Swan Reflection

Swan Reflection, Imperial Palace, Tokyo, Japan, February 2007, Nikon D40 with 18-200mm VR lens, Focal length 75mm, Exposure 1/250 sec @ f5.3, ISO 200, no flash, circular polarizing filter © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Which is real -- the swan or its reflection? Of course, they both are "real", right? But you cannot have the reflection without the swan, so perhaps the swan is "more real"? Or perhaps I have to ask instead about the water, since without the water, there is no medium for reflection?

Step back further and ask about the observer. If there is no one to see the reflection, does it exist? Depending on the angle of the observer, and the sun, one may or may not see a reflection. Or one observer may see it, and one in another location, may not.

I think the answer is that the only thing which is real is the observer-swan-water-sun-reflection-etc... combination. Remove any one of this endless chain of being, and what you see here will not have ever existed. It is that level of dependency, that cocreativity, which really defines being.

So what does that mean? Well, it means, essentially, that you cannot "really" cut up the world into separate subjects and objects. The swan does not exist in isolation. Just like its reflection. Nor do you.

Think of the swan as a energy perturbation in a continuum known (for the moment) as the universe. That energy perturbation will be perceived differently by different observers (and their sensory organs). So the only correct explanation is the subject-object combination itself. And this continues ad infinitum, until it engulfs the entire universe. No subjects. No objects. Only being.

Enough of the physics (or metaphysics). What of the beauty? Is it inate? Inherent in the swan? Or its reflection? Or the photograph?

I don't think so -- the beauty is in you, the viewer. Either it is beautiful to you, or it is not. This is a purely subjecive aspect -- yes, one that can be shaped by convention and norms -- but subjective, nonetheless.

So is the beauty "real"? Surely someone can tell you they know beauty when they see it -- it is not a random occurance. It could be tested and is repeatable. And I hope this particular image represents something beautiful to you ;-)

And yet, some people say they see beauty everywhere. Even in what other people "typically" think of as ugly. In death. In squalor. In war. Why do these people see so much more beauty than the "average" person? And is that "real"? Can one be "trained" to see more beauty? Will it come about from other personal changes? From what some call enlightenment?

I don't know. But I do know that depending on my outlook, my perspective, my attention, my intention ... I will see more or less beauty. And I'm always happiest when I'm surrounded by beauty. Wherever and whenever I am.

Suddenly there came a tapping ...

Gobble, Gobble, Amherst, NH, March 2007, Nikon D40 with 18-200mm VR lens, Focal length 200mm, Exposure 1/50 sec @ f5.7, ISO 200, no flash, circular polarizing filter © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

I had a rather interesting couple of visitors today.

But to explain, let me use my pictures, and someone else's words (well, mostly).

With soooooo many apologies to Mr. Poe ...


Once upon a workday dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious e-mails, just cause for snore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my office door.
`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my office door -
Only this, and nothing more.' ...


... Back into my office turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
`Surely,' said I, 'with a furtive glance, someone's at my patio entrance;
Let me see then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore -
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; -
'Tis the wind and nothing more!' ...


... Open here I flung the handle, surely t'was a feathered vandal,
In there stepped a stately gobbler of the saintly days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, gamely crossed my office door -
With his friend, crossed the threshold of my office door -
Came to visit, for a moment, nothing more.

Early cherry blossoms

Early Blossoms, Koishikawa Botanical Garden, Tokyo, Japan, February 2007, Nikon D40 with 18-200mm VR lens, Focal length 200mm, Exposure 1/80 sec @ f5.6, ISO 200, with flash, circular polarizing filter © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

During a recent trip to Japan, a couple of friends and I took our cameras to a botanical garden to take some pictures. The plum blossoms were out, as was expected, but these are cherry blossoms and are unusually early. Probably a unique species.

All I know is that I was appreciative of the color and faux springtime. Enjoy this reminder -- Spring is just around the corner!

Patterns finale - illusion

Mosaic, Taj Mahal, Agra, India, August 2006, HP Photosmart R817, Exposure 1/350 sec @ f5.0, ISO 50, no flash © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

In closing out this week's series, it is interesting to consider illusions. Seeing things that are not really there. Like this medievil flooring, clearly laid in two-dimensions but with colors and contrasts that give it a three-dimensional appearance.

Well, now that we know the trick, it is clear, right? And we would never make the mistake again, right? Ha. We are more easily fooled than that, and every day.

For example, we have a full moon tonight. If you have clear skies, get outside tonight and watch the moon rise over the horizon. It's an enormous orb as it clears the tree line. Come back in a few hours and look up to see how much smaller it has become. Why? Just another optical illusion dealing with relative size comparisons. You can thank your mind.

And while you are looking up at the night sky, notice both the large number of stars, and the vastness of space that separates each star. Now consider your own body, or that rock on the ground. Solid and dense, right? Actually, we also are mostly "empty space" if we consider the fundamental building blocks that constitute our physical nature.

But then, that also depends upon the lens with which we examine life. Are we looking at particles or waves? Energy or matter? As you probably know from introductory physics, they are just different manifestations of the same thing. So in a large degree, what we see "out there" really is just an illusion -- made to look real to our senses.

Just like the clever use of color and contrast in the mosaic on the floors surrounding the Taj Mahal to create an illusion to our eyes. So it is that much that we see as "real" in this world, is really just an illusion to our senses.

You may find it useful to question that which you experience as "real", "absolute", "fixed", or "truth". Or you may be happier just accepting what your senses tell you about the world. Personally, I enjoy them both -- the beauty my senses take in, and the beautiful enigma which lies behind it all.

Patterns - weathered

Weathered shakes, Pickity Place, Mason, NH, January 2006, HP Photosmart R817, Exposure 1/135 sec @ f2.8, ISO 100, no flash © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Sometimes the years leave their tell-tale signs upon us. Sometimes we try to hide it -- cover it up with a new coat of varnish, as it were. Othertimes we are willing to let our age show.

It differentiates us from the young and inexperienced. And in the end, the only thing that will avoid it showing is an early demise, and who wants that?

To me I see character in those lines and wrinkles. I see experience and wisdom. I see understanding and compassion. I see warmth and comfort. (Interestingly, I didn't see all that until I started to develop those lines and wrinkles myself -- hmmm.)

Before our mass media took control of our lives, there was a time when age was honored, perhaps even revered. Somone had to have lived life's lessons, and be willling to pass them down.

Ask yourself how you view aging. Is it a path to be respected and honored, or one to be covered up and hidden?

Perhaps that inquiry will cause you to question our culture's message. We might just benefit from a little more wisdom these days.

Patterns - color

Colorful Kayaks, Rockport, MA, August 2003, Sony Cybershot, Exposure 1/125 sec @ f7.1, ISO 100, no flash © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Life is full of color, isn't it? And by noticing it, our lives are just a bit richer.

If we open our minds up a little, we can realize just how much color there is out there. The colors we can see with our eyes are limited to a very narrow spectrum of electromagnetic radiation. From about 400-700 nanometers (millionths of a meter) in wavelength.

But of course, this is just a part of a much larger spectrum, that includes lower frequency waves (longer wavelengths) that we pick up as vibration, slightly higher ones that we detect as sound, still higher ones that carry information to our radios and TVs, very high energy ones that produce X-rays, and higher still like gamma rays from cosmic events.

So while we see the richness of color in this world, keep in mind that we are seeing a pitifully small section of the true richness of "color" that bombards our world and our bodies every day.

So why not keep your mind open to the true vastness of the world we live in, and see just how colorful it can be?

Patterns - perspective

London Eye, London, England, September 2006, HP Photosmart R817, Exposure 1/100 sec @ f2.8, ISO 50, no flash © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Ever notice how things look differently when viewed from another perspective? How can that be? Same thing -- looked at from two vantage points -- and it looks different? Just what is real, then?

Well, this isn't quite as philosophical as it sounds. Scientists from the last century finally figured this out. The term is relativity, and it means that everything depends -- yes Everything -- on our frame of reference. This is not some mystic's viewpoint, but scientific, measured, proven results.

Take this bicycle wheel. Obviously the camera is set low on the ground, giving it the appearance of enourmous size, right? You can see the axle, the spokes, the tire rim. And what are those things around the tire anyway? Ha, ha. You could tell, I'm sure, that this is really the London Eye. Not a bicycle tire at all, but a massive ferris wheel that just happens to look like one, from the right perspective.

So when you are so sure that you have found the truth. And you find yourself becoming quite righteous about it. Think for a minute that it might only be "right" relative to your persective. And then try (and this is hard) to see it from another's perspective. Perhaps that is "right" also. The world really does work like that. Really.

Patterns - repetition

Window washer, Tokyo, Japan, March 2006, HP Photosmart R817, Exposure 1/200 sec @ f4.7, ISO 120, no flash © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Ever find yourself in a rut? Unwittingly doing the same things over and over? Perhaps mastering your area of expertise, but loathe to get out there and try something new?

We can easily fall into these patterns of repeated behavior. Develop a routine. Live within our comfort zone. But it has always been my experience that somewhere in the background is a distant, quiet call for something different. Not necessarily a critical voice, just one pulling us forward, reminding us that this is the only life we get, and that we might as well find/create our own path.

So when you see yourself (as you do just that -- by stepping back as a witness), becoming trapped by the confines of a repetitive activity, as time march on, or the opportunities slide by, ask yourself just why you are limiting yourself in that manner.

And ask if the comfort of that routine is equivalent to the potential opportunities, new vistas, and unexpected beauty that waits around the alley way or back road toward a new destination. Of course, you can never fully analyze the known against the unknown. And in that uncertainty awaits some of the inherent beauty as well.

Patterns - exotic

Color of India, Akbar's Tomb, Sikandara, India, August 2006, HP Photosmart R817, Exposure 1/325 sec @ f4.7, ISO 115, no flash © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Patterns are everywhere. But sometimes they seem "different". A little foreign. A bit exotic. And how does that make you feel?

Do you fear that with which you are not familiar? Perhaps you feel like an outsider -- not party to the customs and traditions. Of course, it may be difficult if not impossible to communicate using words. But, if you can get into the right mindset, that might even be an advantage. We've talked before how words can get in the way of profound observations and insights.

One unmistakable trend in our lives today is that the world is getting smaller. We are becoming more globally connected. More people have the means and wherewithal to travel to distant lands. More unique goods from remote provinces are now as close as your mouse and internet connection. Crude translation tools are available to get at least the jist of the message. And in many of our larger cities, you will find collections of immigrants, often working hard to maintain their traditions, their unique clothing, and customs.

To me it is something to embrace, rather than fear. (Although that fear may be instinctual, so it will require active awareness on your part.) It helps us recognize what we have in common as well as what is unique about each of us. We have in common our humanity. Our desire to avoid suffering. And from this shared humanity, we have the potential to find common ground. To act for the greater good. To embrace our brothers and sisters, no matter their nationalities, their faiths, their traditions.

Beyond this planet there are billions and billions of miles of cold dark space. Right here, right now, there are billions and billions of human beings. Do you see that we are made from the same cosmic stuff? And that which has made us "different" is so small compared to that which has made us the same. Those differences add color and pattern to life, like the spices we add to our food, to improve the flavor. Embrace those differences. Explore them. Look deeply into them. And see in their eyes the same longing they see in yours.

This week - Patterns

Saffron skies and steel, Tokyo Dome Park, Tokyo, Japan, February 2007, Nikon D40 with 18-200mm VR lens, Focal length 200mm, Exposure 1/2500 sec @ f6.3, ISO 200, no flash, circular polarizing filter © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Let's try that series idea again, shall we? This week, we'll explore patterns.

We all fall into patterns of behavior, right? Old habits die hard, they say. And yet, you are not trapped by them. They need not control you. You need only to be aware of them, and to have the intention to change them. Those two perceptions, and you are well on your way to changing your behavior.

What are these patterns, anyway? They are imprints, I suspect. Neural connections that have been created and reinforced through repeated behavior. Thanks to positive or negative reinforcement. Either by others, or by yourself. And we know that these connections can be changed.

But it does take effort on your part. First comes awareness. You must wake up -- become conscious of your actions -- and then quiet your mind so that you can witness the patterned behavior. Not sure you can do that? It is most certainly possible -- that is one of the primary outcomes from meditation. But you need not sit on the cushion and chant. Some people do it while running. Others ponder a deep thought. Still others contemplate. Many find it easier when alone, perhaps in tune with nature.

Once you realize that you can witness your behavior as it arises, you realize that you are not that. And with this realization comes the possibility of setting a different intention. Then as the witness, you can act -- rather than react -- to the patterned behavior, and choose a different response. It is really very empowering. Give it a try sometime.

And back to the pattern in the picture. Can you tell what it is? Well, this time there was some post-photo processing. The day was overcast, and the sun was all but lost behind the clouds. And it was grey, grey, grey.

But by selecting some alternate colors, and playing with the saturation, contrast, and exposure, and cropping and reorienting the photo -- voila -- a new pattern was created. And the structure that is causing the pattern? A roller coaster track that is really quite a bit steeper. Just goes to show -- patterns are there to be changed, if you want. Create something new. You have that power.

The possibilities are numerous once we decide to act and not react. -- George Bernard Shaw

Texture finale - warm and fuzzy

Oriental grasses, Kew Gardens, London, England, September 2006, HP Photosmart R817, Exposure 1/617 sec @ f5.0, ISO 86, no flash © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

We are wrapping up this week-long Texture series with something warm and fuzzy.

Sometimes, warm and fuzzy just feels nice. It welcomes you -- trying not to resolve issues -- not to confront issues -- but just to welcome you and the issues to relax.

Can you feel the warmth of the sun shining down on you? Hear the gentle breeze as it whispers to all of the grasses -- "move this way, now that way, back and forth," and you move to the rhythm as well. Can you touch them, in your mind's eye, and feel them tickle your palms as they sway and rustle.

Once more, the flow is illustrated. In many ways, with many metaphors. Find that flow. Be that flow. And you will gain that warm and fuzzy feeling deep inside, as you recognize your Self in every beautiful moment.

Texture - connections

Connections, Kew Gardens, London, England, September 2006, HP Photosmart R817, Exposure 1/50 sec @ f2.6, ISO 200, no flash © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Have you ever noticed that everything is connected? Oh sure, we say that "metaphorically", but just as this plant illustrates, that is actually how we are created. Take a look.

I see roadways -- multilaned interstate highways, connecting to busy communting arteries, fed by county, and city, and township roads. You've seen that, right?

Or connections via the information superhighway, with hyperlinks, leading from heavily trafficed web-sites to rarely visited or specialized blogs.

Or waterways -- small rivulets feeding brooks and stream, ultimately flowing into mighty rivers and commerce waterways.

And also in ways we cannot "see". Like quiet voices and resolute opinions influencing groups of people to take action. Or actions take over here, that through some unseen, multi-step process, eventually have impacts and consequences way over here -- never even imagined.

You see, connections represent one of the greatest textures of our life. And to remember that they are both seen and unseen, and are ever present, gives us something to always keep in mind. You really are connected to it all.

Texture - what's in focus?

What's in focus?, Kew Gardens, London, England, September 2006, HP Photosmart R817, Exposure 1/120 sec @ f2.8, ISO 200, no flash © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Another aspect of life's texture (at least to me), is the quantity of phenomena that you are exposed to, and the subset that you choose to focus on. Think of it -- you are constantly bombarded by sensations, images, feelings, voices (internal and external), and you cannot possibly focus on all of them. You must choose to filter, and choose to focus.

And it is my belief that what you choose to focus on will in large measure determine the character of your world. That's right. We are all potentially exposed to myriad messages, and some people tune in and react to one set, and other people focus on and react to another set.

No, this doesn't mean you create the weather. But it will influence whether you find the raindrops bothersome or joyous. It really depends on what you focus on, and how you choose to process that which you allow yourself to receive. So choose wisely. This fundamental "intention" will in large measure determine your happiness.

Texture - holding hands

Holding hands, Kew Gardens, London, England, September 2006, HP Photosmart R817, Exposure 1/90 sec @ f2.8, ISO 200, no flash © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Growing. Together. Living. Side-by-side. That's what we are all doing. With each other. And with nature.

So come on, take someone's hand and hold it. Care for others, rather than only self. Show compassion. Befriend all things.

If we are going to live this close together, we might as well be friends.

So the texture here is in our relationships. How are yours? Are the deep? Are they broad? And are they a source of joy? If not, you may wish to consider a change in how you view or value relationships.

Because, in the end, no man is an island. Everything truly is connected. Why not celebrate and take advantage of that reality? And walk hand in hand as you care for one another.

Texture - the unfurling

The unfurling, Kew Gardens, London, England, September 2006, HP Photosmart R817, Exposure 1/125 sec @ f2.8, ISO 100, no flash © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Another aspect of the texture of life to me is change.

It is fascinating when one just sits quietly and observes that everything is in motion, nothing is fixed, everything is changing. It's almost hard to wrap your mind around that.

Because our minds have been trained to observe, classify, and label. Not only do we tend to see things as fixed, but "if you've seen one, you've seen them all".

But of course, life is precisely the opposite of that. Like snowflakes, no two "things" are ever alike. Even moment to moment, no single "thing" is ever alike. Not even you.

And so, the unfurling continues. And the rich texture can be seen. Blessed.

Texture - the underside

The underside, Kew Gardens, London, England, September 2006, HP Photosmart R817, Exposure 1/100 sec @ f2.8, ISO 200, no flash © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Ah yes, the underside. Often dark and dank and really rather something to avoid.

Unless of course there is some illumination -- bringing the underside into the light.

Then you can see that it too is a part of life, and if carefully examined, can in fact be beautiful as well. And most defintiely part of our "texture". Yes, I want the complete package.

This week - Texture

Ferns and Water Drops, Kew Gardens, London, England, September 2006, HP Photosmart R817, Exposure 1/85 sec @ f2.8, ISO 200, no flash © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

This week, I think, a collection of photos that capture a sense of texture. They are all from a recent trip to London, and a visit while there to Kew Gardens.

Texture, to me, is a catch-all that represents a certain depth to life. It represents not only seeing things, but taking in clues from your other senses. Tasting the warm, humid air, smelling the rich soil and moss, hearing the misters watering the plants, feeling the feathery edges of the ferns.

It is amazing, isn't it, how so much of that is lost in a simple photograph. But hopefully, these will try to evoke some of those senses as you consider the texture of the plants you see, and the play of light and color in the image itself.

Bent, but not broken

Bent, but not broken, Amherst, NH, February 2007, Nikon D40 with 18-200mm VR lens, Focal length 90mm, Exposure 1/250 sec @ f5.3, ISO 200, no flash, circular polarizing filter © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

This picture is after our recent ice storm, that took down many trees and even more limbs. Typically, birches are one of the first to go, since they have many delicate branches that just collect the ice. This one doesn't look too good, but at least it didn't break. Will it ever fully recover?

I don't know. There is the saying "that which does not break me, makes me stronger." We'll have to see if that applies to trees.

Dark and stormy?

Dark and Stormy?, Amherst, NH, February 2007, Nikon D40 with 18-200mm VR lens, Focal length 62mm, Exposure 1/4000 sec @ f32.0, ISO 200, exposure bias -5 stops, no flash © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Looks like a rather ominous full moon peering through stormy clouds, doesn't it?

Actually, it was my first day out with my new camera, and I was playing with the settings. If you look at the exposure info, you'll see a very fast shutter, very high f-number (which implies very, very bright conditions), and then a maximum under-exposire bias of 5 f-stops.

This was actually a photo looking directly into the sun as it broke through some clouds.

Ah well, it gives me some understanding of the range and potential of this new tool. I'm expecting to have lots of fun.

Steamin'

Steamin', Washington, DC, February 2007, Nikon D40 with 18-200mm VR lens, Focal length 80mm, Exposure 1/200 sec @ f5.3, ISO 200, exposure bias -2/3 stop, no flash © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

OK, so here's the story. I have a new camera, right? So it seemed logical that I would take it down to Washington, DC for my work trip. Maybe I could get into the city at night and take some cool photos.

While traveling between meetings, I see this steam rising from out on a public road, and thought it looked rather cool (or hot ;-) So I walked over and started taking pictures. Then all of a sudden I hear "Hey you, with the camera!" Uh oh.

Turns out security people really don't like you taking pictures (even in public streets) within eye shot of the Pentagon. Fortunately, I was able to show what I photographed (ah, the joys of a digital camera), and even offered to erase the memory card, but was given the "all clear" when he could see they were just close-up pictures of the steam.

I guess I'll leave the camera in the bag next time. Rest assured your security folks remain vigilent.