Making the slightest contact, separate masses tend to “pull” to one another Reflecting upon these raindrops, I’m drawn more to their journey than to my usual inclination to trace subject matter back to its origins—perhaps because the first appearance of water on Earth has not yet been ascertained. Water known however, that gravity keeps it […]
What’s a citizen to believe? With all the buzz about “false” and “fake” news, foreign influence in elections, intelligence leakers, inflammatory talk shows, social media manipulators and AI capabilities, how can we know the truth of anything that’s being reported? We can’t. Given any situation that’s reported, we weren’t present to experience what actually happened. […]
Nothing is what it appears to be In this image I reflect on the notion of “reality,” that it’s both individual and a construct. There’s the reality that I, as the photographer, experienced—the bright sun and the people on the hill. And part of that reality includes cars in a parking lot and an observation […]
“Exquisite” happens when parts unite to form a greater whole Aside from the beauty of the reflections, the image of this motorcycle encourages several lines of contemplation. The first is a deep appreciation for the human capacity to extract elements from the earth and shape them into virtually unlimited forms. Size, shape and surface, even […]
Seeing the best in us raises the rest of us and gives us hope There are certain people in the world who bolster our estimation of humanity and contribute hope for the future. By the quality of their character, defined by social theorist Amitai Etzioni as “the psychological muscle that moral conduct requires,” they demonstrate […]
Under stress, we can at least gather our feathers This image of a flamingo illustrates the kind of composure referred to as “equanimity”—steadiness of mind under stress. Calm. His feathers aren’t ruffled. His posture reminds me of the social science phenomenon of “cocooning,” a term coined in the 90’s by trend forecaster Faith Popcorn to describe how […]
The random arrangement of visual elements juxtaposing lights and darks in this image comes near to creating abstraction because the subject matter is easily “read.” Another aesthetic feature here is the number of visual elements, each tonal change representing one of them. The more there are, the more complex the image, so there’s increased potential […]
Although this weld bead is not a good one from the perspective of a welder, it caught my attention as a potentially abstract image, rich with color, texture and highlights. When I came across the image, the word “joining” came to mind, eliciting some observations for contemplation. Some of the metaphoric implications are obvious, others […]
High in the field of frigid darkness The place where potentials reside, Atoms rise, congregate and coalesce. I am born, a vaporous singularity. Wandering there, I reach out to the closest being A speck of dust carried in an atmospheric wave, Clinging, descending. The order within expresses symmetry, six arms. Growing, gaining […]
What we see depends on where we stand In a film script, Point of View (POV) can indicate the camera position or the viewpoint of a character. In a screening of an episode of “24,” the TV series featuring Kiefer Sutherland, the President of the United States and the Vice-president vehemently disagreed on whether or […]
Contemplative Photography 