Neon Abstract: #1 by Chipka
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Description
On the night before Chicago’s Gay Pride festivities, Corey and I wandered through the “Boy’s Town” neighborhood. We were in search of photographic subjects. We’d each been to countless Gay Pride celebrations and participated in more than a few of the traditional parades. This year, however, we felt ourselves drawn into the mood for something else. Chicago’s Gay Pride Parade is—for all of its glitz and glamour—repetitive and tedious. The weather forecasts called for rain, and bearing this in mind, we decided that perhaps a few episodes of Fawlty Towers on DVD might be a more appropriate way to spend a Sunday. I’d spent an earlier part of the day explaining to friends in Ukraine why Daisy Duke shorts are such a vital part of American Gay Pride celebrations--they spent the same part of that day asking where men keep their eggs in such useless and feminine clothing, and why some men would wear shorts obviously not designed to support male outdoor plumbing.
On the night before Chicago’s Gay Pride festivities, Corey and I shouldered our way through crowds of hirsute, muscular night-time revelers—and the men were equally impressive! I thought that it might be a good idea to photograph Gay Pride revelers before the official revelry began. As it turns out, I was more interested in street-lights and neon, and the occasional glare of halogens in expensive boutique windows. There was, after all, a profound zing of electricity in the air: human energy, I thought, until I heard the crackling buzz of neon.
We’d decided to walk to the lake and find subjects along the serene curve of Lake Shore Drive, and once at the lake, we found Russian tourists in expensive sandals, gaggles of head-bobbing suburbanites, and a number of nocturnal seagulls, squabbling over the remains of an unfortunate, splattered hamburger.
On our way back from the lake, we paused at a particularly busy intersection. I was determined to photograph a building across the street. I was hampered by uncooperative light. Rather than yield to frustration and force a shot, I decided to shift my tactics and go for another sort of photographic trophy. I spun around, realizing that light-streaks were more fascinating to me than dimly-lit archways. I spun again…again…and again, undoubtedly drawing more than a casual number of bewildered gazes. I didn’t care. So what if I might have caused a wee little gaper’s block on Belmont Avenue as people stuck their heads out of car windows and asked: What the heck is that guy doing?
This is the result of such spinning: Chicago’s nightlights as seen from the corner of Belmont Avenue and Inner Lake Shore Drive…or is it Sheridan? Not that it matters, I was on the corner of Belmont-and-Something, quite amused by all of the pretty lights, and the pretty streaks they made on the night before Corey and I watched Fawlty Towers rather than attend the same rain-sodden/sun-baked parade we’d attended faithfully for a quarter of a century.
There's minimal post work here. I simply doubled the image, flipped the added layer and played around with layer settings until something symmetrical emerged. Needless to say, I was surprised.
As always, thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting, and I hope you're all on the verge of a great week.
Comments (23)
kgb224
Wonderful capture my friend.
MrsRatbag
Well done on all counts, Chip; I like your "digifiddling", and it sounds like you opted for a more fun way to spend your time!
KatesFriend
Fascinating abstract. It looks like a man with his skeleton and cardiovascular system marked out in streams of light. Though, unlike the rest of his introverted biology class creed, he seems to be out having a really good time that night. Or maybe its two butterflies mugging an earwig - whatever keeps me out of the luny bin. These Roarshack tests always get me into trouble. Really, great photography my friend, I wish I had more time for this sort of thing. Thanks for posting it. Fawlty Towers: Always a good choice for when you need to laugh your damned fool head off (a Welland expression). The bitter sweet tale of Basil the Pedigree Siberian Hamster is my personal favourite. "Spot of rat, Sir?" But, I'm not touching that Daisy Duke thing.
eekdog
terffic design, love the vivid colors. great work..
RodS
A very dazzling and spectacular photo manipulation! Most Excellent! This reminds me much of a friend of mine that passed on some years ago. John and I (pretty much by ourselves) ran what was once known as the Kansas City Metro Photograper's Assn. It was a really fancy title for a 'camera club.' Anyway, one of John's favorite things was this type of photography. Night shoots frequently featured John stopping in front of a neon sign, and performing some strange dance in front of it with his camera. The results were frequently fascinating, as is your wonderful work, here. In the year or so before succumbing to cancer, he was heavily into stereoscopic abstract photography. He came up with these florescent light wands (we called them 'light sabres') that he could insert different colored gels. He would find a dark place, set up his two cameras, and as an assistant opened the shutter, he would dance around with this light wand, looking like some Jedi Knight practicing his combat skills. The results were often spectacular, and when viewed with 3D glasses, looked like glowing curtains of light. Thanks for bringing back those memories!
beachzz
This looks like a carnival ride--something that spins you upside down, backwards, sideways,and maybe even straight ahead while playing the loudest most obnoxious terrible rock n roll music ever invented. Oh yeah, then you throw up. But I do like what you did with this, a lot. Also--if this WERE a carnival ride, I'd be ON it!!!
auntietk
I've been hanging out around you for too long, my friend! I'm seeing the abdomen, thorax and legs of some nightclub-jazzed neon-lit insect. Probably alien. Probably one that will disappear as soon as I see it in its natural state, causing me to forget I ever saw it. Probably from Pragara, or someplace like that. Aside from all THAT blah-de-blah ... I LOVE this!!! What a freakin' cool image! Wow.
minos_6
To me this looks like a fractal. Boy you must really have been spinning! It's quite an image you placed in my head - Chicago Pride, Daisy Duke shorts, muscles, neon, Fawlty Towers - I see you haven't given up on British comedy yet then! Anyway, moving on before I start quoting an old track by Dead or Alive, you've produced something quite spectacular with your spinning and clever post work. Love the symmetry!
durleybeachbum
Very exciting results! I should love to have seen you in the creative act, so to speak!!! Your dialogue is very interesting...not sure if I know what Daisy Duke shorts look like but I 'get your drift'!
helanker
Such a beautiful abstract Chip. I do wish I had better time to read your story too, but it must be later, when I have more peace in the house.
whaleman
Great! I was wondering what the Whirling Dervish was getting while Corey was so diligently grabbing the seating perspective. I sometimes do something similar at Elk Island park late at night after dark, and it is a designated dark-sky area. I park along the main road with my camera preset for a 3 to 5 second time exposure, which I take after they have passed me. I move the camera in different patterns for the duration while they drive away from me.
Meisiekind
Hehe... so this is what Corey referred to!!! I love the result Chip! Looks like a mad ride! Well done indeed!
flavia49
fabulous!
jmb007
belle photo!!
MrsLubner
Wonderful abstract!
jocko500
spinning works. super cool looking
sandra46
FASCINATING OUTSTANDING IMAGE! THE LIGHTS ARE WONDERFULLY SHINING AND GIVE AN IDEA OF XMAS, STRANGE AT JULY!
Bothellite
That is simply AWESOME. And if I'd been lazy and not read through I wouldn't realize just how cool it is. I'm glad that you didn't get dizzy and crash in a heap on the ground!
danapommet
Super cool shot Chip! Dana
myrrhluz
Beautiful celebration of modern light! I see it is numbered, implying that there will be more. How nice! Do you think it's the many millennia of gazing up at the stars that give humans such a fascination with bright lights on a dark plane, or just that they are so mesmerizingly pretty. Fireworks, city lights, sparkling reflections on dark water, sparks and tongues of flame from a campfire. This captured and held my attention too. I like the way the whole canvas is covered with thick strands on the outer borders. I see a dark fish staring out from his black hiding place and a manically smiling bop bag. There are hearts all over the place including many on the bop bag which is a little disconcerting considering his smile. I love the depth and the ticked threads curving up. Beautiful creation!
Alex_Antonov
Beautiful work!
CoreyBlack
This came out really well. I can remember it as you were playing with it and how it morphed from a cool shot into something quite majestic and a touch sinister. It was amazing how flipping it from horizontal to vertical changed the entire feel. Before it looked like something out of the later part of Kubrick's 2001, now it looks like some kind of possibly demonic figure. Or maybe really involved electric flambeaux. Way cool and kinda trippy.
praep
Nice effect - I think I knwo that you surpriesd seeing the result. Well done.