08-OCT-2007
Cast Upon the Wind
Sometime during the night I passed another of those milestones—arbitrary and ultimately meaningless—but hard to completely ignore. 200,000 page views for my galleries. This is only a drop in the bucket compared to many Pbase artists. And a person would have to have a screw loose to devote the time and energy necessary to create, maintain, and share these galleries merely to accumulate such “hits.” But as I have said before, there is truly a unique satisfaction that comes from sharing one’s work with others and it’s exciting to think how many different people may have found something interesting to look at here among my photographs. I had already decided to use this picture of a spider web taken along the Eno River for today’s PaD when I saw that the counter had rolled over 200,000. Spider webs are right up there with leaves as subjects that I simply cannot pass without grabbing a shot. A few weeks ago I had written about the stabilimenta that Golden Orb Weavers use to strengthen their webs. But as I was thinking about this shot of a web spun by some unknown species it occurred to me that I didn’t know much about the overall process by which a spider constructs its web. As is my habit, I did a little investigation and quickly learned a number of interesting things about the process. I’ll save the bulk of that information for another time but I want to call attention to one dimension of web construction that makes this shot a perfect metaphor for the artistic process. Like a work of art, a spider web begins with a single thread. So how does the spider connect that thread from one branch, twig, or stem to another? The spider doesn’t jump across the gap spinning a web behind him or her. And s/he doesn’t shoot it across a la Spiderman’s web slingers. No, the spider begins by spinning a single thread that is cast upon the wind to flutter through empty space until its sticky end makes contact with another hard surface. The spider then ties it off and inches across his tightrope spinning a second reinforcing thread as he or she goes. Then it’s back again, laying on another layer of silk until that initial thread is stable and strong. And from this foundation the spider begins to radiate outward. And so, a little over a year ago now, I cast my first picture upon the Pbase winds, and for better or worse, have radiated outward from there to build a large of web of interconnected images. Sometimes they have told the story of my life, sometimes they helped to write it. And the fact that a few eyeballs have gotten stuck in my little corner of the universe for a minute or two only makes the process that much more fun. Let me end by once again offering my thanks for the visit and sincere hope that you enjoyed yourself while you were here. As Jed Clampett says, "Y'all come back now, Ya here!"
07-OCT-2007
Another One
Anyone who has had the unfortunate experience of flipping through an entire gallery of shots that I collected on any given day is sure to wish they never see another leaf. It’s become something of a joke among my friends and family, “Oh, look, another leaf.” I suppose I could cough up some philosophical justification for my preoccupation with foliage such as “Each moment is unique!” or “They’re as different as snowflakes!” But the truth of matter is that it’s just one of those things with me. I love ‘em. I can’t seem to walk by a nicely lit or unusually shaped leaf without squeezing off a shot. This morning I was in leaf heaven as I hiked along the Eno River near Durham, NC. The color is just starting to come in the North Carolina Peidmont and the sun was stabbing through the overstory in bits and pieces to create dramatic pools of warm light. So, ladies and gentlemen, here’s another one. At least you don’ have to suffer through a whole gallery!
06-OCT-2007
An Exception to the Rule
Perhaps Bob Dylan said it best, “You don’t need a Weatherman to know which way the wind blows.” Despite a few drip and drabs of rainfall that have been pushed our way out of the tropics over the last few days, Central North and South Carolina have continued to experience drought conditions that are severe and worsening. Yesterday the U.S. Drought Monitor moved 47 North Carolina counties from the “extreme” to the “exceptional” category—their “highest” rating. This shot was taken at Everett B. Jordan Lake near Raleigh. A major source of drinking water (as well outdoor recreation)for the entire Triangle area the lake is now several feet below is its normal level and huge areas of the bottom are high and dry. Whole forests of trees that were once completely submerged now break the surface of what water does remain. It is a ghostly scene that hopefully will soon be the stuff of memories. CCR may have had it wrong because most all of North and South Carolina are now asking “Who’ll START the rain!”
30-SEP-2007
Gather Ye Rosebuds
I have been on the road to North Carolina this evening and so I am posting late. This is another of my favorite shots from the trip to the Susan B. Duke Gardens that I took last weekend, and though it isn't exactly a rosebud from which this little bee draws the last pollen of summer, I hope you'll allow a little poetic license as I borrow Robert Herrick's famous verse:
Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying:
And this same flower that smiles to-day
To-morrow will be dying.
The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,
The higher he's a-getting,
The sooner will his race be run,
And nearer he's to setting.
That age is best which is the first,
When youth and blood are warmer;
But being spent, the worse, and worst
Times still succeed the former.
Then be not coy, but use your time,
And while ye may, go marry:
For having lost but once your prime,
You may for ever tarry.
04-OCT-2007
Two for One
In the light
Of the mirror
I see myself
Reflected
And don’t
Everything I want
And don’t have
Everything I have
And don’t want
Everything I could be
Palm to palm
Eye to eye
Toe to toe
Climb
When I am ready
To fall
Fall
When I am ready
To scoop you up
Run
And run
These aren’t the same battles
Though they seem to be
With each star crossed transit
The light grows
It does
And the darkness fades
It does
I tell you
It does
Cheek to cheek
Nose to nose
Heart to heart
Cast aside
The crowd of fears
And open your eyes
I will follow
I open my hand
You follow too
A ripple
Flows across
The liquid glass
Rolling ever higher
I see myself
Refracted
One
Where there were two
Two
Were there was one
Finally joined
For the first
For the last
Time
Moving forward
Together
01-OCT-2007
From Berry Shoals to Tucapau
“A pond was dug and a community sprouted around it.”
(History of Berry Shoals Intermediate School) The exact date that a dam was erected across the South Tyger River in northern Spartanburg county to create Berry Shoals Pond has been lost to history. But the placid little lake that rose up on land owned by the Berry family sometime in the late 19th century still remains part of the Upstate landscape. I often drive past the lake on my travels through the backcountry and I have stopped a time or two for photographs. Yesterday I was again in the area and I pulled over to explore. This time I headed downstream of the lake to see what was below the dam as the river continues on its journey south. The view from the road is blocked walked by a thick stand of trees but I spotted a dirt path and after making my way down the hill I came upon this view of the spillway. I realized the stone dam was a surprisingly impressive structure—about 70 feet tall. I suspected it must have been built to host one of the many textile mills that once lined the banks of most Upstate waterways. When I returned home and began to investigate I discovered I was partially correct. Berry Shoals Dam had once been the site of a small hydroelectric facility. The power generated there was sent two and half miles cross country to one of the Upstate’s most famous textile mills—Tucapau Mill (later changed to Startex Mills) which began operation in 1897. On the website of the Startex/Tucapau Historical Society is an excerpt from the
diary of Christine Barry that is said to have been “found in the trunk of an old car.” She describes important events in the history of Tucapau Mill (which comes from a Catawba word meaning “strong cloth), including the following: “The mill has been making improvements (now for several years) until Tucapau is indeed one of the best mill towns in the Piedmont section. It now has an electric plant at Berry Shoals that operates part of the mill.” The Berry Shoals facility apparently began operating in 1900 and was shut down in 1963. As you know, I am always fascinated by the connection between the places to which my photograph adventures take me and as my research continued I learned that the Tucapau Mill was also damaged by the Great Pacolet Flood of 1903. After several changes of ownership Tucapau changed its name to Startex in 1936—a popular brand of household textiles including dish towels. Just two years earlier, Tucapau had also been the sight of the bitter (and deadly) textile strikes of 1934 led by the United Textile Workers of America. The Startex/Tucapau Historical Society preserves the
oral history of John Wilson who, as a boy of 11, recalls that “You were either a striker and or you were not. There was nothing in between….The thing I remember more vividly about the strike was that that the strikers were called Cabbage Heads and the non-strikers were called Red Apples. Here’s why: With no income, food was in short supply for all. Someone who looked with favor on the strikers brought in a wagonful of cabbage and distributed them to strikers and their families. Not to be outdone, someone who favored the non-strikers came in with a wagonful of red apples and distributed them to non-strikers. Hence, the nicknames.” The Uprising of ’34—as it later became known—was eventually crushed by the private security forces hired mill owners working in cooperation with local police. Those events set the stage for another 50 years of low wages and dangerous working conditions for southern mill workers. Eventually the multinational corporate interests behind the mill industry discovered that workers in foreign countries could be treated even more poorly than non-unionized Americans and Startex ceased operation in 1997. By 1999 the mill had been “dismantled,” which is a kind way of saying bulldozed to the ground. This afternoon I drove to the area where Startex once stood and the only things which remain are a few outbuilding and the great brick smokestacks that rise from the banks of the Middle Tyger River. In a final twist of fate, I learned that, back down stream at Berry Shoals where my adventure began, the dam I had photographed almost had a second life. In 2001
a study was commissioned to look into retrofitting the dam for to meet the needs of future generation for “clean” electrical power. The authors determined that such a project could be economically feasible, but as of yet, the power of the river remains un-harnessed. We'll have to see what the future holds.
02-OCT-2007
A Second Look
I gave up on the true spirit of PaDing after only three months. Trying to capture, edit, and write about a fresh shot each and every day was just more than my schedule could handle. But I still try to keep my PaD choices as close as possible to the time when they taken. This shot represents a change in that practice. It was taken in early July near Raleigh at a place Allison and I call the “duck pond.” The “duck pond” is a fairly large urban lake that is circumnavigated by a paved sidewalk. It is usually busy with walkers and runners and while it isn’t exactly a scenic location we have fun going there because there are flocks of geese and ducks who are eager to be fed scraps of bread and other such treats. As you can see, heron also make the lake home. This particular fellow was stalking prey beneath an overhanging bush and it created unusual lighting conditions that resulted in the surreal colored reflections. I supposed it would have made a decent PaD shot at the time but I passed on it. It’s always been one of Allison’s favorites and we happened to stumble across a print of it over the weekend. Rediscovering this photograph me think about the role that context plays it what a shot means to me and what factors shape my PaD choices. I had just returned from Florida when I took the picture and I had encountered many Blue Heron there so it just didn’t have the impact it might have under different circumstances. In addition, in my mind, I usually associate Heron with saltwater, though, of course, they are equally at home in lakes and streams. And even though there is no way for the viewer to know I encountered the bird in a less than scenic location, I knew and it changed how I related to the photograph. Now, three months later, my recent posts have been flower and plant heavy and it seems like forever since I encountered a nice looking bird to add to the mix. Ironically enough, I gathered a few shots of another heron on a nearby lake yesterday afternoon but they were a distance and not nearly as dramatic as this scene. But it sparked a memory of this image and it seemed like a perfect opportunity to reach back into the vault let it see the light of day. So this one’s for Allison. I hope you enjoy it too.
01-OCT-2007
A Dream of Peace; A Dream of Change
Heat lingers
As days are still long;
Early mornings are cool
While autumn is still young.
Dew on the lotus
Scatters pure perfume;
Wind on the bamboos
Gives off a gentle tinkling.
Po Chu-I (772-864) Autumn Coolness, translated by Howard S Levy and Henry Wells
According to
Waverly Fitzgerald , "Although there is a botanical distinction, the lotus and water lily are often used interchangeably in folklore and mythology." The lotus is one of the most important symbols of Buddhism. Like human beings, the lotus begins its life deep in the muck of the pond bottom but slowly flowers into a state of enlightenment. The purple lotus represents the mystical principle; the magic of change.
As all of you should know, the brave Buddhist monks of Burma have given their lives to protest the brutal military dictators that rule a country now called Myanmar. The junta refused to recognize the landslide democratic electoral victory of Suu Kyi in 1990, and even after she won the Noble Peace Prize the following year, they placed her under arrest in 2003. The thugs who rule Myanmar have continued to drag the country deeper and deeper into economic deprivation and cultural repression. And still the people resist. The thousands of monks who took to the streets flanked by ordinary citizens hungry for democracy met the bullets and Billy clubs of the police with a simple chant: “May there be peace.” And to that I add, May there soon be change. May the lotus bloom.
30-SEP-2007
Hidden Beauty
Today I made my first trip to the Sarah P. Duke Gardens on the campus of Duke University. These nationally acclaimed gardens were constructed in the late 1930’s under the direction of Ellen Shipman—a pioneer of American landscape design. The centerpiece of the gardens is a series of stone tiered flower beds that cover an entire hillside with exotic blooms of every color. It is a favorite backdrop for weddings and one had just finished as my friend and I explored the area. Even though there was a bright sun overhead the temperature remained pleasant and there was a large crowd of people enjoying a Sunday afternoon walk through the gardens. As you might imagine, it was truly a photographic bonanza. The light was warm and constant and everywhere I turned where beautiful individual flowers and whole beds waving in unison against the dark blue sky. And yet, despite collecting a card full of dramatic shots, I can’t say it was the kind of experience I really enjoyed. It was all too much. Too many people, too much artifice in how the flowers were collected and displayed, too much conspicuous consumption behind it all. (Keep in mind, I am a graduate of the University of North Carolina so I am predisposed to view anything connected to Duke with a certain suspicion.) In any event, one of my favorite shots of the day was this humble little red clover hiding among a tangle of shoots and leaves. As I have said before, I am drawn to beauty that doesn’t know itself to be. Whether growing in a quiet pasture or tucked in the corner of an acclaimed garden, I prefer this shy clover to the bright painted harlequins who raise their noses in the air and beg to be noticed.
29-SEP-2007
Throwing Things
by Superchunk
I'm blowing up the street like a leaf
I skin my back a few times you'll see
Head over heels, my hands on my heart
I'm making a promise, and that's a start
You're leaving a trail for me
I see you up in the tallest tree
Throwing things down at me
I'm starting to climb, well I'm starting on my knees
Somewhere along the way
Dusk it turns back into day
The sky is orange
The trees lie down against it
You're leaving a trail for me
I see you up in the tallest tree
Throwing things down at me
I'm starting to climb, well I'm starting on my knees
YYYYEEEEEEEAAAAAAHHH!
28-SEP-2007
My Turn
There are some subjects that no matter how many times I have photographed them I can’t resist pointing the lens in their direction one more time. Dragonflies certainly fall into that category. Given the frequency with which they appear among the PaDs it seems I’m not alone. But even though I often collect passable images of these interesting insects I have never chosen to post one. Part of the reason has to do with living up to the high standards set by the very best insect photographers like Dave Wixx. But today when I stumbled upon this pretty Ruby Meadowhawk in a particularly nice spot of light I knew it was my turn to join the dragonfly parade. I’m sure most of you know that these attractive flyboys (and girls) are deadly predators. They use their keen eye sight and nimble flight skills to snatch smaller insect such as mosquitoes and flies from mid-air. In fact, dragonflies are the fastest insect in the world—reaching speeds of almost 40 mph! Their aerial combat abilities have even attracted the attention of the U.S. Navy. Recent research funded by the Navy has found that dragonflies utilize a strategy called “active motion camouflage.” This technique makes dragonflies seem like they are stationary to would be prey or rivals by maintaining a constant position relative to the field of view. Dragonflies can also cover long distances in the air if need be. One study recorded a dragonfly traveling 85 miles in a single day. The good news for you insectophobics is that dragonflies are harmless to humans, though they may give you a little nip if trapped or handled. That’s just one reason that I think I’ll stick to capturing them with my camera. And no matter how many times I happen to catch a glimpse of one these aerial gladiators I’m almost sure to point, shoot, and enjoy.
27-SEP-2007
...Going on Seventeen
I have a confession to make: I am a sucker for the film “The Sound of Music.” If I happen to bump into this classic movie musical while flipping channels I’m almost sure to stay for awhile...maybe even for the whole thing. And so, whenever I see a gazebo I can’t help but think of the wonderful scene where sixteen year old Liesel shares her first kiss with the mail boy in the starlit gazebo of her father’s home. As you can see, the architects of the newly renovated Cleveland Park in Spartanburg have been kind enough to identify the large gazebo located on an island in the small lake with a bright sign for anyone who might be confused as to what they are looking at. When this shot appeared on my screen the sign made me suddenly curious about the origin of this strange word. I quickly discovered it is one of those unsolvable mysteries. Though free standing structures with open sides used for rest and relaxation have existed since the first gardens of Ancient Egypt more than 5,000 years ago, they weren’t called “gazebos” until the mid-1700’s. One theory is that the word originates from the English “gaze” combined with a humorous Latinized ending “bo.” But the first known use of the term is in a 1752 book by William Halfpenny called “New Designs for Chinese Temples.” He claimed the word derived from some now lost Asian root. But etymologists have been unable to determine with certainty which of these theories (or any other for that matter) is correct. In any event, gazebo-like structures were popular in Rome and Greece, Persia (where they were called “kiosks”), 15th Century Elizabethan gardens, during the Italian Renaissance (when they were called “belvederes”—meaning a beautiful view), 18th century Chinese gardens (tea houses), and in the modern world where they came serve as a symbol of wealth and social status. Though slightly different in design and location, what these structures all seem to have in common is their non-utilitarian function. To quote one website, gazebos are “a place of retreat disconnected from the household.” They symbolize the great human aspiration to, at times, do nothing at all but enjoy the view of everything that is around them. And perhaps for that reason it is an ideal space for lovers, young and old, to share their first kiss.
