Choices
The photograph, Choices, which was the subject of the last journal entry, The Decisions We Make, was selected as Editor’s Choice this week at the Nature Photographers.net website in the Earth, Sea and Sky category. You can visit Nature Photographers.Net to see it there and to also view some of the best nature photography found anywhere in the world.
In my senior year in college I was finishing up all of my general education classes, classes that would have normally been taken in the first couple of years. I was more interested in math and science so I delayed my general ed classes. One of the more interesting and challenging classes I attended was Philosophy 101. It was in this class that we were introduced to deductive logic, reasoning and how to argue and prove a line of thinking.
We had a term paper due at the end of the semester, one of our choosing, with professor approval of course (so much for choice). I was clueless as to what I would write about and try to prove. Then one day in class the professor spoke on the topic of free will. She mentioned that past philosophers argued and proved that humans have free will. This rubbed me the wrong way, and of course I did not agree. I approached her after class and debated with her that as humans we do not have free will and that I would like to tackle this topic as the subject of my term paper. At first she was very reluctant to allow me to work on this topic, insisting that there was no way I could disprove free will. After a little cajoling she allowed me to write on that topic, but gave me a caveat that I would not be successful. Well, throwing the gauntlet down at my feet only kindled my fervor and I set out on my task.
If you are interested in reading that short paper, I think I could find it stashed away in my notes somewhere. But the basic premise of my argument was that rather than free will, which implies the ability to do as one wishes, what we truly have is merely the freedom of choice. We can choose whatever we wish freely, from our actions, decisions, preferences and so on. However, the outcomes of our choices are not in our control, nor do we have any foreknowledge of what the outcomes of our choices will be. Of course this premise is not as attractive as that of a free will, where we have the freedom to choose, but also, in addition to that, we would know and have control over the outcome of our choices. My argument did not find favor with my professor and she had notes in the margins arguing almost every statement I made.
Then I introduced the concept of a being that would have complete and total free will and described how such an entity would literally have control over everything and that there could only be one such entity for otherwise the universe as we know it would fall into complete chaos as the multiple entities would be battling for superiority – willing this and that in to being over each other. I named this entity, for lack of any better term God. At this point, her comments seemed to dwindle and then vanish from the page. My final conclusion was that if we truly had free will there would be nothing to stop us for vying for control and becoming gods ourselves. And since this has never happened and probably never will, free will for us mere humans is a fallacy.
Which brings me to the reason I post this story today. Choices. Four years ago I photographed that stoic valley oak in the local hills surrounding the San Jose, CA area. It was nice but it never seemed to call out to me to do anything with it. So I decided to just file it away. Two weeks ago a client requests an image that can portray informed decision making for a website landing page. Well this photo comes to mind. Continue Reading »
Strange that it has taken me nearly all spring to bring out a photo of the last sunset of winter. Although not entirely true, as I posted a version of this sunset in The Last of Winter. It is amazing to me how different a few minutes can make in a photograph not to mention the few months that have transpired since I made this photo.
Winter's Last
Time has a way of sneaking past you very quickly. From week to week as I moved from show to show, filling orders made for photos of moments long since past, I had little time to work on new material. When I do get the chance and inspiration to sit down and seriously work on new material, It is like I am looking at the scene for the first time all over again. And although I can remember all the feeleings of elation and joy that coursed through me at the time I made the photo, seeing it again and now intimately working with it for hours to bring out those feelings I once had makes me realize how important photography is. Not only is it a record of time, but for the photographer it is also a record of the experience. So here it is, a recount of my thoughts as they come back to me as I look at this last sunset of the winter of 2009.
Wow, everything is really green this year. The hills are looking good, wildflowers might be aboundant here this year – its to early now, maybe in a month or so. I’ll need to come back. Let me go over to my butterfly hill and see if the wild cucumber is blooming. Nothing yet, but the hills sure are green. What about down in the hollow down there, I can check if I see any poppy plants waiting to bloom. None yet, Hmm. Lets go back up and around to the trillium patch, wow I need to hike more, I’m getting winded to easily. Hey what’s that – that tree is just glowing. That back lighting is unbelieveable! I only have a few minutes. I don’t know if I can pull this one off. Ok quick unload. Let’s see. Maybe the 300, yeah the 300 will do fine. Let me check quickly with the digital, yeah about 100 mm I think the 300 will do fine. I’ll need the ND – work fast. Take care, don’t drop anything, but got to work fast. Ok spin it around, get the dark cloth, Ooh that is nice. I need the loupe, focus, tilting won’t help so check how much depth will I need, where’s that card….. f32 should do. Wait let me get this sunset on the digital and zoom in on the sun. OK got it. Meter quick, the light is going fast, aaah… the lower right for the foreground, now the the sky, wait hit memory, now the sky – keep it plus one, there, its five stops brighter, no six – five and half, ok one stop up I need 4 stops of ND, good. That 2 stop filter is bad all scratched up I need to get a new one – like I have $100 right now anyway. Get the 3 in there, the 1 stop, adjust, oh this is going to be hard to see and adjust that tree is too high in the frame – ….let me see. To dark, open the apeture, its still hard to see, hurry up the light is going ok there, that is good I hope, I wish it was as easy as it was with 35mm argh. Ok f32 on foreground gives 1 sec. Set it, close shutter, test it – good. Uh! film, hurry…. holder, put film in, load in camera, wait, make sure everything is tight, back, tripod head, swings, good, put film in, pull the slide, cock the shutter, ok go. Got it! quick, one more, get the film in – careful don’t move the camera, pull slide, shutter, and go. Got it. What a day. That sunset is just awesome. Let me get this tree on digital. Get this big guy off, Ok, meter darn the light is gone, its totally different now. Get it any way. wow look at those hills , this is really going to be a great photo, that mist is pinking up real nice, zoom in and get that. Wow its so nice out here. Amazing tomorrow is the equinox, this was the last sunset of winter. Its so quiet, so calm. I hope the 4×5′s come out. Well keep one behind in case exposeure was off. It nice out here, alright lets load up.
It all comes screaming back. Photography - memories & life on a piece of celluloid – amazing.
Enjoy Summer! Peace.
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