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 […]
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 […]
Through coherence, parts unite to form whole systems For me, part of the appeal of this image is that it at once evokes the sensibility of living cells and astronomical bodies—the “innerverse” viewed under a microscope and the universe viewed through a telescope. At both extremes we observe diverse parts that join together to make […]
Awakening to the truth of who we are and what we can become together About two-thousand years ago a radical idea was born, presaged by a star that guided some wise men to a cave in Bethlehem. That idea, “Love they neighbor,” is a simple admonition admired by many but so challenging that, after all […]
How we lift another’s spirit and the human project as a whole In the above sun-flare, I see a dove. As well as “peace,” the dove symbolizes altruism. And in this context, the trees represent the strength and growth that accompanies the privilege of giving and helping. The word “altruism” was coined by French philosopher […]
Qualities and behaviors that inhibit entropy These retired coin-operated newspaper boxes call to mind two fundamental principals in the science of whole systems. The first is “entropy,” a term borrowed from the second law of thermodynamics in physics. It describes the process whereby matter gradually dissipates or declines into a state of disorder. Throughout the […]
Social values are right only if the individual values are right Notice the cloth is fraying in places, threads are broken, and holes are appearing. Is it beyond repair? Or is there something we can do to keep it from unraveling further? One of the lessons I learned from Robert Pirsig’s Zen And The Art […]
Life’s determination to expand from a center or core Layering is how many things grow organically—from the inside out. Metaphorically, when we want to understand an object, system or process we “peel away” the layers so we can see what’s inside or what’s happening. It’s the basis for analysis, taking things apart to look “under […]
Form changes while substance stays the same For me, every element of this image provides opportunity to reflect. The color alone evokes the sensibility of winter, the time of year when, for many of us, the often overcast sky tends to dampen the desire for activity. The lines where snow meets ice and water recalls […]
Open minds and unconditional love My posted contemplations are primarily about appreciation, gratitude and perception. While fear is generally an undesirable sensation, I appreciate it as one of the primary forces that affects human behavior universally. Fear has survival value for individuals, and socially it’s an evolutionary driver. I also appreciate it’s significance as one […]
Contemplative Photography 