Dunes Music

What is this blog about? In a nutshell, it's about black and white darkroom photomontage. Every few weeks, a new image with a few words about it, kinda poetic, philosophical. 

For more details - check out the archive, the first post, April 26, 2015.

If you like what you see here, go to: www.bobbennettphoto.net

Also check out my self-published books:

Desert Trip: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1367900190

California Beach Trip: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1364579138

Do you think perhaps artists might be able to make images that say something about the world that they are not even aware of? Do we somehow manage to channel a deeper source?

Far be it for me to claim such, but...I printed this over 20 years ago, for 2 reasons:

1 - A walk on the beach is full of all kinds of music, the surf, the waves, the wind, the sand - they all sing a song, carry a tune of sorts.

2 - The organ pipes blended nicely into the columns of eroded sand.

I printed this image long before i heard about 'singing sands'.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singing_sand

"Singing sand dunes, an example of the phenomenon of singing sand, produce a sound described as roaring, booming, squeaking, or the "Song of Dunes". This is a natural sound phenomenon of up to 105 decibels, lasting as long as several minutes, that occurs in about 35 desert locations around the world. The sound is similar to a loud low-pitch rumble. It emanates from crescent-shaped dunes, or barchans. The sound emission accompanies a slumping or avalanching movement of sand, usually triggered by wind passing over the dune or by someone walking near the crest."

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"At roughly 30 locations around the world, sand dunes seem to sing, producing haunting and baffling sounds. Marco Polo noticed the phenomenon in the Gobi Desert. Ancient travelers have heard it in the Sahara. Even Charles Darwin puzzled over it in the Chilean desert. For centuries, no one was able to explain why it happens. Now, engineers Melany Hunt and Christopher Brennen of the California Institute of Technology are on the case. Their theory is that the booming sand dunes act like enormous musical instruments."

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/earth/booming-sands.html

http://www.livescience.com/24268-singing-sands.html

Hhmmmm... the world is a pretty interesting place, ain't it?

let's hope we don't destroy it all too soon.

Window to soul

What is this blog about? In a nutshell, it's about black and white darkroom photomontage. Every few weeks, a new image with a few words about it, kinda poetic, philosophical. 

For more details - check out the archive, the first post, April 26, 2015.

If you like what you see here, go to: www.bobbennettphoto.net

The title is actually multiple choice:

• Window to soul

• Window to your soul

• Window to a soul

These might seem to be similar but if you think about it, they are not.

Read closely, and think.

This one blew in on the west wind, dropped into my head one night in a dream.

The window, shot somewhere in the Mojave, an old abandoned building. 

The cloud, shot from my 12th Ave SF rooftop/5th floor deck, many years ago.

The synchronicity, how & why these two came together? i don't know where it comes from, it just arrives, i am happy for that. Perhaps the window is letting this strange cloud into your vision for a reason? Does the window have some strange mystical properties? Your guess is as good as mine, it can mean whatever you think it may mean, photos are like that, any art is like that, it's all in the eye of the beholder.

I did two versions, one in the darkroom (above), another as a photoshop sketch (below), low res, but a rather interesting version, colored w/ pencils.

Check out my self-published books:

Desert Trip: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1367900190

California Beach Trip: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1364579138

'Seeking the vibe' is still working it's way thru Amazon's system - it'll be there soon... i hope.

Stories to be told

What is this blog about? In a nutshell, it's about black and white darkroom photomontage. Every few weeks, a new image with a few words about it, kinda poetic, philosophical. 

For more details - check out the archive, the first post, April 26, 2015.

If you like what you see here, go to: www.bobbennettphoto.net

So here's this old battered sand-blasted book, lying in the sand at the beach. Are there stories here? Wisdom to be uncovered? You'll never know until you try and turn these pages... and they may crumble in your hand. The rocks/landscape the book leans against also tell stories, but they are much much longer ones - geology is about *long time*, millions of years.

*Read whatever you can*, no matter how it comes your way. You'll be glad you did.

Here's one last word or two, thanks to Rumi:

Oh, you don't know who Rumi was??

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumi

“Don't be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.”

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing 

and rightdoing there is a field.

I'll meet you there.

“What you seek is seeking you.”

“Dance, when you're broken open. 

Dance, if you've torn the bandage off. 

Dance in the middle of the fighting. 

Dance in your blood. 

Dance when you're perfectly free.”

“Forget safety.

Live where you fear to live.

Destroy your reputation.

Be notorious.”

“Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames”

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing 

and rightdoing there is a field.

I'll meet you there".

If you like the image above, it's in a book i have self published, available on Amazon:
Desert Trip:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1367900190

Enough said / Fini.