spring creek

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Spring Creek …  f/5.6     1/4,000s    300mm     800 ISO

Choose one subject, anything will do — your own house, or the house opposite, or the next house — and in place of a tripod, drive a stake into the ground, nail a board on top of this, and make a screw hole in the board for the screw of your camera . . . Photograph your subject at every hour of the day, on fine days, and at intervals on dull days, photograph it after it has been rained on for weeks, and after it has been sun-dried for months.

~Frank Meadow Sutcliffe (cited: The Aperture History of Photography Series)

Liu Ru Shi

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rippling reflections….Nikon D750   f/4.8  1/250   62mm   800 ISO

The weeping willows stand east of the curtained bowers;
Orioles and butterflies pass through the faded flowers.
But peach blossoms on Cold Food Day are beautified
By beauties living or buried by the lakeside.

~Liu Rushi

The other day, while wandering about YouTube, I stumble upon a Chinese movie, “Liu Ru Shi,” and was memorized by the story of her life’s journey within the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

The amazing cinematography that went into the telling of Liu Rushi’s life introduced me to a woman who is known as one of the “Eight Beauties of Qinhuai.” She was celebrated in her time for her beauty and talents and later appreciated and cherished for her integrity and patriotism.

Liu Rushi was not her original name, but a name she gave herself from one of her favorite poems written by Xin Qiji of the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

The movie begins at the time she was sold by her family to a prostitute as a stepdaughter and then, as a maidservant, to a rich scholar family. During the time in the Zhou household, she was educated in literature, poetry, music, calligraphy and painting. When Zhou died, she returned to a brothel when his wife and concubines threw her out of the home.

Liu often dressed as man, writing poems and discussing current affairs with scholars. She developed close relationships with a number of scholars such as Li Daiwen, Zong Zhengyu and Chen Zilong. She and Chen Zilong became romantically close; yet, when she learned that marriage was not an option he could consider she ended the relationship.

Years later, Liu introduced herself at home of Qian Qianyi, a well-known scholar and retired official, dressed in men’s clothing. Three years after their initial meeting Qian, in his late 50s, chose to disregard social norms and they married.  The movie illustrates a close and supportive marriage, the events that occurred during her pregnancy with their daughter, and the struggles they experienced as the rebels entered Beijing and the Qing Dynasty took control.

Liu committed suicided a few months after Qian, 83 years of age, passed away.

Willow feathers fly into dream
Smoky moon brings out sorrow
From the moment I was thrown into the dusty world
I have experienced so many things and met so many people
So many crossroads
So much helplessness
Now I know that we will never understand
All the things happening around
Therefore I spent my whole life
To clean up the dusts my desires collected
Then I can be worry free and back to calmness.

Note:  While trying to find published works of Liu Rushi’s poems I learned that she had some of her writings published alongside her husband’s.  Yet, my research has not been very fruitful.  If you know of any English translations, I would appreciate hearing from you.

a photo study: abstract photography

Photography is representational by nature in that the subject(s) within most images depict the real world and usually are easily recognizable; for example, a photograph of tree generally looks very much like a tree.

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Ted Forbes notes that abstract photography within the art world is drawn from skills that are different from other forms of art and, “It is something that we are not used to seeing in every day life…When it is done well, it stands out and it’s really exciting. When it is not done well, it is weird.”

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Fundamentally, abstract art is a visual form that does not convey a realistic depiction of the world.  This departure from reality can be partial or complete; therefore, we are often uncertain about the identification of the subject.  Photographs within this genre diverge from a realist depiction of the world through the use of form, color, and lines.

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Form is the shape of the elements within the image and is the foundation of an abstract image. When creating abstract photography, ask yourself, “is there an interesting form/shape with this image?”

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The variations and contrast of colors within art create interesting images and evoke feelings within the viewer.

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Lines within the image directs the viewer’s eye and creates a dynamic image by emphasizing movement.

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There are different techniques photographers use to create abstract image: 1) selective focus, 2) light and shadow, 3) lines and textures, 4) blur, 5) zooming, 6) moving the camera or subject, 7) double exposure, and 8) moving in close or standing far away.

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I’ve come to understand abstract/non-representational imagery as an absence of the type of discrimination and labeling process that seeks an answer to, “what is that?” to one that invites the viewer to explore, “what feelings does this image evoke?”

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Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and for the exchange of ideas and photographs.  I am inspired by the process of viewing and exchanging ideas with other bloggers and am excited about walking through your galleries of abstract/nonrepresentational photographs.   I hope you find Ted Forbes’ video interesting.

watch the waters flow

Don’t dye it, don’t pull it out,
let it grow all over your head.
No medicine can stop the whiteness,
the blackness won’t last out the fall.
Lay your head on a quiet pillow, hear the cicadas,
idly incline it to watch the waters flow.
The reason we can’t rise to this broader view of life
is because, white hair, you grieve us so!

~Ch’i-chi (864-937)      Translation: Burton Watson

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Nikon D750     f/7.1    1/320    44mm    100 ISO   (neutral density lens)

mindful energy

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Nikon D750      f/1.8   1/10   35mm   100 ISO   (neutral density lens)

Every moment that we’re alive in this body, in this human manifestation, we’re emitting energy. This energy can be transformed but it can’t die; it remains in the world forever. … A thought is an action because it already has energy and it has the power to affect things. When we produce a thought of compassion, understanding, and love, that thought has the power to heal our body, our mind, and the world. If we produce a thought of hatred, anger, or despair, that thought has an affect not only on ourselves but on the world; it can destroy us and lead to the obstruction of many other lives.

Suppose a nation produces a collective thought of anger and fear and decides to go to war. The whole country is then producing fear and anger. That collective fear and anger can cause much real destruction and suffering. … The thoughts and feelings we send out to into the world have a powerful effect. Every thought we produce, everything we do and say, is an action. These actions continue forever. They can transform, but like the cloud, they will not disappear. We have to recognize the power of our [actions] and make a firm determination to be mindful of our thoughts, speech, and actions in order to heal ourselves and the Earth.

Thich Nhát Hanh, Love Letter to the Earth

photo study: shutter speed

This week’s photo study is an exploration of shutter speed.  Shutter speed, a basic photographic component, is defined as the amount of time your camera allows light to enter your camera.  The variables of a scene being photographed together with the size of aperture and the shutter speed have the potential to create unique images.

A fast shutter speed will freeze moving objects.

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Nikon D750     f/5.6   1/2,500  300mm   100 ISO

While fast shutter speeds create crisp and sharp images, slow shutter speeds — open for half a second or longer – extends the length of time light is entering your camera.  This light is continuously  being influenced by the motion within the scene and thus creating blurry, foggy, silky, or milky elements within an image.

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Nikon D750    f/22    1s    35mm    100 ISO

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Nikon D750    f/8   241s   24mm   100 ISO

The shutter speed in panning photography can be as low as 1/20 or as fast as 1/125.  The trick is to match the speed of the subject with your speed of panning.  The inclusion of motion blur within street photography is often created with a high aperture setting, a low as possible ISO, and a low shutter speed.

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Nikon D750   f/29   1/6s  75mm  100 ISO

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Nikon D750   f/9    1/20s     85mm     320 ISO

The images below are examples of various shutter speeds with the same aperture and ISO settings.

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Nikon D750     f/7.1    1/60s   35mm    100 ISO

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Nikon D750     f/7.1    1/30s    35mm    100 ISO

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Nikon D750     f/7.1   1/20s    35mm    100 ISO

Thank you for taking the time to visit.  I hope you enjoy Ted Forbes’ discussion of shutter speed and his nighttime images.  Would love to hear your thoughts and see your creative work.

with each breath…

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Spring Creek         Nikon D750   f/2   1/40s   35mm   100 ISO

The foundation of all mindfulness practice is awareness of the breath. There is no mindfulness without awareness of our in-breath and out-breath. Mindful breathing unites the body and mind and helps us to become aware of what is going on inside us and around us. In our daily life, we often forget that mind and body are connected. Our bodies are here but our minds are not. Sometimes we lose ourselves in a book, a film, the internet or an electronic game, and we’re carried off, far away from our body and the reality of where we are. Then, when we lift our head out of the book or look up from the screen, we may be confronted with feelings of anxiety, guilt, fear, or irritation. We rarely go back to our inner peace, to our inner island of calm and clarity, to be in touch with Mother Earth.

We can get so caught up in our plans, fears, agitations, and dreams that we aren’t living in our bodies anymore and we’re not in touch with our real mother, the Earth, either. We can’t see the miraculous beauty and magnificence that our planet offers to us. We are living more and more in the world of our minds and becoming increasingly alienated from the physical world. Returning to our breathing brings body and mind back together and reminds us of the miracle of the present moment. Our planet is rich here, powerful, generous, and supportive at every moment. Once we recognize these qualities in the Earth, we can take refuge in her in our difficult moments, making it easier for us to embrace our fear and suffering and to transform it.

Awareness of the in-breath and out-breath first of all calms us down. By paying attention to your breathing, without judgment, you bring peace back to your body, and release the pain and tension. …

When our minds and bodies have calmed down, we begin to see more clearly. When we see more clearly, we feel more connected to ourselves and to the Earth and we have more understanding. When there is clarity and understanding, love can bloom because true love is based on understanding.

…Each breath contains nitrogen, oxygen, and water vapor as well as other trace elements, so each breath that we inhale contains the Earth. With each breath, we’re reminded that we are part of this beautiful life-giving planet.

~Thich Nhát Hahn, (Love Letter to the Earth)