“But rational thoughts lead only to rational thoughts, whereas irrational thoughts lead to new experiences.”- Alan Lightman
Off on a new adventure, been reading Alan Lightman – more to come.
Decided to try the monochrome conversion on the wood stork, he seemed to have pretty good texture and the image didn’t come out flat – like most of my conversions.
Quote found at https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/8933.Alan_Lightman
“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.” Albert Einstein Just finished The Zen of Creativity by John Daido Loori, He was a Buddhist monk, photographer, and artist. Very insightful book. Great follow up study to Frederick Franck’s work. Perhaps in a couple of months if I get over the wonder of new discovery I will be able to focus more on the art side of photography. Info on John Daido Loori can bve found at http://www.mro.org/daido/ . More on Frederick Franck https://picturethisbyfrank.com/2015/01/14/more-inspiration/ and https://picturethisbyfrank.com/2015/01/30/the-awakened-eye-by-frederick-franck/ The quote was in the book.
“Photography is a language more universal than words” – Minor White
Quote found in The Moment of Seeing – Minor White at the California School of Fine Arts.
“Reaching a ‘creative’ state of mind through positive action is considered preferable to waiting for ‘inspiration'” – Minor White 1950
The above quote goes well with the adage that God helps those that help themselves.
Currently reading The Moment of Seeing – Minor White at the California School of Fine Arts by Stephanie Comer and Deborah Klochko with an essay by Jeff Gunderson. Excellent chronology of the school’s development with historical documentary photos of Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, and Minor White among others as well as photographs from the students and teachers at the school dating from the late 40’s/early 50’s. If you love photography and history seek out this book.
Quote comes from the book.
“There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception” – Aldous Huxley
Aldous Huxley was an English writer who was probably best known for his novel “Brave New World”. Although the above quote probably comes from Doors of Perception a non-fiction book about psychedelic drugs. I still find it quite insightful.
Odd parallel – he died the same day as C.S. Lewis.
Quote found at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/unknown.html
“I have often photographed when I am not in tune with nature but the photographs look as if I had been. So I conclude that something in nature says, ‘Come and take my photograph’. So I do regardless of how I feel.” – Minor White
Minor White was zen before there was zen. If that makes sense to anyone. He embodied the principles of zen in his photography, before they were popular in our society. That’s what I got while reading the essays in Eye Mind Spirit – The Enduring Legacy of Minor White edited by Nathan Lyons, a book that was published with an exhibit by the same name at the Howard Greenberg Gallery commemorating what would have been Minor Whites’ 100 birthday.
See some fabulous photos at http://www.howardgreenberg.com/#home – the Howard Greenberg Gallery
Quote found at http://www.photoquotes.com/showquotes.aspx?id=25&name=White,Minor
Photo is mine.
“I am always mentally photographing everything as practice” – Minor White While reading The Zen of Creativity by John Daido Loori I was introduced to Minor White. He was an influential American photographer who co-founded Aperture magazine in 1952. He also was a professor of photography at MIT. To see some of Minor White’s work go here http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/minor_white/ or watch this space. I will be going to the library today to see what’s available – a quick search shows 88 books by or about Minor White – I will be busy.
“You shall draw everything and everyday” Frederick Franck from the Awakened Eye. (I, of course substitute draw with photograph.}
Just finished A Day with Albert Schweitzer – A Lambarenene Landscape by Frederick Franck. A wonderful book sprinkled with great drawings. Frederick Franck was a dentist and artist who spent several months at Albert Schweitzers’ hospital in Lambarene in 1959 and then wrote this travelogue with an honest portrait (written and drawn) of A. S. and late colonial Africa. You can see the early development of F. F.’s later Zen philosophies and love of all living things.
I was very happy to find this book in the library, yet sad that it had not seen the light of day since 1990. The book also bore the markings of F.T.U. which was renamed to UCF in 1978. It will be my last Frederick Franck book for a while as I have exhausted the local library resources.
“Every start upon an untrodden path is a venture which only in unusual circumstances looks sensible and likely to be successful.” – Albert Schweitzer
These photos were taken at Blanchard Park in Eastern Orange County. Lovely park along the Little Econlockhatchee river aka Little Econ. http://www.ocfl.net/CultureParks/Parks.aspx?m=dtlvw&d=8#.VNyG23ba5BI
This river is a tributary of the Econlockhatchee River which is part of the St John’s river system. For more info see http://sjrwmd.com/middlestjohnsriver/econriver.html
As a result of my photo taking and nature walks I have developed an interest in birding. To that end I have borrowed The Audubon Society Handbook for Birders by Stephen W. Kress from the library. Very informative book that covers many details about bird identification and behaviors. There is even a chapter on photographing birds.
Currently I am studying the basic parts of a bird and feeding behaviors. Since there are close to 30 different parts and more than 20 feeding behaviors documented in the book I will concentrate on them before moving onto other behaviors. On my next walks and picture sets I will be looking out for these things.
The above picture was taken at Orlando Wetlands Park. This is an example of stalking feeding behavior. It was taken during a photography workshop in November of last year. There were 8-10 of us with our tripods set watching and waiting for the bird to strike. It was quite fun and reminded me of a celebrity appearance where you here multiple camera shutter sounds. I would love to see some of the other pictures that were taken.
Picture This by Frank 