Study in Lines

Surprising the number

of lines, shapes,

convergences,

reflection,

light and shadow...

...then the small detail

of the scrollwork

in the pieces of wood

under the eaves.

Taken 30 January 2019.

One Fallen Leaf

It lay as I found it.

I did not move it.

Different angles, different reflections of the sky.

One small juniper needle

sticking out like a drinking straw.

This last one is my favorite.

Taken 11 December 2016.

Rest and Reflection

Bossley the pug,

reflected in the sunlit glass

of our TV stand.

He loves the sunshine.

He loves to be close to us.

He loves snuggly warmth.

He rests well.

A dog's life.

Ripples

Often

we are able to

sustain an outward appearance

of serenity and calm -

or at least of

relatively unruffled

tolerance -

even when

our gut is

churning

with uncertainty and doubt

or

roiling

in reaction to external

disturbances.

But sometimes

the inner ripples

find their way

to the surface

and our demeanor

betrays our inner battles.

The top photo

was cropped from the one

immediately above,

which is a picture of the water

and part of a pier

at Fisherman's Wharf

in Monterey, CA.

Taken 30 December 2011.

Frog with Underbite

I was never quite able to figure out what was causing

these funny eye-shaped reflections,

but I noticed that in conjunction with 

the odd projection at the base of the wall

this gives the appearance of a

sleepy frog with an underbite.

Taken 13 May 2011.

Reflections of Abandonment

The former Fort Ord on California's Central Coast

still has many unused buildings

nearly twenty years after the post was closed.

This is a wet loading dock behind one of the buildings.

Taken 7 October 2011.

Going With The Flow

Sometimes the most ordinary objects

suddenly take on a mysterious

artistic flair.

Or not...

At the time,

and still now as I look at this photo,

it is brimming with interest:

lines, light, shadow, reflection, shapes, textures.

It attracts and sustains attention.

Taken 15 October 2010, Garden Grove, California.

Autumn Reflection

Towpath along canal

in Georgetown

(Washington, DC).

Taken 19 November 2010.

Double-Pane Reflection

I was surprised by how much

the colors remained true

in this echoing

reflection.

Taken 19 March 2011.

Shard

I wish I had placed a dime

next to this piece of broken mirror

to show scale.

When I took the picture

I didn't even think about

the idea that I was

capturing my own reflection.

Here's the full

original snapshot:

Taken on 8 October 2010.

Les Lumieres

Any guesses?

I was shooting directly up

into a lit chandelier

in a mirrored

passageway

in a hotel in DC.

Light,

mirrors,

topsy-turvy,

carpet patterns,

columns, bannisters,

geometry, lines, bevels.

I did not use the flash

because of the mirrors.

Below is my unretouched photo.

I don't usually "adjust" the pics I post

except for a bit of occasional

creative zooming and cropping.

On this one I adjusted the brightness

to see if the mirrors on the ceiling and walls would appear.

They did, and

SURPRISE!

so did the carpet and columns and bannisters.

Fun.

And a little disorienting.

Taken on 15 November 2010.

Garden Grove Architecture

I decided

to make the Southern California architecture

posts

a threesome:

Within a stone's throw of Disneyland

is this eye-popping Glass House,

actually called "The Crystal Cathedral."

Note the "breezeway" in the pic above.

Sun setting behind the tower

surrounded by acolyte palms.

Tip of the tower -

very OZ-inspiring!

Sadly

The Crystal Cathedral

filed for bankruptcy

a week after I took these pictures.

Taken on 12 October 2010.

Reflected Palms

Simply a stand of palm trees reflected in a car window.

Taken in Garden Grove, California; 14 October 2010.

Handy Canon PowerShot A590.