Nightblur by Chipka
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Description
Night whispers from the east; to the west, sunset-flare announces the last valiant stand of light against forces at their apex. There are clouds, and so even the bravest of stars lie in vaporous obscurity.
The day has been a long one. The obligations of routine weigh heavily on shoulders that smack of sweat drawn from labors. The myth of Sisyphus is a prosaic thing in the city, where labors end only to give birth to new—hungrier, leaner, meaner—hungers. There are no stones to roll up hills, only hours spent wearing collars of white or blue. Now, as night replaces day, smokers step into the night-time air to indulge addictions as ancient as a dusty pharaoh’s pyramid. Rolls of tobacco are kissed by wavering tongues of flame. Ash forms columns as smoke—like prayers to gods of true chthonic pedigree—wafts skyward. There is traffic here. There are lights in the cunning shades of neon and halogen. And always, as municipal wisdom dictates, there is the unctuous, endless glare of high-pressure sodium vapor kissed by electricity.
Where there is smoke and ancient custom, calmness prevails.
Even as the city, the night, the mood, blurs in a wash of light that reveals everything but detail.
***
This picture was taken a week ago, perhaps more. I was at the internet cafe I frequent, when life on the south side of Chicago drives me to seek out more appropriate (humane? human?) company. On such a night at the cafe, I ducked out for a cigarette. A fellow cafe patron (and friend) ducked out for a cigarette as well, and during a discussion of the relative merits of Camel and Marlboro, I found myself toying with my camera.
The manner in which this picture was taken can probably be reproduced, but I am uncertain of the exact circumstances. It's a matter of timing, a matter of spin and light, and willing subjects for the camera lens.
This image has not been tweaked, except for resizing and increasing the contrast by a fraction.
***
As always, thank you for viewing and reading and commenting, and hopefully you're all having a great week. Also, thank you for your viewing and comments on past posts...reading them always means quite a lot.
Comments (23)
photostar
Ahhh...after all of the overwhelming discord of the day, it becomes but a blur in the night. Cool photo capture, Chip.
bimm3d
gorgeous photo!!!!!
bclaytonphoto
very cool stuff
beachzz
Sometimes the camera see things we don't know are there. I am often surprised, thinking I got one image, and there's an entirely different one looking at me. This is magic, mysterious, and it ROCKS!!!
CoreyBlack
This is a nice shot of Shaun and it captures his edgy intensity and droll sense of humor. I like how the technique actually worked this time; I distinctly remember standing on the corner of Catalpa and Broadway in the middle of the night, under the hulking shadow of St. Ita's Catholic church, as you spun yourself dizzy trying get the right shot. There were, what? 50 takes that didn't come out? Except this one, on a different night all together. Very nice.
auntietk
Well, my friend, whatever you had to do to get this shot, it was totally worth the trouble. I LOVE the lights, the reflections, the colors, the atmosphere of the thing. Excellent!
Roxam
magic
durleybeachbum
Goodness, you give us a whole new take on that familiar ritual, I love the idea of ancient custom and smoke. Almost makes me wish I hadn't stopped! The photo is perfect for purose, the lines cross his mouth and nose but leave his eyes...brilliant.
ledwolorz
Wonderful work.
MagikUnicorn
Cool I like ;-)
tamburro
Excellent work!!!
costapanos
Really nice capture!
ladyraven23452
cool i myself at times have seen things in my photos that there is no way to tell how thay got there. love the shot.
MrsRatbag
Only a brave man can admit that he doesn't know how he did something; you could easily get away with saying that it was a new secret technique and you worked on it for hours! As mentioned above, it's perfect in that his eyes are left free to see through the lights, and they seem piercing, challenging, and questioning...a wonderful shot, Chip!
igorsv
Strong image! Regards, Igor
nikolais
Chip, I guess I know what you mean. If asked to repeat any of my pics, I would fail...because the best things are never done with the mind (personally)
Sea_Dog
I like this. The streaks of color add warmth and a positive mood while the express on the subject seems forboding or combative.
mbz2662
I anticipate your work and can't wait to click open your photo when the e-bot tells me you have uploaded something. I am never disappointed. No exception here either.
pauldeleu
Strong and wonderful picture.
anaber
The resoult is fabulous!I love the concept.Intense work!
NefariousDrO
That is super cool! I love the effect, the excellent portrait of your friend, it's a fascinating picture. And of course the prose you use is very moving and eloquent, as always. I wish I was half the writer you are! I hope you're well!
KatesFriend
It's an interesting effect, I've had things like that happen to me when photographing at night. I've mistakenly opened the shutter while the lens was pointed up at a dark sky and then for several seconds it is collecting light from any source that swings within its field of view. The exposure ends when the camera is pointed at a well lit target like your subject. As always, your writing brings these images an added dimension of life.
icerian
Impressive effect! Well done!