Seattle Center Double Feature

There are two installations within the Chihuly exhibit at the Seattle Center. You really should go and experience it in person. Here is a teaser for Chihuly's absolute mastery of glass making from a room full of bowls...

 

 I thought I would post some images from the Seattle Center Chihuly installation since they are allowing photography, and I did want to encourage people to go see it for two reasons. Chihuly glass is like the Fuji Velvia of the photography world. The colors are simply amazing. Here is just a part of the ceiling of one room...

The amazing artwork continues for room after room until you are outside, and then it continues outside as well. This is a massive installation.  I talked to some of the cleaning crew about the many hours that are spent each and every night (approximately 5 hours) cleaning and polishing this exhibit. Some pieces are literally the size of a tree...

But, there is another incredible photography related treasure at the exhibit. In the very first Chihuly room, on the right hand wall as you enter...is what appears to be volume nine of Edward Curtis's "North American Indian" photos cut into individual prints covering the entire wall  with about 50 or 60+ photos.

Edward Curtis had the foresight to photograph many disappearing tribes, cultures, and other native American ceremonies. He even made thousands of audio recordings. It is probably the most epic and thorough photographic anthropological record of any culture ever undertaken. There were only about 250 of the 20 volume sets ever created with approximately 2100 total images published. Curtis' life's work spanned 30 years, and ultimately cost him his marriage. There is a great documentary about him on Netflix called "Coming to Light: Edward S. Curtis and the North American Indians". That I would highly recommend watching. Anyway, to actually see one of these volumes was simply amazing, and very unexpected. Additionally, there were dozens of native American blankets, and exquisitely woven baskets.

I witnessed the rapt awe in a child's face while there - as she drank in a hanging Chihuly work from her stroller. His artwork hits at a very basic level that even a toddler can appreciate.

I Shot It Food Photo WIN!

It was a little less than a month ago that one of my photos won a  "Mark of Excellence Award" in a I Shot It competition. This morning, another entry of mine won the "Food Photo Competition 2013 No 2" contest. This time there was cash and prizes...YEAH! Here is the winning photo.

Judge Duncan MacArthur's Comments

Beautiful warm colours, tones and shapes, the gas flame and the pot in the
background all make this scene so real. An everyday subject from everybody's
kitchen, beautifully composed and so simple. Great food shot and this round's
worthy winner. Congratulations !

my response...

My name is James Markus from James Markus Photography, and Photomatter.com located in Michigan. What a wonderful surprise - thank you.  Judge Duncan MacArthur's comments are spot on.  It was about colour, tones, and shapes. It is "real", because that was my breakfast cooking there.  I shot it in my kitchen. Camera was the Nikon D800 in manual mode. Lens was a manual focus 28mm Nikkor f2.8 ais.  Royalty free licenses, products, and prints are available in my "Food" gallery... (See Link Below)...Thanks again!

My Stock Photo Galleries

markus.photoshelter.com/gallery-list

I Shot It Competition Link

http://www.i-shot-it.com/competition.php?id=51e47026ad2ef

Phoebe comes home

I picked up Phoebe from the vet today. She got spayed. When I got home she wouldn't let me out of her sight. At one point she balanced on my left foot with three of her feet...closed her eyes and purred for 10 minutes (I didn't dare move). I decided to take her to work with me. Phoebe immediately took up postion between me and the computer monitor.

She chased the cursor, walked on the keyboard, stole cough drops, rubber bands, my lunch, and laid on my mouse hand. All day she was my shadow, and very little work got done. She needed this contact with me at all times, and she never stopped purring.

We all are happy to have Phoebe home sporting her shaved belly, and new tattoo.

Fractals in nature...the sunflower

Here are a lovely bunch of sunflowers. Shot with the Nikkor 16mm f3.5 ai.

 I recently watched a documentary about fractals. In the 1980's Mandelbrot sets were discovered and the mathematical equations to describe fractals. In the Mandelbrot fractal "sets" are ever repeating and never ending patterns. Regardless of direction (either smaller or larger) the pattern repeats over and over again. There seems to be a key fractal to define each and everything in nature. These shapes are beyond simple geometry. Shot this with a Nikkor 105mm ais + extension tubes.

The sunflowers have reminded me of these Mandelbrot fractal sets. The complex geometry seems to be a repeating pattern. It also reminds me of what I was taught in school about Democritus in 450 BCE thinking that matter was made up of indivisibly small versions of the object we could see. For example:that a chair atom looked like a little chair.

I'm not sure If I have remembered this all correctly or not, but I can see a repeating pattern in sunflowers...in the petal, leaves, and seed forming area. I find it all fascinating. In the center of these grocery store bought sunflowers is a dime sized area with a tightly packed black geometric pattern of the sunflower. Shot this with a reversed Nikkor 28mm ais.

For more info see Arthur C. Clarke's documentary about fractals
 "Fractals: The Colors of Infinity" http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/fractals-colors-infinity/

I Shot It.com's Child Photo Competition

   This morning I got notice that one of my I Shot It entries had been awarded a "Mark of Excellence Award" in the child photo contest by judge Lisa Alessandra Kutselnig.  I Shot It  is a relatively new phenomenon to me. Their Facebook page passed 200,000 likes earlier this summer, and many of my Facebook "friends" were liking photos or competitions from the  I Shot It web site. So, about three weeks ago I thought I would try entering. Obviously, this was shot awhile ago. Here is the awarded photo ...  I still get this same look whenever I ask Sam to clean his room or do a chore. :-)

 

The I Shot It web site slogan is "The Best Photo Competition". I have to admit there is really an impressive amount of activity on the site. There are multiple contests in progress at all times, and some with cash and/or Leica equipment as prizes.

Child Photo Competition 2013 No 3 Finalist Page 

I Shot It web site link

I Shot It facebook link

Interesting Fox Islands info

While at Peterson Park in Leelanua County last week - I noticed I could see both Fox Islands to the North west of the park, and approximately 25 miles out into Lake Michigan. Some google searching reveals each island sports an air strip, but no residents. Rather curious - don't cha think? Apparently, there are a total of three lighthouses as well. One on the north island and two on the south. According to this wiki..."South Fox Island boasts some of the most spectacular freshwater maritime scenery in the world, including towering dunes, virgin cedars, and untouched beaches." I've never been able to see them from Peterson park before, but only from the north end of Cathead bay. All I had mounted on my camera was a nikkor 35mm f1.4 ais lens. Here is a 12,000 pixel panorama stitch of the view (resized), and a zoomed in crop. (click to see larger versions)

Here are some of the sources I surfed...
Wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_Islands_%28Michigan%29

Article titled "It doesn't make sense"
http://www.leelanaunews.com/news/OldArchive/Special_Interests/It_doesnt_make_sense.html

Historical Information by the Beaver Island Archipelago....(the islands are part of an archipelago)
http://terrypepper.com/lights/michigan/southfox/southfox.htm

A Great Map
http://mapcarta.com/Northport_%28Michigan%29

The Black Sail

Sometimes you just instantly recognize a scene. It hits you very hard, and you know it is rare. I was packing the car to return home from up north when I looked out across the water. I love watching the waves, but a sight greeted me that I have never seen before. A large sailing vessel with a black sail. It seemed to be chasing a group of small white sailed sail boats to the south. I quickly unpacked the car to get to my camera bag, because the black sail boat was closing the gap quickly. Click the photo for a larger view