Author: Ward

I’m the creator and operator of this little corner of the internets, writing on all things related to art and more specifically my experiences trying to figure this whole thing out. I guess I’m trying to figure out life, too, but mostly I just post about art here.

Whidbey Island

A few days ago a good friend of mine, Casey Muldoon, asked me to tag along for a trip up to Fort Casey on Whidbey Island to capture some photographs. For anyone who knows me, I am always game for a road-trip especially when it includes an opportunity to do two of my favorite things: walk and photograph. While the weather report indicated Sunday was to be sunny, there is no such thing as putting the words “Seattle”, “weather” and “cooperating” in the same semantic structure unless one is trying to be ironic. Nevertheless, whatever rain we encountered did not extend all the way to the park itself. We started by walking along the bluff trail south to the gun embankment. There are some spectacular views of the Puget Sound along this path and I look forward to returning when there is better visibility to capture even more photographs. In particular, the shape and distortion of the trees along the bluff are quite striking; they struggle to grow outward against the prevailing wind that bends them up and backwards inland. By around lunchtime we decided we need a bit of food to replenish ourselves and followed Mister Garmin’s advise 3.2 miles due east to Coupeville.   Upon arrival into town we immediately concluded we had discovered a gem of a town.  So it was with some understated excitement when I write we were ecstatic to discover they were celebrating the 25th Annual Penn Cove Mussel Festival. For a George Washington each we were able to sample five different mussel chowders stationed throughout the town.  The ticket include free shuttle out to Captain Whidbey Inn to sample even more chowder and where we incidentally found a wonderful locale for more photographs. We ended our day at Toby’s Tavern which is, in all reality, a respectable pub disguised as a biker dive-bar. For two more George Washingtons we enjoyed two pounds of steamed mussels and toasted bread; I can honestly say I was musseled-out of my appetite. (I suspect that pun is much funnier in my head than it is to you, dear reader.)

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Home Sweet Seattle

It may seem a surprising thing, even absurd really, when you read that in the thirteen years that I have lived in Seattle I have never been picked at the airport by a friend; until last night, that is. It is funnier, maybe even ironic, that this most auspicious event is hallmarked by maybe an even more auspicious week wherein I decided that my home, for better or for worse, is Seattle. This decision comes on the heels of a rather extensive interviewing with numerous companies in and out of Seattle, including but not limited to NexTag in San Francisco and Google Japan. However, these past three months searching for something I thought I needed I discovered instead I was already in possession of what I need most: a home.

Three months ago, upon experiencing a moment that crystallized my recognition that my well-being, happiness and general state of life are entirely in my control, I began to look outside of Amazon for alternatives both to company and city. As much as the event that precipitated all this is an unfortunate intersections of stressors, nevertheless, in the final analysis I was afforded an introspection of my life in Seattle which, while slow and which has at times shriveled back to bud, has finally taken meaningful root. I came to realize that I, a person who is pathologically shy at self-introductions, has built a small, but deeply committed set of friends; people who regularly call me to see what I am up to and how I am. As small a thing as it is, I have even begun to re-explore my world through art and photography. So much so that a cafe is currently exhibiting some of my photographs. These may not have been the reasons I was so explicit about when I set out from Buffalo back in September of 1998, my then car loaded with hopes to someday return to soil more foreign than the that to which I was born to. However, in these past thirteen years I have lived a bit of a life here in Seattle. It is a life worth continuing and a set of friends worth staying with to cherish and celebrate life with — in Seattle.

And from now on I will have to remember that pickup at the airport is on the ground floor next to baggage claim. Thanks, friend.

Sunset over San Francisco

I happened to have the great pleasure of reconnecting with a good friend, Dave, who I have not conversed with, at least in person, in over 15 years while visiting Berkeley. In many ways Facebook has been a great way to stay connected with folks I knew from my days at Kanazawa University who are now all scattered across the globe, but there is nothing quite like seeing a friend again after so many years apart. Even though Dave has been at UC Berkeley for much (all) this time, it was not till yesterday that he and I actually got to sit down over coffee to chat. I am certain we have changed in many ways, but for me I could not discern any marked differences in Dave.

Once we parted our ways, he to continue work on his doctoral dissertation and I to wander the campus of UC Berkeley, I found myself trying to get a better view of the cumulus clouds I glimpsed in the distance. I recalled Dave reminding me that a short drive to the Lawrence Hall of Science afforded a good view of Berkeley. I am glad I listened to him and timed my drive to coincide with sunset. I almost left before then in order to make back to SFO for my return flight, but fortunately the allure of catching this rare combination of locale and event persuaded me to remain; the result are the below exposures. Note, all the images are composites using 3 exposures bracketed +/- 2 stops. This composition of exposures allows the creation of single exposure with a greater dynamic range than any single exposure thereby better mimicking what the human eye is able to perceive unaided. In some instances I tried to mimic natural light and in others I intentionally selected parameters that emphasize the vibrancy of colors. For those wondering, Berkeley and Oakland are in the foreground and down San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge are in the background.

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California Coast Road-trip

I drove up out of Sunnyvale taking Highway 1 once I was free of San Francisco north of Golden Gate Bridge. Highway 1, for the most part, hugs the coast meandering its way past scenic cliffs and towns of a few hundred inhabitants. The weather this past week has been less than ideal, the rain is harder, colder rain than Seattle typically experiences. It is with a sad nod and pun that it has dampened my spirits somewhat. Fortunately, today saw glimpses of blue sky between the storm clouds. There were moments, as I climbed up hills on a bend, that all I could see was blue sky; it gave me the sense that I was going drive into the sky itself. As is normal to my wont, I took an unplanned left turn dropping in on Point Arena Lighthouse with its unparalleled views from some 145-feet up atop the lighthouse. I continued northward until I reached Highway 128 just some miles south of Mendocino and Fort Bragg where I started to head south and east toward Calistoga where my friend’s house awaited me.

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San Francisco Peninsula

I spent a few hours along the San Francisco Peninsula today, driving south from the Golden Gate Bridge along Highway 1. It is amazing the difference being on the west-side of the peninsula ridge makes to the lay and ebb of the land. As much as I enjoy large cities such as San Francisco especially when on foot, I equally love the joy of driving along a rural road. And it only takes a few minutes south of the Presidio to discover this kind of chance. And this joy turns to thrill when it is done on a sunny day along a gorgeous coastline, especially for this Seattle-ite who just escaped a cold, winter downpour that hit that fair city today. I am told that the drive further south of Half Moon Bay down to Santa cruz is even more spectacular, but nevertheless even the short circuit I followed really helped to round out my day. The best part might of have been the nap I took in the car, parked facing west basking in the warmth of the sun as it slowly set. I fortunately woke in time to see the last minutes before sunset while looking over my should to the east to see the moon already risen.

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