Thursday, February 2, 2017

Arches and Ivy


After I photographed the railroad tracks the other day, I headed back to my car.  As I walked along, I happened to notice these arches in a wall and the ivy growing on them.  This is one of a number of buildings at a masonry yard where I go to buy portland cement, aggregate and sand for some of my projects.  What I love about this scene is the way the ivy is growing - it all comes down to that.  I also like the feeling of cold, with snowflakes captured as they fall.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

this "photo" you say, is quite remarkable. at first i thought it was a photo of a painting. or even just a painting. a very interesting painting. windows into a misty somewhere.... but you say it is a photo. so also very interesting the arch on the right with its ethereal hint of a distant misty view of trees and staggered foreground the climbing definition of ill distinct vines, the interesting play of frozen surroundings and flecks of snow frozen in time. this is a photo of museum quality, many stories can be imagined in a single gaze and a few more with a second viewing. I've looked at and expanded and zoomed in on this very poetic photo several times. each time i see something new its the best I've seen in years that provokes the mind to wonder and wander -laurel

Ken Spencer said...

Dear Laurel: Thank you so much for your striking comments! I photograph by intuition, and although this may seem strange, many times I am not completely aware of what I have included within the frame, and many times I am not aware of how a particular photograph will affect people emotionally. So that's why your comments are so illuminating to me. I cannot thank you enough for the time you took to tell me how you responded to this image!

Anonymous said...

you are most welcome mr spencer. i just came home from work an hour ago and looking at this photo today, if you slightly squint your eyes, the scene can seriously provoke an underwater story, with murky distant views through a submerged weathered structure, a coral here and there, and the ivy much like seaweed streaming upward, the texture of sand, floating bubbles, and the proverbial discarded bottle in the foreground.

years ago i was the 'family photographer' so to say and 20 years into it i discovered that i missed quite a bit while focusing and hunting for the right composition. my sons laugh now and say you are not in any of the photos mom because you were always behind the lens. haven't picked up the nikon fm for at least 10 years now. but since the kids insisted i have an iPhone well i grab a cool shot now and then. and am always surprised at how some photos turn out.

nonetheless your photo is exceptional and carries many stories within it. thank you for posting it mr spencer! -laurel

Ken Spencer said...

Laurel: I would love to send you a print of this photograph, if you would like. My blog email address is < itbeken@yahoo.com > If you are comfortable with this, write me at that email address, and I can arrange to send you a print.

Anonymous said...

When I first looked at this photo, I thought I was looking through the right side arch. So surprising that it is solid! Like the way the vines wind their way around. Very cool picture! bsk