Finding The Redhead (For beachzz/Marilyn) by Chipka
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Description
Even after a year, the taste of Persian food lingers. I can still hear conversations and laughter, and moments of appreciative silence: small marks of verbal punctuation shared among those who speak a common language. Even after a year, scents and sounds linger, and the thought of pomegranates, walnuts, and chicken seem so utterly logical.
It was a lively first night when the Renderosity Photo Ninjas ate at Reza’s; we spent as much time chattering and laughing as we spent eating. We passed a number of swanky establishments: bars—some of which were cooler than others. We passed The Redhead. Marilyn perked up. In all honesty, she was quite lively and vivacious throughout her entire visit, but she has a particular love of live music and the social vibe that goes along with it. The Redhead is a bar that offers live entertainment: Jazz-influenced stuff. Needless to say, Marilyn wanted to go there, but the line was incredibly long. I’ve actually seen smaller automotive traffic jams. This bodes well for a place like The Redhead. If there are serpentine lines of people waiting to get in, a visit must be well worth it.
We’ll have to go there when the Ninjas meet again.
On the first (or was it the second?) night at Reza’s, Marilyn was actually without her camera. I think it was the second night. We passed The Redhead, and I allowed her the use of my camera to nab a capture. On the last night of the Ninja Confab, Marilyn and I walked together to capture the Redhead with her camera. She nabbed the shot and it has since been posted. On the night that she captured the Redhead, I captured Marshall’s…just your run of the mill department store. I liked the light; I liked the mood of the night, I liked the rectangular windows and the utilitarian florescent lights. Everything looked clean. Everything shimmered. Even the traffic looked nice. It was—in short—a good night, with good company. This is but a single moment from that night, now a year ago.
I’m not prone to nostalgia, but there is a particular joy in experiencing the movement of time, in recognizing great moments in life, with friends, with loved ones, with members of a family not bound by the cruelty of the selfish gene. Family, is after all a state of being with other people, rather than genetic associations. The Renderosity Ninjas (photo and otherwise) are a family: a rather loopy and multi-national conglomeration of people, and this image exists because of that particular family. Fleeting moments are immortalized with digital cameras, and it’s something the Renderosity Ninjas (and their intimate associates) know very well. It’s funny: there are no ninjas in the picture itself, but it came into being simply because of such people. Now, the moment of photographic creation has passed, but something of that weekend remains, and will remain for as much of eternity as a digital/online medium allows. That’s a pretty long time. Wonderfully so!
As always, thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting.
Comments (19)
kgb224
Stunning capture my friend.
lick.a.witch
You paint with your words an absolutely wonderful image of the family that is Renderosity Chip. It makes one feel a part of something rather special. ^=^ Lovely capture. ^=^
flavia49
outstanding work!!
THROBBE
Long live the ninjas!
MrsRatbag
It must have been an amazing time; it's generated a lot of fine photos and memories, and it's hard to believe that it's been a year since it happened! Your shot is a fine Chipnightshot: making the night appear like the magical portal of unknown wonders. Well done!
Sea_Dog
What a great time that must have been - your skill with words makes me feel as if I was there.
popeslattz
Love the fact that only the word, Mars, is visible at the top of the shot. It denotes a far away landscape in a foreign place. Excellent capture and story.
Charberry
As the saying goes, you can choose your friends, but not your family. This is a great shot, and I like the lighting in it which has a warm glow. We have Marshall's here too, but from now on all I will see is the "Mars" like at the top of your photo.
blinkings
Great urban scene Chip.
jocko500
very wonderful work
auntietk
I, too, generally eschew nostalgia, but there was something about that trip to Chicago that was above and beyond ordinary experience. Partly art, partly shared sensibilities, partly perfect weather, partly ... I don't know what. (Je ne sais quois. I don't know what.) Your shot of Mars(halls) (the halls of Mars, perhaps?) makes me think of that several-story mall with the warp core elevator and the fabulous pasta. One year ago this weekend. It comes back to me so easily, so completely. Thank you for this!
KatesFriend
It's a spectacular night shot. I like scenes like this that capture not just the multitudes of colour but also the different kinds of light one can find in any modern city. At a glace I identify the black body glow of incandescent, head scorching halogens, wide spectrum but not so daylight fluorescent, the mercurial (in spectral output not material make up) LED, and of coarse that staple of all civilized urban streets: rarefied, energized sodium vapour. A light that seems to seep into every crack and dark surface of the night so to flood out even the slightest contrasts from their hiding places. All that's missing is the buzz of the classic neon tube lamp, the LED's alcoholic great uncle. Ah, yet another fine mixing of old and very new technologies. I could get into the parallels with the very old and newer parts of the human brain but maybe another day. And what night shot is complete without the phantom cars seen only by way of their headlights.
MrsLubner
The night is indeed lit up and it has a dancing feeling to it. How very lovely and what a wonderful pov
beachzz
The Redhead--I am SO going there one of these days. And yeah, that sign grabbed me and wouldn't let go. One year ago, and I swear, I remember every minute as if it just happened. It was one of those gatherings that took on its own amazing, incredible, and yes, even awesome energy. Thanks for bringing it all back!! And this shot--the blur of the cars, the lights and Mars---maybe we were on another planet for a while!!!
helanker
A really fine shot and memories. Always so nice to hear about that weekend. :-)
durleybeachbum
Great memories and a superb night-shot!
minos_6
This is a beautiful shot. I like the way the stark white light inside the building flares, yet seems to remain contained within its walls. There is serenity here too, which is in contrast with the blur of passing vehicles. So much to look at, and the blends of light and dark are compelling, almost splashed across your digital canvas like so much digital paint! Your fondness and enthusiasm for this event is also more than evident in you words. Thanks for sharing both!
sandra46
really awesome night shot, you're a terrific artist and can give the gist of an atmosphere, a fluttering of the soul just with one of these great urban scapes.
RodS
I've always loved night photos for some strange reason - maybe it's just the way the lights make everything look so different (and so much more colorful) than daytime photos. Excellent photo, and I can almost feel the magic you all must have felt that night. Brilliant!