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Seeing The Future Or Distorting The Past?

It seems that our ability to absorb visual information faster has evolved rapidly over the last several decades.  While modern films can be like firecrackers going off in your face every second the older films are a little less engaging and move rather slowly by comparison.

Black and white television shows do have tedious moments and some entertainment during these is as easy as setting up a crystal ball in front of the screen and having a camera in your lap.

After all, boredom is a terrible thing to waste.

There was a Peter Gunn marathon on free TV and I decided to check out some of it. I like the show with its jazz soundtrack and occasional depiction of beatnik clubs. This set-up with the crystal ball made it compelling and I got some great images. These are a few of the good ones.

I had a great time making this suite of photos and I was kept alert looking for the fortuitous shots where the two images blended together with artistic compositions. It took place in real time so I had to be ready. Oh, did I mention the reward of obtaining some great photos? I recommend this crystal ball technique to distort the images of the past.

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    • Thanks for viewing. I wish you could see all the pictures. (I wish I could put them back) …
      If you searched for “orb photography” you would find countless photographs using a glass ball. They are primarily outdoor photos. I was a glass artist so it is natural for me to try it but there are thousands of people who did the same technique.
      The monochrome photos I got from this experiment are cool and very artsy I think. You would enjoy trying this for sure.

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  1. I like views like that. I can be easily fascinated by looking at the reflection in a calm lake, then see how the reflection changes when a slight breeze raises ripples in the water. It isn’t the same as looking through a crystal ball, but it is still neat.

    • I know that you are right from learning the same thing in the Idaho mountains. The orb is really trivial distortion compared to the moon reflecting on the mirror surface of a calm lake.
      The lake, the river, the stream, the ocean – much more profound as experience Something real. In my case I’ve carried what I learned in the mountains for decades now so it couldn’t be a small thing – I rather would look at the lake anytime.

    • Thanks. It was fun and also was an element of “orb photography” I hadn’t seen so I wanted to share it. It was really big fat fun and the pictures (some anyway) are kind of neat. Do try it someday! 🙂

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