Myself as compositional element

Bruce has his first show at a commercial gallery, which opens next Friday, April 6 at Gallery Kayafas. I am so proud of him. It mainly features his ongoing series "The Fortieth Parallel," but also showcases a few that aren't a part of a series. Funnily enough, the gallerist selected one image that features me. As we often go on trips together, it seems I often pop up in Bruce's panoramas as a compositional element, knowingly or not!

Here I am atop the observatory on the top of Mt. Mitchell in North Carolina--the highest point east of the Mississippi (higher than Mt. Washington! and not as cold). I love the guy on the left, looking not at the vista, but at the map. The other couple is also not looking at the view per se (I can't get over how much this fellow looks like Bill Burke). I am in the shade, looking down, loading film into my Holga. Me aside, I think this is one of Bruce's best pictures. My eye darts around the picture; ironically while "site-seeing," we all have different site lines and are consumed in other activities (me with a picture taking device with an aptly named "viewfinder") or with what we "think" we ought to be looking at or doing. Of couse, the time-honored "view" is behind Bruce and just beyond the railing. Compositionally, it is also just out of reach to the viewer of the photograph.

I have another story about myself as compositional element when I was two years old. Apparently I started young! I will leave that story for my 5 things meme, to be published likely this weekend.

If you ever need to hire a compositional element, contact me!