Dao of Photography

Statement of Power & Purpose

noreply@blogger.com (Dao of Photography) — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 03:50:00 +0000

I was processing some photos from today's beach trip and listening to some old school reggae music and wondered why do Rastafarians revere Haile Selassie and decided to do a search. I found a wiki about the philosophy and in reading it came across the following statement which was a part of the address that Haile Selassie made to the UN General Assembly in October 1963:

"Last May, in Addis Ababa, I convened a meeting of Heads of African States and Governments. In three days, the thirty-two nations represented at that Conference demonstrated to the world that when the will and the determination exist, nations and peoples of diverse backgrounds can and will work together. In unity, to the achievement of common goals and the assurance of that equality and brotherhood which we desire.On the question of racial discrimination, the Addis Ababa Conference taught, to those who will learn, this further lesson: That until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned; That until there are no longer first-class and second-class citizens of any nation; That until the color of a man's skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes; That until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all without regard to race; That until that day, the dream of lasting peace and world citizenship and the rule of international morality will remain but a fleeting illusion, to be pursued but never attained; And until the ignoble and unhappy regimes that hold our brothers in Angola, in Mozambique and in South Africa in subhuman bondage have been toppled and destroyed; Until bigotry and prejudice and malicious and inhuman self-interest have been replaced by understanding and tolerance and good-will; Until all Africans stand and speak as free beings, equal in the eyes of all men, as they are in the eyes of Heaven; Until that day, the African continent will not know peace. We Africans will fight, if necessary, and we know that we shall win, as we are confident in the victory of good over evil."

He concluded this speech with the words, "We must become members of a new race, overcoming petty prejudice, owing our ultimate allegiance not to nations but to our fellow men within the human community." - Source

Now I have heard Bob Marley's "War" countless times but reading this statement, mind you all the while hearing the song in my head, was a moving experience. Having read this, I now have a greater appreciation for the reverence that Rastas give this man.

WaRm!

noreply@blogger.com (Dao of Photography) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 21:00:00 +0000

Want to test your patience and skills with a manual camera? Try getting a cat's attention, manual focusing a Lensbaby and metering your exposure all at the same time. It wasn't easy but here is a photo of Asha warming herself by the heater. Shot with the Lensbaby Composer at f2 and Nikon D700 for 1/25 sec at ISO 3200. Cropped and adjusted in LR3.

Something to do on a windy day!

noreply@blogger.com (Dao of Photography) — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 20:05:00 +0000

I went to Newport, RI with a friend yesterday. It was a very cool and windy fall day. I saw this guy taking advantage of the conditions which were perfect for his sail buggy. It sure looks like fun! Enjoy the good weather while it lasts....

Cupcake Cookery!

noreply@blogger.com (Dao of Photography) — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 00:12:00 +0000

Cupcakes by Vernell. There is a secret ingredient in the frosting!

Delicious! If you can guess what the secret ingredient is, you can have one!

Refinishing a mask!

noreply@blogger.com (Dao of Photography) — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 23:38:00 +0000

I decided to refinish this mask that was given to me by a friend. He was getting rid of it and I thought that I would try and help the piece reach its true potential. The original paint job did nothing to emphasize the proficient carving wrought into the wood, plus the black was too dominant and created a depressing effect.

The original mask - the black highlights made this piece a bit depressing!

First a coat of white spray paint as a primer!

Next was a coat of gesso to allow the acrylic paint to adhere!

Layers of bright acrylic paint!

Finally, a light dusting with flat black spray paint followed by a coat of clear glossy lacquer! The brighter colors make this a happier piece!

I have been working on this piece for a solid week a few hours at a time and like the result!

Under my skin!

noreply@blogger.com (Dao of Photography) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 01:42:00 +0000

I have been trying to pay attention to the way I create in an attempt to better understand myself. My most recent paintings caused me to really take stock of my complexities - I am unsophisticated but unique. I was trained as a scientist from high school and as an undergraduate. A biology major - life science! As a result I am very curious about the world; people; art; color; feeling - everything! It comes thorough in my art; and in so much as I hate the categorization of people - I have to admit that I am an expressionist. I communicate an emotion with my art - if you don't get it then you suck - lol. Phew! That was freaky! Anyway on to the work!

Frustrated

This piece reminds me of gametes - sperm and ova. A friend interpreted this painting and said that it felt chaotic/frustrating and she was on point. I couldn't paint what was on my mind and fought hard with this piece~

Baobab - Wisdom

I am particularly pleased with this piece - not that it is particularly good but because I was present as it evolved into what you see! This is not at all what I set about painting. I like what it became! I am in awe of this piece. I had been trying to paint a tree for weeks and was unsuccessful until now. Don't know where it came from but I am glad to see it. This piece exemplifies my creative style/approach to a T. It just evolved into the tree you see before you. This is not what I set out to paint at all. I used a sea sponge to make this - fah tru!

The poem reads -

"I bow to the All Creating Power from which I came, and to which I am returning." -LaoTze-

Convergence

This is my version of the big bang - or anti big bang. This is a snap shot of the universe as it returned to Tao!

Experimental Paintings!

noreply@blogger.com (Dao of Photography) — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 17:52:00 +0000

As always trying something new. Mixing and matching color with bold creativity! This pair of twin pieces were inspired by ink blot paintings!

Erupt!

Memories!

What a view!

noreply@blogger.com (Dao of Photography) — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 01:29:00 +0000

Today my wife and I spent the day in Plymouth. We visited Plimoth Plantation, Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower II. While touring the Mayflower II I caught a glimpse of what my ancestors must have seen from the bowels of the slave ships. Looking up through the grates at the mast, the sky and the movements above not knowing much about where they were going. Horrible!

The view from below

Looking out!

Plymouth Rock - I am a bit disappointed as I envisioned a boulder made of slate or granite. Not sure what it is indeed comprised of but it didn't appear to be any of these. We saw some very interesting sights and enjoyed a fun filled day in the sun.

Plymouth Rock

The Mayflower II

Click here for the entire gallery!

New Work!

noreply@blogger.com (Dao of Photography) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Been busy painting lately - the inspiration and ideas are overflowing. Luckily, I am on vacation until Thursday and will be creating freely. These pieces represent the new direction for my paintings and hopefully the view appreciates them.

"Journey into Color"

"Blessings"

If you look carefully you can always see - "The Way"

"Work in progress - as yet untitled"

Pause & Reflect

noreply@blogger.com (Dao of Photography) — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 17:41:00 +0000

As a photographer it is important to carry your camera as often as you can. You never know when something will catch your eye - if you are not prepared you will miss an opportunity. Lucky for me that I had my camera when I saw these!

Impartiality

Who understands does not preach;
Who preaches does not understand.

Reserve your judgments and words;
Smooth differences and forgive disagreements;
Dull your wit and simplify your purpose;
Accept the world.

Then,
Friendship and enmity,
Profit and loss,

Honor and disgrace,
Will not affect you;
The world will accept you.

-Lao Tze-

Fresh Paint!

noreply@blogger.com (Dao of Photography) — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 20:55:00 +0000

Just finished these twin pieces yesterday. These took days to finish and are pleasing to my eyes! I hope you like them too!

"Yin"
Acrylic on canvas board - 18" x 24"

"Yang"
Acrylic on stretched canvas 24" x 18"

Click image for full view of detail!

Image Restoration

noreply@blogger.com (Dao of Photography) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 22:09:00 +0000

This is an old photo of my mother that I restored.

Before

After

This after photo still shows lots of small dark and light spots but most of the major damage areas have been repaired.

Sweet Repose!

noreply@blogger.com (Dao of Photography) — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 17:37:00 +0000

Repose:

1. The act of resting or the state of being at rest.

2. Freedom from worry; peace of mind.

3. Calmness; tranquility.

Stare!

noreply@blogger.com (Dao of Photography) — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 22:28:00 +0000

Caught Asha absorbing some sun on the stairs and she gave me this look.

My Happy Accident

noreply@blogger.com (Dao of Photography) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 22:27:00 +0000

Yesterday, I posted an image on my Facebook Fan Page that was created using a lomographic Holga 120 camera with a Polaroid instant back. I have taken responsibility for creating it but it really was a happy accident - to some degree. I had taken 4 shots of some candles in our bathroom using the Holga and scanned them into Photoshop. I took the images and extracted useful portions that showed the flames and parts of the candles and merged them into the best of the photographs. As I was doing this I was getting the "this is going to be a piece of crap" feeling. Any creatives reading this post should understand what I mean, but just in case, let me explain. The feeling I am referring to is one that, to me, means that I am doing something edgy that no one would appreciate - not even me (eventually), because this lack of appreciation would feed my insecurity as an artist! My hand hovered the cursor over the "x" to close the file with no intention of saving. However, as I started to process the image, adding layers, changing saturation, contrast and brightness, I started to see something interesting evolving but it still had an element missing. What was missing was at first a mystery but soon I noticed that the image had no message or feeling to convey and again thoughts of trashing it started to surface. I decided that all I could do is try to turn the image into a painting hoping the texture would save the piece. It looked horrible! DELETE! was my immediate response and it almost went bye, bye but I happened to notice the plastic wrap effect two selections over from paint daubs, one of my favorite artistic effects. I had never used it before so I had nothing to lose here. At the very least I would find out a bit about what it did. I applied the default setting for plastic wrap and boy was I surprised. Suddenly this image had a message; it became interesting. It had texture - texture that was relevant to the image. It looked like wax!

Bubbly

noreply@blogger.com (Dao of Photography) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 23:09:00 +0000

Today Vernell went shopping and came home with a large bubble maker and solution. She tested it out and I chased bubbles with my camera. Here are a few shots:

Explosion of Blossoms!

noreply@blogger.com (Dao of Photography) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 22:30:00 +0000

We have had a long and grueling winter but alas spring is finally here and with it the blossoms, flowers, insects and colors! I was in my yard a few days ago and noticed my plum trees were starting to come alive and produce some buds. This evening I went back into the yard and boom the blossoms were everywhere. What a difference a few days make. Spring Fever baby and hopefully I will have a bountiful harvest of plums like last year!

Fire Hydrants

noreply@blogger.com (Dao of Photography) — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 20:11:00 +0000

I went out for some fresh air with Vernell this afternoon and decided to bring along my camera. As we rode round the neighborhood I stopped to take photos of the wide and varied types of fire hydrants in the local radius around our home. I never thought there would be such variety. I managed to shoot 8 distinct types and we only went around the block a few miles.

Trying something new!

noreply@blogger.com (Dao of Photography) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 23:06:00 +0000

Ever so often I discover an new way to expand the creative use of raw photographs as ingredients in a complicated recipe. A recipe for a piece of art. All I know when I start the creative process is that the chosen photograph will feature prominently in the final piece.

My recent discovery is textures. I was exploring the possibility of purchasing a Holga camera or lensbaby kit to create images that looked like they were from a bygone era or shot with an old school camera. Fortunately for me during my search I discovered textures and how they could be used to create wide and varied effects on photographs and the fun began.

I went even further by converting some of these textured images into digital paintings. (NB): I have been down with the flu and feverish for the past few days - hence the prevalence of darkness in these pieces! You have to look into these photos - if you just look at them you will miss everything!

A Difficult Choice

noreply@blogger.com (Dao of Photography) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 16:29:00 +0000

I shot and processed the original photograph in this series and was pleased with the results. However, I decided to retouch it to appear distressed and then again to look like a watercolor painting. Which version do you prefer?

Original

Distressed

Watercolor

Line, Symmetry, Pattern & Oddities

noreply@blogger.com (Dao of Photography) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 17:51:00 +0000

As an aspiring photographer I have made a conscious effort to notice the overlooked; the shapes and subtle nuances in the environment that make for interesting photographs. This is not always an easy endeavor since what you and I find interesting in a photograph may vary immensely.

The weather has taken a break from a consistent barrage of snow, rain, wind and cold to reveal a beautiful sunny day that is greatly appreciated. I seized the day and geared up with the intention of heading to Fort Taber in New Bedford. Since I have been recovering from a bout of the stomach flu I thought better of a long trip and opted to shoot at Battleship Cove - a few minutes away.

While there I decided to focus on line, symmetry, pattern and oddities as the subjects for my photographs and here are the results:

Need

Is the action of nature not unlike drawing a bow?
What is higher is pulled down, and what is lower is raised up;
What is taller is shortened, and what is thinner is broadened;
Nature's motion decreases those who have more than they need
And increases those who need more than they have.

It is not so with Man.
Man decreases those who need more than they have
And increases those who have more than they need.

To give away what you do not need is to follow the Way.
So the sage gives without expectation,
Accomplishes without claiming credit,
And has no desire for ostentation.

-LaoTze-

Some days are a struggle!

noreply@blogger.com (Dao of Photography) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:30:00 +0000

How was your day? This guy's having a rough one!

Time Capsule

noreply@blogger.com (Dao of Photography) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 22:49:00 +0000

Some of my greatest insights occur while showering, drinking or listening to music. Yesterday, I was having some wine with dinner when it occurred to me that a bottle of wine is like a time capsule. A record of the year of vintage! If you ask nicely and are aware, sometimes it will share the secrets with you - but only if you are aware! 1995 was good year in France!

Halo Wars!

noreply@blogger.com (Dao of Photography) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 23:59:00 +0000

It was rather cold here today and fortunately I didn't have to be out for too long running errands! I did, however, manage to assemble some Mega Bloks Halo Wars themed character sets. The battle that ensued was quite the spectacle and there was much loss of life!

Snoopy & The Snow Flake Bokeh!

noreply@blogger.com (Dao of Photography) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:50:00 +0000

The challenge in this series was to cut out a shape in a piece of card stock - black - cover the lens with it so that the focal point for the subject went through the cut out. I used a snowflake shape that my wife had - she made the cutout for me and helped me to figure out how to secure it to the lens. The lens was set to the maximum aperture (f1.8) and the shutter speed and ISO adjusted to the correct exposure for the desired effect. This was way more troublesome to accomplish than the simple description suggests but none the less I got some usable results...