Ron Garner: December 2007

Sunday, 30 December 2007

Wells Cathedral #3

A fourteenth century filigreed column juxtaposed against twentieth century electrical wiring. Would the builders be offended?

The light on my last visit to Wells Cathedral was amazing. The brass lectern and the surrounding wood work caught the light with differing degrees of intensity. I purposely underexposed the photograph so that you would only catch outlines of much of this rather busy area of the cathedral. This gives a sense of mystery to the people in the small chapel who are almost entirely subsumed by darkness. Only the sunlight coming through the windows betrays the fact that this photograph was not taken at dawn or dusk.

Wells Cathedral #1

Since moving to the United Kingdom in 2000 I have become very aware of tourists. Living in London and then in Bath you have plenty of time to observe tourists as they go about their tasks of 'taking in everything they can.' It is an easy mindset to which you can succumb. I try to overcome that temptation by looking for the details that you might miss whilst trying to get 'the big picture.' Instead of taking lots of exterior shots of Wells Cathedral, I tried to photograph bits and pieces of the cathedral which make the entire experience interesting. Photographing in this way is quite meditative in nature and enhances your awareness.

Thursday, 27 December 2007

Monument to Melancholy #2

I am fascinated by lamplight. This is another of my 'November' photographs taken in Henry County, Indiana. This parking lot happens to be attached to a large medical center in the vicinity of my mother's assisted living facility. The lamp is illuminated as evening begins to descend. Other lamps can be seen at a distance in an adjacent parking lot and through the trees where my mother resides. The impending darkness, the juxtaposition of the hydrant and the lamppost, and the empty parking lot give the photograph a feeling of loneliness. I think you can tell, even without seeing the photographer, that he was alone at the time he composed this photograph.

Lawrence Street Vines

Friday, 21 December 2007

Storm drain and guardrail

This is what I choose to call a 'monument to melancholy.' We are surrounded by things that are for the most part ignored or seen as unimportant. Usually, they serve practical purposes that only become important at specific times. The guardrail was in place to keep automobiles from going down a rather steep embankment. The storm drain does what drains do best. I wonder how many people ever read the caution placed on the drain's cover.

Pine Tree

I like reflections on windows -especially toward evening. The graphic nature of this photograph is also appealing to me.

Tuesday, 18 December 2007

Bath Abbey #2

Bath Abbey #1

I suppose the Abbey is the most photographed site in Bath. I always enjoy watching tourists try to get the entire church into their photographs. Although the Abbey is impressive, I find that the character of the building is best captured in its myriad of details.

Monday, 17 December 2007

Mill Hill Platform - 5:24 am

I took this photograph at the beginning of a long journey from London back to the states to celebrate American Thanksgiving.

Self-portrait with Dad's car

Balloon

Sunday, 16 December 2007

A view of the sky at the Skyvue

Drive-in theatres are quite lonely places in the month of November. The Skyvue is one of the few remaining Drive-Ins in Indiana. I was drawn to the rather ominous sky and the speaker posts which were lined up like an army of aliens.

Free Parking

Another downtown New Castle photograph.

Broad Street -New Castle, Indiana

Downtown New Castle, Indiana has become almost devoid of any businesses. It is one of the many victims of the 'Walmartization' of the United States. I thought this crumbling foundation on one of the buildings of what used to be a thriving shopping street was symbolic.

Saturday, 15 December 2007

North Parade Passage from Abbey Green -Bath

Bath is at its most beautiful in early morning and late evening light. Though the evening light is more glowing and golden, early morning works best for photography. The streets and pavements in the city centre are filled with tourists at almost any other time of day. I particularly like the solitary woman who was walking away from the camera as I took this shot on an early spring morning. The glow from the lamp adds some needed warmth to the photograph.

Night of the Living Dead

I used to mow the grass in this cemetery. In fact, several generations of my family were caretakers of the three cemeteries in Greensboro, Indiana. This photograph reminds me of the cemetery featured at the beginning of the horror classic, 'Night of the Living Dead.'

Storefront -Greensboro, Indiana

I have never figured out why these holes were cut in a boarded up storefront. I can only assume it was to let in some light in case someone needed to enter the abandoned store. It became a wonderful target for some youthful rock throwers. I was drawn to the reflection of the bare November trees in the remaining glass.

Old Friends' Apartment

The apartment was next to a storefront in my hometown of Greensboro, Indiana. Whilst attending college, Connie and Butch, two of my high school friends lived here after they were married. Years later, after the death of my father, I returned from London to help my mother move from the home of her childhood to an assisted living facility. This photograph was taken during that visit. It seemed to speak of aging, deterioration, and death which was very much on my mind at the time.

Ron Garner