Avian Aura

Avian Aura

The photographs I capture of water flowing in mountain streams turn up some astonishing imagery. In most, the strange and compelling figures that coalesce in the swirling waters do so only if you take the time to look for them. But once in a while you’re struck immediately by a figurative element that jumps right out at you.

That’s the case with Avian Aura, where the large gold and white shape in the bottom half of the photograph resolves almost instantaneously into a brilliant bird with its wings swept back, soaring through the frame.

As in Catalescence, the central image here holds your eye, but when you’re ready to wander and see the other creatures that inhabit the raptor’s world, you may notice some smaller and more subtle bird shapes here and there. A little less subtle are the blue ape-like face and the orange, screaming head in the upper right.

And if you see the skinny green humanoid with the black eyes and the tragically receding hairline walking into the photo just to the right of the bird, with his left, handless arm extended, go ahead and pretend it’s a subliminal memory of your alien abduction.

Catalescence

Catalescence

Catalescence is a photograph of flowing water that quickly becomes something else as you take it in. At the center is a distinctly feline face, orange and gold, a “tyger burning bright,” looking out through a quivering membrane at something over to your left. It appears he’s poked his face into the membrane and set it shimmering.

Well it’s fun to play that way. So why not look at this photo as a child might–or as Blake or Dali or Kesey might–and ask, what is the tiger looking at? And where is he? Where does he live? Look further into the flow then and discover the hidden world behind the veil, populated by barely perceptible things and beings. Go ahead and construct that world in your mind.

It’s how you discover the strange creature at the right, wearing a black cap and light burgundy jacket and what could be a plaid scarf. He’s looking off past the tiger with his alien gaze, and probably seeing what’s behind him even more clearly, judging by the size of the eye beneath the cap at the back of his head.

You may also be able to find the two figures near the bottom, on the right. They start out as light-colored vertical shapes. But if you meditate on those shapes, they morph into male and female figures with black hats, the male wearing a tie, the female with a dark band around her neck and a cinched waist.

Headland

Headland

This image of water flowing over a flat, tilted rock in the San Miguel River in Telluride, Colorado contains some interesting abstract shapes, but it’s the many heads that coalesce among those shapes that gave this photo its name. The alien, animal, and humanoid heads emerge, one after the other, to create an increasingly hallucinatory experience.

For example, there’s the head and shoulders of a large alien with dark, bulbous eyes or goggles near the top, right of center, dominating that area of the image. He has a dark forehead and nose, a golden mouth and chin, and he’s wearing oversized headgear and a tunic with a high collar or maybe a breastplate.

Directly below him are two strange-looking heads in profile that appear to be staring at one another. The head on the left (looking down and to the right), is emerging from a golden ring of smoke. The head on the right (looking up and to the left), has some strange, fin-like structure on its forehead.

There seems to be some sort of drama going on between the two, something the larger alien above them is observing. While you think about that, check out the dragon or sea serpent in the upper left as it passes by in the background.

Flutterdown

Flutterdown

This would have been a great abstract photograph of water flowing over rocks in a Colorado stream — if only that darn duck hadn’t spoiled the shot by swimming into the frame in the lower, right-hand corner. 

The duck is an optical illusion, of course, but that’s the attraction of these hallucinatory images that make up my Insistent Illusions collection.

These images often appear at first glance as abstract and chaotic, but as your gaze lingers, amazing figurative shapes begin to appear. The effect is particularly entertaining when the images are viewed in low light and under the effects of your favorite intoxicant.

Flutterdown was photographed at the Dallas Creek, somewhere north of Telluride. I captured a number of exotic images there, including Subrosagator and Ghostwater, which I’ll post later on.

All of my photographs are available in various sizes, from 12 x 18-inches, up to 24 x 36-inches, on paper or canvas. If you’d like a free, postcard-size sample of this image, contact me by leaving a comment.

Floating Garden

Floating Garden

This blissful image of clear mountain water rippling across a lush creekbed just keeps getting more and more interesting. The overall composition is captivating, sure, but I’m especially fascinated by the many organic shapes created by the swirling water. To bring out those shapes a bit more, I intensified the color saturation and applied a subtle software effect.

Floating Garden was captured at Meadow Creek, an idyllic area northeast of Pinos Altos, in New Mexico’s Gila National Forest. Although the forest itself is green with ponderosa pines, oaks and junipers, this secluded area is unusually lush, with bright green grass growing along the creek and a lot of grasses and even wildflowers in the creek itself.

Free Sample: Contact me for a free, postcard-size sample of this or any other of my photographs. Only one per person.

Animal Spirits

Animal Spirits

The tip of a small branch poking up from the bottom of Spring Creek outside Steamboat Springs, Colorado breaks the flow and creates an image that looks surprisingly like a surreal fox dipping its head down for a drink. Even more surpisingly, there seems to be a ghostly kitten (or is it a chihuahua?), watching the fox.

This is just a placeholder for now. But in the next few months, I’ll be posting a series of strange photographs along with commentary. In the meantime, you can see more illusory photographs like this at my Etsy Gallery.