the descent into the cave of the rabbit

Delaware (Take Me Home)

2011-12-29T21:06:00.000-08:00

A chaplain with Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations, walks down the flightline toward the passenger terminal after a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base, Del. (U.S. Air Force photo)

Delaware

As the snow falls

boots echo down hallowed halls

handle me with care

as I lie in Delaware

As the robin sings

and the church bells ring

lilac fills the air

remember me in Delaware

The cost of freedom

is paid in blood–

the loss you're grieving

may be healed from above

So if you hum this tune

under an amish harvest moon

consider this my prayer

for those bound for Delaware

Now take me home

Dignified Transfer
An Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center carry team wait for the remains of Air Force Staff Sgt. Phillip A. Myers, of Hopewell, Va., to be lowered from the aircraft at Dover Air Force Base, Del., April 5. Sergeant Myers' family is the first to allow media to cover the dignified transfer under the new Department of Defense policy.
(U.S. Air Force photo)

Peace On Earth

2011-12-15T04:04:00.000-08:00

Peace on Earth

Well I heard,

heard the bells

ring out

on Christmas morn

And the message

they tell

a child–a Savior born

And the angles proclaim...

They'll be Peace

Peace on Earth

Good will to Men.

Sea of Tranquility

2011-12-09T04:13:00.001-08:00

Sea of Tranquility
Music & Lyrics Copyright 2011 by Larry Knox

I said son
is there a reason
for this life--
who are we supposed to be?

He said Father
why do you even bother
were only specs of carbon
in this vast and empty sea

oh take me back
oh take me back
before my life
was revealed to me

I said daughter
what's this slaughter
of the young and innocent
yearning to be free?

She said father
you needn't bother
what's the point of drowning
in a sea of tranquility

oh take me back
oh take me back
before my life
was revealed to me

I said Mother
where's my brother?
I miss him so much
I call him and he won't answer me

She said son, son,
His time is done
Don't be sad, the time he had
was filled with grace and humility

oh take me back
oh take me back
before my life
was revealed to me

Hearts on the Wind

2011-11-24T11:34:00.001-08:00

Hearts on the Wind

I see your face

in the pale moonlight

a sweet embrace

in the forest night

The Great Spirit calls us

our hearts are on the wind

Mother Earth will join us

as we sing this song again

hey a-ya hey ya

Soon I must go

to hunt the sacred ground

the bear and the buffalo

we track without a sound

And the Great Spirit calls them

their hearts are on the wind

Mother Earth protects them

what you take–give back again

hey a-ya hey ya

There's a storm on the rise

and the snows will soon be falling

and now home this eagle flies

like the wolf–I hear you calling

The Great Spirit calls me

my heart is on the wind

Mother Earth will guide me

into your arms again

hey a-ya hey ya

Imagination in the Shadows

2011-10-23T19:33:00.000-07:00

Photographed at dawn in Blackbird State Forest, Delaware.
Using a tripod I made multiple exposures of the same scene by moving the ball as quickly as possible (before the light changed) to the various locations.

Click on the image to see a larger version.

War of the Worlds!

2011-06-03T19:06:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I was asked to create an original book cover illustration for H. G. Well's War of the Worlds for the Prestwick House Touchstone Classic book series.

War of the Worlds is in public domain and hundreds of covers have been created for it over the years. The challenge was to create something that stood out from the rest while engaging the intended audience which in this case were high school English students and their teachers. I decided it would be fun (and a challenge) to show one of the Martians actually exiting from it's ship and confronting face to face it's human prey. While depicting a human would be no problem–a Martian on the other hand....hmmm...

Thinking tentacles, I thought a squid might make a great stand-in for an alien invader but where could I get my hands on one in short notice and in March no less!? Living within driving distance of a large city with a sizable asian community might offer my best chance in locating one. After wandering around a few open air markets and shops I found a barrel full of squid (right next to the live bullfrogs) in a small seafood shop. After examining a number of them, to make sure all their tentacles were intact, I purchased one for the surprisingly inexpensive rate of $4.00! I dunno, perhaps that's high for a freshly caught squid (I would have easily paid more)–but it fit my budget.

Placing the deceased creature carefully into my cooler full of ice I sped home to set up the shoot before things got...well, funky. A quick stop to a deep discount store along the way–grabbing anything I thought might make a good prop–completed my day.

And now for the fun part...

The squid was purchased one dreary March Saturday morning in a seafood market located in the Chinatown district of Philadelphia.

The squid laid out prior to setting up the scene.

Most of the props I assembled for setting the scene. I hacksawed the plastic dinosaur's head thinking it might make a great mouth, fangs and all–but ended up not using it as it looked a little too fake.

Using two cans of paint and some bungi cords I began to set up the alien ship's hatch which is actually a drip pan for the top of a gas stove.

Setting up the scene.

Experimenting with the lighting.

The candles give off nice orange glow and hint at fires reflected on the ships surface.

I tried hanging metal coils in front of the alien to give the effect of alien machinery such as probes or weaponery flailing about, independent of the unfolding scene.

Alien exiting. The probe on the right is a hand held shower head.

That's actually a marble shoved into the squid's "funnel"

A new approach. A little more 50's sci-fi. I fjgured while I had the squid in a fresh state I may as well photograph it in as many poses as possible. Not really intending to use these for War of the Worlds but perhaps another project down the road.

50's sci-fi alien. That's a toy plastic brain I shoved in between the squid's neck and his body.

Who couldn't love this face?

A co-worker photographed and placed in front of the scene gives scale to the image.

Title page graphic

Chapter page graphic.

Note the "death ray" coming from his "eye" and the glowing tips on the smaller tentacles. All details I as a high school student would have loved to seen in my book. London burns in the background.

Finished back cover, spine and front cover

Dream of Fire: Painting-Mash Ups

2011-05-01T08:07:00.000-07:00

Mashing-up obscure paintings from long dead artists to create a cd cover of song demos...

This photo is a modern day mash-up. A local government building shot from an upward perspective and turned upside down, a co-worker wearing wings while holding a skull, finished off with a satellite shot from NASA.

The engraving ghosted in the background is from Dante's Inferno.

The Cubicle Wars: Yoda Must Die!

2011-04-30T15:37:00.000-07:00

Sometime last year, a co-worker and I kidnapped a fellow employee's treasured Burger King Yoda wind-up figure from her cubicle and held him for ransom. Thus began what became known as...The Cubicle Wars!

The reasons for the abduction are a little fuzzy now but it was all good natured and we had a blast creating and sending photos of the Master in various harrowing predicaments. A special "Force Inhibitor Visor" was created to explain the mighty jedi's inability to easily escape his captors. We posted the photos and demands on a blog and sent updates to the victims owner. I was also able to devise and photograph ever more insidious tortures upon the Jedi (without fear of actually harming him) after successfully tracking down a "clone" of the green one at a local flea market. After freezing him in clear carbonite, burying him up to his neck in the desert, he was finally melted into a lump of gears and plastic with a blowtorch and unceremoniously dumped on the owners desk.

In the end, the Jedi escaped and returned to his Cubicle after cleverly switching places with his clone. For the moment all is in balance with the Force...for now...

"There is now no need for the FIV (Force Inhibator Visor) as the Jedi has weakened to the point of rendering it all but useless. He will now be able to see the harbingers of his doom! Hahahahahahah….."

(Shot outside in the sun (to get the highlights off the ice) against a black plastic background while standing on dog cage panel. Darth Sidious, as his captor was revealed to be, is actually an old Edward Scissorshands figure.

(A strange metallic paperweight with telescoping clips (for notes or photos?) I had lying around is placed on top of the frozen Jedicicle adding a bit of inexpensive tech to the composition. A little photoshopping in the reflection completes the image.)

(Hanging the figure over a spillway in town during a lunch break.)

engine, engine, number nine

going down the railroad line

if the train should jump the track

you might just get your jedi back

(Shot on the way into the office one morning. Added the train's light in "post production".)

(These photos were shot using a flashlight in a completely darkened room.)

http://doomedjedi.wordpress.com/

Over the Edge

2011-04-06T19:31:00.000-07:00

Rappelling 17 stories down a high-rise office building to raise money for SPECIAL OLYMPICS DELAWARE! hmmm, raise money for a great cause AND play Batman for a day? –I'm in!!!

My employer, Prestwick House has graciously agreed to co-sponsor me but I will still need to raise money to qualify for the event which takes place on May 12th, 2011.

Please make a donation by visiting my FirstGiving page below.

Thanks!

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/larry-knox/over-the-edge

Winter's Deep: A Viking's Prayer

2011-03-20T09:07:00.000-07:00

I wrote this song on a dark, winter evening as a snowstorm raged outside. The title came to me first while I watched the near white-out conditions from the warmth and comfort of my home. I imagined what it must have been like for ancient peoples dealing with similar weather or worse...

The Viking theme sprang from nowhere–although, they have always fascinated me–stemming no doubt from the many school field trips I took to museums and historical sites while living near the east coast of England in my youth. The painted dioramas, artifacts and legends all fueled my over-active imagination.

Note on the video collage: all the images are in public domain except for the photo of the young Viking warrior. Although I took the photograph (of my nephew Jack), the image is owned by Prestwick House and was created for the cover of their original translation of Beowulf by Matt Roberts.

Winter's Deep: A Viking's Prayer

Here I am

in Winter's Deep

and I stand my ground

or my soul to keep

and you light my way

wihout a sound

I stand my ground

in Winter's Deep

On the March again

in these mountains high

and I see your face

in this endless sky

and you lead the way

without a trace

full of grace

in these mountains high

BRIDGE 1

the wolves

they dog our trail

they smell the blood

of those we've killed

and if i die

in this foreign land

to Valhala

I'll go

with sword in hand

There I'll wait for you

'til the end of time

when you cross that bridge

made of loves pure light

Before the Golden Tree

I'll hold you tight.

Heartsong

2011-02-17T06:15:00.000-08:00

Note: A HD 720p version is available on YouTube by selecting the 720p pop up menu.

Heartsong
Copyright 2011 by Larry Knox

Tell me where you wanna go
Tell me what you wanna see
Tell me if I go to slow
or just Tell me to let it be
tell me
what is written
in your heart

Show me where your dreams come true
Show me how you stand so tall
Show me how you follow through
When everyone falls apart
show me
what is hidden
in your heart

All I want
from you
is a chance
for a brand new start

But what you see
in me
is a thief
who wants to tear
your world apart

Love me when the night is young
Love me when there's nothing to say
Love me when the day is done
Love me when I've gone astray
Just love me
with all that's
in your heart.

You ask me when it's time to leave
I tell you that I just won't go
You tell me that you can't conceive
Of a man who will ever know...
what is free
what's forbidden
in your heart

Prestwick Pirates: Cyclops Spider Pirate Step-by-Step

2011-01-16T04:55:00.000-08:00

Initial base pose

Second photo under exact same lighting. Arms selected and placed over base.

Third photo under exact same lighting. Arms selected and placed over base.

Added red hair, skin texture and the one eye.

Blue tone overlay.

Placed different face from same session.

Final image in rusted portal frame with spiders and skull.

First Snow

2011-01-09T15:00:00.001-08:00

The first substantial snowfall of the season never fails to inspire me. I love how, in a limited palette of black, white and gray, the starkness of the landscape becomes broken down into simple shapes and compositions...

Note that clicking on the images below will open a larger version.

The Abduction of Persephone (the beginning of winter)

Pirates of Prestwick – Part III

2011-01-07T16:42:00.000-08:00

The Official 2010 Pirates of Prestwick In-House Class Photo was delayed a month due to the changing production timeline of our annual Resource Catalogue. The finished poster will feature all the 2010 employees of Prestwick House, Inc. portrayed in their finest pirate regalia and hung proudly in the Prestwick Cafe Conference Center. More to come...

Note that clicking on the images below will open a larger version for your enhanced viewing pleasure.

Our Captain of Industry saving his cargo of rum from the Dismal Swamp

Cap'n Scott in a discarded avian-inspired concept

Captain Scott shown during the photo shoot

The Moment of Escape is at Hand!

Vampirate prisoner unleashing her bloodthirsty minions upon her unsuspecting captors...

The King's Viceroy

The Leopard Buccaneer–tattooed with teeth filed into fangs–strikes fear into God-fearing sailors.

Water Music

2011-01-02T11:06:00.000-08:00

It was forecasted to be a beautiful, almost balmy (low 50's?) first day of 2011. I had purposely avoided overdoing the celebrations the night before so I might head out early for the Cape. I had a couple compositions in mind involving dunes and or the ocean that I had wanted to realize for quite some time. Packing up my ready-made sculpture some Wellingtons and my camera, I headed south–about an hours drive from my house.

The amount of people in the park at so early an hour surprised me–joggers, lots of dog owners, surf fishing enthusiasts, hikers, and bird watchers–all eager to enjoy a rare temperate January day at the beach.

Lugging my sculpture in a shopping bag I made my way across the great dunes but a recent early winter snow fall made the trek a bit tricky–sand and snow. Along the trail I set up a few quick shots which apparently aroused a group of about 30 bird watchers on a nearby bluff a few hundred yards away–to the point where they eventually sent down an emissary to see what I was photographing so intently on the side of a dune (just over a fence as it is prohibited by the park to actually walk on the dunes themselves). The gentleman seemed quite amused and couldn't wait to get back to his pals and try to explain what he had learned.

Finally making it down to the beach I was happy to see it was low tide which meant I had plenty of flat areas at the waters edge to set up a shot.

Again, a lot of bemused passerby's including a few dogs who seemed a bit skittish when they saw the snakes.

One elderly couple stopped to talk and the old man wanted to know if I had a title for my composition yet.

"No," I replied.

"How about 'Water Music?'" he chuckled, quite pleased with himself.

"Hmm, Handel," I replied (the only piece I know by the composer). He seemed impressed.

"I just might," I laughed.

"Happy New Year, young man, good luck to you in 2011!" he said.

"And to the both of you too," I said, smiling and returning my attention back to the shot.

So far, so good I thought.

The Band Plays On

2010-12-12T09:20:00.000-08:00

For my brother Howard.
Thanks for the love, friendship and the music.
You live on in my heart...

The Band Plays On
Copyright 2010 by Larry Knox

when I was a child
you were
my best friend
thick as thieves
until the bitter end

when we were boys
we sailed the sea
to England
with the Merry Queen

while the band played on
the music and the songs
but you're
not here
anymore

and the band
played on

soon we've grown
and you hurt so bad
numb the pain
the best you can?

now I'm alone
but the sound I hear
sweet harmony
ringing in my ear

as the band plays on
the music and the songs
and you're
not here
anymore

and the band
plays on...

Some say you left us
much too soon
never had a chance
to say goodbye
but I say
when you blow away the clouds
you're left with
the other half of the sky...

where the band plays on
the music and the songs
and you're
up there
for ever more

as the band plays on

Safe harbour awaits you...

2010-10-21T17:01:00.000-07:00

This summer Prestwick House publishers lost a good friend and a valuable employee.

Paul and I were the same age and we lived through (and survived) many of our generation's highs and lows.

He was my first choice for the cover of Prestwick's A Midsummer Night's Dream book cover and as I new he would, brought to the photo-shoot his self-deprecating sense of humor along with a willingness to do it right the first time around–which he did–and far beyond my expectations.

Not too long before he passed away he posed for our yearly in-house "class photo" collage. Since we had the props and costumes still available to us from the newly shot Treasure Island cover–this year's theme is "The Pirates of Prestwick". The photo below is from that session.

Rest in Peace, Paul. We miss you...

You will embark on a fair sea,
and at times there will be fair weather, but not always.
You will meet storms and overcome them.
You will take it in turns to steer your boat through fair weather and foul.
Never lose courage.
Safe harbour awaits you...in the end.
- Daphne Du Maurer

Gravity's Wake

2010-10-06T04:35:00.000-07:00

For the children of divorce...

Gravity's Wake
Copyright 2010 by Larry Knox

you and I
caught between the lies
welcome to my parlor
says the spider to the flies

the love we lost
came at such a cost
3 lives left shattered
one beneath the killing frost

there's no illusions
make no mistake
were either here in the moment
or caught in gravity's wake

this time we're through
say good bye to all your lies
but to your son
be true
he needs your love to see him through
to see him through

tears are shed
when innocence is bled
like the empty heart of love
drained and left for dead

years to come
when the healing has begun
I hope I see the truth that is
a mother and her son

there's no illusions
make no mistake
were either here in the moment
or caught in gravity's wake

Nixon: Up in Smoke (Gimme Some Truth)

2010-10-04T15:46:00.000-07:00

I've had this flyer (printed on the cheapest of cheap newsprint–how it survived 37 years is a miracle) since June, 1973 when a scruffy looking Yippie-dude handed it to me while walking towards the gates of the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. I was attending my very first rock concert–Pink Floyd-Dark Side of the Moon Tour. I was 16.

The concert was nothing short of life-altering.

The Smoke-In? It seemed a bit risky to me (my friends and I were convinced Nixon had spies everywhere–especially in his backyard!) –but one year later, under the threat of Impeachment, tricky-dicky did indeed resign the presidency.... coincidence?

No short-haired, yellow-bellied, son of tricky dicky
Is gonna mother hubbard soft soap me
With just a pocketful of soap
It’s money for dope...
– Gimme Some Truth, John Lennon

A Mournful Cry

2010-09-15T03:22:00.000-07:00

A Mournful Cry
Copyright 2010 by Larry Knox

I see a white cloud
against a blue sky
I hear a blackbird
sing his death cry

I smell the sweet rain
on the new mown hay
I hear the river rise
and the dogs at bay

BRIDGE

I was an orphan
before I was born
In this life,
there's nothin' for certain
one day joy–the next we mourn

I hear a mournful cry...

I see my lady smile
When I look her way
I hear her baby cry
at the break of day

the nature of impermanence

2010-09-08T19:39:00.000-07:00

Early Light

2010-09-08T02:44:00.000-07:00

I spent a good number of weekends this summer on assignment getting up well before dawn and heading out to different locales in hopes of catching the first light in all its glory. Waiting for a cloud bank to move or a fog to lift takes patience. But standing in a marsh or alone in the woodlands waiting for nature to reveal itself in ways you never anticipated has it's own rewards...

The Raging Sea

2010-08-19T19:10:00.000-07:00

A new song demo I composed this summer.
It's about contradictions and duality, and looking deeply into the essence of all things...
It's also about anything you want it to be.

The Raging Sea
Music and Lyrics Copyright 2010 by Larry Knox

Coming into focus
a struggle to be free
the beauty and the anger
that is the raging sea

Walking on the water
a vision comes to me
She's dressed in silk and linen
I fall down to my knees

She hands to me a pearl
She says it holds the key
To the beauty and the anger
That lives inside of me

"Ah, you have to look deep
my son
past the swirling madness
of a milion suns"

"Ah, you have to look deep
my child
for the grain of kindness
that's in everyone..."

She leaves upon a lotus
swallowed by debris
from a thousand ships all lost
to the raging sea

The Pirates of Prestwick~Part II

2010-08-03T16:30:00.000-07:00

More co-workers portrayed as pirates for Prestwick House, Inc.'s upcoming, in-house class photo of 2010. Note that clicking on the photo will open a larger version of the image.

Kathy K., Customer Service Representative– portrayed as the venomous
Katherine the Serpent.

Doug G.–Writer requested a flamin' skull and I was happy to oblige.
The croc is a reference to another famous pirate and his relentless nemesis.

Paul M., Senior Editor–Paul's request was perhaps the strangest. He learned to tie a hangman's noose in grade school and wanted to fashion one out of the rope we provided for the Treasure Island book cover photo shoot–insisting he wanted to be portrayed as a pirate who at long last meets his doom!
I injected a little humor into the morbid scenario by depicting his soul at peace and content when finally released from his mortal coil...
The Albatross, known as the harbinger of death among many superstitious mariner does a low flyby to seal his fate.

The Pirates of Prestwick House!

2010-08-02T17:13:00.000-07:00

Samantha C, Warehouse Manager. Insistent on not being portrayed as a helpless wench. Arming her to the teeth–literally–and giving her a minor flesh wound makes her pretty bad ass in my book...

Prestwick House publishers started a fun tradition of few years ago when after an impromptu gathering it was decided to take a quick group photo to mark the occasion. Not content with having everyone standing in a warehouse surrounding by boxes of books, I opted to Photoshop in a background (the iconic Sgt. Pepper's album cover with all of us taking the place of the crowd behind the Fab Four). Strictly for in-house use–it quickly became a fun activity for all involved to look forward to every year. The entire staff has been portrayed as senior citizens (from the 1930's), a 1950's 5th grade class, and included in a ficticious WWII recruitment poster.

The challenge has been to find a group theme to base the photo on. This year, on a suggestion from CEO, Jason Scott, it was decided, after setting up an in-house tropical island set to shoot the Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island book cover, to portray everyone as pirates!

Gathering as many props as possible we photographed 30 employees over the course of a few weeks in all sorts of poses from the serious– to the macabre–even the hilarious –whatever they wanted (within reason), was at least attempted, including our Senior Editor wanting to be "hanged" as pirate who's past had finally caught up to him–and yes, we pulled it off!) Everyone bought into the spirit of the shoot and we had a great time coming up with the different scenarios and photographing them. Of course we knew a lot of the magic was going to take place in our imaginations and eventually realized in Photoshop.

Again, these are for in-house use, only with no absolute deadline (in-between revenue producing projects). In the last 2 months we've begun to enhance each of the portraits with no rules, except one– to have fun! The portal was created by fellow in-house designer, Jen Mendoza.

Once all the portraits have been completed the plan is to assemble them over a nautical background with headline text proclaiming the arrival of "The Pirates of Prestwick!"

I'll be posting more as I finish them along with the final image–hopefully sometime in the fall of 2010.

Dan R, Staff Writer, was an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Specialist for the U.S. Air Force before joining the equally dangerous field of writing for the high school English Grammar and Literature markets.

Chrissy M, Customer Service Manager, runs a tight ship but I've never, ever seen her look this bad ass (she is always upbeat and positive–quick with a laugh) so I thought the Golden Mask was fitting...(oh god, not another pun!)

Jason S., It was Jason's idea for the Pirate theme for this year's "Class Picture"
He loves french cuisine and Froot Loops...

Mandee W, Warehouse Specialist, looking waaay too comfortable holding onto her pirate arsenal...and two Sugar Gliders thrown in for good measure.

So I Photographed an Axe Murderer

2010-08-01T16:16:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, while Prestwick House was in the process of developing its well-received line of Touchstone Literary Classic Editions for the high school English Language Arts market, they offered me the cover assignment for Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, everyone’s favorite classic psychological tale of murder and alienation in 19th century Russia. Having done a number of covers in this series, I knew the most difficult part of the project would be finding just the right model who could convincingly portray the lead character–the dark, complicated, tormented murderer, Raskolnikov!

I began researching photos and paintings of St. Petersburg, Russia in the mid to late 19th century in order to get a sense of the fashions and hairstyles people wore at the time and to find content for the cover itself. I was fortunate to come across a number of high-quality images (in the public domain) including postcards of the city of St. Petersburg and a large selection of portraits of the city’s inhabitants from the era.

Extremely happy with my good fortune at finding supporting imagery, I now turned my efforts to finding a suitable model to portray the conflicted Raskolnikov. I envisioned a man with long hair in his late 20's to early 30's. I knew this was going to be difficult task; with the exception of the music industry, long hair on men today is rare. It dawned on me that musicians might be my best chance at finding someone who might fit the bill.

I recalled that a co-worker had introduced me to a musician friend of his the previous year; Damion Wolfe. Damion is a very talented singer/songwriter/performer who plays coffee houses and taverns up and down the east coast, and also had the prerequisite hair length I needed! I have discovered over the years that performers of any type tend to make for better models. Doesn't matter if it's behind a microphone or a lens—they seem to have that innate ability to "become" the character and in doing so, capture the emotion and tone of a story–and it always comes down to storytelling...

Damion was to be in town by the end of the month and readily agreed to the shoot–just in time too, as he was very seriously considering cutting his locks off in the next few weeks! Borrowing an axe (the chopping variety–not the musical instrument), Raskolnikov's preferred instrument of death and purchasing an old overcoat and white shirt from Goodwill, I met Damion at one of his friend's house in town, early on a Saturday morning after another successful, late-night gig at a local tavern. Honestly, I was hoping for a bit more bleary-eyed haggard look from him, but apparently Damion was, by this time, a pro at getting his required rest–no more TV sets sailing over motel balconies at 3am for this performer–well not recently at least.

After discussing the character and his emotional state with Damion, he fell immediately into his zone, as I knew he would, with virtually no direction from me. I only suggested poses and he did them either exactly as I requested or added the proper nuance here and there that amplified the effect. A furrowed brow, a turn of the head or a mournful gaze was all that was needed to breathe life (or despair) into the images of this complex, troubled character. I must also say that although I didn't know Damion very well at the time–the few times I did have the pleasure of speaking with him (at a few of his local gigs) I always found him to be a genuinely nice individual with many friends and fans. I only mention this, because I wouldn't want to suggest that this was his true demeanor bubbling to the surface. I felt that he was simply a sensitive artist interpreting the emotions of a character to tell a “story”–camera or microphone, didn't matter.

After 45 minutes, I had what I needed and them some. Wrapping up the session, I thanked Damion for his time and talent, and his friend for the use of their space and headed home to download and archive the images to my hard drive and DVD respectively.

Back home, with all the elements in hand, I began to place the various images in Photoshop, manipulating, positioning, colorizing where needed, until a composition close to what I had imagined began to take shape.

In retrospect, upon reviewing my initial concepts for this blog, I realize I should have possibly emphasized the axe a bit more as it gets somewhat lost in the final printed version. Giving it more attention would have added to the tension and overall suspense to the image. As it happens, a reprint is scheduled in the next few months and I have the official go ahead from Prestwick House to submit an alternative cover. Since the compositions are so similar, I doubt whether any readers will note the change.

Damion continues to write music and perform and has some exciting projects in development. For more details on where to purchase his music, tour schedule and to see him without his locks, check out DamionWolfe.com.

Dream Garden

2010-06-18T03:32:00.000-07:00

Take thy plastic spade,
It is thy pencil; take thy seeds, thy plants,
They are thy colours.
~William Mason, The English Garden, 1782

Pigs On the Wing

2010-06-14T19:57:00.000-07:00

Let Him In

2010-05-28T03:37:00.000-07:00

Let Him In
Words and Music
Copyright 2010 by Larry Knox

When you fall out
going to hell
you take it with you
never want to tell him
you'd better let him in

you hear him knocking on your door
you'd better
let him in

nothing more to say
I don't want to
nothing can make me
feel this way
but you

tell me what you always knew
nothing more that we can do
there's nothing more to say
there's nothing left to play with
you and me
were gone
were gone
were gone

nothing is ever going to be the same again
it's what we do
it's what we do

take it down
break it down
without a gun
we'll never see the sun
you and me
were finished here
taste the sweat
feel the fear

The Mask of Night

2010-05-17T15:46:00.000-07:00

The Mask of Night
Music and Lyrics Copyright 2010 by L. Knox
Verse by Wm. Shakespeare

Thou know'st the mask of night is on my face,
Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek
Romeo & Juliet, II, ii

I've seen you
out of the corner of my eyes
it took some time
for me to realize
that I
I loved you
and you
loved me too
it took some time

they say love
is all you'll ever need
when nothing's lost
there's nothing to concede
so I
stand before you
with my heart in your hands
and yours in mine

There's time to sleep
there's time to cry
there's time to live
and there's time to die
There's time on my furrowed brow
there's time for one more
there's time for the sentry
asleep on the floor
There's a time to remember
there's time to forget
there's time to disassemble
time for regret

but I have no regrets
for the time I spent
with you...

Repeat first verse

My true love's passion: therefore pardon me,
And not impute this yielding to light love,
Which the dark night hath so discovered.
Romeo & Juliet, II, ii

Treasure Island Book Cover

2010-04-12T18:46:00.000-07:00

Off to the printer tomorrow–here is the final cover design, along with the frontispiece art and recurring chapter artwork for the Prestwick House Literary Touchstone Classic edition of Treasure Island. The only part of the collage that is not original is the painting of the British sailing vessel.

In addition to the novels and plays in the popular Touchstone series, Prestwick House has introduced a new Touchstone Teacher's Edition line this year which will undoubtedly become a welcome tool for English teachers who find themselves teaching any of the over 75 classic works of literature currently offered. It also presents me with yet another opportunity to use additional images from the session and in a larger (8.5 X 11) format– in my book–that's as good as gold!

Note: you may see a larger version of the images below by simply clicking on them.

Concept collage

Finished back, spine and front cover

Frontispiece

Chapter heading

The Pirates of Prestwick

2010-03-24T20:38:00.000-07:00

A few basic cover shots (sans text and series branding) for the Prestwick House Touchstone Classic Edition of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island.

Special thanks to David Nickolson who did an outstanding job as our pirate– enduring a couple of hours of playing dress-up with swords, daggers, skulls, and fake blood. On second thought, not a bad way to spend a Wednesday morning! By the way, those dreds are actually David's. He cut them off for his wedding last year but decided to save them–just in case.

". . . angels in the architecture

2010-03-16T05:06:00.000-07:00

...spinning in infinity"–Paul Simon

A Mid-Winter's Tail

2010-02-28T20:22:00.000-08:00

Recently, after spending the good part of the morning shoveling snow off my driveway, I came in to find my dog, Emmy enjoying a rare, mid-morning winter sunbeam which was in the process of making its way (much too quickly for her liking I'm certain) across the corner of the bed. The warm tones of the scene were in stark contrast to what I had been experiencing outside all morning and so I felt compelled to capture it. The sunlight was almost off her face too, so I quickly grabbed the camera and took as many compositions as I could. A short time later, the light spilled onto the floor and her Majesty the Queen promptly rolled over onto her side and with an audible, and somewhat irritated tone, sighed...

Mock up of a fake cover

The Color of Winter

2010-02-28T08:07:00.000-08:00

When composing a photograph I often take several versions of the same image, leaving large areas of space for dropping in text or additional images in the advent it should be used one day for a book cover, magazine spread, poster, etc.

Once a graphic designer, always a graphic designer...

Delaware Mountain Range

2010-02-27T13:34:00.000-08:00

...

I love snow and this winter we've had more than our usual share. Still, I'm always fascinated by the patterns and textures snow creates in all of it's states; freshly fallen, frozen, blowing, melting, etc. Recently, conditions presented themselves for creating faux mountain ranges. Plowed snow, blackened by street grime (mostly bus exhaust here), piled high and dusted by an overnight frosting of fine, bright, white "clean" snow all make for a great illusion of majestic mountains. Add a bight blue sky and a few clouds and you have your subject. Finding these elements in a large parking lot (on a weekend with no traffic is even better), allows you to shoot without dealing with background clutter –the less Photoshop work later on the better. Admittedly, it would have been much more fun to have actually taken a photography expedition to a mountain range, but these will do for now, especially as background elements.

The Cardinal's Sin

2010-02-11T16:22:00.000-08:00

Fictional book cover. I added the blood for drama.

Needing to take a 15-minute morning break a few weeks ago I decided to go on a quick walk into the surrounding town that borders my office. On my way back I noticed a bright red object just a few yards into the grass off the sidewalk which borders the large field in front of the business park where I work. Curious, I flipped it over with the tip of my shoe and was surprised (and saddened) to see a dead cardinal. There was no blood or trauma that I could make out. Large trucks often rumble by from a nearby distribution center so I surmised it may have been struck by one of these and landed where I found it. It was the middle of January and quite cold outside so I suspected this helped preserve it in it's pristine condition.

I have always been intrigued by these magnificent birds. In fact, when I was 7 or 8 I assembled a life-size model kit of one. I had it for years until it finally succumbed to the rigors of one of the many moves a child of an Air Force family must make.

I decided that if it was still there that afternoon I would bring a bag and pick it up, take it home and take some some photos for my personal archive. It was. On the way home I picked up some white surgical gloves at the drugstore and spent a good 2 hours or so photographing him before having to leave for a previously scheduled appointment. That was the window I allowed for the shoot.

Here are some of the photos I took that night.

The Road to Helmand

2010-02-08T03:10:00.000-08:00

A slideshow video using imagery from the Department of Defense and Wikipedia.

The Road to Helmand
Words and Music Copyright 2010 by Larry Knox

On this mountain
with my band of brothers
the stars above us
they light our way

and when I walk through
this valley of death, dear
I fear no evil
when I think of you

Chorus:
and I
...see your face each night
when I close my eyes and dream?

The road to Helmand
will be long and deadly
but we'll remember
the falling Twins

We keep our focus
out on the horizon
and wait for nightfall
to rest our heads

Chorus:
And then I
...see your face each night
when I close my eyes and dream

Refrain:
Tracers rain
like shooting stars
down on me
and my brothers in arms
were going home
were going home now
were going home
i don't want to go home
now

The night owl
he'll be sleeping
when you wake
at the break of day

And the letter
they deliver
tears the earth
from beneath your feet

just remember
the stars above you
are the same stars
that guided me...

Chorus:
to see your face each night
and then I closed my eyes....

Teaching Robots to Swim

2010-02-06T21:52:00.000-08:00

Teaching Robots to Swim
Music and Words © 2010 by Larry Knox

In our hands
we hold the key
of inner peace
serenity

nothing lost
nothing gained
roll the dice
play the game

there is no future
there is no past
here and now
is fading fast

my monkey mind
will never rest
jumbled thoughts
a foregone quest

I'm teaching robots to swim

Gone, gone, gone beyond, Gone altogether beyond

in emptiness there is no form
no sounds
no smell
no tastes
no mind
no death
no decay
no stopping
no going
no suffering
no beginning

no end

Gone, gone, gone beyond, Gone altogether beyond

Synchronicity

2010-01-09T11:33:00.000-08:00

My daughter, a sophomore in college, just took her first Philosophy class. The teacher assigned a recently published book entitled The Philosopher and the Wolf: Lessons from the Wild on Love Death, and Happiness. She loved it and thought I would too. Lending me her copy, complete with highlights and margin notes, I must admit she was correct. It's a remarkable story about the bonds between human beings and beasts, our differences and our similarities.

Discussing the beauty of wolves with my daughter, I reminded her that I had the fortunate experience of photographing a couple of them for a book cover 4 or 5 years ago. It was for the Prestwick House Touchstone Classic Edition of Jack London's classic The Call of the Wild. (I also used a photo from the shoot to create their The Call of the Wild-Spotlight Edition cover).

It wasn't but a few days after our conversation that I learned Warner Bros had requested permission to use the Touchstone cover as a prop in an upcoming Clint Eastwood film starring Matt Damon.

What I remembered most from the photoshoot, besides their beautiful, expressive faces, was the manner in which the wolves would walk back and forth, circling and pacing their immediate area. There seemed to be no perceptible movement of the back or shoulders, as you would have expected from a large dog. Instead, they seemed to almost float above the ground, silently, intently gliding. Was it me? I tend to visually enhance movement and settings in my mind, especially over time, but in this instance it wasn't my imagination. The author of the The Philosopher and the Wolf, Mark Rowlands, describes his pet wolf's movement in a very similar manner. Remarking how struck he was with his wolf's movement when they ran together he goes on to describe the beast as if he was "floating an inch above the ground." Apparently wolves use their ankles and large feet to propel themselves forward when walking or trotting. It's an amazing display of grace and stealth that is as unnerving as it is beautiful.

Not a great shot but it illustrates how the wolf moves so smoothly using their large paws and bending at the "ankles".

Dream of Fire

2010-01-06T18:55:00.000-08:00

.CD cover of original demos.
The title is taken from a line written by a co-worker–inspiring the song which in turn inspired this imagery.
Thanks Stephanie P.

"When I close my eyes I dream of fire."

Detail showing the Leaf Totem supported at the bottom by the Aztec frog deity–hands cupped to his ears listening for the Conquistadors.
You may access a larger version by clicking on the image.

Entering the dream, flawed, cracked, broken, but head first...

Making A Break from the Meat Wheel of Conception

2009-12-27T12:31:00.000-08:00

Click on the image to a view a larger version.

The Morning After

2009-12-24T04:43:00.000-08:00

Salem the Sleeping Dragon

2009-11-15T17:06:00.000-08:00

Pine Filtered Light

2009-09-04T04:06:00.000-07:00

Serenity and Turmoil–Contemplating the Firmament

Light filtering through a row of pines lent itself to this very quick, impromptu set up. Grabbing a ladder and the statue I shoved them into the boughs of a pine row and fired off 15 to 20 shots before the sun fell behind a tree line and the light had moved beyond reach. Fleeting/in the moment/the scent of pine.

Spielbergian Skies

2009-09-03T20:59:00.000-07:00

The drama and power of dark storm clouds overhead never ceases to fascinate me. This collection was taken in early August as a front swooped down quickly from the north while I was at work. When the afternoon light grows dark I always grab my camera and run out back to a field with an unobstructed view of the horizon in hopes of capturing a few shots of the ensuing tempest before the first raindrops fall and the lightning flashes. Many of these photos, or pieces of them, end up on book covers or other photo collages.

Just imagine a huge spaceship rolling out of one of these. Now that would be the shot.

The Scarlet Letter Revisited

2009-09-03T20:45:00.000-07:00

Organizing my photos recently and I came across my collection of The Scarlet Letter images for the Prestwick House Touchstone Classic edition book cover I photographed last fall. So many excellent shots of my model, Stephanie that I couldn't resist processing one of my favorites in the series. I plan to crop it, drop in the logotype and propose it as the new cover when they reprint in the next few months.

"Like dragonflies they have filled the river"

2009-08-15T17:53:00.000-07:00

Buddhas and Beads

2009-08-11T19:38:00.000-07:00

While on vacation this summer I discovered this little jem of an import shop as I wandered the streets of a nearby seaside resort town early one rainy morning. Every square inch of the small shop was filled with statues, beads, wall hangings, and exotic curios from the east. It looked like a movie set from an Indiana Jones adventure. Asking permission to shoot some photos I ended up staying an hour or so chatting with the laid back, very friendly clerk and marveling at all the amazing items imported from Asia.
.

The Hesitant Storm

2009-08-10T20:02:00.001-07:00

This storm seemed to be hesitating at the shoreline before continuing his journey out to sea. Dipping his toes in to test the waters if you will. Knowing full well that if the water is cold it will sap his pent up energy, he pushes forward, unable to slow his suicidal momentum.

Minutes after taking these I was blasted by 40 mph wind gusts mixed with stinging, exfoliating sand. Somehow I managed to throw my camera into it's water proof bag and then under my shirt for a mad dash back to shelter...

Is that a bearded profile I see?

Transparent Design

2009-06-06T07:24:00.000-07:00

Invisibility as a super power, according to H. G. Wells, may have some, well… "side effects" associated with it. Insanity would be the number one, but I would guess hypothermia would run a close second. Taking this into consideration, next to flying, it still has to be one of the more popular super powers that, at one time or another, most of us have fantasized about. On a design level, I can attest to the madness associated with this ability.

I was assigned the task of creating a cover image for our Literary Touchstone Classic edition of Wells's classic novel, The Invisible Man. Definitely a challenging and creative assignment, but with some Photoshop skills under my belt I figured it wouldn't be too difficult to pull off the whole invisibility thing. This is where the madness sets in.

I never realized how difficult it would be too render an invisible person with even a slight degree of realism. Oh sure, I could have made it easy and photographed him in a dark room with bandages wrapped around his head like a jazz-age-mummy but I wanted the classic Hollywood still effect with dramatic up-lighting and maniacal hand gesturing — I would need lighting for that. Specific lighting. Casting eerie shadows on the wall.

I could visualize the image, and my next step was to set about lining up a model, the clothes, and a location. The model was a no-brainer. My first and only choice was my younger brother for a couple reasons: one he is an avid fan of the 1930’s classic horror movie genre and everything associated with the era; he's a ham and has no problem whatsoever putting himself completely out there for the sake of "art;" and finally, he's my brother and he agreed to work for free! (I had him sign a model release just in case he changed his mind.)

For the location all I really needed was a space where I could shut out all light (except for my direct source), and preferably a blank, bare wall against which the subject might stand to capture the shadows smoothly and without distortion. My brother's basement fit the bill perfectly (and again, no charge).

My vision was to photograph him from the waist up, so I only needed a jacket, shirt, and scarf in a style that would have been used in the 1930's. My brother borrowed a jacket from his wife's grandfather and the warm, brown tweed set just the right nostalgic tone. The scarf and shirt were easily found around the house. The last but most important prop was the glasses. They couldn't be just any ordinary sort of glasses and needed to have side covers (preferably leather) and appear almost goggle-like. Sure, piece of cake, just pop down to Target and pick some up on the 9.99 carousel — hmmm, no such luck. I visited a few antiques stores. Nada. So my brother ended up borrowing a very expensive pair of military issue goggles from a local Army Navy Store connection for the weekend. They looked amazing. (Okay, in retrospect, perhaps I should have paid him). The last prop was an Ace bandage that I picked up at a local drug store.

The shoot went off without a hitch and I ended up with more images than I needed. Here's a short video made with some of the photos:

The difficult and most time consuming part of the process turned out to be working in Photoshop. I had to “clone” out the model’s actual head yet leave the wall and the shadow of his partially wrapped, partially transparent head, bandage and hands casting the shadow they would have made had he really been invisible. After many, many Photoshop layers and countless hours of “cloning,” I managed to pull off the effect at least to a degree that was acceptable. Mapping a Victorian wallpaper pattern on the wall helped to break up the flat planes of color so that some of the tougher cloned spots would be less discernable. The wrists proved just as problematic but again, with some cloning and many layers I was able to achieve the desired effect.

Here's where the real insanity kicked in. While working on the cover image, I had the idea that it might be cool to have the chapter heads show Griffin fading into invisibility and, of course, into madness. Similar to the Crackerjack flipbook prize we coveted as kids, I felt it would add drama and movement to the book. The "animation" effect doesn't quite work in the printed book, as there are just too many pages in between to give the required "persistence of vision" effect needed to create the illusion of animation, but the idea that the reader might slowly discover the transformation of the novel’s protagonist without being told about it beforehand seemed exciting — something I would have gotten a kick out of when I was in school.

But now, as if the invisibility effect wasn't difficult enough, I needed to slowly fade the head, wrists, and their shadows in stages. Yikes! If I would have had this brainstorm prior to photo shoot, I might have tried to photograph the model’s jacket separately with the wrists and neck areas empty with the exact same lighting. This would have added considerably to the length of time it took for the actual shoot, and the idea of reshooting was logistically out the question.

With a little luck and some serious “cloning” and “duplicating,” I managed to pull off the effect I wanted without a lot of compromise to the quality of the image. The relatively small format of 6 x 9 eliminated the need to worry about superfine detail, and gave the desired effect.

So in short, The Invisible Man cover took longer than the some other covers in the series, but in the long run, I feel like it was worth it. Who would have guessed that designing a cover around something that can't be seen would be so labor intensive?

The Iliad Revisited

2009-04-28T03:44:00.001-07:00

I created a cover last year for the Prestwick House Literary Touchstone Classic series of The Iliad. Never completely satisfied with the results, I've begun working on a revision so when it's up for reprint they may exchange it out for a new, improved version. I felt the first edition lacked the "eye contact" that the other titles in the series so successfully employ. At the same time, I wanted to keep some elements from the first cover intact to continue with the established brand of the series.

First step: find a pair of eyes that could very well launch a 1000 ships. As it happens, my beautiful niece fits the bill perfectly. With a hint of Greek features and a Grecian style prom dress from her high school days, she made the perfect model–no tantrums or outrageous demands either (just kidding girl). The results above speak for themselves.

Step two will be pulling together additional images to create a number of rough compositions to submit to the editors for review. I plan to add them to this blog as I create them. Stay tuned.

First rough concept of the new cover

There Goes the Neighborhood

2009-04-15T03:25:00.000-07:00

Note the skull on the log

Unused cover concept

Upon archiving my photos last night I came across some out-takes from last year's Prestwick House Frankenstein: SAT Words from Literature photo shoot. This series was photographed by my older brother, Steve who is quite capable behind the lens. The photos were taken in Blackbird State Forest–a fairly remote tract of state park land far off the beaten path. It has a stunning section of pines on a slight rise of land that I thought would give a perfect old-world european sensibility to the images. With no low branches to obscure the view the tree trunks create the illusion of columns in an ancient temple. I go there often for inspiration. Many of my wooded images have been photographed there.

I had never seen another soul in this area prior to this day. Of course the moment I'm draped in black wool robes, sporting black Darth Vader pants, face make-up, all while running, sweating and growling through the stands of trees, we see 2 rough-looking bearded backwoods campers come strolling down the trail, gathering firewood. As I recall, they stopped dead in their tracks with mouths agape when they spotted me some 20–30 yards off into the woods, breathing heavy as I tried to catch my breath after another run through the brush. My brother quickly fired off an "obvious" explanation before they could ask any questions. "We're on location photographing a cover for a book" he offered. He also commented on how beautiful the area was and a perfect backdrop for our "subject matter". Casting suspicious eyes my way, they nodded in agreement and slowly continued on their way, mumbling how, up to this point, it had been one of their best kept secrets. There goes the neighborhood.

Cities in the Sky

2009-03-22T18:53:00.000-07:00

Floating City 222

Tower of Babel

The only photoshopped elements in this work-in-progress series are the satellite shots from NASA which I screened into the existing blue sky and clouds.

The Gift of Fire

Adding the "human" element to give scale.

The Curio Shop Cat

2009-03-22T18:10:00.000-07:00

Taking advantage of a rare, relatively warm day in February, I took my camera and did a lunchtime walking photo shoot in the small town near where I work. Stopping at a small curio shop I took a moment to gaze at the unusual items on display.

The shop was closed for lunch. Who does that anymore?

I was suddenly startled by some movement deep within the shadows of the shop. It was a cat gracefully making his way around the inconsiderately placed items on display. Oblivious to me or my prying camera, he proceeded to find the warmest location in the window and plopped himself down unceremoniously, closing his eyes in buddha-like feline bliss.

I especially like how the swan appears to be preening a creature who in real life would most likely be stalking her as prey.

"Curiouser and curiouser!" cried Alice.

A Midsummer Night's Dream Assignment

2008-11-17T20:03:00.000-08:00

I was given the plum assignment recently to design the cover for Prestwick House's Touchstone Classic Edition of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

I created one a few years ago, for a different edition, but I was never completely satisfied with my depiction of Nick Bottom (the peasant in the play who is transformed into an Ass). It seemed a bit too easy to simply place a donkey's head onto a model's body (although many engravings and paintings illustrate his "condition" in this way). Today's high school students (the intended audience) expect something a bit more sophisticated in this age of digital film effects. A "morphing" image between a human and a donkey would work much better I thought, if I could find the right models for the job (man and donkey).

My first attempt in 2004 – a little too pasted-on looking for me.

I sketched out a thumbnail and decided that it needed a few woodland faeries flying about his head to add movement and color.

Enlisting the help of some willing co-workers as models, I rented 2 faerie costumes and purchased a few inexpensive props such as silk flowers for the headbands, Halloween close-out faerie wings, and a roll of burlap from the local hardware store.

Assembling a few lights and a fan I photographed all the subjects separately keeping the same settings in the camera to ensure the exposures would be consistent. The models were wonderful and posed their hearts out. Thanks Paul, Kathy, Annie, and Jen.

The CD of "Faerie music" played during the shoot helped put everyone in a magical mood.

Paul H. The perfect model for Nick Bottom. A good sport too as he knew I was going to transform him into an Ass.

Annie looking wistful.

Jen about ready to take flight.

Kathy taking direction like a pro.

Annie from the finished cover.

...and Jen, the green faerie.

Kathy whispering "faeriespeak" into Nick's ear.

The completed cover.

Inside spreads.

The Scarlet Letter

2008-10-28T17:42:00.000-07:00

Photographed at dusk, October 13th in the Brandywine Creek State Park, Delaware for the Prestwick House Touchstone Classic edition of The Scarlet Letter.

My favorite shot but proportionally it didn't quite fit the locked-in shape for the book (see below).
The colors, the texture, the subject, all remind me of a Maxfield Parrish painting.

Xperiments in Space and Time

2008-10-28T03:47:00.000-07:00

Wanting to explore high speed photography I set about experimenting with showing a single object, in this case an orb, essentially occupying the same space (frame/image) in the same time.

All of these images involve a process similar to multiple exposure techniques found in traditional film photography, In other words, none of the orbs were "pasted" into the frame. The highlights and shadows always appear different depending upon the orb's position in the image.

The Oracle of Pythos

2008-10-27T19:42:00.000-07:00

Taken a few weeks ago, this is the latest in a series of photos depicting a mysterious, ancient oracle that came to me in a single vision.

I found out, after building this scultpture, that some historians believe the trance from which the famous Oracle of Delphi despensed her premonitions might have been induced by a less than lethal dose of the venom from pythons.

The Oracle of Pythos: On the Shores of Troy

The Oracle of Pythos: The Copenhagen Effect

All images Copyright 2008 by Larry Knox

Cocteau's Garden

2008-10-27T19:13:00.000-07:00

This caterpillar was found in a tomato garden, feeding off the plants. The white innocent looking fluffy pods are actually some kind of wasp or hornet egg which will feed off the host until it dies – eaten alive. Nature is neither cruel nor kind.

Nature reserves the right to inflict upon her children the most terrifying jests. ~Thornton Wilder

The Tree Spirit

2008-10-27T03:34:00.000-07:00

On a beautiful fall blue-sky Sunday I decided to drive up to one of my favorite state parks with my camera in hand and do some hiking by myself.

I came across areas where the sun streamed down over rocky bluffs through the dense forest canopy, casting shafts of sunlight filtered through the yellow/orange lenses of the foliage. I stopped and stood in awe and silence. It was Sunday I surmised and this is my church. I felt connected and at peace.

A few miles further, near the end of the trail, over some rickety bridges, I turned a corner and saw this face mocking me...

"Some kind of Druid Dude, lifting the veil." –John Lennon

Moreauvian Nightmare

2008-08-10T10:19:00.000-07:00

The day I took these photos, a commercial HVAC van slowed down and did a U turn further up the road and proceeded to slowly drive back towards me until it finally stopped, scarcely 20 fit from the "victim". He could have barely seen the fake skull I had carefully positioned at the top of the spine (having severed the head with a sharp spade and pocket knife) as it faced away from him. Digging a slight depression in the dirt, I submerged the realistic skull into the earth, building up the soil and weeds around it to give the impression it had laid there for some time–it's very weight pulling it under.

"What's that?" he asked loudly.
"A deer" I shouted back.
He just stared as I kept snapping away.
"Hit by a car?" he questioned.
"Apparently," I replied.

Looking very confused, he drove off slowly, not taking his eyes off the skeletal hybrid. No doubt he had a tale to tell back at the shop. I wouldn't be surprised if he even brought back a few of his buddies to see for themselves. Of course, a deer carcass with it's rightful head back in place would be all they would find.

The Cape

2007-01-08T19:37:00.000-08:00

A rare day in January as the temperature hovers near 70 across the Delmarva penisula. The sun in it's winter position throws light and shadow at an angle that's different from what I'm accustomed to, especially at a location so familar to me only bathed in summer light.