January 2012

Whistler’s Father Budapest, Hungary 2011

The genesis of the title should be obvious, but just in case it’s not, here’s the inspiration:

Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 (a.k.a. Whistler’s Mother) James McNeill Whistler 1871

I’ve seen Whistler’s actual painting at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. I really like the colors in this painting but what I find really interesting about it is the sliver of a frame and white mat in the upper right hand corner of the painting. It’s the kind of seemingly extraneous thing you’d see by accident in a photograph (at least until Photoshop made such things easy to remove), but which painter’s would just choose not to include. So I have to wonder why Whistler bothered to actually paint it in. Perhaps it provides just the balance or tension the composition needs, without which it would fail to please; but you couldn’t prove it by me.  ]]>

Anonymous Budapest, Hungary 2011

This is a monument to a guy who called himself Anonymi Bele Regis Notarii (anonymous notary of King Bela) and who penned what is considered to be the first comprehensive history of Hungary around the year 1200. His name was later shortened to just Anonymous. So was he the original anonymous author? Could be, I can’t find any decent etymology of the word but nothing I’ve read suggests otherwise.

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Speed #3 Budapest, Hungary 2011

A poorly executed camera panning motion on my part for this shot actually resulted in more of a feeling of motion than the previous two speed images.]]>

Speed #2 Budapest, Hungary 2011

Here’s a challenge for the engineer/scientist types out there. Given the exposure for this photograph was 1/20s, estimate the speed this bicyclist was traveling. My first calculation was 82mph. I think I need to go back and revisit my assumptions. In the meantime, Happy New Year!

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