Pacesetter - Spring/Summer 2007 - Eye of the Beholder

Eye of the Beholder

by DOUG BLACK

Every day is a marvelous gift, but even so, some days are better than others, and once in a great while, everything fits together flawlessly, resulting in a perfect day.

October 29, 2005, was such a day. It was the final weekend in October, but the weather was unusually warm following a series of cool, if not chilly, nights. There had not yet been any of the autumn storms that strip golden leaves from the trees, and the low humidity made possible a cloudless sky so blue that it can scarcely be described. I felt compelled to preserve as much of the beauty as I could against the bleakness of impending winter. The resulting photos were not quite as splendid as the day itself, and yet they are still breathtaking to me.

I always try to capture a mood or feeling in my photos, exemplified in the images “Peace” and “Reflection.” When I take pictures, I like to use the light for effect — to emphasize colors and shadows. Of course, the brilliant red leaves shown in “Richness” and “Saturation” display a remarkable range of color and shadow; however, I think my favorite is “In the Garden” because the play of the shadows against the golden leaves always leaves me feeling like I’m in the very presence of God. I like to think that Adam and Eve might have experienced something similar on their evening walks … in the garden.

“Autumn Splendor,” “Glory,” and “Wayfarer’s Paradise” recently were featured in the Dayton Metro Library’s Art by Librarians exhibition. “Glory” again plays the bright against the dark. It was taken on a late afternoon in March 2006, and it shows the clearing sky over Ridgeleigh Terrace just after an early spring thunderstorm. “Wayfarer’s Paradise” was taken in July 2006 on the day of my son’s wedding, from the back portico of the Wayfarer’s Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes near Long Beach, Calif. The Wayfarer’s Chapel (http://www.wayfarerschapel.org/) was built by the son of Frank Lloyd Wright and is one of the most essentially peaceful places I have ever seen.

DOUG BLACK is kc’s coordinator of instructional technology and an associate professor in the Library. He is involved in online teaching and learning and is considered one of the campus “computer gurus.” Though Doug is designing online computer courses for the college, his talents clearly extend beyond the realm of the PC.