Symmetry by Chipka
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Description
On the night I saw—and photographed—someone who could easily have been Rasputin’s younger, cuter brother, I happened to capture other random Chicago Transit Authority commuters. It was late on the night I captured them. It was windy.
Corey and I had spent the day with Tara and Bill. We talked and laughed a lot. We photographed Da Bean, a bride and her groom, numerous architectural wonders, and more than a few window-born reflections. In short, it was a great day, but like all great days, it had to end. And so, at day’s end, Corey and I rode the Brown Line north: from the shimmering, crystalline core of Chicago to the Albany Park neighborhood. In Albany Park, things are different. They don’t shimmer as much. Store windows carry a different line of goods. It’s all a part of the same city, but where the city core puts its best foot forward, places like Albany Park are more interested in simply getting stuff done and going to bed at a reasonable hour.
As I rode, beside Corey, I snapped random pictures: one of a young man with startlingly clear eyes, and rather Rasputin-esque stubble. He wore a hoodie, and for a moment, it looked as if he was some displaced monk, or perhaps something more mysterious. I imagined that—in some alternate universe—he was a member of the Nemaean Cloistered Brotherhood. Of course he wasn’t, as there is no such place as Nemaea…not in a literal sense.
I took this picture as well. It features yet another human subject and the reflection of that human subject. I like the differing qualities of light and color: the way in which the reflection is more vivid than its source. I like the strange, truncated symmetry and the implied logic of this shot. I thought of the various conversations Tara and I had, concerning reflections and I wondered if I’d capture something (reflected) that wasn’t actually on the train. As it stands, I only captured a color shift, and I liked it. I kept it. And here it is.
As always, thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting, and I hope you’re all having a great week. It seems that the entire month of October is a hectic one for me, but hopefully the crazy-hectic stuff ends by Halloween and I can get back to normal life, like posting, commenting, and doing something other than moving someone else’s stuff.
Comments (19)
bmac62
He looks very cool, calm and collected...just like his older brother must have. I like your musings...train rides have always provided me with all sorts of time to get lost in my reveries. But then again nothing beats a 3 hour flight with the cabin pressure at 8,000 feet and a martini or two! Amazing things go through your mind;-) As for your photo...outstanding...reflections and yes colors too! How do you sneak these ninja-like and not get caught? No answer needed:) Bottom line, I like this alot Chip.
RodS
Nice capture, Chip! The man's detached stare helps to give this an added bit of mystery. One wonders what holds his thoughts. I dove the open-ended-ness of this..
Faemike55
he must be calm and Chivin' on! Great capture
tennesseecowgirl
I love that he seems to be rather taking in the sights of the city or lost in his own thoughts, and that he is not connected, no IPod of cell phone visible at least. Nice work. Is it getting cold there, it sure has dropped here in temperatures by about 20 degrees in the last couple days.
mgtcs
Being a SciFi nut as I am, this image immediately brings to my mind the notion of parallel universes. It is as if you had captured a glimpse of some alternate reality where our main character's counterpart is somewhat different from the one we know, perhaps more emotional and primal. Me likes this one!
KatesFriend
Ah yes, the sharpness of reflections. I understand this to be a consequence of the light having to travel a longer path to your eyes than required from the real object. Thus the reflected rays become more parallel than those from the original and the reflected image is sharper as a result. A reflection is also slightly more in the past than the real object due to the longer distance reflected light must travel. So this young man and the reflection are not the same event. Could we then use mirrors as time machines?
auntietk
I think Clayton is right about a lot of things. :P The reflection contains a building that isn't in the original. Different light. A certain sort of clarity that life doesn't have. I look for it in my photography, even via postwork. It's like an image isn't real enough if it doesn't have that reflective quality. I never thought of it before (thank you, Clayton), and it's quite a fascinating thing to contimplate. Maybe my photographic world is a reflection of this world. Well, of course it is ... everyone's is ... but somehow I knew that. Huh. You know, my dear, there's a reason we're friends! LOL!
charpix
The reflections and lighting are so interesting in this one. The young man seems to be in an entirely different world in his thoughts. In the past we have been on many trains, subways, and buses, and watching people is about the most interesting thing to do without a book or newspaper. Or even if one has a newspaper, that gets old after a while, and we sit there trying to read the thoughts of others sitting nearby. Quite a pastime, I think. Excellent capture.
Sepiasiren
whatta magnificent character shot ...
nikolais
grand "carryaway" moment!
durleybeachbum
Such an enigmatic expression. Maybe he is having a proper out-of-body experience and watching himself and you from the roof of the carriage. Excellent pic!
helanker
He looks as if he was mighty far away from where he was sitting. A really beautiful shot with the window reflections and the low light.
kgb224
Superb capture my friend. God Bless.
flavia49
marvelous work
evielouise
I think if I got on the metro here in California people would have a fit if I took a picture of one: But then again ,I don't get on the metro and perhaps I'm wrong they may not mind Love the mirror reflection great capture it's like being in a elevator people don't know where to look lol
sandra46
IT ROCKS! GREAT IMAGE!
jac204
Great capture. Your human subjects allways add an interesting mood to your pictures.
angora
scary thoughts! ;-D great capture!
myrrhluz
This is a very appealing image from first glance and becomes even more so on closer inspection. I like the symmetry and attractiveness of the two profiles, the depth, the lines of the lights and bars, and the view into the darkness of the reflection. There is something a little frozen in his unreflected expression. His widely opened eye, gazing at nothing. He is behind a shield, placed around himself conscientiously or not, alone among others, sunk into his own thoughts, and closed off the outside world. I see the reflection as a representation of his inner self, calm and meditative. Harsh light of the world, vs peaceful inner shadows. Very cool capture! I like it a lot!