Capitol Sconce

Shot this back in April when I was starting to fall in love with the 70-200mm. It’s such a beast of a lens; serious, heavy and conspicuous. It screams, “I’m taking serious photos here, people.”

This is both good and bad. There are times when you want to get an image and the serious lens grants you a bit of leeway. Then there are times when you’d prefer to remain less visible and you can’t because the white monster lens is shouting about the photos and the art and the serious whatnot. However, the bokeh is stellar and its ability to get shots in a pinch has made this a go-to lens, despite the drawbacks.

I’ve got a detail shot of this sconce that I will share today as well. It’s a gorgeous thing. The hand-like talons wrangling the snakes is likely ripe with symbolism. I did some searching to try and find out if there was an overt symbology, but that is a rathole I didn’t want to go down today. At university, I took a few art history and humanities courses that dealt with Greek and Roman art and architecture, but I don’t recall if it’s an eagle controlling two opposite snakes implying justice or strength (Herakles/Hercules?) or it’s just a cool detail. I would imagine there is a meaning to extract and I’m certain it would involve any of the following: Freemasonry, Egypt, goddess worship, the Old Testament, Mayans, 9/11 and the Illuminati.

I just liked these sconces, so I’ll forego the rathole.

* * *

Affirmation: Seriously, let it go.

Original Article

Marlo Watches

I took the girls to the Utah State Capitol building awhile back. We’ve driven by the building so much this winter that Leta kept asking to go in. I tried to give her an overview of the three branches of government and how bills become laws or don’t. Not too interested, so I shut up. She just wanted to see the building. Marlo? Marlo wanted to run everywhere and explore. Since the space is so open, I let her run, but kept her in my line of sight. I was struck by her tiny body in this massive space. The building is a draw for wedding portraits and tourists so the day we were there, Marlo had to see what everybody was up to. The light was just right and I grabbed this shot.

Daily affirmation: Don’t judge, accept.

Original Article

Corinthian Capitol Capitals

I’ve shot a bunch of images of this building (Wikipedia, official site), but until looking at the images I captured through my 70-200mm lens, I’ve missed a bunch of the Neoclassicist detail. I can’t imagine the spectacle that this building was when it was completed in 1916 and the population of Utah was a fraction of what it is now.

I think the thing that keeps drawing me back as a photographer is the paradox of almost operatic bombast in its scale and solemnity in its function. I’m sure there’s a Socratic or Aristotlean screed or two about this very thing.

* * *

Daily affirmation: Let it go. Residual anger is a cancer.

Top