Swimming Practice

I took this photo of the Japanese coy fish, somewhere in Hawaii: I always enjoyed watching fish move around, just like they move in this snap-shot.

Strange Japanese Sea Creatures: National Geographic

Exotic creatures lie at the bottom of Japan’s Suruga Bay, including spider crabs, chimeras and lantern sharks.

Alina Cojocaru at 25 – Sleeping Beauty Ballet, Act 3 pdd variation (Tchaikovsky)

Alina Cojocaru, Sleeping Beauty, Aurora variation 3rd act; London Royal Ballet, Royal Opera House, 1st December 2006

Today’s Birthday: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840)

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840)

A towering figure in Russian music and one of the most popular composers in history, Tchaikovsky became interested in music as a child and turned to serious composition at 14. His works are noted for their expressive melodies, and he is said to have revolutionized ballet by transforming it from a grand decorative gesture into a staged musical drama. His ballets include Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. What Russian businesswoman supported him for 13 years but—as a rule—never met him? More… Discuss

Rectangular Ripples – 1978 (At a Retreat)

Picture taken at a retreat 1978, BW, with my SLR (first): all manual, diffuse light, Developed in regular developer (all prepared in my lab), a little over exposed, but rich when viewed through. I scanned the photo, and retouched it with FAst Stone (great freeware program by the way): Adjusted the mid-tones, gave saturation, contrast and, an da touch of sepia tint, that matches the stain of the wood planks, and ceiling ‘rectangular ripples’. I was fortunate to find the chandelier light off, which confer the composition an added feeling of peaceful, quiet retreat, a place for meditation on the beauty in our life. Had fun taking, developing, printing, and now 33 years later scanning, retouching, and finally  publishing this photo. I know that in fine analysis one can see some fibers, dust and scratches from the negative, but at this point the composition makes-up for the shortcomings of the amateur photographer, and his rudimentary technical capabilities: Check the composition, the off-set, the lines of fugue, and the atmosphere.

Wooden Church: 1970

1970-Lake_Herastrau_Bucharest

I took this photo in the  ‘Museum of the Village’, I have to research more the history of this Romanian church: like all other village houses from various parts of Rumania, the church was disassembled, moved and rebuilt  at the museum site. The Founder of the museum was a Romanian professor of history, entomology and folklore, Dimitrie Gusti. I don’t have the negative, but I remember the feeling of admiration at the appearance of the first shades in the developing solution tray. So I just scanned it. For a 41 years old photo, I sure did a good job, as it looks as if I developed it…yesterday. The Museum is in Bucharest, at Herastrau Lake.