John Beal : photos : Top Twelve- powered by SmugMug

A subjective list, these photographs represent a portfolio of the year's work. Twelve were chosen to represent the yearlong effort, although every month may not be represented, nor are they presented here in any particular order.

A timeline view is available for all photographs from 2006.

please see comments for honorable mentions.
probably best viewed in journal format.

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John Beal >
the hair

in amongst the teenage angst is the longing to retain the child-like freedoms while persisting toward adulthood. perhaps this is the root of that angst, the boundary between, using new strengths and agilities to immerse oneself between the playful and the responsible.

John Beal > jekyll island sunset

having grown up successfully shooting sunsets using slide film, this is the first good sunset I got from digital. even still, I traipsed into the edge of the marsh, braving the gnats to shoot what equated to an entire roll of film. my expectations weren't very high, yet again the effort, knowing that the experience would be worth the results, whatever the outcome.

John Beal > jekyll island sunrise
peaceful, serene. we sometimes confuse aloneness with loneliness, imposing our thoughts or conditions on who or what we see. is it wrong to enjoy the beauty in nature in solitude?

John Beal > presbyopic

simple elements, fine details. they don't always come together as planned, and yet we sometimes accomplish more in spite of our self directed efforts.

John Beal > well worn wilson
like the long shadows from a late afternoon sun and revealing himself in crescent illumination, he proved useful another day.

John Beal > autumn contrast

sometimes it's the journey, sometimes it's the destination. autumn's beauty is anticipated, craved. yet, from that splendor the leaves are soon lost to be trampled underfoot, raked, burned, forgotten. their glory comes not individually, but as a community, for a brief moment and then lost.

John Beal >
the patterns of security

the mesh deters the casual, then it ends with a twist to deter the curious. the simple strands of barbed wire which would normally deter the dishonorable now support the razor wire that seeks to deter the criminal.

it all comes at a price. obstruction of natural or designed beauty to those who view it. self imprisonment or isolation to those who commission it. risk of injury to those who provide it.

John Beal > rain drop daisies
simplistic in nature; basic in artform; reminiscent of hope, with beauty for the dawning day.

John Beal >
walking out of the dew

I was once asked "what's the plot?" on an image that was technically astute and reasonably composed. there was no caption, nor title, leaving the viewers to pen their own story. like a b-movie, the visual elements were in place, but there was little satisfaction from the experience.

I rank this among my favorites not solely on the simplicity of content, but also for the history and drama it conveys. while it bears a title, I think most viewers would pen the same story, some in prose, perhaps poetic verse, or even satire. the ending? it's what you bring to the picture, whether hope for a new day or despair. when you return, does the story line change? or maybe the conclusion?

the hair

in amongst the teenage angst is the longing to retain the child-like freedoms while persisting toward adulthood. perhaps this is the root of that angst, the boundary between, using new strengths and agilities to immerse oneself between the playful and the responsible.