand . . . and for many more to come.

Frankly, this is not one of my most stellar photographic submissions.  The oddly flat lighting and relatively large distance between the essential elements in the scene conspired to produce serious challenges to hue, saturation and contrast.  Ah well, one does the best they can with the skills and materiel at hand.  (I actually spent several hours in the post-processing phase of this offering 'ere finally uploading it:  at some point diminishing returns threaten to intrude.)

Nonetheless:  while this effort will certainly leave Zone-system adherents and Van Gogh admirers underwhelmed, on a deeply personal level this image brings me great satisfaction.

For I've spent many childhood hours atop yon distant scientific edifice, thanks to the ever kindly, ever persistent nurturing of my abiding interest in astronomy (and all things science) at the hand of my grandfather.  Later, during my college years, I spent far more time simply soaking in the beauty and warm memories of this tableau, most usually in the company of dear friends while absorbing astounding sunsets . . .  ever blessed by the gifts of the desert.

Kitt Peak and Saguaros at Dawn (Observatory Observers), #2944-7D; 

© 2013 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details:  April 8, 2013, Canon 7D; f/11 @ 1/200 sec; ±0 EV; ISO 320;

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM @ 300mm

________

Visit my full photographic repository at jwmurray.smugmug.com

Seeing 2013 (#19)

For your consideration:

An encounter during the earlier portion of my recent trek to the summit of Wasson Peak, west of Tucson.

Depicted is one limb ("arm") of a rather sturdy and grand Saguaro, this one standing perhaps twenty-to-twenty-five feet tall.  On the tip here reside what will soon become blossoms of the Arizona State Flower;  they only bloom at night and are primarily pollinated by bats.

I have loved the majesty and grace of these huge cacti since my childhood (we had one growing in our back yard).

I've grown older I've come to appreciate the combination of their pointedly formidable exterior, their astounding strength and subtle flexibility under harsh conditions (the >70mph winds which persistently nearly blew me over on my hike didn't faze these entities in the least) . . . and their stoic and vulnerable foundation in their desert home.

Warriors of the Light, perhaps, à la Paulo Coelho.

Saguaro Limb, #2976-7D; 

© 2013 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details:  April 8, 2013, Canon 7D; f/8 @ 1/400 sec; ±0 EV; ISO 500;

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM @ 140mm

________

Visit my full photographic repository at jwmurray.smugmug.com

Seeing 2013 (#18)

For your consideration: another entry in the Sill LIfe series . .  here, a pivotal moment of apparent élan —an exemplary display of defiance and courage in the face of overwhelming odds.

Perhaps.

There are oddities to be discerned by closer inspection . . . our protagonist may well be a fallen warrior fighting to the bitter end, even in the face of impending doom . . . yet, alas, 'tis not the case.

Au contraire, this  tableaux speaks to a larger, far more commonly found truth:  there is often less than meets the eye;  we too frequently draw quick conclusions based on cursory observations of unexpected situations.  And so it may well be here, for the main subject had be in static repose, inanimate, for several days prior to its discovery by the wielder of ominous tweezers.

Thus this image presents challenges to our notions of perception and outcome, perspective and nobility, and highlights the fact that our discernment of the nature of time is highly subjective.

Sill Life: Pièce de Résistance, #2368-7D; 

© 2013 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details:  March 14, 2013, Canon 7D; f/11 @ 1/250 sec; +1/3 EV; ISO 640;
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM  (w/ 36mm extension tube)

________

Visit my full photographic repository at jwmurray.smugmug.com

Seeing 2013 (#17)

For your consideration:

An instant of pure bliss:  the pristine, sublime atmosphere of cool desert solitude, in nocturnal transition. Capturing this scene was just as surprising as my willingness to voluntarily arise from bed at 4:30am.

I was intensely motivated:  I yearned to simply encounter the virtually silent terrain just west of my cherished, native Arizona's Gates Pass 'ere the intrusion of modern society's buzz and bustle du jour. Never before have I had the insight or consciousness that greeting the Sonoran landscape on its own terms, before the onslaught of tourists and partying locals, might be both restorative and deeply healing.

And perhaps an opportunity doomed to be ever more elusive . . .

Yes, sadly — the tentacles of my metropolis birthplace now threaten to utterly surround this spirit-laden refuge, effectively smothering any last chance to authentically experience a last bastion and harbor of severely, uncompromisingly beautiful scenery.

Thus it was an extraordinary and fleeting gift to witness the wonderfully balanced moment when night's last shadows blended perfectly with the sun's impending greeting.  Discovering the Moon's thin crescent, still just visible before sol's overwhelming emergence,  was quite simply exquisite to behold.

I was able to pass nearly the entirety of the day roaming among my beloved arid soil and its denizens.

Yet, even without any competition for having the expanse all to myself (I encountered but two other people), after mid-morning the blessed peacefulness quickly evaporated:  unbelievably — absolutely beyond any prior desert weather I'd known — winds exceeding seventy miles per hour appeared out of nowhere (well, literally from the southwest) . . . Sustained and unrelenting, enshrouding Tucson and its environs in a murky blanket of dust and causing lengthy power outages (I later was told) at both the University of Arizona and the hotel I shared with my wife, this unexpected and frankly unwelcome development cast a challenging pall on my agenda of reading, writing and perhaps even a Siesta.

Ah, well, no matter . . .

Sonora Desert. Gates Pass. Camera. Spring.  Palo Verde. Ocotillo. Saguaro (stationary, of course).  Paradise.

Gates Pass Dawn with Moon, #2928-7D

© 2013 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: April 8, 2013, Canon 7D; f/6.3 @ 1/125 sec;  ±0 EV; ISO 640;
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM @ 116mm

________

Visit my full photographic repository at jwmurray.smugmug.com

Seeing 2013 (#16)

For your consideration:  of those who've recently agreed to sit for portraiture in front of my lens, this particular subject proved to be both the most severe and the easiest to capture . . .

Although getting this sitter to remain still was a non-issue, the penetrating and unwavering stare did resurrect disturbing memories  from my very early youth, tremors which had long been slumbering (out to pasture, so to speak).

I grew up in Tucson, which in the early Sixties still featured large tracts of undeveloped desert and tumbleweeds within its city limits, as well as still living vestiges of its pseudo-wild west culture.  Being a kid I mostly relished such clichéd accoutrements such as cap guns, lassos, sombreros and spurs.  (Guilty confession:  stick horses, too.)

In retrospect, the weekly testing of the forest of air raid sirens across the valley lent a surreal flavoring to the dusty ambiance — every Saturday promptly at 1:00 p.m. came the eerie howls. While I did indeed comprehend the import of those warnings, their threat paled in comparison to The Sign.  As the link reveals, this neon ghost still resides perched above Miracle Mile, undoubtedly maintaining its unwavering and glowering stare over all passersby day and night.  Trust me:  on those (blessedly) rare occasions when the family car passed by this landmark (or so I beheld it) I kept my own beady eyes locked on it;  even now I remember the mixture of fear and fascination which lingered long after the stare-downs.

Not coincidentally the specimen (a cousin perhaps?) now in my possession also hails from Tucson.  I've been wanting to explore its photographic potential for quite some time.  Using my recently acquired studio lights, I have carefully explored and exploited the abundant nuances of texture, shadowing, and surprisingly rich  geometry and character of this headstrong subject.

I am extremely pleased with the result. (Really, be sure to view it full-sized.)

Steer Skull, #1996-7D; 

© 2013 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details:  February 8, 2013, Canon 7D; f/11 @ 1/80 sec; ±0 EV; ISO 100;
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM

________

Visit my full photographic repository at jwmurray.smugmug.com

Seeing 2013 (#15)

For your consideration:  an incongruous apparition, one which appeared (came to my attention) late in the afternoon in an industrial section of town.

When I first encountered this surreal encasement I was quickly distressed:  not for the Buddha's well-being (he seemed peaceful enough despite enduring a suffocating attachment) but rather because my camera was at home.  This posed an acute dilemma: continue on my chosen path (i.e., return to my office from an errand I'd just finished) or pursue the manifestation of acquiring my photo equipment with great haste,  hoping to be able to return to and capture the scene before it vanished . . .

(A warehouse, not coincidentally, was mere yards away).

This post reveals my choice, and my reward.  I knew if I passed on the chance to photograph this, the unrealized opportunity would permanently join a small collection of other missed shots, mental images which huddle with mild regrets in some minute, securely encased store room of my brain.

Thus it appears that enlightenment, or some semblance of it at least, can be discerned if one risks seeking, even when the source remains obscured.  Furthermore, serenity can be experienced even in claustrophobic circumstances.

Tightly Wrapped Buddha, #2307-7D; 

© 2013 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: February 28, 2013, Canon 7D; f/8 @ 1/3200 sec; —1/3 EV; ISO 250;
Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS @ 24mm

________

Visit my full photographic repository at jwmurray.smugmug.com

Seeing 2013 (#14)

For your consideration:

Last weekend I attended a Men's Retreat, one held annually at this time of year by a particular group of close friends and acquaintances.  As usual (and inevitably), it was powerful, moving and sublime.

This edition, however, provided a potent dose of enlightenment arising out of an experience entirely absent from the planned agenda:  a sacred and essentially extemporaneous communion with, and by way of, a Healing Through Poetry group also assembled on the Center's grounds.

Perhaps a third of my peers decided to participate in this courageous, cathartic and creative sharing; the enunciated verses were truly the profound essence which is the language of the heart.

As was the case for all but one of my friends present, I wrote and then spoke my first ever "public" reading.

I humbly offer my maiden poetic voyage herein, framed by two images:  one taken long before the notion of such an event was in my consciousness, the other in direct response to the opening of The Door.

§  §  §  §  §

Quadrivium, #0035-7D; 

© 2013 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: February 21, 2011, Canon 7D; f/6.3 @ 1/500 sec; ±0 EV; ISO 200;
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM @ 100mm

________

All I Want is a Window

All I want is a window

that I might be seen anew

All I want is a window

that I may have space for my soul to pass through

All I want is a window

that the Sun may bathe my heart

All I want is a window

that I may encompass, and not be apart

All I want is a window

that I might taste a myriad of weather

All I want is a window

that I may expand, free from weight and tether

All I want is a window

that I may witness and experience Enlightenment

All I want is a window

through which I may see

All I want is a window: so we might unite, you and me.

÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷

All I want is a Window, #2280-7D; 

© 2013 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: February 24, 2013, Canon 7D; f/8 @ 1/1000 sec; —1 EV; ISO 400;
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM @ 76mm

________

Visit my full photographic repository at jwmurray.smugmug.com

Seeing 2013 (#13)

For your consideration:  a small study in compositional formalism, mood and symbolism.

Here we have a series of repeating motifs . . . potent, missile-like verticals anchor not only the left of the frame but also define and support the horizon line; a precariously late warning sign upholds the other end of the boundary, while triangles somewhat more subtly also echo throughout, balanced both left and right.

Ill-defined geography hovers in the distance, presumably carpeted with organic canopies, while ironically the only distinct suggestion of life intrudes into the frame in skeletal form, simultaneously dynamic in flow and inanimate.

The scene is appropriately grey, and both implicitly and obviously a terminus and transition point — endings flowing into beginnings with mysteries yet to unfold . . . the truly observant will duly note the moment of the equinox.

Taken during the midst of a wintry bit of wandering along the largely abandoned streets of Lakeport, this is a view across Clear Lake from one of its several boat launches.

This offering is posted on an evening featuring rare snow on the local hills (of San Jose); it also is offered as a honorific to the memory of my late grandfather, Marshall Weston Petersen, whose ancient Argus 35mm camera (c. 1930s) was the genesis, long ago, of my passion for all things photographic — today, February 21, would've marked his 102nd birthday.

Dead Ends, #1113-7D; 

© 2013 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details:  December 21, 2012, Canon 7D; f/9 @ 1/640 sec; ±0 EV; ISO 500;
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM @ 236mm

________


Visit my full photographic repository at jwmurray.smugmug.com

Seeing 2013 (#12)

For your consideration:  the view from Baker Beach, nearing sunset on an autumn afternoon, just beyond the entrance to the Golden Gate. The weather was as splendid as the scenery.

This large tanker steadily, slowly steered its way towards safe harbor; perhaps its home port?  Undoubtedly the crew was anticipating a welcome respite from the unrelenting challenges, perils and ironic confinement of navigating the vast open ocean.

This scene is emblematic of the close of what has been a long, trying week. There have been stretches  of calm and clear steerage . . . and significant intrusions of torrid, harrowing, raging weather. Emergence into warm, soothing sunlight, calm seas and the promise of a safe berth is mouthwatering indeed.

(PS:  happy Arizona Statehood Day [2/14/12] . . . rest assured there are no vistas like this in my home state!)

(Golden Gate) Incoming, #0502-7D; 

© 2013 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: October 13, 2012, Canon 7D; f/10 @ 1/600 sec; —2/3 EV; ISO 320;
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM @ 207mm

________

Visit my full photographic repository at jwmurray.smugmug.com

Seeing 2013 (#11)

For your consideration:  an x-ray of the current state of my soul.

Cold, oppressive, obscuring blankets sometimes persist far longer than would seem plausible.  Yet, eventually, nurturing light penetrates and dispels, allowing growth and beauty to return.  (Fortitude and persistence ultimately have their rewards — don't they?)

§ § §

Image taken just past noon; mild application of Noise Ninja in post-processing.

Fog, Lincoln Park, Legion of Honor, #0538-7D; 

© 2013 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details:  October 14, 2012, Canon 7D; f/9 @ 1/250 sec; ±0 EV; ISO 500;
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM @ 300mm

________

Visit my full photographic repository at jwmurray.smugmug.com

Seeing 2013 (#10)

For your consideration . . .

Here, a relatively rare view of the presumptive, alleged artist.

I love the extraordinary performance of my Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro lens;  the sharpness and contrast it produces are exquisite.  Its dual role as a spectacular tool for not only its intended purpose — extreme closeups of usually small objects — but also as a superb portrait lens is the source of frequent personal amazement and delight.

Another preliminary studio effort, this shot utilized the identical lighting configuration as employed for the image in this blog's prior post.  (Minor adjustments were made to the on-camera exposure settings.)

Having only a primitive studio setup at hand, and lacking a substitute model for framing and focusing considerations, the best I could do was scrunch down and occupy the same head space as my prior, albeit smaller subject, one Ansel Bear (sometimes known by the stage name Ursa Ansel).   Thus the odd, foreshortened pose.

(The author anticipates your concurrence that the use of odd is all too apropos.)

Self Portrait, #1935-7D

© 2013 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: January 31, 2013, Canon 7D; f/11 @ 1/80 sec; ±0 EV; ISO 100;
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM

________

Visit my full photographic repository at jwmurray.smugmug.com

Seeing 2013 (#9)

For your consideration:  a portrait of a long-time friend, companion, and silent confident.

During the recent holiday season I found myself in San Francisco's Ghirardelli Square, famous tourist mecca and the center of the universe for chocolate and ice cream cravers.

As I approached the main entrance, well before the intoxicating effects of sugar overload set in, I experienced a strange sense of déjà vu:  I'd not been to this locale in far more than a decade — perhaps as many as twenty years had passed — yet in an instant a long buried memory percolated up hazily from the depths of formerly dormant mental archives . . .  I suddenly recalled that it was in a shop in this square where I first laid eyes on Ansel.

Whether or not Ansel noticed me is hard to say;  he is to this day, after all, rather stoic and closed-mouthed.  Nonetheless I was drawn to him.  The attraction was not derived from any sense I had of fuzzy cuteness and all that promises.  Au contraire, Ansel stood out (or sat out, as it were) due to his studied frown and clearly skeptical, if not outright irritable expression.  No saccarine version of warm-and-fuzzy bromide, this creature.  Nope, far from it.

From that first sighting it was clear to me that I'd discovered a suitable foil to my perpetual need (at the time) for superficial soothing.  Here, if I could but bear it, was the chance to establish a relationship with a creature who would perhaps provide a bit of security and comfort in times of need . . . but always with an accompanying dose of quietly fierce admonishments that I embrace reality and deal with it.

And so it has been through the years since we left that nominally escapist establishment together. Partners in time.

I admit to having selfishly kept Ansel nearly completely out of the limelight of my social circles;  ours is a very private relationship.  Indeed, only my wife and, to a lesser extent, my daughter have gotten to know know him closely.  Few others have even met him.

Thus, this submission's image is a great risk — his reluctant agreement to assist in my new pursuit of studio lighting (and portraiture in particular) is a Big Deal.  Much like Salinger's example, he guards his space fiercely, and shuns publicity.  Even so, sit for me he did, just this past evening, for a rare photograph.

Naturally I'm deeply grateful for Ansel's patient cooperation:  he posed at some length, without uttering a single complaint, despite many nudges and adjustments in search of just the right perspective, composition, and (above all) lighting.  Goldilocks moments, he might say, if only he dared.

In the end this result emerged. The setup:  two studio strobes, both using black umbrella reflectors.  Close in, at nearly right-angled to his left,  was the "primary", set to 1/2 of full output.  The secondary, somewhat farther away and at roughy 45-degrees to the right of his nose, was set to 1/8th power.  No on-camera flash was utilized.  Minor adjustments in post-processing were applied using LightRoom 3.4 and Photoshop CS5.

Thus, I present not only my first "formal" portraiture experiment using studio lighting, but also the world-wide first introduction of a close, closely-guarded member of our family.

Ansel Bear, #1918-7D; 

© 2013 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: January 31, 2013, Canon 7D; f/8 @ 1/160 sec; ±0 EV; ISO 200;
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM

________

Visit my full photographic repository at jwmurray.smugmug.com

Seeing 2013 (#8)

For your consideration:  a study of what often transpires as the result of misplaced energy — inner radiance can  be vibrant and even enlightening, yet as with all things constraints are always in play, and for healthy reasons. Unbridled, wanton flow of energy in any direction ultimately escapes the confines and control of its container,  shattering an otherwise benign intent.  Vessels of all kinds are subject to such universal laws.  Thus, ever again, there's the inconvenience of no free lunch:  unrestrained current, regardless of purpose, can result in destruction and blindness.

Caveat lector.

As I approached this particular subject from a multitude of angles, utilizing various studio lighting configurations, each perspective yielded its own surprising organic sense of demise.  Presented is that image which most deeply resonated with me.  It stands as if an alien diplomat, at once formal, upright, properly stoic and forthright.  Yet the face has become one yawning, gaping orifice, one not so much conveying rational, reasoned messages but rather a moment of explosive fury, or anguish.  Either way, the result is a fractured, disconnected interior, awash in the smoky stains of excess.

Emissary (Blown), #1835-7D; 

© 2013 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: January 14, 2013, Canon 7D; f/22 @ 1/80 sec; ±0 EV; ISO 100;
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM

________

Visit my full photographic repository at jwmurray.smugmug.com

Seeing 2013 (#7)

For your consideration:

In a word, a study of compositional flow, symmetries, lines and depth of field.

As a child I discovered a love of dictionaries. Difficult to describe, but several facets were captivating to me: the various fonts (bold for the entries, italics for grammatical notes, etymology, and foreign usage); accent marks for syballic emphasis; illustrations with such attention to detail that they seemed works of art in their own right; and of course the definitions of a myriad of words previously beyond my knowledge.  So many of them!

As Steve Martin remarked, (paraphrasing), English has a word for everything!

Oh, and this:  the unique, distinct scent of an old book well made.  (Is there a Kindle app for that?  I think not.)

I recently acquired such an aged, rather pristine specimen, abandoned (gasp!).

Beloved tome, new studio lighting genre on which to focus . . . well, the addition of reading glasses just lends itself to photographic possibilities!

Focus, #1775-7D; 

© 2013 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: January 10, 2013, Canon 7D; f/22 @ 1/30 sec; ±0 EV; ISO 400;
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM

________

Visit my full photographic repository at jwmurray.smugmug.com

Seeing 2013 (#6)

For your consideration:  a study inspired by one the earliest of my influences, Andre Kertesz.  He was a master (naturally) of elegant simplicity in his still life compositions, imagery which feature strong lighting and consequent shadow play.

Continuing a theme which has held my attention for quite some time, the frequent observation, discovery and experience of larger realities which often exist beyond surface characteristics, this submission provides a case in point.  Had I set the illumination from a different angle the true nature of this photographic subject would be beyond any reasonable perception;  not much of any interest could be said of the coiled tube per se.

A bit of meditation unveils a more pointed understanding, that the central essence of this scene is utterly ethereal.  This is something to note.  C'est n'est pas une pipe, as it were.

Among some of my compatriots the phrase more will be revealed is well known and understood.  Pay attention:  there is always more to be gleaned from the universe in which we are largely unconsciously immersed.

Trumpet Etude, #1818-7D; 

© 2013 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: January 13, 2013, Canon 7D; f/32 @ 1/40 sec; ±0 EV; ISO 200;
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM

________

Visit my full photographic repository at jwmurray.smugmug.com

Seeing 2013 (#5)

For your consideration:  simple experimentation with newly acquired studio lighting equipment, on a macro scale.

The actual setting is the the surface of a small dining table leaf, itself perched across the arms of a recently repurposed office chair.  Lighting was via a single 160-watt strobe with a 33" lighting umbrella.

This submission is mostly "just for fun", but there's a opaque visual pun as well as another hidden pun implied within the title . . . the latter will be revealed only to the more creative, investigative viewer.

Glowing Piglet (Homage à Tirpitz), #1745-7D; 

© 2013 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: January 5, 2013, Canon 7D; f/32 @ 1/40 sec; ±0 EV; ISO 1000;
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM

________

Visit my full photographic repository at jwmurray.smugmug.com

Seeing 2013 (#4)

For your consideration:  perhaps a scene from the opening segment of an early 1970s television series, Night Gallery, an appropriately bizarre setting which served as Rod Serling's last significant pulpit.

Or perhaps, a Rorschach test?  (You decide . . . of course!)

In any case, the color red has long represented anger, passion, blood, fire, sacrifice and intensity . . . immersed in this chromatic atmosphere is an abstract form which immediately struck me as human in nature, albeit ambiguous in spatial orientation. Consequently I see a contradictory duality of both helpless falling and acutely focused fleeing.

The actual subject will remain a mystery except to those who offer their observations, thoughts, or speculations via comment (or email);  one hint is that a Macro lens was used with extremely strong back-lighting from the Sun.

Enjoy!

Red Scare Escape, #1527-7D; 

© 2013 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: December 31, 2012, Canon 7D; f/5.6 @ 1/400 sec; —1/3 EV; ISO 640;
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM

________

Visit my full photographic repository at jwmurray.smugmug.com

Seeing 2013 (#3)

For your consideration:   a Christmas Day evening portrait of a dear friend, taken moments before he was to head off for a lengthly drive back to his Nevada home under the lash of a winter storm.  (Better he than me!)

I've known Mr O'Brien for quite a few years now;  I've always found him to be serious thinker also possessed of a quick wit and engaging socially.  We've shared quite a journey on a mutual spiritual path; his candor and persistence are solid, invaluable characteristics which continue to impress me; he is capable of deep insights and more than a few men have benefited from his wise counsel.

Here he agreed to pose for me, such that I might practice a bit of flash techniques I'd just learned; my primary purpose were was to capture a serious man confronting stormy times (and standing tall throughout all).  This was taken well after sundown, under the last remaining, quickly evaporating light of dusk.

Jim O'Brien, Christmas Eve Day, Dusk, #149-7D; 

© 2013 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: December 25, 2012, Canon 7D; f/5.6 @ 1/30 sec; ±0 EV; ISO 500;
Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4.5-5.0 IS @ 30mm

________


Visit my full photographic repository at jwmurray.smugmug.com

Seeing 2013 (#2)

For your consideration:  a scene I had to scamper to capture.

Light fades and colors change incredibly quickly during the day's closing moments, and the curtain fall on the final such scene of 2012 was no exception.  Not five minutes prior I had left a friend's house, in hasty pursuit of a decent overlook from within the surrounding housing tract . . . and in that brief interval of my dash downhill the massive clouds overhead were drained of their fleetingly crimson glow.

Even so, the sliver of those glorious hues hugging the far horizon serve as a reminder that one can always have faith that radiating beauty awaits if one simply journeys persistently and far enough.

Sunset, December 31, 2012, #1535-7D

© 2012 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details:  December 31, 2012; Canon 7D; f/4.5 @ 1/125 sec; —1/3 EV; ISO 320;

 Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS @ 17mm

__________

Visit my full photographic repository at jwmurray.smugmug.com

Seeing 2013 (#1)

For your consideration:  2013's opening salvo.

Without any pretense to profundity, I'm reasonably certain that this shall be a year of many shifts and changes, many welcome, some not; some imposed and others chosen.  Let the fun begin!

After spending a delightful New Year's eve with many assorted friends at Casa Gonzales, my wife and I came home the following evening to the disconcerting discovery that my car had been stolen. After 2012 I felt the bar was set pretty low for the prospects of 2013 being an improvement . . . I'm hoping this latest opportunity for growth is simply residual flotsam.

I find it hard to imagine that little CR-V was an obvious mark — what, with its various dents and considerable scrapes on three of the possible four sides, an attractive beauty it was not.  Add to that the perhaps creepy presence of a decapitated wig head and another mask staring perpetually, blankly from the back cargo area (atop a mishmash of blankets, cardboard boxes and orts of various pedigrees) this humble vehicle doesn't scream "cool ride!"  Maybe that in itself was the magnet, who knows?

Regardless, it is/was a great deal of fun to drive, a rare five-speed with the best visibility of any car I've ever piloted.  (This latter point is increasingly important as the inevitable, inexorable slow decline in my reflexes takes hold.)  Even at 192,000 miles it remains fuel-efficient . . . or at least relatively so.  Ah, loss . . .

Of course it helps to keep a bit of perspective:  it's only a car.  Being afflicted with ALS, MS or paralysis trump this quite temporary inconvenience, certainly.  There's no comparison.

Besides, my very own brother Eric and his wife Sharon suffered a worse assault over the Christmas weekend:  whilst blissfully vacationing at our family home in the serene rural countryside, burglars broke into their Bay Area home, removing materiel and allowing my sibling's indoors-only cat to escape.  Such an intrusion into one's personal, interior space is far more upsetting and frightening than having something stolen from the street. It will likely be awhile before my brother and sister-in-law feel totally at ease again in their own living quarters. 

I am deeply grateful that nobody was hurt (and, the last I heard, kitty is back home, safely behind walls).

All of this has given me pause to consider the flip-side of thievery:  the relentless pressure of wanting to escape, the urge to flee when times become too difficult, particularly when subjected to prolonged duress.  It is fascinating how varied the human spirit is in this regard:  some fold under the slightest conflict, while others endure unimaginable suffering for long periods beyond comprehension.  There exists no clearly defined predictor of which I know of who possesses a given degree of determination when facing acute tribulations.

Much to my surprise — and comfort, oddly — I find that I am able to navigate considerable passages of challenging, often daunting times.  Certainly not easily, nor particularly gracefully.  Even so, deep within I harbor a fundamental reservoir of optimism, a belief that if one simply persists long enough, with the application of tolerance, love, compassion and hope, things will heal and turn out well.

Ergo, no matter what 2013's remaining 361 days hold, I shall trudge on.

This submission is a scene suggesting a kinetic burst of unknown material no longer willing to be restrained; the difference between forcibly taken versus forcible egress. 

A final note to followers of these entries:  for this year I ardently invite you to leave comments on these offerings, of your emotional response to the visual (or written) subject matter, and especially your speculations of the true nature of the images.

Paroxysm, #0807-7D

© 2012 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details:  November 15, 2012; Canon 7D; f/8 @ 1/2500 sec; —1/3 EV; ISO 800;
 Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM

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