Seeing 2012 (#42)

For your consideration: luminaries levitating, in their own fashion, in a massive, elegant edifice on State Street in Santa Barbara, CA.

Capturing this stellar perspective involved a (minor) feat of dexterity and contortion from a perch on an adjacent (and equally ornate) staircase. It was a challenge to secure just the correct angle to allow full separation of the globes from both one another as well as the geometry of the encompassing background. The heavily shadowed archways in the center distance provide a sweet additional set of symmetries, echoing the thrust of the chains while also rhyming the triangular facets of the main subjects.

I particularly like this image for the several themes it narrates: an incongruous sense of weightlessness of massive objects, an unusual sense of depth, and a suggestion of rhythmic motion as the eye moves along the dipping, then rising line of lanterns.

Star Chamber (Santa Barbara Courthouse), #6455-7D

© 2012 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: March 24, 2012; Canon 7D; f/5.6 @ 1/200 sec; -1 EV; ISO 640;
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM @ 166mm

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Seeing 2012 (#41)

For your consideration: a departing view as I ended my visit to Santa Barbara, last weekend.

Beyond the obvious irony inherent in the role reversals of form and function in this tableau is an unknowable added paradox: the vital element necessary in order for this playful arrangement to exist was acutely transitory . . .

I spotted this surprisingly complex and subtle arrangement (note the many symmetries rhyming across the geometry) as I sat in my car at a red light, just a few blocks from the freeway on-ramps to which I was headed at the of my day's explorations. The sun shown suddenly, brilliantly, illuminating and informing this composition . . . I hustled to change lenses (from the macro to the telephoto zoom); I was in a race against the dual restrictions of the traffic signal's duration (for once I prayed for a long red!) and the sun's peek-a-boo dynamics in thickening fog and clouds . . .

Quickly now: check aperture, frame, focus — too late: the signal radiated an emphatic green, and drivers behind me undoubtedly failed to appreciate my vision at this particular moment. Yet the arrangement in the viewfinder had been ever so briefly intensely compelling . . . so I decided to make a several block circuit for a return drive-by shooting (as it were) . . . praying the sun would hold out in its battle to be seen . . . no sun, no scene, after all.

No fewer than four (perhaps five) go-arounds were necessary, due to combinations of turning down wrong streets and/or and passing the needed vantage point only to find the sun absent, or having my rear view mirrored filled with the faces of philistines. Yet persistence did pay off, and the (hurried) result was this single frame.

The lesson here is this: if a potential image really calls to you, endure, and go to any length to realize your creative vision.

Light Shadows, #6626-7D

© 2012 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: March 24, 2012; Canon 7D; f/5.6 @ 1/1500 sec; ±0 EV; ISO 250;
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM @ 70mm

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Seeing 2012 (#40)

For your consideration: a challenge to the idea of embracing all new life with open arms . . .

Unless, perhaps, while clad in a thick burlap.

Photographed during an (unexpectedly long) 3-hour exploration of a single, wondrous nursery in Summerland. It is much less a traditional nursery than an homage to the beauty, serenity and spiritual energy infused in the splendid variety of well-tended flora, collected from many far corners of the globe.

This image, of course, beckons in its own warm and fuzzy manner to the song in my heart which is a call/response to the beloved Sonora Desert of my homeland.

Then again, there are many possible interpretations of this prickly intrusion into the frame.

This is also the second image I've processed on my new computer; the overall quality is vastly improved over last night's disappointing output (very soft focus, that, although last night too was a quite enjoyable exposure to the immeasurably improved processing speed/power of my new platform).

Red Tip Emergence, #6389-7D

© 2012 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: March 23, 2012; Canon 7D; f/11 @ 1/32 sec; ±0 EV; ISO 250;
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM

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Seeing 2012 (#39)

For your consideration: another entry from the sublime outing that was the valley exploration with Jerry last January. (We plan a return trip soon.)

The main context for this particular entry would be utterly opaque to the viewer: it is the first image processed on my brand new workstation, the first computer upgrade of any signficance for me in at least seven years (!?!).

Several caveats apply: no monitor calibration has been done (and this image was produced on an ancient monitor I don't normally use); no post-processing plug-ins have yet to be installed (upon which I heavily rely for sharpening, for example) . . . and I'm exceedingly tired.

However, the verdict is emphatically in: working on a modern processor with huge RAM, a 64- bit OS with 64-bit apps, a good video card and up-to-date applications (CS5, long long long overdue) has utterly transformed my experience for the magnificently better, as evidenced by this maiden voyage effort . . . (no more waiting for up to two minutes for screen refreshing, among other sheer joys).

Better submissions are to come in terms of image quality, but producing this was was an incredibly refreshing and optimism-infusing experience!

Truck and Tank, Pinoche Valley, #5244-7D

© 2012 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: January 21, 2012; Canon 7D; f/9 @ 1/1500 sec; ±0 EV; ISO 400;
Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 @ 16mm

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Seeing 2012 (#38)

For your consideration: this evening, while attending a monthly gathering of men for good eating and discussions of life on life's terms, the main subject featured in this tableau briefly became the topic. Of primary agreement was the rarity of this building's elegance as an island amongst the monolithic, monotonous structures of our city, edifices of modernity which have all but eradicated any sense of architectural sophistication and beauty in their wake.

Thus, this: a meditation on the cogency of Progress.

Bank Of America Building (Encroachment), #3927-20D

© 2012 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: February 2, 2011; Canon 20D; f/11 @ 1/1600 sec; ±0 EV; ISO 400;
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM @ 170mm

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Seeing 2012 (#37)

For your consideration: a juxtaposition of what a first blush might seem an odd couple . . . but such a premature assessment would arise largely from the dramatic contrast in settings and moods.

Closer reflection, however, brings one closer to the understanding that, like the laws of physics, spiritual truths are universal, applicable without restrictions of space nor time. The only variants are superficial, being the form of the messengers — each suited for a particular audience encumbered by its own inherent prejudices and preferences.

Goddess Slumber, #3190-20D

© 2012 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: January 1, 2011; Canon 20D; f/6.3 @ 1/5 sec; —1/3 EV; ISO 400;
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM

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Buddha, Pema Osel Ling, #6047-7D

© 2012 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: May 16, 2012; Canon 7D; f/11 @ 1/20 sec; —2 EV; ISO 320;
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM

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Seeing 2012 (#36)

For your consideration: a holy man in repose, seemingly at peace despite ample evidence of having weathered a great deal.

I was attracted by the myriad of subtle symmetries in this composition, derived from the complex interplay of shadow and light. It is not so common to find such accentuated topography used to depict sainted figures; the early morning rays brushing this porcelain terrain yields an abstractness congruent with much of the spiritual realm.

Christ Ear, #8052-20D

© 2012 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: May 16, 2010; Canon 20D; f/8 @ 1/500 sec; —2/3 EV; ISO 100;
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM

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Seeing 2012 (#35)

For your consideration:

Near the end of the one of the most fertile photographic outings I can recall; the confluence of setting and atmospherics yielded an incredibly rich harvest of imagery.

Here, a rare overt intrusion of technology's presence in an otherwise pristine environment. Even so, it's relegation to the distant background, and its temporal nature, allows the fundamental beauty and serenity of the scene to prevail.

Late Afternoon Oak and Contrail, Pinoche Valley, #5439-7D

© 2012 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: January 21, 2012; Canon 7D; f/9 @ 1/512 sec; ± 0 EV; ISO 320;
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM @ 70mm

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Seeing 2012 (#34)

For your consideration: a display of nature's fundamental state: being infused with the joy of living.

The representative bliss in this tableau is a Golden Poppy in the embryonic stages of its development. For another of its kin in an even earlier phase, see this prior entry.

(Note: I re-posted this image on 3/16/2012, with the background lightened; the original submission's background was far too dark.)

Dancing Poppy, #6189-7D

© 2012 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: March 11, 2012; Canon 7D; f/16 @ 1/64 sec; —1/3 EV; ISO 320;
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM

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Seeing 2012 (#33)

For your consideration: a silent encounter with an iconic manifestation of blissful contemplation.

This past weekend my wife Julianna gave a Journey True North workshop for women, entitled Finding The Golden Thread, held at a Buddhist retreat center in the forests above Corralitas, California. I had the deep honor of being stealthily invited to rendez-vous with her, in the role of her personal overnight private guest.

I gladly took the offer, arriving around 9:45pm to find the grounds exquisitely enshrouded in a chilly mist almost — but not quite — thick enough to be deemed as fog. The effect instilled a deep quiet which permeated the setting, bringing with it a sense of spiritual intimacy.

Although quite worn out from the intensity required as leader of the retreat, and not being noted for staying up much past 9:00pm in general, my bride nonetheless graciously guided me on a one-on-one tour of the compound. After brief looks at the dining area, meeting round-house, and Sangha quarters I was lead to an exquisite jewel, that being the Temple.

After first removing our shoes we entered the sacred and silent space, and beheld the statue and altar resplendent with gaiety, wisdom, and magnificently inviting light at the far end of the otherwise shadow-filled hall. The very air and silence seemed to me to be permeated with a peace beyond description, a soul-calming osmosis of serenity and assurance. I found myself awash with feelings of reverence and awe . . . not so much for the statue and surrounding iconography, but rather arising from the sheer experience of being present in such a profoundly confident oasis on the surface of this increasingly chaotic planet.

For me it was a singularly spiritual experience.

After a short time we retired to Julianna's private cabin, which was wonderfully bucolic and cozy; cuddling and catching up was sweet indeed. Later, nocturnal creature that I am, I returned to the temple as my love slept. Equipped, of course, with camera gear and meditation bell, I lingered for nearly two hours, divided roughly evenly between attempting to capture the indefinable beauty and mood of the refuge and sitting in mindful meditation.

This submission is one of the better results. Here I utilized a very wide-angle lens to accentuate the sense of depth — spiritually and physically — and the spread of light emanating from the altar space. The lighting conditions were quite challenging, being largely confined to acute opposites of brilliance and darkness. Consequently I took many varying exposures to account for the broad range. This is in fact a composite of two photographs, one exposed for the effusive Buddha's intensity and another for the somber dimness of the seating area in the foreground.

Enlightened Buddha, Pema Ose Ling, #6041/6043-7D

© 2012 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: March 11, 2012; Canon 7D; f/11 @ 4 secs; ±0 EV; ISO 320;
Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 @ 11mm

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Seeing 2012 (#32)

For your consideration: a macro view of a rather small yet quite potent representative of nature's ability to orchestrate effulgence via simplicity and singular essence.

Photographically, the best conditions for seeing flowers are those days with overcast skies. This past weekend I was gifted with an overnight stay at a Buddhist compound in the Pacific coastal mountains not far from my home; the morning brought with it a modest layer of fog high above, an atmosphere perfectly suited for the subject at hand.

I am repeatedly moved by the incredibly elegant and subtly diverse architecture resplendent in the Plant Kingdom. The barely discernible textures in the petals juxtaposed against the ragged, sharply defined edges at the core create a powerful example of nature showing off.

This canvass and derives considerable energy and and an unexpected sense of motion from both the cyclone-like center of the blossom as well the stems' vectors in the background. The poppy seems at once to be dropping into the scene even as it threatens to thrust towards the viewer, charging out of the image's plane.

Poppy Vortex, #6201-7D

© 2012 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: March 11, 2012; Canon 7D; f/16 @ 1/128 sec; —1/3 EV; ISO 640;
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM

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Seeing 2012 (#31)

For your consideration: in acute contrast to the delicacy presented in the prior post, on potent display here is a forced blending of nature's majesty and man's jarring — yet nonetheless impressive engineering prowess.

The perspective compression imposed by the long focal length of the lens used to record this scene creates something of an illusion: the distances between the derricks, boat and misty mountains are greater than they seem. Yet this minor deception serves it purpose: to convey the jarring proximity of serene wilderness with constructions designed to fuel the frantic business of human machinations . . .

A tenuous balance is thinly maintained; the canvass implies that at any moment disaster could burst upon the scene, likely arising from a failure at depth, a malignant yield of the massively complex orchestrations intended to produce liquid assets for its makers' benefit.

Shortly after photographing these platforms I turned my eye to the delightful interplay of seal families on beaches beneath the cliffs at my feet. A few of the resulting images are in earlier postings on this blog. Ironically, the nurturing of mother for pup are subtly echoed in this industrial image: the boat is undoubtedly en route to bring fresh supplies of men and sundries to the offshore posts, an interesting twist on paternal care.

Thus the image's title.

Carprinteria Platforms (mother and child), #5568-7D

© 2012 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: February 17, 2012; Canon 7D; f/11 @ 1/2000 sec; —2/3 EV; ISO 250;
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM @ 260mm

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Seeing 2012 (#30)

For your consideration: from a retreat I took in the nearby Santa Cruz Mountains, away from modern life — and all of its trappings and attendant imprisonments — a representative of an unexpectedly sparse population of the delicate, gentle spiritual notes which dance on Nature's symphonic score sheets.

I think it no mistake in the large scheme of our experience as human beings that we must deliberately pause in order to take conscious recognition of the ever present beauty which surrounds us.

The effort invested is repaid in far greater measure by the healing of appreciation.

Daffodil, #5737-7D

© 2012 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: March 3, 2012; Canon 7D; f/6.4 @ 1/200 sec; —2/3 EV; ISO 800;
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM

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Seeing 2012 (#29)

For your consideration: a bit of a nod to the Mayans' prognostication proficiency, as it may manifest in the minds of some, at least.

Or, the outer surface of a slowly eroding, rather large water tank . . . one that's seen its better days.

You, dear viewer, can interpret which suits best as fits your mood and proclivities.

Three End Times, #5311-7D

© 2012 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: January 21, 2012; Canon 7D; f/5 @ 1/1300 sec; —1 EV; ISO 320;
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM @ 182mm

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Seeing 2012 (#28)

For your consideration: a façade of tranquility, hinting at interiors of uncertainties.

Insomnia, #5724-7D

© 2012 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: March 2, 2012; Canon 7D; f/11 @ 1 sec; —2 EV; ISO 250;
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM @ 214mm

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Seeing 2012 (#27)

For your consideration: a contemplation on the dualistic nature of matter . . . waves vs. particles, at once well-ordered while also chaotic . . .

Very little — if anything — is ever as it seems. Even the enclosure secured by a gate is a self-contradiction (a stand-in for our own perceptions).

Static Waves (High Tide), #3916-20D

© 2012 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: February 2, 2011; Canon 20D; f/11 @ 1/2000 sec; ±0 EV; ISO 400;
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM @ 244mm

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Seeing 2012 (#26)

For your consideration: a simple study of a subtly complex work of nature . . . just supply a bit of water, appropriate mix of sunlight, and voilà, a minor miracle to behold.

Too frequently, in our modern hustle from place to place, text/facebook/PDA in front of face, we are oblivious to the intimate beauty in our space.

Lily Hook, #6876-20D

© 2012 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: March 20, 2012; Canon 20D; f/13 @ 1/320 sec; —2/3 EV; ISO 400;
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM

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Seeing 2012 (#25)

For your consideration: a study of geometric abstraction and the movement of subtle patterns.

This was the last image taken during last month's trip to the Santa Barbara area; a long lens was employed to flatten the perspective.

Carprinteria Corner, #5713-7D

© 2012 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: February 18, 2012; Canon 7D; f/5.6 @ 1/83 sec; —2/3 EV; ISO 800;
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM @ 104mm

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Seeing 2012 (#24)

For your consideration: an early macro view of what I consider to be one of nature's most elegant, sublime and soothing subjects.

Lilly, #6861-7D

© 2012 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: March 20, 2010; Canon 20D; f/11 @ 1/1000 sec; —2/3 EV; ISO 400;
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM

________

Visit my full photographic repository at jwmurray.smugmug.com