I'm guessing pollination is the reproductive process this plant uses. And I'd say it pollinates with panache! (Though it's best to avert your eyes when it happens.)
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Uncategorized
Crate and Barrel
This isn't a photo of a crate and barrel, of course. But that's the name of the store I took it in. I was in Chicago a few years ago wandering around with my camera and I thought this store would provide some interesting possibilities. I took a few before one of the employees told me to stop. I guess my photos were stealing the soul of their glassware.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License
Biker Blue
I am in the process of going through "old" photos and I came across this one, which was taken in Keystone, SD, several years ago during the famous "Biker Week," aka The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License
The Distant Past
I don't know if 1958 counts as "the distant past." But for me it does. I found this photo as we were culling pictures from my recently deceased aunt Gladys' photo collection. Pictured from left to right: Clarence (my dad), Harold (Dad's brother), Mary (Harold's wife, Mildred (Dad's sister), Gladys (sister) and Bernice (my mom). Front row: me.Do you like the suspenders? They were apparently fashionable because I have seen more than one photo of me and my brother wearing suspenders. Or maybe my mom just bought pants that we could grow in to?Anyway, this photo was taken in Sioux Falls outside the visitors' center of John Morrel Meat Packing Company.
Who Are You?
I appreciate the fact that every day I have between 20 and 50 unique visitors to this blog. Some are returning again and again. And some visit once and never return. Because this is "a blog for the right brain" I get very few comments, which is perfectly OK with me.If you click on the screen capture in today's post, you will see that most visitors come from the US but a few come from exotic places like Iran and China. And I'm curious. . .Would you mind taking a minute to let me know who you are? I don't think you need to register to leave a comment. A first name and city/country would be enough. If you don't mind, though, I would like to know a little more.
03-31-10 Resolution
"Resolution" is a term used in digital photograhy to describe a camera's and/or a lens' ability to show detail. In this photo the detail is evident in the individual grains of pollen that are visible. To be honest, I didn't see this in this little flower until I opened the image on my computer and cropped the flower down to about 1/3 of its orignal size. I continue to be impressed with what 23 million megapixels can do!
Forget the technical stuff, though, and consider this: "resolution" also means "intention," "determination" and even "courage." Can a single crocus be evidence of any of this? Is Nature an "intent?" Or is it an unthinking force?
Don't ask me. . . I just enjoy the emergence of life from the cold, brown earth after a long, cold winter in South Dakota.
Canon 1DII 1/250s f/2.8 ISO400 100mm
03-30-10 Purple and Green
I have no clue what kind of plant this is. But I like it. This was growing in one of the gardens at the Getty Villa in Malibu.
I highly recommend that you visit this beautiful museum, the design of which is based on upscale Roman villa. Admission is free but parking is $15. Reservations are highly recommended.
03-29-10 Trompe l'Oeil
Trompe l'Oeil (pronounced tromp loy) is French for "fool the eye." It applies mainly to extremely realistic paintings, but I thought that this floor tile in the Getty Villa in Malibu also fooled the eye.
While waiting for Deb to get done at the museum store I was attempting to take a photo of my own feet on this tile when a girl and her mother approached and wanted to know if I would take a photo with her camera of her feet. I obliged and then took the same photo with mine. Her shoes were much more photogenic than mine.
03-27-10 Don't Be Koi
I think this is an ugly fish but I am posting the photo because I feel compelled to use the lame title. This was a huge koi in a koi pond at the Sherman Library and Gardens in Corona del Mar, California.
Like many things in our travels, we found this beautiful spot by accident. We were driving south on the Pacific Coast Highway and came to a bit of a traffic jam. Deb looked over and saw the sign for the garden and amazingly, there was an open parking spot right in front. It was destiny.
And it was the destiny of this ugly yellow decidedly un-coy koi to be photographed by me.
03-13-10 Child's Play
The most strking thing about this photo to me is that if I didn't tell you where it was taken, you wouldn't know. These children could be from almost any cosmopolitan city (that had massive bronze public sculptures). The other thing that strikes me is the nature of the play. Is it cooperative? Is it work? Does it have a purpose? And what are they thinking?
Finally, because I tend to see analogies wherever I look, tell me that my photo doesn't in some way seem reminiscent of one of the more famous photos of all time (click). Where was it taken? The city of Delft in the Netherlands.
03-08-10 Ruth
I had the privilege of taking Ruth's portrait a few years ago. She was in her 80's then and beginning to show evidence of the early stages of Alzheimer's. She was a great subject - relaxed, friendly and elegant. At one point she placed her hands on the posing table while I changed the lighting setup in the studio. As so often happens when I am taking portraits, the unplanned poses are the ones that become my favorite. These hands could be any elderly person's hands, I suppose. But they beautifully embody the qualities of their owner. I haven't seen Ruth since the day I took this photo. I hope she is doing well.
Added 3-17-10: Check out Billy's comments below and the story. Here's a quick link to the picture he refers to.
03-05-10 Ready for Prom
in people, Uncategorized
I was skeptical when this subject told me she wanted to pose for one of her senior pictures in a prom dress she had bought on eBay. But when she came out of the dressing room, I could see that this had potential. We took several poses but we liked this one best. Sitting and looking very relaxed and natural, she is surround by the ample pink folds of the gown.
I am always a little nervous when my subjects say they have a prop, though props (like this hot pink prom dress) often add something important. In addition, it helps reflect that subject's personality.
Canon 1DII 1/125s f/7.1 ISO100 40mm