Opal Reflections
Perspectives through Prose, Poetry and Photography
The Edge of Dawn
Save fishing boats at anchor far offshore,
All’s quiet on the glassy, still, dark, sea,
E’en gulls are lulled by steady waves’ soft roar,
The sun might never rise (t’were up to me).
It calms my soul to perch on balcony,
Set high on stilts o’er sandy rocks beneath,
My senses come to life, my soul breathes free,
As briny breezes sweep across my heath.
My passion for the seaside I bequeath
to all my progeny, a precious gift,
For awesome power, through it, is unsheathed,
If I can teach, they too, would be uplifted.
The edge of dawn invades the salt sea air,
When I seek peace, this is my saving prayer.
Photo101: Day Eighteen: Edge & Alignment
The Naked City
“There are 8 million stories in the naked city; this has been one of them.” As I sit at a prized window table in a hotel cafe on 34th St. and Broadway, I am reminded of that iconic line from days gone by, when we all gathered around the television in the living room to watch “The Naked City”. And I wonder: How many stories are unfolding on the blustery side of this window?
I sip my coffee and watch a (presumably) homeless man, carefully loading up his cart and ties down his valuables, following what appears to be a daily ritual. He seems to know where he is headed. Others seem to know him. Yet they each go their way and he prepares to go his. Still, I sip, waiting for the waiter to refill my cup and bring my corned beef hash and eggs.
I surmise that the man had taken shelter for the night beneath the scaffolding – scaffolding that is so omnipresent these days in the city. I wonder where he will sleep once the scaffolding is removed and the bright, shiny facade of the hotel is again exposed to sunlight. My guess is that he will move on, to another well-scoped-out and protected space. A young woman pauses to chat with the man. He gives her money. Are they related? Is he the neighborhood leader in the hierarchy of local street people? Is she in trouble? Is it an illicit transaction of some sort? Questions and possibilities pop into my head.
At that moment a thirty-something businessman swerves into view and ties his ‘wheels’ up against the scaffolding. His soft, leather briefcase is slung over his shoulder, as he rewraps a long scarf, before hurrying on to his destination. Traffic is at a standstill just a few feet away on either side of the mid-avenue green plaza, and gridlock is in full effect. Horns are beeping and brakes are screeching, taxis cutting through the intersection, as if traversing a well-charted minefield. But hordes of ear-plugged urbanites are not distracted, as they swarm in and around each other, en route to somewhere else.
Breakfast is delivered and I get lost in animated conversation with my hubby. Seton Hall won last night! It should prove to be a great tournament, especially since the Pirates are still in it. I love excitement of The Big East Tournament, as each year the city is overtaken by basketball fans.
I look up again and notice that the homeless man with the tied-up cart is gone. A girl, having just emerged from the subway, is deftly maneuvering through the crowd, to take advantage of the city bike program (obviously something she has done many times). She unlatches her rented bike and takes off – probably to another bike rack across town, were she will reverse the process.
People continue streaming in every direction at the crossroads outside my window, oblivious that I am watching; uncaring that I am sitting next to lovely vase with ornate and colorful designs, sipping my cup of java. Even the Happy Hour banner, billows in the strong breeze, goes unnoticed at this time of day, as folks hurriedly continue on their way.
As we re-enter the crowded city streets and head back to our hotel (ultimately our escape from Manhattan, returning to our quiet suburban existence) I consider this photo. I captured only a brief slice of time but I wonder about the myriad of personal stories unfolding every day. I wonder when the street people will return to set up house for the night; and I wonder if the young businessman will stop for a Happy Hour martini before unlocking his bike for the journey home.
And I wonder how many million stories there actually are, in the “Naked City” — a sobering thought.
Photo 101: Day Seventeen: Glass, Squared “Incorporate glass in today’s image: a window, a mirror, a wine glass, sunglasses, or something else. It doesn’t matter what form the glass takes.”
Trash or Treasure?
A speck of bread crumb oft remains unseen,
Another creature’s trash, a port in storm,
As cold retreats, it leaves a blanket scene,
That covers over seeds ‘neath ice platform. Read More
Cropped Fields
Our theme for Photo101, Day Fifteen is “Landscape & Cropping”. I’ve selected a lovely landscape photo from my archives to demonstrate my perspective on cropping.
Photo 1 is my original, uncropped shot, modified only with a frame and my signature, as I do with all the photos I post.
Photo 1 is a lovely, but immediately I see opportunities to improve it. I must get rid of the unromantic cars parked in the lot at the right of the frame, as well as the snippet of a dorm building.
The results of the first editing (seen in Photo 2) crops out these unsightly distractions, realigns the shot to the horizon line, and omits some of the higher clouds of the original shot:
Next, I notice a white truck on the road in the distance, and depending on my subject for the day’s post, I may leave as is. But for today I want to see the effect when I crop it out. Since it is in the middle of the frame I must choose which half to crop out. The next two photos omit the truck, leaving a right side view and a left side view.
All three cropped shots appeal to me and my final selection is difficult. Should I opt for the wider shot that include a distant barn amid a rural landscape and gold-tinged clouds; or the left side, which emphasizes the road that leads into campus and the left edge of the soccer field; or the minimally edited full shot with the white truck as the focal point of the frame?
I opt for Photo 2. There is something broad and expansive about this rural scene, as the white truck traverses Undermountain Road. I wonder where it’s been and where it’s going.
The photographer not only sees the beauty inherent in a given frame, but also, instinctively anticipates the possibilities, when and if a judicious cropping technique is applied.
photo101: Day Fifteen: Landscape & Cropping
Fortuity
A grandpa’s road’s fortuitous, when writ,
Beginning when he was a lad at play ,
His boys now trim his sails and ply his wit.
He chose his path when sometimes hope had quit,
Though many forked roads did come his way,
A grandpa’s road’s fortuitous, when writ.
When learning high school ways, he sought to sit
when others urged to join the games and play,
His boys now trim his sails and ply his wit,
An undergrad, he vowed he would commit
to true love, as he wooed his fiancé,
A grandpa’s road’s fortuitous, when writ.
A crib-side father, family now close- knit,
He’d lull them off to dreams and rock-a-way,
His boys now trim his sails and ply his wit.
Today he hugs his grandsons; “baby-sits”,
He loves them more than life and daily prays,
As his “boys” trim his sails and ply his wit,
A grandpa’s road’s fortuitous, when writ.
This picture speaks to me of a grandfathers love, against the seemingly insignificant backdrop of our backyard, where many happy days have been spent over nearly five decades with our children and their children. But looming large in the foreground, is a figurine symbolizing Grandpa and his caring, loving ways.
Photo 101, Day Fourteen: Scale & Observation
Fleeting
He, focused on the goal, just sits and waits
The gold-bird at my window, chirping light,
He’s first in line, first at the starting gate,
And now that I’m awakened, he’ll be right.
Each time I catch his wispy wings in flight
I wonder if he’s visited before,
Or offspring sprung returning to my light,
It matters not to me, for I’m in awe.
He and his cousins, busy at their chores,
Reminding to refill the feeder trays,
Yet once I do, the seed is fast devoured,
Still, I enjoy the endless games we play.
My grandson’s thought: “These finches are our pets!”
They flutter free for me, their grateful guest.
Day Thirteen: Moment & Motion
“Our lives are made up of big events and tiny moments. Ultimately, life is fleeting, and oftentimes it’s these small moments, this motion, that we love to document.”
Vanishing Point
He said: “It’s black and white; it’s done and gone!”
I hear the words; his vibrant colors fade,
He said t’was just in fun, no strings for him,
I feel my spirit cringe and back away.
He said he’d been transparent, never gray,
I know he’d deftly hidden who he was,
He said there would be others, “Seize the day!”
I spurn his selfish, lying, cloying ploys.
He said: “Adieu” (alas, his farewell clause),
I face the truth; how could I not have known?
He said: “I loved you not!” (his last guffaw),
I vow to solace seek, in monotone.
Now banished, vanish point becomes the goal,
Until I dare reclaim my injured soul.
Photo 101: Day 12 Architecture and Monochrome
I took this photograph looking towards the Cape May beach on a cloudy afternoon in March. The eye is drawn to the vanishing point at the horizon, flanked by the architecturally pristine and picturesque white railings of the foot bridge. Perhaps symbolic, the structure is intended to lead one safely over the rough sand grasses and rocks to the soft sandy beach and shoreline beyond.
Splash of Color
We pass it every day; how many more
have strolled this way and hesitated here?
My boy is ever drawn to sniff and paw,
I gladly choose to steer my cavalier.
Perhaps a distant, canine bark he hears,
Perhaps it is the scent of those who’ve whiled,
Perhaps the peeling, crimson, red veneer,
Or simply just the ancient call of wild.
He’s like a playful tot, rambunctious child,
Who’d romp about, cavort without restraint,
Save leash within my hand to safely guide,
I let him have his fun but stay the gait
Iconic structure beckons and he heeds,
I, faithful mistress, follow where he leads.
🐶🐶🐶
Photo101: Day Eleven: a Pop of Color
Let there be light…
First light of day or twinkling star of night?
Sparkling ‘cross the surface of a silent sea.
You mystically transform to spectral heights,
Surreal and splendid sphere of sensuality.
This photo ( in response to Day10 of Photo 101) was taken at Cape May this morning, shooting directly into the just-risen sun; creating an almost eerie glow on the water’s surface and the pillars and balustrades of the balcony. If one didn’t know it was a sunrise, one could believe it was an unusually brilliant night star.
Photo101 Day Ten: Mystery & Lighting Effects:
“A photograph can create a mood and communicate an idea that transcends its subject….The direction of light has a big impact on your photos. Things lit from the front have few shadows, and are evenly lit. When the light comes from the side, shadows and highlights are introduced, creating more texture and complexity. Lighting from behind throws things into sharp relief, silhouetting your subject.”
As Plain As Day
As I sit at the kitchen table waiting for the seeds of inspiration to germinate, I remove my reading glasses for a moment to top off my cup with steaming, hot coffee. Pausing to gaze outside, I hear the radio weather guy predicting a lovely, spring day, with promise of balmy breezes and burgeoning bulbs.
The sunlight streams obliquely from the side window of the breakfast nook, catching the tips of multicolored tulips that only the day before were tightly closed. Their simple beauty is enhanced by the yellow light now beginning to wash over them, as the sun rises higher above the treetops.
I realize that oft-elusive inspiration is directly in front if me, in a simple vase of unpretentious, freshly-cut tulips, blossoming in the warming rays of the morning sun.
💐
Photo 101: Day Nine: Warmth & the Quality of Light
Photography means “drawing with light,” and when you snap a picture with your camera, you use and record light to create an image.
Fugues of Flight
They noisily soar, en route to northern climes,
Announcing their return in choral fugues,
Repeating and reform again their lines,
Formations shifting, seeking their refuge.
Despite the barking tympani of he
who sits beside me, I embrace their song,
It draws my eyes toward heaven where I see
That creatures migrate sure where they belong.
Let perky pups accompany their verse,
Becoming part of great cacophony,
They squawk their song as blue skies they traverse,
While we rejoin the joyous jamboree.
Photo 101, Day Eight: Natural World & Leading Lines
“A good photographer is a constant observer: always watching and studying a scene, from patterns in city traffic to movements in nature.
A photographer notices big, sweeping changes — like the sky at dusk — but also the tiniest details….Capture the natural world with your camera: document a moment outside, big or small. From a panorama snapped during your morning hike to a close-up of a leaf in your yard, we invite you to document this wondrous world around us.”
From where I sit…
From where I sit, the earth is vast and sparkle gleaming,
From where I sit, great rivers seem to be mere streamings,
From where I sit, the earth spreads on display and bare.
From where I sit, no sign that humans e’er were there,
From where I sit, the whirring jets confirm I’m here,
From where I sit, the aero-techies (gladly) rule the air.
And yet I sit within the hugeness of this steel,
And know that I, a speck of dust must be (surreal),
So here I sit, in awe of greatness of God’s plan,
Kept aloft (yet marred) by wondrous feats of man.
Photo 101: Day Seven: Big & Point of View
Today, let’s go big. Whether inside or outside, photograph something of massive size. Feel free to interpret big in your own way, and get creative with your shot. Capture all or just part of the subject. Place it in the foreground so it takes up the entire frame. Or shoot it from afar so it appears smaller — yet still prominent.
Lighthouse in the Mist, Cape May, NJ
Bandit
Festive View from the Pub, Peddler’s Village – Lahaska, PA.
Home Sweet Home
Opal Reflections 