Archive for the 'Parks' Category
I can’t make it to the sunset after work anymore due to daylight savings time and the approaching winter. Even though I leave work at 4 PM, by the time I get home at 4:30, the sun is well on its way to setting. But that’s ok because it means more night shots like this one which I love anyway 
You may have noticed that I haven’t taken too many photos of foliage over the past month. This is mainly because I have been sick and secondly because I spent a good deal of time building a new computer so I can process pictures faster and maybe even play a *few* games. Now that I am all better and my computer is all built, most of the leaves are on the ground (dramatic irony). Regardless, there’s still some color left in this city be it on the ground or otherwise and I fully intend to capture some of it before winter takes hold.
This photo was taken on the Esplanade in Boston (where else) and as you can see there is plenty of color. My last post was about having the courage to take the path less traveled… the divergent path, if you will. For this post I am going to switch gears a bit and discuss our rights of passage across whatever path we choose.
Rights of passage are defined by more than the desire to pass. For everyone has desires, but to have a right one must have nobler intentions. It is a common misconception that rights come with birth, that we are somehow entitled to a life of moral righteousness on our own terms - this is not true. Without the moral constructs of society rights fade away to nothing more than desires. Only when desire transcends selfish intent does it become a right. Only when it upholds tenets that are deemed noble, true, and just by the common populace does it become necessary. But history has shown us that the common populace is far more uncommon and divided than one would hope. Who then has the right? The dominant power, those suffering, or neither? There is no answer to that question because it is false… we are all suffering. So long as there is a winning and losing side we as a race will suffer. So long as right and wrong are dictated by the whims of the powerful and neglected by the efforts of the merciful, we will falter. Until right and wrong are forged by the human race as a whole, our rights of passage will remain as elusive and ever changing as the wind. Perhaps such thoughts are too idealistic. Perhaps we are doomed to an eternity of fallen empires and rising rebellions. If that is the case I can only hope that more bridges are built than burnt in my lifetime and that my desires remain congruent with my rights.
We need each other to survive, that is a fact of life, but what of the paths we choose along the way? So many of us choose a life that is not our own. In droves we flock down the same paths towards the same ends all the while seeking fulfillment. When we don’t find it we look around in search of who or what is to blame. “Is it my overpriced college education? Is it the degree that landed me no job? Is it the job? Is it the boss? Is it my spouse? Is it my neighbor’s $75K car? Is it the money?” No on all counts. If you’re wondering who is to blame you need only look into a mirror. No one said conformity would fulfill you. Your college professor didn’t teach you how to extract meaning out of life - he taught you exactly what you signed up for. Your boss didn’t tell you that you must stay in your cube from 9 to 5 or die - you could leave any time you want. Your wife, you chose her! You chose all of these things and to make matters worse you even paid a considerable amount of money for some of them (I’m referring to the degree here guys, not the wife). For what? A degree? So what? Now you can get the job that pays you the money to buy the things that you like but don’t really need.
“But damn, that BMW would really be nice wouldn’t it? What about that apartment in the city, the one with the marble entrance and a view of the park… sure would be nice.”
It would be nice, you’re right. I would be lying if I said I didn’t desire a lifestyle of grandeur and excess - I do. But what I don’t desire, what I will not accept for myself no matter what the cost, is a life of passionless conformity and status-quo thinking. If I have to surrender all the physical possessions I have in order to do what I love, I will. But that’s the problem isn’t it… what the hell do I love? That’s not something you’re taught at any point in your life. Sure people always say it, “Do what you love, Johnny! Follow your heart!” But if you ask them how to do it, all they say is “look” (usually with squinty eyes and a hushed voice, as if it’s ground breaking advice). And when you look in your own heart to figure it out the answer is usually, “Eat Cheetos,” or “Watch TV.” And while Cheetos and TV are both pretty decent, they’re not really the answer you’re looking for. They are the easy way out. A way to avoid your fear of actually being someone and standing out above the masses.
Too many of us have potential that is stifled by fear of failure, myself included. But the important thing is to recognize your own potential and to slowly overcome your fears. Some people out there propose a revolution: “Quit your job! Sell your car! Travel the world! Do what drives you!” Inspiring… maybe, but hardly a plan for success. And success is what puts food on the table and clothes on your skin. Success is one thing you must remain mindful of regardless of what you pursue in life, because in the end, you need to eat. But the choice of how you eat, is completely up to you. Whether it’s through money earned sitting in your cube from 9 to 5 or through money earned on an airplane to Tokyo… that’s in your hands. Just make sure that you’re passionate about whatever you end up doing, because success comes infinitely easier if you do what you love. Resist the urge to be lazy and take the time to figure yourself out at your own pace. Go back to your childhood, what did you love to do? What are your hobbies now? Who are you when you’re by yourself? There are entire books written about how to find yourself so I won’t go into them here. Just know that you have every right to live the life of your dreams, believe it. And if you can find in yourself the courage to believe such a crazy thing, the perseverance to follow it through, and the passion to make it bloom, the path you carve will be trailed by memories of success and fulfillment… and at the end, well, you will have found yourself.
This shot was taken on the North End Harborwalk in Boston (where else?). I almost walked right by this area before an open gate caught my eye and led me here. I’m not sure who the property belongs to, but I am sure I photographed it from many angles and liked this one the best.
This title doesn’t really have anything to do with the photo, but it does have to do with my circumstances. My D200 finally arrived from the Nikon service shop yesterday after a week of patient waiting. Thinking all my dust problems were gone I went outside to happily start shooting on a gorgeous May afternoon. Upon looking through the viewfinder I became horrified to find that there was STILL dust on the focusing screen, even though Nikon said it had been replaced. I began using my air blower in an attempt to get rid of the dust, but it was not to be - the most prominent pieces would not leave. And so it is with great frustration and only one hour’s use that I send this camera back to Nikon again for service. At least they are paying for shipping this time. Let us truly hope that second time, rather than third, is a charm. I am going to switch over to my D50 for the next week… I can’t go another week without taking any photos.
I did manage to snap one shot before my dust discovery robbed me of my picture taking will. No poem this time, I’m still trying to relieve myself of my pissed-offed-ness. Anyway, there are worse things in life, so no big deal. I sat under this tree for 20 minutes before the wind died down enough to allow me to bracket the shots. It was a great 20 minutes.
Come and Gone
Just when I thought I was going to go an entire day without taking any pictures, my roommate Jerry called to tell me there was going to be a nice sunset on the esplanade (an area directly by the river in Boston). Well, he was sort of right. While we didn’t really get to see the sun set per se, the light scattered by the sunset into the cloud formations above made for a truly beautiful sight. This is sort of like that Tom Cruise movie, “Vanilla Sky,” but without the crazy.
Oh and as for the technique, this would be my first photo which uses Orton - a technique which combines an out of focus image with an in focus one for a very soft and sublime result. I think it suits this shot nicely. For more information see the excellent tutorial written by a fellow photographer here.
I went to a wonderful park yesterday called World’s End. There was a very deserted feel to the place since the trees and ground were mostly barren. Indeed, World’s End turned out to be a great name for it because of this. You’d think that taking photos in a park still marked with the scars of winter would yield uninteresting results, but I was surprised by the beauty of the place. Below are a few of my favorite shots. Enjoy!
Fenced In
I approached cautiously this fence by the sea, white and weathered from years of snow and sun. No doubt erected for the sea’s own protection from those who come to admire. I couldn’t help but wonder, who dared cross this mild separation between dirt and beauty abound. Surely I would have tried, but the sky’s warnings overpowered the enticing glimmer of the golden shore below. I cautiously moved on…
Blue Lagoon
A reward for my prudence quickly materialized before me in this near-blue lagoon of winter’s release. I paused to admire the transition as I watched the water open its eyes once again to the reflections of the endless sky - A beautiful treaty signed with the light of spring. The trees, still timid, refused to uphold their end of the bargain and cowered in fear while they conversed among themselves the exact method of their protest. I, not understanding their language… moved on.
The Path
And so it was that this path laid before me was to be anything but known. Though clearly marked and traveled by, the unfriendly air, no doubt caused by the trees’ contempt, warned me of the dangers which lay ahead. With my tripod to defend me I carried on!
View by the Sea
To my surprise I met with one individual who refused to conform to his comrades’ disposition of dissent. As an offering of peace I was given a seat by the sea on which to reflect. I paused only for a moment to soak in the howling wind and changing skies. I collected my belongings and bid my new friend farewell as he warned me of the dangers ahead.
Golden Beach
Dangers they were, for the sky had grown angry at the insistence of the trees’ dissent and had begun to envelop the light of peace while the sea’s tears trickled onto the barren shore. The industrial landscape (Boston!) to the left of the protesters watched with me in horror. Saddened by this sight I proceeded to my final destination.
World’s End
The focal point of my journey had come to fruition in this fruitless landscape of total, and beautiful, war. A golden wasteland enveloped by the flowing sky, and surrounded by the weeping sea, entranced my every thought. I had arrived at the World’s End and though I had met some friendly faces along the way, I left the warmongers quietly in hopes that I may soon find its beginning.
