Game of Mystery

There is so much contrived photography out there. By contrived, I mean arranged or set-up. Don't get me wrong, skill and imagination can't begin to describe the talent behind so much of this amazing work. And not that I don't ever do it. But I am just not pulled in that direction. As I search and pay attention, I am always on the lookout for opportunities to turn otherwise ordinary everyday objects into something mysterious, maybe even mystical.

I was having a drink of water in a Simon Benson "bubbler", one of Portland's public fountains, and the sodium vapor lights overhead were reflecting in the chrome ring around the bubbling water, while daylight illuminated the water itself. Something happened in this shot I haven't been able to replicate since, that suggests an exploding nebula or bizarre cosmic event-- from a drinking fountain. For the viewer though, it becomes a game of "what is this?". And it becomes a chance to rethink what we see around us.