Back to the old abandoned ball diamond that will soon become a box-store or hotel or something.
I remember these painfully hard balls that refused to go straight and so instead of catching them with your hands you caught them between the eyes. Who invented them? And why?
I like the dragon-like shadow on the ball. It seems to be swooping down for the kill.
I should have looked behind myself, I guess.
Lamp pole. The Modern urban tree. I have pictures of initials and declarations of love carved into trees to last until the tree itself dies and crumbles into death. I had seen intials carved into lamp poles without giving it much thought.
Today I had thoughts. Cynical thoughts about love.
Also had the good sense to not publish those thoughts.
Another piece of discarded clothing. Star Wars Podracing. I was very tempted to remove the hat and give it to one of the many wandering spirits of the downtown core. Well, maybe trade it for the chance to shoot a portrait.
In the end, my feelings of what is right and what is wrong got in the way and I left it where it sat.
If I was to toss away unwanted underwear, I don't think I would leave it hanging on a fence for the world to see. Who tossed it? Why here? When dressing in the morning did the person plan to return homewith less clothing.
On second thought - I have some Bugs Bunny Boxers that are a few sizes too big. Maybe this is a swap fence.
Today I went for a stroll up Tabor Mountain. Not to the top but part way. It was still a good hike. Went to shoot pictures of mountain bike riders. Luckily I had my Sherpa to carry my gear and accessories so that I only had my camera to tote.
It was nice to get closer to the sun. Feel the heat beat down on me. I shot a lot of really crappy photos but the walk made the day. What is better than walking with friends?
Especially when the friend is lugging the lenses and lunch.
Some people just seem to have happy eyes in spite of their lives. Living on the streets doing god knows what to survive and the eyes continue to smile.
Is it wrong for a person to have eye envy?
I suddenly and inexplicably found myself longing for the colours of autumn.
I like summer. The warmth of the sun. The freedom to wear whatever the hell I like (even though it is always the same thing.) The freedom to just go for a walk wearing what I am at home (unless I am not wearing).
Fall this year seems somewhat more special as will winter.
Next spring will be best of all.
Can't wait for fall. It means I am closer to next spring.
No flower today. Did I hear sighs of relief?
A hypnotic Cuban singer and dancer. Yep, quite entrancing.
God, I feel old.
Flowers don't worry about petal lifts. Or antha injections. People could take a lesson.
Of course, the size of their stamin is probably another story.
What is the deal with sleep. I go for weeks sleeping as little as a couple off hours per day then a couple of weeks of nine hours per day. I am back to a couple of hours.
I guess it all balances out but I wish I could just pick a number and slep that much every day.
Another note about perceptions using the flower theme.
When you look at something do you think about whether you are actually seeing reality or are you seeing the image that someone else wishes you to see? Are you seeing reality or are you seeing the image projected by someone else?
I was looking at a photograph (not this one) and the person was wearing a corporate logo which cast that person in a particular light. When I shot the photograph I was looking at the image and not seeing the person. I did not see what was inside the person but was seeing the image that was broadcast by that person.
I was somewhat disturbed by my quick judgement.
Each part of the world can be viewed in a different way. How do you filter your perception of reality?
First of all, a little explanation. This is not the photograph that I wanted. I will return to see if I can achieve what is in my mind. That is to have the flowers hanging on the wall in focus. I was walking and neglected to bring the needed lens.
I shot anyway. I hope to finish with two images that are of the same subject but different.
Now . . . what is art? If you hire someone to paint something is it art? If you hire Picasso to paint a Curtis Elite sign is it suddenly art? If I paint a soup can is it art? If Andy Warhol does the painting?
Most "art" through history has been commissioned. Commission Rembrandt to paint a protrait is it less art than if the portrait came from his inner inspiration? Is a photograph shot for an ad less artistic than a Stieglitz shot of the Flat Iron Building? Thousand of photographs have been made of the Flat Iron Building from identical angles. What makes one better than the next?
Is art merely subjective? Art is in the eye of the beholder?
Things can look very simple, droplets of water on a leaf, but it is not always so.
Water droplets are complex entities. Why do they sit so calmly when your heart tells you that they should run? Slide quietly away.
I don't know the answer. I do know that things are not as simple as they seem.
I return to an old theme: Given a short length of time, Nature will cover the tracks of people.
Moss will creep into cover cement. Grass will grow through the pavement and break it up. Trees will take root in those cracks and finish the job. Buildings will crumble. Cemetaries will be obliterated.
It will be a community event. Plants assisted by animals will remove visible traces of our journey through this world.
I like the colour of the wall with the sign highlighted agianst it but the weeds set the image. Diffuse the focal point. Soften it.
The door is recessed - protected. Too bad the restaurant itself lacked the protection. It was exposed to the raw elements of street-life in downtown Prince George. George Street life. It just could not continue to exist.
Or maybe it was the recession that killed it. Recession can be good or bad.
When it was open you could buy good food and shooters. Now there is no food and the only shooters are the druggies in the shrubs in front.
It is indeed interesting that one can find all manner of clothing strewn willy-nilly about the city but this was a new one for me.
One of those bare-assed hospital gowns laying behind the Keg Restaurant. That is quite a distance from the hospital. A decent walk if you are not well and as this gown has many blood-stains on it I assume the inhabitant was not altogether healthy.
The tag beside the gown is from "Gear for Sports" clothing which is sold at Coast mountain Sports.
Slip out of the hospital. Walk down the hill to Coast Mountain Sports. Then continue on to the Keg to change.
Did the unknown person need to get out for a jog? Golf?
I just find it a trifle bizarre.
The ultimate consumer society. You can purchase a friend all packaged up and ready to go. And then when you tire of your companion you just toss her aside.
I guess that is what our society has really been like for some time.
Special thanks to K.Y. for bringing this trash-bin to my attention.
Continuing to explore baseball, I visited one of the decommissioned ball diamonds. It is one of the fields on road called Recreation Place; the road whcih should be renamed Commercial Drive as all forms of recreation are being driven out in favour of lovely commercial interests.
The baseball diamonds have moved.
The horse-shoe pitches have moved.
The golf course is soon to move.
The theatre next?
Car-lots, hotels, and box-stores are so much nicer to see as you enter the city.
I went and watched a few minutes of baseball. Actually went in search of inspiration. The game was crappy. "Is there ever good baseball?" a friend later asked.
This was actually a test run. Get the lay-out of the land. Scout angles. Check the light.
There are possibilities . . .
I like to do silly things. Not always but occasionally.
Driving witha camera on the dash set on the timer to expose automatically is silly.
Or dumb.
"Next time you see an elephant, ask any question." That's what I have been told. "They know all the answers."
Well, this fella couldn't answer mine. Why the hell can't I shoot a decent photo? It has been months. Many many months. What is going on. I see to have shrivelled up inside.
Some days it just seems that swimming could be so much fun. I don't swim well but why should that get in the way of enjoyment? Just step to the end of the diving board and . . .
Have you ever looked at a number and thought "The style of presentation is perfect for the evocative properties of that number" and then shot a photograph of the number and moved on with your life?
I thought you had. I knew that I was not alone in this universe.
It would have made more sense to me as "Ceremony! Transgressor! We Killed Him!" but that is just me.
