Abstract Nature: Moss, Cypress and Sky

“It is another nature which speaks to the camera rather than to the eye.”
    — Walter Benjamin, Little History of Photography (1929)

Having a bit of fun going overboard with the various editing tools in OnOne Software’s new Perfect Photo Suite 8, again… Usually after a few days, I’ll get this sort of thing out of my system.

“Moss, Cypress and Sky” [Click the image to enlarge/reduce its size.] Nikon D800, ISO 1000, f/29 at 1/320sec., 90mm
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Predictable Social Behavior

You can find me on Instagram at @EarlHarrisPhoto, where I am posting photos captured and edited on my iPhone – and it includes a lot of cats. #herekittykitty #instagramcats

My eyes twinkle when you tweet me on Twitter: @EarlHarrisPhoto

Of course, I’m on Facebook, too.

Thanks for stopping by!

Camera Curious Cleo

Cleo was 10 years-old when she arrived at the shelter 2 years ago. She lived there for a little more than 3 months before being rescued. A complete sweetheart, one can only presume she got overlooked because of her age, for it certainly couldn’t be an issue of personality. She is friendly, curious, affectionate and quick to try to give humans a bath with her sandpaper tongue. I don’t know if she thinks we’re all dirty or if she just likes the way we taste. Her beautiful tortoise-shell coloring combines with a very distinctive voice and an insatiably curious disposition. She seems to enjoy having a forever home now. Her housekeeper and kitchen staff certainly loves her.

“Camera Curious” [Click the image to enlarge/reduce its size.] Nikon D800, ISO 2500, f/2.0 at 1/125sec., 85 mm
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Let’s Be Social

You can find me on Instagram at @EarlHarrisPhoto. I am posting photos there (including lots of kitty pics!) captured and edited on my iPhone 5. #herekittykitty #instagramcats

Twittering and tweeting from @EarlHarrisPhoto

Locked Up and Ready to Fly

“I wait for the day when life isn’t about being locked up inside yourself, but throwing yourself out into the wind and flying.”
— Abbey Snow

“Western Railroad Supply Co” [Click the image to enlarge/reduce its size.] Nikon D800, ISO 200, f/1.8 at 1/4000

sec., 85 mm

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Observable Social Behaviors:

You can follow me on Instagram at @EarlHarrisPhoto, where I am posting photos captured and edited solely on my iPhone – including a lot of cats. #herekittykitty #instagramcats

Tweet me on Twitter: @EarlHarrisPhoto

I’m also on Facebook.

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Angel Descending

And he saith unto him, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.”
— John 1:51

Today’s image is one I had fun a lot of fun with. It seemed as though she took control when her descent landed her in the Adobe® Lightroom™ “Develop” module. 🙂

As always, your shares, likes and comments are greatly appreciated!

“Descending Angel” [Click the image to enlarge/reduce its size.] Nikon D800, ISO 320, f/2.2 at 1/320 sec., 85mm
You can purchase a print here.

PLEASE vote for this blog in the 2013 Cool Photo Blog Awards – click this and you’re done!

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Social Engagements

Do you like cute cat pics? If so, you should follow me on Instagram at @EarlHarrisPhoto, where I am posting photos captured and edited solely on my iPhone. #herekittykitty #instagramcats

Find me on Twitter: @EarlHarrisPhoto

Thanks for stopping by!

Street Portraiture: Faces of Kissimmee, #7 (Squeek! Squeek!)

As I sat at Mrs. Mac’s restaurant on Wednesday, enjoying a magnificent piece of lemon meringue pie (seriously delicious!), I suddenly became aware of a squeeking sound. So absorbed had I been in overexciting my taste buds, I hadn’t noticed someone had come in and started cleaning the windows. As my back was to one of these, it wasn’t long before we courteously greeted each other; he with a “hello”, and me with a “[unintelligible sound] this pie!”. He smiled and nodded in agreement and left me to my preoccupation.

I left the restaurant a short time later, lamenting that I hadn’t indulged in a second piece of pie but intent on capturing a few photographs for this series. It wasn’t long before I noticed the window washer doing his thing at another downtown storefront. I had still found no victims, save a parking enforcement officer writing a ticket. Though I had asked, he didn’t think it a good idea to be photographed while performing the task he had at hand. (Huh. Imagine that.)

Thinking of so many other things I needed to be doing at home as I took in the view of the empty 3 PM sidewalks ahead, I decided to pack it in. I would turn east and then turn again, heading back toward my car a block off Broadway. It was when I turned east that things changed, for there he was again: the window washer. I realized it was just meant to be.

I introduced myself and as Lee introduced himself in return, he jokingly asked if I was following him. I replied that it was unintentional, but yeah, I was. He told me how he had made his living washing windows in downtown Kissimmee for over 40 years. We spoke of the changes that had transformed the area in the passing of those years. He said I wasn’t the first over those years that wanted to take his photograph, either. I thanked him for letting me be the next one.

“Lee” [Click to enlarge or shrink image.] Nikon D300, ISO 320, f/6.7 at 1/125 sec., 85mm

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Cleo the Cat

“The cat is above all things a dramatist.”
– Margaret Benson

Tortie’s seem to have very distinct and vocal personalities. Cleo is no different. At 11 years old, she is very affectionate and very curious, but very specific about wanting things on her terms. It took a while to gain her confidence and peak her interest in what was going on, but eventually the moment came. Here’s the photo; I hope she likes it.

Nikon D300, ISO 200, f/2.0 at 1/250 sec, 50 mm

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If you missed my earlier post with tips for improving your cat photos, you can read it here.

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Last Stand in Stockton

“I am almost a hundred years old; waiting for the end, and thinking about the beginning.
There are things I need to tell you, but would you listen if I told you how quickly time passes?
I know you are unable to imagine this.
Nevertheless, I can tell you that you will awake someday to find that your life has rushed by at a speed at once impossible and cruel. The most intense moments will seem to have occurred only yesterday and nothing will have erased the pain and pleasure, the impossible intensity of love and its dog-leaping happiness, the bleak blackness of passions unrequited, or unexpressed, or unresolved.”

― Meg Rosoff, What I Was: A Novel

Mamiya 645 Super, Ilford 120, ISO 125, f/16 @ 2 seconds, 55 mm

Never let go of that fiery sadness called desire.
– Patti Smith

It was the 80’s. Life was Good. (#3)

I hope when you are my age, you’ll be able to say – as I have been able to say:
We lived in freedom. Our lives were a statement, not an apology.
– [I can’t believe I’m voluntarily quoting] Ronald Reagan

“Old Daytona Beach” had so much more charm than today’s version. One could say the same about the subject of today’s photo, my lifelong friend, John.

“John” Ilford film & chemistry; Nikon Photomic FTN SLR; lots of cassette-taped music; Daytona Beach boardwalk (near the old clock tower); circa 1980.

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It was the 80’s. Life was Good. (#1)

I had just graduated from high school. The Reagan era, the punk movement in the UK, new wave, amazing and bad and amazingly bad hair styles, innovative clothing and jewelry (at that time, one or twelve safety pins through the ear was extremely extreme!), general civil unrest and a seemingly universal dissatisfaction with the status quo were wonderful creative influences for this kid with an SLR and a darkroom. I was fortunate to have friends that were equally creative in other ways, and who had no qualms about being in front of my camera.

I thought it would be fun to share some of the photos over the next several blog posts that I took of my two closest friends from that era. One (John) is still my best friend; he’s in the photo featured today. Perhaps you’ll recall I wrote about him once before in my tribute to my high school biology teacher, Mrs. Fagerberg. Sadly, the other friend (Danny) was taken from us not too many years after we made his photos.

John had moved to Daytona Beach a few months earlier, just a couple of hours drive away. On one of my first weekend visits to see him after he moved away, we listened to a lot of Gary Numan’s album Telekon and went down to the boardwalk to shoot these photos. From a historical perspective, the boardwalk no longer exists as you’ll see it in the photos taken that day.

I’m still accused of having “purple hair days.” For the record, I really thought it was a good color for me. It went well with the safety pins I’d pierced my ears with.

“John” Ilford film and chemistry. That’s pretty much all I can tell you. Thanks to my dad for scanning the stack of negatives I handed him upon arrival for my recent trip to Florida.

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Do you remember the 80’s? Go on… please post a comment below and share a moment, favorite 80’s band or song.

Mama Mamiya!

Today, I thought I would share one of the first images I captured with my new Mamiya 645 Super medium format film camera (circa 1987). I found this camera, along with 55 mm and 80 mm lenses and a Metz flash, at a pawn shop recently for $100. In three potentially trademarked words, “I’m lovin’ it!”

The downside of this photo and this camera is that it further reminds me how very much I love (and prefer) shooting film!

Mamiya 645 Super, Ilford 120 ISO 100, 4 seconds at f/16, 55 mm

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