Donald Diddams
The Art of Digital Art
Singular by the Sea
Posted on October 28, 2011
Red Beware! - 2011
Two singular items. Their colors and shapes speak. Does it matter what they are, or is it better just to wonder what they might be?
Stone Ball in Sand - 2011
Friends and Performers
Posted on September 13, 2011
Friends - 2011
People enjoying a festival are one of the many things that help define a place and a community. The two men standing next to each other, one in red festival garb, look up the street and communicate as men often do — by standing next to each other saying nothing. And the young girl concentrates on her performance as a majorette, baton in hand, whistle ready, her pleasure in the performing clearly visible to those who look. So much is said in the faces and actions of the people, yet so much is left unsaid.
[Note: These two images are a part of the series from the 2010-11 holiday festival on St. Croix also featured in the previous post.]
Majorette with Whistle - 2011
Pointers in Red and Green
Posted on September 6, 2010
Pointing to the Red - 2010
If there were such a thing as compass points within the picture frame, both of these images would be pointing off to the north-northeast. But they seem to be pointing to something else, too.
Immature Coconut - 2010
Faded places
Posted on January 18, 2010
Reflections - 2010
Every community has its empty places, faded and overgrown. Some of these, when there had been no design or charm to begin with, become a blight on the landscape. But others have personality and become a part of the character of a place, in their decline adding a patina of charm and history.
How do the well-intentioned and civic-minded learn to tell the difference, so they can carve away the decay and blight while leaving the history and charm in place?
Red gate - 2010
Rising Stars Steel Band and Grilled Meats in Red
Posted on December 16, 2009
Rising Stars Steel Band - 2009
Some of the best steel pan music in the world can be heard from the large orchestras that compete at Carnival time on the island of Trinidad in the southern Caribbean. This seems appropriate since Trinidad is the birthplace of the instrument. While perhaps not the best in the world, we are fortunate on St. Croix to have several steel pan orchestras of our own, including the “Rising Stars”. The dedication of these young people and their leaders to create such stirring music must be admired.
The original photograph for the image above was taken at night under the glare of orange sodium street lights, with just a hint of flash to create the specular highlights on the pan in the foreground. Post-processing focused on enhancing the moody atmospheric qualities of the scene.
While the image below was captured under similar conditions, its focus is more on social commentary than atmosphere. This was a street vendor selling grilled meats set up in front of a perfume and beauty product store window, creating the contrasts between the pattern of the vendor’s dress, the poster in the background, and the condiment bottles in the foreground.
Grilled Meats in Red - 2009
St. Croix — Hotel Caravelle Artwork
Mocko Jumbies
Donald Diddams 