Liz and I visited an old friend of mine this week, a small stream in Middlesex where I’ve made thousands of photographs over the past 25 years. There have been times when I walked away without a single image, but the walk is always a delight any time of year, and more than once I’ve seen miracles there.
Liz sat and painted while I walked a few of my favorite pools. The stream was barely flowing and the sunlight hard and low. Still, my patience was rewarded as I saw several photographs that seem worth coming back to. Much like an old friend—still having a few surprises and not to be taken for granted.
The sky and sunlight foliage reflect in the gently flowing water to form a lovely, almost painterly image.
At a point where the water flowed between two rocks and over another, the light and the stream together were lovely.
Still Learning To See 
Just lovely john � take me there when I come and visit! Marti
From: Still Learning To See <comment-reply@wordpress.com> Reply-To: Still Learning To See <comment+pf-vuf-_mm4b6g_liacds1x@comment.wordpress.com> Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2012 01:16:29 +0000 To: “snell@virginia.edu” <snell@virginia.edu> Subject: [New post] An old friend
John Snell posted: “Liz and I visited an old friend of mine this week, a small stream in Middlesex where I’ve made thousands of photographs over the past 25 years. There have been times when I walked away without a single image, but the walk is always a delight any time of y”
That will be fun! It is an amazing place, just one of millions right?!
The sun & foliage reflection photo looks like a glass mosaic. Beautiful!
You have such a wonderful eye for the combinations of pattern and color, and also for the metaphor lying behind each moment. I loved the line that mentions the stream as “Much like an old friend—still having a few surprises and not to be taken for granted”. Heraclitus said that we never step into the same river twice–because the river is constantly changing and so are we. And so our “friends”–be they human or other–always bring new insight 🙂
John, as always, your stuff is full of awe. Your upcoming exhibition sounds wonderful and you will have a glorious experience at the reception I have no doubt. When is it again? I do hope that you will have someone taking pictures at it (the reception) and that you can post them, perhaps that would be a google+ post. I echo the comments of my fellow posters and I believe that your “narrative” adds a lot to one’s appreciation of your pictoral creations.
Thanks. The show should will go up in January for two months. I’ll keep all posted and, yes, share some photos as well. I’m excited about it AND challenged to get it all together.
Absolutely love these 2. well done
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed them both.