In my red van with Joe looking for the mysterious town of Pearl Idaho a few weeks back I shot this image.

We were lost. We had missed a turn and planned on reaching the top of the mountain for a better look.

While driving I looked over my shoulder and stopped. The shadow stopped me. That opulent shadow, a velvet black triangle to build an image on.

That sultry shadow, detailed and subtle like a threadbare Persian rug. Thats what my eye caught.

To augment it’s power it has a matching companion behind it. The eye loves repeating shapes.

_________________________________________

Philosophical notions, technical details and photo tips:

Shot with: Rolleiflex FX. Ektar 100 film. 1/60th at f16.5 (sunny 16)

This image is a study in diagonals. The only horizontal line in the image is the distant horizon (coincidentally, the word horizontal includes the word horizon).

Generally speaking, diagonal lines are much more visually interesting then horizontal ones. Why is that? Surely there is a deep philosophical reason. Does anyone know it? I am asking.

I had a teacher at Brooks, Linda Lowell, she used to say “looks like another happy accident”. She’d elaborate on that point by explaining that the optic nerve connects directly with the brain. The eye is simply the nerve ending.

How the brain processes an uninterupted flow of information from two eyeballs all day long is one of Gods mysteries. It’s just another wonder in a lengthy list of miracles forgotten.

The photographer, working without the constraints of technical emcomburance, can freely let his/her intuition take over. It’s a pleasure of anyone who invests a substantial amount of time in their craft. Truly a pleasure.

-Jon Ball is a photographer who lives in Boise, Idaho. He has a passion for photography, his wife, kids and extended family. His portrait work can be found at www.studiojonball.com.  Thank you for reading photo tips.