Her Shoes in the Alley

A white sandal with bright shiny sequins was laying on its side in a secluded spot in a downtown alley. It was worn and smudged with dirt around the sole. I wondered if it had just been thrown away and if so, where was it’s match? Or was there another very different story?

That’s how it is with so many things we see. There are questions and mysteries and alternative meanings. And stories we can tell. Here are a few examples.

Her Shoes in the Alley
A Yearning for More
The Light

St. Petersburg’s Museum of the American Arts & Crafts Movement

Late 19th and early 20th century “anxieties about the quality of life in the industrial era and the rise of mass-produced goods” motivated Arts and Crafts designers to create objects that were both beautiful and functional. The new building designed to display their work is a modern reminder that beauty and design need not be sacrificed for usefulness. These images are my impressions of a few features that caught my eye.

Enter Here
Stairway
Inner Pillar
Was He Really There?
Stacked
Table and Chairs

Coming Apart

Coming Apart

It feels like many of the things

we depend on, believe in, or take for granted

are coming apart. And a few are crumbling.

These images are reminders that

disorder or even disaster may be lurking

amid the beauty one can still find.

Coming Apart
“Preserving” the Historic DeMarcay Hotel
Plastic Everywhere
Just a Reflection
Dolphin Tower Repair

Attack of the Blue Feather

A feather was lying along the path through the woods. It was large and beautiful, and had belonged to one of the birds that lived there in the trees.

When I brought it to the City I quickly learned it did not belong here.

You can see what happened and the message it left.

Attack of the Blue Feather
Attack of the Blue Feather
Millionaire Condos
Fiery Pillars of Wealth
Just Stop!
Just Stop… and Breathe

Inspiration in the Alley

Behind the shining facade luring you in

there is always a back door,

sometimes hidden away in a quiet alley.

These unglamorous places near the heart of town

can offer surprises and food for the imagination,

often telling a different story about where you are.

Blob Dylan
Two Ways In
Concrete Moth
Glass Door with a Message
Step Into the Light
Reflections from a Cadillac

Naturally Abstract

The veins in the leaves and the thicket of plants at the water’s edge.

The moss swaying in the wind, the curve of the roots and the space beneath them.

Even the lowly weed that like a tree camouflages the urban infrastructure.

These natural abstractions help me connect to the natural world in ways I might otherwise miss.

Veins and the Light
Seedpod

Thicket at the Water’s Edge
Spanish Moss Swaying in the Wind

Veins in the Leaves Like Branches in a Tree
Roots and the Spaces Between
Weed like a Tree

Savannah Georgia Ship Channel

Downtown Savannah cuddles up to the south shore of the Savannah River and is just downstream from a major container port. Ships are sometimes routed close to the shore, close enough that you can feel the thrum of the engine in your chest as the ship passes by.

It is sobering to know this huge ship piled high with truck-sized containers represents only a tiny fraction of what we consume each day, one small link in the supply chain.

Coming head-on
Bulbous Bow Passing By
On Its Way

Gulf Beach Dreams

Hazy dreams of a day at the beach. Blue skies, family and friends, wrapped in the warm Gulf air and waters.

But then comes the runoff after the rain, the oil, the dead fish and other Red Tide detritus, reminders of what else that warm water holds.

Gulf Beach Dream
Sunrise
Morning Footprints in the Freshly Raked Sand
Just a Ripple at the Shore
Keeping Watch
Bird-plosion
The Pier That Used To Be
After the Rain
A Colorful Death
Red Tide Detritus
Sunset

Mumbai

The morning air thick with the smoke of open fires, vehicle exhaust, and the smell of dense humanity.

Chaos in the streets, the poverty, a flash of wealth, millions of lives swirling around in plain sight.

Cars, trucks, phones, plastic, and more plastic, yet somehow a feeling that it has been this way for ages.

Mumbai.

Sunrise Over Mumbai
Sunrise Over Mumbai
Mumbai Slum -- How it Felt
Mumbai Slum — How it Felt
Off the Bus, Mumbai street scene
Off the Bus
Cathedral Stoplight
Cathedral Stoplight
A Good Job - Showcasing Beautiful Bathroom Designs
A Good Job – Showcasing Beautiful Bathroom Designs
Making Notes - Mumbai Street Scene
Making Notes

The Sultanate of Oman

The Sultanate of Oman is on the southeast tip of the Arabian Peninsula, bordering the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and the war-torn Yemen. Despite Oman’s proximity to that war, there was very little evidence of the humanitarian catastrophe so nearby.

Oman’s oil wealth and use of imported labor is evident. Nevertheless, Oman does not exhibit the overwhelming urbanization and development of either Dubai or Abu Dhabi. Old Muscat, in particular was human-scaled with plenty of friendly pedestrian activity.

Oman’s coastline in the Muscat area is rugged and mountainous. The ocean-side outcroppings were ideal locations for the 16th century Portuguese forts, like the Al Jalali Fort that is the backdrop for the Palace. The mountains and stones they provide for construction gave Muscat some of it’s ambient color.

The images below are all from Muscat, the sprawling capital city. Click on one of the links above to see more work.

The Opera House, Muscat, Oman
The Royal Opera House
Dead Crab, Muscat, Oman
Dead Crab on the Beach
Police in the Harbor, Muscat, Oman
Police in the Harbor
Omani Taxi Driver
Omani Taxi Driver
Al Alam Palace, Muscat, Oman
Al Alam Palace
Al Alam Palace Gun and Fort, Muscat, Oman
Al Alam Palace Gun and Fort
Al Alam Palace Entrance
Palace Entrance
Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Muscat, Oman
Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque
Tower at Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Muscat, Oman
Tower at Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque
Commerce in Mutrah Harbor, Muscat, Oman
Commerce in Mutrah Harbor
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