I am completely at home in the fantasy world under the sea. It embraces me. I’m in control and can effortless move or remain suspended wherever I want. I’m greeted by a brilliant painter’s pallet of coral colors, shapes and textures; a swarm of colorful fish; twenty large sharks circling my reef searching for food, and tiny critters patrolling a small patch of reef. Sunken instruments of death: freighters, an intact Japanese Zero, abandoned tanks, field guns and the ghosts of our men who perished in WWII, restlessly searching for a home that that will never be.I only hope that my images and thoughts can take others there with me. If only for a few seconds.
I exited my hotel in Beijing in the early 1980s and was greeted by a dense yellow, poisonous smog. My eyes stung. The scene was like an eerie moonscape. I could barely see the tall ugly concrete apartments a couple of blocks away. A tsunami of bicycles with parcels, ducks, and a second riders were driven by people in drab dark olive clothing. There were few cars and trucks. My ” Party” appointed guide and handler took me to “The Summer Place,” a vast collection of beautiful lakes and gardens and a retreat for the imperial family, A Man and wife near me were important. He wore eye glasses with large brass temple hinges carved with intricate designs. His clothing was well made, his bearing confident . An important man. One shot was all I could get. It remains one of the finest casual portraits I’ve ever taken.
I was in the hot, humid Amazon rainforest with chatter of monkeys and the cacophonies from dozens of unseen creatures. I looked up and saw a backlit, gentle-green palm leaf with articulated yellow veins. I shot a close up of part of the leaf. A fine abstract.
Abstracts are everywhere:
Ice crystals, reflections in windows, peeling paint, weathered doors, fingernail paintings, your feet, graffiti, raised eyes, an ear with hearing in it, spools of thread, found objects,a discarded cigarette and empty pack,a bug, fish eyes, foot tracks in the surf.
Just stand in one place and look at the many abstracts around you and shoot.
Coming soon
