what sound looks like

what sound looks like, originally uploaded by zen♫.

Overheard today: It sounds like we're making a lot of noise! Well, it would have to... right?

vaca-tion, cowness

coming back from vacation in florida and my mind is all akimbo. In only a week and a few days my routine has been crumbled like a saltine cracker. I can't think straight nor make enough sense to start thinking straight.

We listened to David Sedaris' new collection on CD on the way down and that man had us laughing hard and me wanting to write (Like on Stephan). Or at least finish the writing i've started such as "Birthday Kiss."

I also find that my 'photographic eye' didn't exactly translate well on vacation - the things i go for, think about, and meditate upon while photographing just didn't happen in Florida. It felt that something was amiss because of the heat, or the light was different, or the towns we visited were touristy and didn't have the grit, the trashiness that i think i photograph well. But the truth is, something was missing from me - either a desire or a muse or a divine spark of some kind.

I wanna think about that and see what i photograph back home in Asheville.

in florida

.

I'm in Florida and i've forgotten the power adapter to my laptop. So, i'm sort of going thru a withdrawal of being able to download and post photos to Flickr. I feel like i've been left in the car. I know i'll be home, but the lack of being able to process - which i'm guessing is a crutch of sorts, a perceived need leaves me feeling kinda small. And maybe more determined to understand what it is i do when i have those things with me.

Maybe it's good for me. Maybe.

dreamsicle moth

dreamsicle moth

my inspiration is ultimately nature. what nature does to man's things, what nature shows in growth, development or accident - i love it.

This is the Rosy Maple Moth, Dryocampa rubicunda, unphotoshopped.

the DaVinci Code debates

Those who know the truth have - by definition - stopped looking for it.

grafitti decaying on wooden door

There's something fascinating about graffiti that is nearing the end of its informative (or decorative) life. Graffiti is by nature temporary because it is both unwanted by the greater society and placed on materials that are either already in decay or deliberately rescoured by people who want to eradicate it or maintain a different, usually cleaner, image.

Fresh Graffiti can be vivid and poignant, but when old and transitional it appeals to me because it feels to me like it is being reabsorbed into the fabric of our life, like nutrients reused by living things in general.

his master's shade of yellow

just down the road from me.

the balance of objectivity

or the last couple of days i have been volunteering at the Botanical Gardens at Asheville as part of their annual "Day in the Gardens" where we sell plants and allow vendors of native plants to come sell for the weekend. It's been fun, hard, and very social, but i've had no time to view my friends' Flickr photos.

Lots of wonderful friends and Helen and i got the chance to share the good news about our engagement.

Above is a photo of the BGA's payment tent with our Office Specialist Claire (O'Dare as i call her) looking thoughtful.

she said yes!

she said yes!, originally uploaded by zen♫.

Last night we had Helen’s sisters over, Rebecca and Carolyn. Helen made a beautiful salmon and spinach meal which we ate outside on the porch with birds singing. After dinner, during the talk of childhoods and laughter, I got on my knees next to Helen’s chair and told her how much I adored her and then asked if she’d marry me. Her sisters bolted upright and thought I was kidding, but I was offering sweet Helen this ring.

Helen was not expecting it at all and was still ogling the ring when I continued, “But wait! If you act now, we’ll throw in this pearl necklace, pearl earring and bracelet set,” and put the Zales boxes in front of her. I would’ve thrown in Ginsu Knives if that’s what it took, but she kissed me and told me she loved me, and “yes.”

aerosol detail

aerosol detail, originally uploaded by zen♫.

downtown is a wonderful place to look for abstracts. urbanscape's lines and straightness makes anything organic seem to jump out and demand my attention. This is a closeup of a stenciler's art with paint dripping from some other source.

under the voting tent

sky view
Originally uploaded by zen♫.

yesterday spent several hours helping helen man the district information tent (democrat). The idea was to provide people with information on the Judges, which few knew anything about and the Mountain Express didn't much cover. Most people we saw went into the school to vote and came back out and asked us for literature/discussion/guidance. We had some information, but not much except how the progressive democrat should vote. Judges are by nature non-partisan.

It was a good day with my sweet helen and got a few photos in on a mostly warm mostly sunny day.

abstracts

Not too long after getting my first digital camera (an apple quicktake 150 with a whopping 8 photos of 640x480 before filling up), i starting loving the image for the image's sake. The play of pattern, color, shape, of light without regard to subject. To me it's no more or less art because its undefined, it's just more varied, more visual to me.

The first shot on the right is a shot of a solarium panel where the protective coating has been baked by the sun and started to peel. It looks interesting enough to me that even i - knowing what it is - don't try too hard to process its 'thingness.' I enjoy the moments within it.

I think that was the beginning of moving away from taking photos of people. Too object-ive. We as viewers and me as photographer are too anxious to process the face as object, to see the person or the personality of faceness. I may get back to that one day, but for now my vision is filled with lack of objects.

I still take photos of things, flowers especially. And it's odd in that i really like, or perhaps need to know what it is i'm photographing. Name it. Objectify it.

And i tend to define abstract rather loosely. It's not so important that the subject matter not be known; it's more important that the viewer is faced with the pattern more predominantly than the subject.

With all that i fully admit i don't know what i'm doing other than practicing my types of 'seeing.' Seeing hopefully in a way of knowledge as Carlos Casteneda frames it.