Cenote: Photographic impressions

How realistic should a work of art be?

What are the respective roles of truth and beauty in art?

What makes a painting, or a photograph, a true work of art?

Just before Mike and I left for Mexico, I happened to catch a fabulous

photography ( now closed) exhibit in Washington at the Phillips Gallery:

“Truth,Beauty”.  

 

Kodak became a household word in 1888 when George Eastman, a banker by profession, developed a camera for everyday usage. The slogan used for marketing the new device was "You press the button - we do the rest" ( akin to ‘so simple a caveman could do it’???).  Professional photographers took offense: their turf was being invaded by commoners!   

The boundaries between painting and photography blurred as the dual movements of Impressionism and Pictorialism emerged simultaneously.   Photographers softened their lenses.   Light had more of an ethereal, dreamy quality.   The photographers experimented with printing their photos on canvasses which had a texture all their own (some even printed their photos on monochromatic canvasses in shades of orange and green).  Meanwhile, the painters moved away from painting  camera-true life moments and captured their fleeting  impressions with their palettes; they were particularly sensitive to the nuances of light.

Having just seen the exhibit, I was acutely aware of the changing reflections in a cenote my husband and I visited on the Yucatan at a resort called Tres Rios.   Cenotes are pools that collect in sinkholes at the entrances to caves.  Rainwater collects, but particulate matter does not remain suspended, thus, the pools are clear,cool and quite inviting!!!  I loved watching the clouds, and the tropical ferns change in the ripples of water.

For those of you interested  in the pictorialism movement you might try the following  video link .

http://www.phillipscollection.org/exhibitions/truth_beauty/video.aspx

Enjoy!

The Great Kiskadee

While wandering the lagoon of Xel-ha, I was delighted when I discovered a bird I have not seen since visiting Harlingen,Texas (which is along the Rio Grande and serves as the gateway to South Padre Island). 

What?? You have never even heard of Harlingen, Texas???  

Let’s just say that when Southwest’s flight attendant made his final flight announcement, he said, “We thank you all for flying Southwest and wish you a pleasant evening in Harlingen, and if your travel plans call for taking you to another destination tonight?  Good Luck!”

In any event…as I walked the fringes of the lagoon, I saw this large bird perch atop the brush and survey the water.  He also scanned the tables at the restaurant nearby for leftovers that might be unattended.   Apart from his large size, I noted his yellow belly and a distinctive black eye streak, and knew, at once, he was a Great Kiskadee! 

Kiskadees are part of the  tyrant flycatcher family – passerines- and quite aggressive at that!  They do not shrink from mobbing hawks, and are as eager to grab some of Fido’s food, or your enchiladas, as to snatch insects from the air.   At Cornell’s ornithology website (which is by subscription), it is noted that their black mask may serve to reduce glare (not unlike the black masks used by football players to help them see the ball).  The other interesting fact about these birds is that their yellow coloration helps to discourage some predators (other yellow flycatchers reportedly do not have a particularly savory taste!).

Unfortunately, the evening was cloudy; thus, the brilliance of the bird’s coloration is slightly muted, as is the blue of the lagoon water.  I tried to compose this photo so that the triangle from the branches highlights his position.  There was a tug of war between the blue I wanted in the water and the desire to avoid a green belly! 

Kiskadees, while not rare, are not found much farther north than Texas, their range is primarily through Mexico and Central America although they also can fly as far south as Argentina, thus, I thought the photo might still be of interest for those living well away from those regions.

Dancing with the Stars

Earlier this week, my husband and I visited Xel-Ha, a relatively protected lagoon along the Yucutan coast.  When high clouds settled in during the late afternoon, I quit snorkeling and wandered through the resort.  There were some large salt water pools, where dolphins are trained to interact with park visitors. 

Swimming with dolphins is meant to be an intimate experience.  The training area was surrounded  by scruffy brush;  no doubt, the extra privacy also reduces distractions.   I wandered around the training pools in search of an angle with a relatively unobstructed view.   As I watched the first group's routine, I learned that the same routine was eventually mirrored in the groups nearby.

I only had a point and shoot camera with me, but one that I love (the Panasonic  DMC-ZS7).    Not knowing exactly where the dolphins would emerge, I did not attempt any tight views.  Timing is everything; anticipation is key.   Shutter lag is often a problem with these smaller cameras, but luck, at times, trumps skill!

The real treat came AFTER the formal sessions had ended.  There is a very large central  pool that likely, is used for practice.      A heron was standing at the edge of the dock - an avian ballet instructor ???

One of the dolphins, a veritable Baryshnikov in terms of dolphin ballet, apparently decided to practice his moves in his aquatic studio.   Out of nowhere, he would leap high into the air, perform a triple twist and then dive back into the water. 

There were no trainers present, but the dolphin would swim to the edge of the dock to check in with the heron to see how he had done.  The heron, not thrilled to be splashed, backed off.

The heron ventured back to the edge only when the dolphin had returned to the center of this pool.   Again and again, the dolphin leapt out of the water with stunning acrobatic displays.  He seemed to be enjoying the sheer joy of his own movement, the exhilaration of twirling around and around -- just because he could!!!!   The performance left me in awe and reminded me of Mark Twain's words:

"Dance like no one is watching.

Sing like no one is listening.

Love like you've never been hurt

and live like it's heaven on Earth"



The One Word Project

The Shutter Sisters are a group of women who teach and encourage the practice of expressive photography: "shooting from the heart". Ali Edwards, one of thegroup's founders, believes in the impact that 'one little word' can have on our lives, as a result, the Shutter Sisters began the One Word Project (among others). At the beginning of each month, they would post a word on their website and invite their followers to submit photos illustrating the word given. In previous months, words chosen have included : play, nurture, beauty, dream, etc. This month, however, there was a new twist.  Readers were instructed to choose their own word for illustration : a meaningful word that might call forth growth in the year ahead. The link explaining their project is below:

http://shuttersisters.com/home/2011/1/1/what-will-you-focus-on.html

Viewing this as a novel approach to the somewhat futile concept of "New Year's Resolutions", I dutifully selected my word and chose an informal snapshot to begin exploring that word visually. I distributed the photo to others to let them know about the Shutter Sisters' website and their project.

The responses I received were very enlightening. The interpretations ascribed to my photo ranged from "stomp" to "horseback riding"!   (None of the suggestions were accurate, but there will be other clues throughout the year.)

I was later reminded of the opening pages from The Little Prince by Antoine de St. Exupery. As a child, the French author had tried to illustrate a boa constrictor devouring an elephant. He showed his picture to various adults and asked them if they were frightened by his drawing; they always gave the same disappointing response, "Why would anyone be frightened of a hat?!!"

So too, the photographer accentuates certain details, at the expense of others, in a given photo. The details highlighted may have been chosen deliberately or may simply reflect the photographer's  lack of compositional skill.  Yet even when presented with the most masterful of photographs, viewers are free to make their own associations and projections; ultimately, they have the last word!