Ron Garner

Sunday 17 April 2011

Detail, Castillo San Felip del Morro, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Thursday 14 April 2011

San Juan Trinity

As the years have passed, I find the concept of the Holy Trinity less and less persuasive in discussing the sacred. In fact, I find it quite unhelpful. There is a joke that my denomination's acronym (UCC) actually means 'Unitarians Considering Christ." We each passing year I find that more and more true in my personal faith journey.

This 'street grab' from a recent trip to Puerto Rico captures some of the best and worst aspects of trinitarian language. The woman in the middle, with her reflective sunglasses is the powerful center of these three people. She is the 'first person' of the three, her expression truly reminds me of an 'unmoved mover' and the fact that she appears to be looking straight at the camera reminds the viewer that 'God is watching us.'

The beggar sitting on the pavement reminds one of the suffering Jesus. On a personal note, this was made more pronounced in that this picture was taken two days after Ash Wednesday. He is propped up against the wall to avoid a scorching noonday sun. He is 'sitting at the right hand' of the woman in the center. His expression is that of someone worn down by life. Could his begging cup be his invitation for us to share in his suffering? Is it really and invitation for us to be in communion with him? In this photograph he truly is one of 'the least of these'.

The women on the right side of the photograph has a rather ethereal look upon her face. She isn't looking at the photographer. Her gaze seems to be directed at something beyond the harsh reality of the San Juan streets. She seems to be the most spiritual of the three.

This photo was taken outside of La Bombonera a coffee shop made famous by Rachel Ray. Always remember to double click on the photograph to enlarge!

Friday 26 December 2008

Grand Parade Bus Stop, Bath, England

I can't really call this a street grab. I was drawn to the shadow of the tree on the typical Bath paving stones and liked the curving composition.

Overlook at the Pulteney Weir

Another photograph that for some reason conveys a sense of foreboding. It was a 'street grab' and the halo formed by clouds around the elderly man's head is just an accident.

Father, son and a busker's dog

Another street grab. I like the way the father and son are similarly posed and the dog's seeming fascination with the young boy. This was taken on the Abbey Courtyard in Bath.

Queen Square, Bath, England

One of my favourite films is Alfred Hitchcock's, The Birds. This street photograph with the barren trees and the solitary blackbird seems to be quite foreboding in its composition. Street photography is quite 'hit and miss'. I usually hold the camera at waist level with a wide angle lens. I simply snap the shutter when I detect something of interest. The two women on the bench in Queen Square add to the sinister implications of this photograph.

Friday 28 March 2008

Diners at The Volunteer Rifleman's Arms

This image lacks the painting quality of the two photographs that precede it although the dark tones are a bit Rembrandtish. This photograph was taken in a dark passageway. The centre of Bath has several small pubs. This one is tucked away on Union Passage -a pedestrian only street. The couple were sitting outside on a rather chilly night because the small pub was filled with patrons. As they huddle together on the bench, suggesting intimacy, his straightforward gaze suggests a certain distance.

Mr. D's

I have always loved the paintings of Edward Hopper. My favourite painting is Nighthawks which my daughter and I had the pleasure of viewing at the Tate Modern Gallery in London. This photograph reminds me of the painting. Again, colours are subdued by the cover of darkness (this photograph was taken about 1/2 hour after sunset). The building fronts and the curb and street remind me of the background of Hopper's painting. The lit interior gives the photograph the same voyeuristic quality that I found in Nighthawks. I'm uncertain how I feel about the car entering from the left.

Jolly's

I usually don't print in colour. But, when photographing at night colours are subdued and this is especially true in Bath where buildings are sepia-toned anyway. This photograph was taken of a loading door in one of Bath's Department stores. This too, has a painting like effect.

Wednesday 26 March 2008

Hot Bath Street, Bath

Tuesday 25 March 2008

Three Seagulls and five Pigeons

Early morning is the only time to photograph Union Passage in Bath when it is not jammed full of shoppers.

Wells Cathedral #4

Monday 14 January 2008

The 'Hole in the Wall' Gang

An ATM in Britain is often called the 'hole in the wall.' This candid photograph was taken of a queue that had formed outside of a local branch of Barclays in Mill Hill, London. I find the man facing the camera intimidating whilst his 'partners' are oblivious to me or my camera.

Sunset at the Reddings

Another reflection photograph. This was taken on the street where we lived in London as evening approached. Again, my fascination with reflections.

Sunday 13 January 2008

Scout Hut Locks

Sunday 30 December 2007

Wells Cathedral #3

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

Wells Cathedral #2

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.