The bells and stones have voices but,
unless they are struck, they will not sound.
Chuang-Tzu
One of the purposes of this blog is to bring forth the voices of ordinary things—things that are found in plain sight, but which often go unnoticed and unheard. To that end, the camera is an invaluable tool. By isolating something—more specifically, by eliminating the surrounding background in which the subject is usually lost—the camera can essentially strike the bell and bring forth a an experience that might have otherwise been missed. A few examples follow, and more will be posted from time to time.
Bow of Workboat at Rest
Oxford, Maryland
Carlisle, U.K.
Baltimore, Maryland
Trappe, Maryland
Easton, Maryland
The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.
Dorothea Lange
Pure inspiration, George! Your images stir me as much as your words. You truly have the soul of an artist.
ReplyDeleteThanks, BONNIE. Glad your eye responds to those fragments of light that I, too, find interesting.
ReplyDeleteGeorge these photographs are absolutely stunning. The thing is that you have a good eye and really notice things that others would pass by. This is definitely true of that door in Carlisle.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your generous comment, PAT. The Carlisle photo was taken in the local train station. The cabinet was used by the railway workers to stow their belongings, and I love the history that is reflected by repeated efforts to get the key in the key hole.
ReplyDeleteI get a feeling from this post that I often get here at your place, which is a sudden pang that vibrates into an ache (long and resonant, like a gong). The colors, patterns, objects — and the eye that saw them, or should I say the ear that heard them — do a simultaneous filling and emptying that only a certain multi-level true beauty creates, the kind that arouses emotion.
ReplyDeleteLove 'Weathered Boat Bottom'.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ruth, for your lovely comment. If you're hearing it, perhaps I am striking the right bells and stones.
ReplyDeleteThanks, MAUREEN. Glad you liked the the photo of the weathered boat bottom. When all else fails, you can always find something interesting on the underside of old boats that have been pulled from the water and abandoned.
ReplyDeleteSo much beauty everywhere. The boat bottom is my favourite.
ReplyDeleteThanks, CAIT. Glad you liked these photos.
ReplyDeleteYour words resonate with me -- great post, lovely images -- barbara
ReplyDeleteThanks, BARBARA. So glad to learn that this post and the images resonated with you. Happy New Year.
ReplyDeleteDorthea would be proud of your work -- barbara
ReplyDeleteThanks, BARBARA.
ReplyDeleteHow did I miss this? Your vision and compositions always offer me food for thought as well as enjoyment, George. Glad to see you're "back." PS The boat bottom is my favorite.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your generous comments, BARB. It's rather interesting that many people choose the weathered boat bottom as their favorite. Perhaps there is something is the layers, the peeled surfaces, and the lines of fragmentation that reminds us of our own journeys.
ReplyDeleteGeorge, I've always admired your photographs, being a lover of small details myself. You have an knack for color and form and what is essential (that is visible to the heart as a certain Prince would say). I'm glad you're sharing with us.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind and generous comments, WENDY. Glad you enjoyed these images.
ReplyDelete