Silhouettes

I love old prints.  Our bedroom is adorned with Japanese woodblock prints.  The kitchen has prints featuring local landmarks presented in the style of old travel posters from the 30’s.  In the top drawer of my drafting table are prints from Thailand waiting to be framed.  I am fascinated how flat, meaningless, layers of color can come together into a lifelike composition.

Payne Lake Westside Campground (Payne Lake Recreation Area, Alabama, USA)

I keep two folders in my collection of photographs; one for pictures that I would like to make into prints someday and one for photos that have a print like quality.

Sunset (San Simeon, California, USA)

Of those with a print like quality, I like the contrast of those with a layer of black superimposed on the color.  I know it is a trick of the camera but they remind me of my favorite travel posters from the Art’s & Crafts period.  Those prints show idyllic scenes framed by the flat foreground of trees or columns.

Boathouses (South Lake Tahoe, California, USA)

There is no loss of quality in the photograph.  The detail is still there.  The elements are still real, still part of the photo, but in a flat layer of black.   They lack depth but provide an interesting “frame” for the world of color.

San Simeon Cove (San Simeon, California, USA)

Birds in flight (San Simeon, California, USA)

San Simeon pier (San Simeon, California, USA)