Thursday, February 18, 2010

Outdoor Alabama


So this is pretty cool - Jeff Rease, a friend and amazing photographer who's a fellow member of the NAPG (North Alabama Photographers Guild), entered a photo taken at Stephen's Gap on an NAPG cave photo trip that I got to help with last year. The photo won first place in Outdoor Alabama's "Nature-based Recreation" category and is now on the cover of this months magazine. I'm the silhouette at the top of the pit. Nathan Williams is the second silhouette with the pack dangling below him. Big congrats to Jeff on winning!!

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Sunday, February 14, 2010

Windows to the Soul


I've always said green. That's what my license says too. But you know - its funny - when I wear certain colors folks think they're blue or gray and when I wear others they look green. And then if I look in the mirror I can see little gold/hazel flecks too. Even the lighting makes a difference. So the other evening I thought it'd be fun to try and do a macro of my eyeball to get a closer look at the color...

I did a little wiki eye color search and found some pretty interesting information. Eye color is actually based on more than just one gene and apparently is a phenotypic trait. And the color itself comes from different ratios of eumelanin produced in the melanocytes in the iris.


Everyone has heard that "Eyes are the windows to the soul" How about these?

The eye is the window of the soul, the mouth the door. The intellect, the will, are seen in the eye; the emotions, sensibilities, and affections, in the mouth. The animals look for man's intentions right into his eyes. Even a rat, when you hunt him and bring him to bay, looks you in the eye.
- Hiram Powers, American sculptor (1805 - 1873)

I need no dictionary of quotations to remind me that the eyes are the windows of the soul.
- Max Beerbohm

The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
- Matthew 6:22-23 (King James)

Thou sun, of this great world both eye and soul.
- Milton.

They say that the eye is the window to the soul. But it is the soul that is the window.
- Andrew Hamilton

The eyes indicate the antiquity of the soul.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

The eyes of our souls only then begin to see, when our bodily eyes are closing.
- Law.

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Saturday, February 13, 2010

Cave Archeaology

Where I'm gonna be for part of this summer.....and where I was for 3 weeks last summer.

Phillips Academy - PA Archaeologist Awarded National Geographic Society Grant

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Thursday, February 04, 2010

Tree Rise


Tree Rise
Originally uploaded by Brina Bat (Sabrina Simon)

So I've recently been going to Yoga classes. And out of all the various poses I'm adjusting to I think the tree pose is one of the most graceful especially when you're really in tune with the balance aspect of it. The other evening I took a trip to Tumbling Rock to take some photos and cave a bit. The night before I thought it'd be cool to try a yoga pose. So Danielle humored me with practicing her yoga tree pose while Nathan humored me with a couple strobes so I could take some shots. Am happy with the results - Danielle's silhouette in her tree pose is very graceful and calm. I like how the lights and darks play between the smooth shape of Danielle and the rough formations to the smooth - almost concrete-like ceiling and packed mud floor.

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Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Fish Eye Style Friday Night

So these are the kind of photos you get when you combine a fisheye lense with a Friday night and friends and some Chinese takeout and way too much hot tea and purple rice crispy treats with sprinkles and 3 different board games...


Danielle and Casey enjoying the first bite of my crazy purple rice crispy treat experiment.


The first board game - Settlers of Catan - and yes that is a giant camel - he's hanging out in the desert. After a bit of a crash course in the game given by a very patient Danielle and Casey - Paul and I both decided it was pretty fun.


This would be Danielle and Casey making faces at a blooming tea - white tea that blooms when you add hot water - its super fun - and from Teaposy. I think this was pot #3 (we had 5 pots of tea by the way... One just regular jasmine green tea, one falling water, one butterfly, one lady fairy and one heart of love).


My hand and the items I had to trade - lumber wheat and 4 sheep at some point in the game. The goal of Settlers of Catan is to be the first to collect 10 points by building roads and settlements and cities.


Casey Paul and Danielle checking out pot of blooming tea #4...

A round of Chinese Checkers... hadn't played it in forever!


This would be somewhere around 2:30 AM or so... a quick game of Apples to Apples just to show Casey and Danielle how to play...

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