Medial Caesura

       

 

 

Medial Caesura in poetry and music is described as a pause of undefined length in the middle of a line or composition. My image "Medial Caesura" shows the reflection to the left which represents the violin that my father made and played, the actual violin in the middle which represents the pause of unknown length waiting for the violin to be picked up and the reflection on the right is when the violin is being played again.

Those who write poetry and music are, for the most part, artists who are trying to communicate how they feel about something or someone. When they feel the need to communicate in a non-verbal way by composing their thoughts on paper, it should mean more to the person who reads it. This composition has been created with focus and depth and from a place that deserves respect. Poetry and music are almost never written without medial caesura (a definite unknown to the reader), but when the reader reads it, it flows without interruption because that is what the writer intended. It is very seldom that one sees a poem or a piece of music which includes two vertical parallel lines "║" indicating "medial caesura". The only time that this becomes necessary is when the writer wants the reader to stop and think about what has just been written or played, before continuing on.

Sometimes in life we need to be told to stop and reflect on what has happened to us so that we can better understand who we are. There is a purpose for "medial caesura" in our lives... we just have to make sure that we take time to pause, reflect and then continue with a better understanding of who we are, and of those around us. We also should not wait for others to impose "medial caesura" on us but have the awareness and control to self-impose "║"... just make sure that the pause is not too long!

Thanks for listening.

Until next time...

-Paul

 



Your Choice

When I bought this old perfume bottle on-line a few years ago, I knew that I wanted to use it for a still shot but wasn't quite sure exactly what "the message" was going to be. All of my shots have to have a message or tell some kind of story. Also, the shot has to be composed, not discovered. The name of the photograph is as important to me as the image itself. As I create and compose what will be captured on film, I am constantly thinking about the story that will be connected to the image and for a name that fits. Sometimes I will not have the total package (image-name-message) until I am finished in the darkroom. This entire process reflects who I am and how I think and it is imperative that I hold true to this method of producing my art. I have entered my work in a few photographic competitions and I have been pleased with my success given that, to date, I have just more than two dozen images in my portfolio. To serve on a judging panel and to choose what is the best and the most unique among thousands of submissions from hundreds of artists must be such an onerous and difficult job. If one of my images is chosen to be published or exhibited, I consider myself very fortunate as an artist. If my photos don't make the cut, I am not offended and I will not change my creative signature to fit a certain competition so that I may have a better chance of winning. I am proud of who I am and what I do and I find it exciting to share what I consider a positive art form with a message that will hopefully make people stop and think about what I am trying to say. We are blessed to live in a world where we do have choices and if we look at things in a "half full" light, our path will almost always be brighter and happier. If life is a competition, we should enter ourselves each day with a "half full" attitude... after all, it is "Your Choice".

Thanks for listening.

Until next time...

- Paul

Understanding Double Standard

"Double Stander", as an image, initiates deeper thoughts surrounding the meaning of "double standard". There is a reason why urinals are positioned side by side and women accompany each other to the restroom. Please follow my stream... of consciousness...

By definition, a double standard violates the principle of justice known as impartiality by holding different people accountable according to different standards. If "all men are created equal" (Thomas Jefferson) and "It is not good for the man to be alone. I shall make a sustainer beside him." (Gen. 2:18 Alter) then one should realize that from the beginning, men and women are different and should be respectably and respectfully treated as such. Love is necessary for all human survival. "Man's love is a man's life a thing apart, 'T is a woman's whole existence" (Lord Byron's - Don Juan). Because of a woman's capacity for affection, daily expressions of romantic love are vital to her existence - it is the key to her self-worth. This "key" to her love lies within the hands of the man who offers her happiness and emotional security by returning that deep affection. Whereas love does not make up a man's entire existence, he cannot live without it. Love motivates a man to work, plan, invest, expand and pursue but he must consistently and thoughtfully express a romantic love and by doing so will continue to build and maintain the foundation of his love. Women support women, there is no question, but for some reason men need to be reminded daily, that they should provide some kind of romantic love for the woman in their life. This should not be viewed as a double standard but merely different people who have uniquely separate needs that require fulfilment in different ways.

As men traditionally stare at the walls above their "relief receptacles", maybe there should be a written reminder that queues them to express the romantic love that is too often forgotten? In "Double Stander" do you think that the reminder may have been erased by an unknowing painter?

Thanks for listening.

Until next time...

-Paul

Black and White Spider Awards

"Blue Diamond" was nominated in the Fashion category in the 5th Annual Black & White Spider Awards.
Black & White Spider Awards is an international competition open to both professional and non-professional photographers.

I was honored to be selected by the highly accredited panel of judges who vote annually on the thousands of images submitted. To be among the other photographers chosen is truly an amazing feeling. I would like to congratulate all the nominees and winners in each category.

Please take a few moments and go to the Black & White Spider Awards website at... http://www.thespiderawards.com/ and check out the awesome calibre of black and white photography... you won't be disappointed!

My plan is to submit images each year to this competition. I find it inspiring to see such great work done by others and it really does make me want to pick up my camera more often and strive to be creative.

Thanks for listening.

Until next time...

-Paul

Comfort and Responsibility

It has been exactly a year since I last posted to my blog. I said to myself many times in that 364 days that I would not go beyond the anniversary date of the last post before posting again. Well... here I am at the 11th hour (minute 59) telling myself that I have been successful in keeping my promise. Why then do I get the feeling that I have somehow shirked my responsibility to myself as well as to those who visit to look and listen? All of us set limits that we think are attainable and that suit the requirement of what is needed. Maybe the limit set for this posting should not have been self-imposed? Maybe I should have considered my followers, my flock, and set a limit that I thought they would be comfortable with? Perhaps I should have been a better "shepherd" and not allowed my flock to wander, unguided into the unknown corners of cyberspace... instead making sure that they were safely within my reach and instilling a sense of caring on my part so that they remained comfortable and secure. Even though I have had many other things to tend to in the past dozen months, I know that I have been delinquent in my duty to you, my followers, and I promise not be as absent in the future. A good shepherd watches over his flock and makes sure that they are not beyond his reach. As I hope to offer more images and words as my responsibility, may you find comfort and pleasure as you visit my website and hopefully with a desire to return often to stay within the fold.

Thanks for listening... and having faith that I would return.

-Paul

Experience - Remember - Imagine

As a young boy, I remember seeing a gun-like object on a shelf in my grandfather's garage. I asked my grandfather what it was and he told me that it was a blowtorch. I then asked him if he could show me how it worked and he replied that it was much too dangerous but he could explain to me how it worked. Through his story-telling I could see from the look on his face that he remembered well his experiences with the blowtorch and the caution and care needed to operate such a tool. He told how it used gasoline as a fuel and how the pressure in the canister was created by repeatedly lifting and pushing down the plunger located at the side of the top of the canister. Above the handle of the blowtorch was a knob which released the pressurized gasoline through the nozzle at the front of the torch. My grandfather explained that it was very tricky and dangerous to operate... to control the flame, once lit, while all the time maintaining the correct pressure in the canister. In telling me about his experience with the blowtorch, I was able to imagine how this mysterious antique had once been used.
This particular blowtorch was used by my grandfather in the 1930's and without his telling of this story, I would not have had the personal touch of a family memory. I could have researched such a device in a library or on the internet, but it would not have had the same meaning to me as when told by my grandfather. Too often, we don't take the time to stop and listen to family stories or to personal experiences told by people from another generation. That "magic" is sometimes lost forever!
I wanted to make sure that my photograph of my grandfather's blowtorch (shown above) had a name that tied the generations together. "Blow at High Dough" seemed very appropriate given the cost of gasoline. In the 1930's when this blowtorch was operational, the price of gasoline was expensive... about 20 cents a gallon. In comparison, within today's economy, that would equate to about $15 a gallon! "Blow at High Dough" may represent the foreshadowing of things to come, or things that were, but experiences are different for each generation and it is important that families and friends share the things remembered and imagine what was, and is yet to be.

Thanks for listening. Until next time...

Paul

Perception and Interpretation

Sometimes it is a good thing to not understand exactly what we see. When there is no question, when it is totally clear what we are looking at, there is no sense of adventure and no challenge to decipher the mystery in front of us. If we are told that "we can't see the bush for the trees" or that "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder", does this mean that there is more than one answer for what we see and that there is no definitive answer? The answer must then lie with the creator... or perhaps the purpose of the piece is to spark the imagination of the viewer so that the creator can enjoy the uninhibited analysis of their work and revel in the varied feedback from those who think they have "the" answer. If we were to travel the easy road, live the simple life, be comfortable and content and be satisfied with whatever we were given, then the world would be a pretty boring place to live. To expand outside our comfort zone is when we realize that what we have to say- verbally and visually- appeals to others in a way that does not compare to moderation. We need to pose questions, discuss the variations and possibilities, so that we realize that life, like art, is not simple and straight forward. We should need and want the interaction so that our perception and interpretation is not the result of a simple presentation or gift, but the result of complex analysis of what this offering really means to us. Do not be easily satisfied... is there a question behind the question?
Who is "Missing Alice Liddell"? (shown above)

Thanks for listening. Until next time...

Paul


Scav-net Clue #4: (Within Google) - Don't go to the Charles Lutwidge Dodgson location, but instead go to his A.K.A. "____s ______l Photography Page". Find the most prominent New Jersey university collection (Series II) and click to enlarge the 21st thumbnail to discover the person who was the inspiration for his most famous character. The black and white version shown (made in 1858) of this celebrated study was sold at auction for $253,140.

(linger & revel!)


Note: To understand what "Scav-net Clues" are about, see the previous Blog posting under Communication.

Answer (in reverse): ("dnalrednowniecila"foecila)llorracsiwelyblleddil.pecila"diam-raggebeht"