Rebuilding Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico, devastated by last year's hurricane, is still rebuilding what was destroyed. But this is not a photo documentary of that process; it's a short series of images from 2012 "rebuilt" from the original files using newly adopted digital workflow, tempered with patience! Patience because each image is comprised of many subtle adjustments, layered one on top of the other, often over the course of several days.

In San Juan, there is a magnificent old Spanish fort, Castillo de San Cristobal, now a national park. During a medical conference, I decided my time was better spent walking about the monument with my camera rather than trying to stay awake listening to blah, blah, blah just so I could pick up some continuing education credits! Ah, the joys of now being retired!

All of the seven photographs were taken with a Nikon D7000 and Nikkor 24-120 f/4 zoom lens. They are decidedly "fine art" images rather than landscapes per se. Except for the last one, Yellow Thunderstorm, of course. During the week, we were beset by some of the most dramatic and violent thunderstorms each afternoon; this was in early October, hurricane season, and I'd rarely seen anything comparable. Wonderful cloud formations!

Of course the castillo was interesting from an historical perspective as well as from a photographic vantage with its centuries old textures and the juxtaposition of sky and clouds and fortress edges. I hope you enjoy. Drop me a line if you like these, better yet, let me answer any questions you might have.

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Door Window Horsecart took my eye due to its pre-staged composition, but more importantly, I was intrigued with fantastic textures and colors in the decaying plaster. For the astute observer, you may recognize this image from my website where it is displayed with a different composition, one that I have always thought was crowded and incomplete, but for which I didn't know how to compensate. You can see the original here. You be the judge as to whether this version is an improvement.

Door Window Horsecart

Overlook was taken mid-day, full sun, not the most interesting conditions. When I was going through the photographs, I discovered I had near perfect alignment of the gap in the wall and the distant guard tower, about four or five feet in diameter. I decided I liked the minimalistic composition and processed the image accordingly. I really like the nearly clear blue sky, the deeper blue of the sea peeking through, and the subtle colors in the wall.

Overlook

By the time afternoon was rolling around, the humid air was roiling with magnificent clouds percolating into a terrific thunderstorm. I titled this image Opposing Forces because of the thought that the fortress, here represented by the edge of wall, has withstood the onslaught of nature for centuries. Yet ultimately, nature subdues all works of man; it's just a matter of time. Note also the yellow color in the wall, complementary to the blue of the sky; complementary colors create visual tension, consistent with what I was trying to achieve.

Opposing Forces

Three Doors is a fun little composition, at least in my mind. Where are the three doors, you might ask. First of all on the left is a window, not a door. Clearly there is one door, but where is the third? Far right, a little mouse hole perhaps? At least that is how I visualized it. By the way a window could be a door for birds or mosquitoes I suppose! More importantly, there was the sublimely oblique ray of diffused afternoon light cutting across the scene from upper right to lower left, which I tried to emphasize. That soft and gentle illumination contrasts with the variegated textures and colors in the walls. You see into the gloom of the interior only because of reflected light. Can you see how that could be?

Three Doors

If there is one theme within this blog, it is the contrasts in color and texture. Soft and Hard is about this. Note the complementary colors. Water and sky and clouds are soft, stone battlements are hard: Complementarity and juxtaposition. I like the minimalist composition, too.

Soft and Hard

Storm Clouds is also about contrasts, but not just between hard-edged structures and billowing clouds. It also images contrast in the gathering thunderclouds and gives you a peek of how pockets of light illuminate the sky. I love the flash of blue and tranquil sky against the gathering storm, which was a whopper indeed! For those of you with a close eye, you will note that something seems to be "off" about the upper far right of frame; the wall is curved, unworthy of a straight line. Ah, Grasshopper, the wall is indeed curved, but by the arch overhead. It took me quite a while to figure out that camera perspective was causing this effect, rather than a defect in my lens!

Storm Clouds

It was my last night in Puerto Rico and Yellow Thunderstorm was a southern view from my hotel room balcony, looking over the resort area of San Juan. The last bit of waning sunlight illuminated the upper reaches of the burgeoning cumulonimbus clouds, which can reach thousands of feet into the sky. The golden-hour reflection of this magic light bathing the sea took me and as it transported me, I hope it does you.

Yellow Thunderstorm