http://search.deviantart.com/?q=by:circumbendibus&section=today deviantART RSS for by:circumbendibus en-us Copyright 2009, deviantART.com Wed, 30 Dec 2009 09:00:19 PST deviantART.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://s.deviantart.com/minish/widgets/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/18100688/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/18100688/ Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:56:46 PDT
On another note, are there are Neurosis fans out there? They have been around for over 20 years but still remain relatively unknown, despite having toured the world many times over and influencing a great number of better known bands (i.e. Mastodon). In my opinion, they are to Metal what King Crimson is to prog-rock - obscured to the masses by their own design, but very well known within the small circles they choose to inhabit.

Neurosis is a truly independent band - they purposely avoided signing to a major label, despite many offers, and instead chose to keep their music pure and work regular day jobs to support the band, ranging from grade school teacher to warehouse manager to Shakespearian theater stage hand.

They record on their own time, with their own money, at Steve Albini's (incredible guy - search for him on google) Electric Audio in Chicago. They chose to work with Steve (on the last 3-4 albums, at least) because of the “live” sound he is renowned for, achieved with old school recording techniques. Save for a few additions/modifications in the final mixing/mastering process, the whole band is recorded simultaneously on tape (quite rare these days) which gives their albums a very natural feel. When you see them perform live every part, including the vocals, sound dead-on compared to the actual recording. The only other metal band I have seen that can pull this off is Meshuggah, and they record digitally on Pro-Tools.

There isn't a ton of Neurosis material on the web, but here are a few videos:

[link] - Locust Star – live. Not indicative of their work as a whole, but one of my favorite songs and videos nonetheless.

[link] - Promo film for their latest album, Given to the Rising

[link] - interview for Swedish TV

If you're interested in their music, their albums are as follows:

Pain of Mind (1987, Alchemy Records)
The Word as Law (1990, Lookout! Records)
Souls at Zero (1992, Alternative Tentacles)
Enemy of the Sun (1993, Alternative Tentacles)
Through Silver in Blood (1996, Relapse Records)
Times of Grace (1999, Relapse Records)
A Sun that Never Sets (2001, Relapse Records)
Neurosis & Jarboe (2003, Neurot Recordings)
The Eye of Every Storm (2004, Neurot Recordings/Relapse Records)
Given to the Rising (2007, Neurot Recordings)

I would start at Enemy of the Sun and move forward as this is where their sound began to develop. Their earlier work was Hardcore Punk and, while great in its own right, sounds very different than all subsequent releases.

If it isn't obvious already, this is one of my favorite bands. I'm interested to see if there are any other fans out there – let me know!

I find it odd that the followers of metal bands stay largely out of touch with their fellow fans - when you go see a big hippie band there is a well-developed community of people traveling together and helping each other out. When I go to a metal show all I see are a bunch of individuals avoiding eye contact. I realize the material isn't always "nice" or "friendly", but we can channel a different collective emotion, such as anger. And anger need not manifest in physical violence, at least not to one another - we can use our anger to build a community that opposes that which makes us angry - that which drives us to this form of music in the first place.

What the “happy” people achieved in the 60's and 70's, the “angry” people can take the next step further today. We can use our anger instead of allowing it to eat away at our psyches, individually and collectively. We can do something about the emotion many of us feel most. If we don't look at why we feel this way and, in turn, do something about it, then we are repressing our primary emotional state.

I know why I am angry, and I don't want to be. For many people, in my opinion, when they find something that reflects their emotional state of being they will allow themselves to accept that emotional state as their identity.

I feel anger – an outside force reflects my anger - I am angry

Now there are two ways (at least) the above process can resolve or repress itself:

1. What makes me angry? - Resolution
2. I am an angry person – no further progress

... ]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/17624513/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/17624513/ Tue, 01 Apr 2008 07:39:50 PDT
I'm now 28 years old and I can't believe how fast time moves at this age. The last birthday I can remember vividly was my 21st, the rest just becomes a blur.

My parents gave me a gift to take home and open today as they are both at work and I won't see them until this weekend - I got the Alien Quadrilogy! This thing is amazing; 9 discs in total, with two versions of each of the four films plus a huge amount of bonus features.

My girlfriend got us tickets for the Ministry/Meshuggah show in May. This will be the second to last show Ministry plays, as this is their farewell tour after 20+ years of recording and touring. It should be quite a memorable experience.

I have the rest of the day off with my girlfriend, Kristy (she actually took a day off!). We have been together for nearly 7 years and her staying home to be with me today is the best present I could ask for.

Thanks to everyone for their support of my work recently. Your comments, faves and features mean a great deal to me.

Be well,

Ryan

]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/17562504/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/17562504/ Fri, 28 Mar 2008 18:42:01 PDT


It was quite alot of fun and I look forward to going out for another shoot soon. I'll be away for a few days for a family get-together in Indiana. Have a nice weekend everybody!

]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/17511027/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/17511027/ Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:45:18 PDT


I hope you enjoy them...thanks to everyone who commented or fave'd!

On another note, I decided to join photo.net today which is something I have wanted to do for some time now. Are any of you on there? Have advice on how to best use the site? For instance, when I add images to my gallery there isn't a drop-down menu for the category the image should be in, but I see they do have categories. You can find me there via the link below:

[link]

Be well,

Ryan

]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/17441752/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/17441752/ Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:53:06 PDT I added three new images today, but they aren't showing up in my gallery (I read in the forum that it was happening to others, as well). Here they are:



All three were shot at ISO 100 ("LO 1.0" on the D300) and I was very pleased with the results. There is literally NO noise in the files, even in out of focus areas. I am slightly hesitant to use this setting by default, despite the results I have seen, because it isn't a standard ISO for the D300. The results are still quite good at ISO 200, although selective noise reduction is required.

And a few more recent additions:





I have seen some great work here during the past few weeks. Here are a few featured images:






Have a nice weekend everyone. I will be gone for most of the next two days, and all of next weekend.

-Ryan

]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/17382589/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/17382589/ Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:12:52 PDT
Well, back to it...wish me luck!

Be well,

Ryan

]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/17176857/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/17176857/ Tue, 04 Mar 2008 08:36:47 PST


On a personal note, I gave the company I have worked for over the past 6 years my 2 week notice this morning. It had been a long time coming and, now that its over, I feel much better, although I don't have a plan as to what I will do next. If any of you are in need a website content administrator, photographer or photo retoucher/editor (freelance or otherwise), please let me know!

Wish me luck...

Be well,

Ryan

]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/17114589/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/17114589/ Fri, 29 Feb 2008 09:05:13 PST I went over 5,000 page views earlier this week....thanks to everyone who stopped by to look at my work or say hello. Your support means more than you know!

Unfortunately, due to the bad winter we have had here in the Chicago-land area, I haven't been able to find any new subjects in quite some time. I have reverted to shooting random things from my collection just to stay in practice. Now, for the results - I added three new images today, and four others not too long ago:







I hope you enjoy them as much as I did shooting them!

And now for some features - there is an incredible amount of talent on DA, and I only wish I had more time to appreciate it.

by lowapproach

by sergey1984

by muratsuyur

by greeneyedharpy

by atreja

by goodfoot42

by sidneyeileen

by sidneyeileen

On a side note, my gi... ]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/16812470/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/16812470/ Sun, 10 Feb 2008 07:31:21 PST
What I wasn't prepared for are the uncompressed RAW files sizes. With the D70 the compressed RAW files were only 5MB or so, while the D300 produces a 25MB uncompressed 14-bit RAW file. Once I bring the files into PS CS2 and go through my normal gyrations, I end up with a nearly 1GB file. I am going to have to beef up my external storage very quickly.

I added 5 new images today, all shot with the new D300, PB-4 Bellows and 105mm Bellows-Nikkor...





I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed creating them! Thanks again to my parents, David and Stephanie Ewart, for their continued support of my work.

And now for the feature; just one image this time but it is one that I have come back to repeatedly. I am quite surprised that it only has 30 views and 4 comments....take a look:



]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/16692044/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/16692044/ Sat, 02 Feb 2008 14:29:03 PST
My parents, David and Stephanie Ewart, have been very supportive of my work since the very beginning. On Tuesday, thanks to them, I will be a proud new owner of a Nikon D300. They also bought me my first DSLR, a Nikon D70, several years ago after seeing the pictures I had taken with a point and shoot Canon (from my girlfriend). I have been very fortunate to have such generous people in my life and I just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge their contributions....THANK YOU!!!

It would be strange to retire the D70 after all we have been through together, so I am thinking about sending it off for IR conversion. I found a few companies that provide the service but I'm wondering if any of you have advice to offer....thanks in advance if you do!

Be well,

Ryan

]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/16578866/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/16578866/ Sat, 26 Jan 2008 09:34:42 PST
]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/15532060/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/15532060/ Fri, 16 Nov 2007 10:19:59 PST
Be well,

Ryan

]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/15254831/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/15254831/ Sun, 28 Oct 2007 08:53:51 PDT
For some reason I have a very bad sense of direction, and I always have. I get lost while on road trips very easily and it is quite aggravating. My Dad can navigate anywhere without a map but my Mom is just as lost as me on the road, which is where I got it from I think. My destination is 3.5 hours away and I have directions printed out, but I will probably end up lost at some point.

Wish me luck!

-------------------

My last journal:

I added a new image last night and another today, Eclipse and Diaphanous;



I am sorry for not keeping up with the favorites I have received of late. I want to give a big thank you to everyone that has commented on and favorited my work. One individual in particular, Krazykris86, has been especially supportive and I can’t thank him enough. As a small token of my appreciation here are a few of my favorites from his gallery:



Make sure to stop by his gallery and have a look around!

----------

Let’s move on to the next topic, the Federal Reserve System. Many people, whether from the US or abroad, have literally no idea what it actually is, how it was created or what it is doing to the world economy. Many do not even realize that it isn’t even a Federal agency, but a private group of banks that is more accurately labeled a banking cartel. In fact, it is not “Federal”, holds no reserves and is not a “system”.

Here is a really good video about the Federal Reserve System, featuring prominent writers, congressman, and intellectuals. It details quite extensively how it was created and what it has done ever since. The run time is an hour but it is entirely free via google video:

[link]

There are A LOT of videos about this subject but I picked this one because it is the most mainstream. Ron Paul, who is currently running for the GOP Presidential candidacy, is featured throughout the video (not an endorsement of his candidacy, to be clear).

This is a very important topic because it directly affects every individual not only here in the US, but wherever US currency is used and held (virtually everywhere). Since the Fed removed the gold standard roughly 50 years ago our currency has dropped in value 96% due to inflation. Inflation is a very misunderstood but widely used term. Before the Fed dropped the gold standard, for every dollar in circulation there was a piece of gold in a bank to back it up, which kept inflation extremely low (1-3% or less). Without the gold standard the Fed can print as much money as it wants with literally nothing to back it up, which causes the value of each dollar in circulation to go down every time a new dollar is printed.

The US dollar is worth 4 cents compared to the day the gold standard was dropped, which translates to a 96% loss in buying power. Because the Fed has no plans of adopting the gold standard again they will continue to print more and more money which means the dollar will become less and less valuable over time. Eventually our currency will collapse (only 4% of its value remains) and every dollar you own will be nothing more than worthless paper. This is what inflation really means.

I hope you will each take an hour of your time to learn more about this issue. If you are moved by the content of the video, please pass it... ]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/15097461/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/15097461/ Wed, 17 Oct 2007 06:01:42 PDT Eclipse and Diaphanous;



I am sorry for not keeping up with the favorites I have received of late. I want to give a big thank you to everyone that has commented on and favorited my work. One individual in particular, Krazykris86, has been especially supportive and I can’t thank him enough. As a small token of my appreciation here are a few of my favorites from his gallery:



Make sure to stop by his gallery and have a look around!

----------

Let’s move on to the next topic, the Federal Reserve System. Many people, whether from the US or abroad, have literally no idea what it actually is, how it was created or what it is doing to the world economy. Many do not even realize that it isn’t even a Federal agency, but a private group of banks that is more accurately labeled a banking cartel. In fact, it is not “Federal”, holds no reserves and is not a “system”.

Here is a really good video about the Federal Reserve System, featuring prominent writers, congressman, and intellectuals. It details quite extensively how it was created and what it has done ever since. The run time is an hour but it is entirely free via google video:

[link]

There are A LOT of videos about this subject but I picked this one because it is the most mainstream. Ron Paul, who is currently running for the GOP Presidential candidacy, is featured throughout the video (not an endorsement of his candidacy, to be clear).

This is a very important topic because it directly affects every individual not only here in the US, but wherever US currency is used and held (virtually everywhere). Since the Fed removed the gold standard roughly 50 years ago our currency has dropped in value 96% due to inflation. Inflation is a very misunderstood but widely used term. Before the Fed dropped the gold standard, for every dollar in circulation there was a piece of gold in a bank to back it up, which kept inflation extremely low (1-3% or less). Without the gold standard the Fed can print as much money as it wants with literally nothing to back it up, which causes the value of each dollar in circulation to go down every time a new dollar is printed.

The US dollar is worth 4 cents compared to the day the gold standard was dropped, which translates to a 96% loss in buying power. Because the Fed has no plans of adopting the gold standard again they will continue to print more and more money which means the dollar will become less and less valuable over time. Eventually our currency will collapse (only 4% of its value remains) and every dollar you own will be nothing more than worthless paper. This is what inflation really means.

I hope you will each take an hour of your time to learn more about this issue. If you are moved by the content of the video, please pass it along. More people need to know what this private bank is up to and what it means for our future.

----------

Three more recent images from my gallery:

http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/15017069/ Thu, 11 Oct 2007 15:27:00 PDT


On the same note as my previous journal [link] I urge you to listen to the following speech by Erich Fromm:

[link]

This was recorded in 1966 at a lecture given at the American Orthopsychiatric Association's 43rd annual meeting in San Fransisco.

It is quite astounding how clear a picture he had of what the future of modern man would be under consumerism.

Again, I will close with a poem I wrote several years ago, actually from the back cover of my self-published book, Circumbendibus:

Just because we are still here
Doesn't mean it has to stay
For it is only what we made it
So it is already bound to break
Parallel to every postulate
Trapped within the grasp
Of our transitory wake
The path may seem labyrinthine
But no is all you have to say
To bowing just to scrape
And kneeling as not to face
The chimera inside you
Veracity
Replaced

]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/14988274/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/14988274/ Tue, 09 Oct 2007 16:38:01 PDT


I hope you enjoy them!

The Dillinger Escape Plan canceled the tour I had tickets for...thats just great. The guitarist, Ben Weinman, broke his foot during a music video shoot (which ties into my most recent piece, Ego).

Recently, during my constant pursuit for information about the "behind the scenes" world, I stumbled across a man named Michael Tsarion. There is little I can say that could encapsulate his ideas in a few short sentences, so I will simply leave a link to a free video called, "2012 - The Future of Mankind". This is not your run-of-the-mill Mayan prophecy video, so don't dismiss it on that basis. Please note that it is very long, but quite interesting. I would love to hear any opinions you may have on the topics he covers in this video (and his others, if you have seen them).

Here is the link [link]

The reason I ask for other opinions is Tsarion's work is quite foreign to me. I come from the point of view of a person who studies the "real" world of societies and politics with a very strong leftist influence. I tend to focus on how human kind can progress toward a mutually equitable, self-managed society, wherein the class system as we know it today would have no basis for existence. I am very strongly opposed to capitalism and "free markets", or any system under which the few can dominate the many. I long for the day when we can see through the imaginary barriers that have been placed between us, such as race, class, age, sex, politics, and realize the power we hold collectively. If only we could attain that clarity we would then realize we, the great masses, outnumber those in power by an incredible margin. The elites of the world depend on our inability to realize that basic concept to remain in power.

So long as we allow ourselves to be divided we should never expect a better future.

Solidarity among the many negates the tyranny of the few.

We need not wait for a hero to save us. Together we can become our own heroes.

Together we can save ourselves.

------

I will leave you with a poem I wrote years go. Please take it to heart.

Just because we are still here
Doesn't mean it has to stay
For it is only what we made it
So it is already bound to break
Parallel to every postulate
Trapped within the grasp
Of our transitory wake
The path may seem labyrinthine
But no is all you have to say
To bowing just to scrape
And kneeling as not to face
The chimera inside you
Veracity
Replaced

]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/14842858/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/14842858/ Sat, 29 Sep 2007 14:49:43 PDT I have added the following images to my gallery over the past few days...I hope you enjoy them!




My lady friend and I will be attending the Dillinger Escape Plan show at the Subterranean in Chicago next weekend...I can't wait!

In other music news I just found out that Neurosis will be visiting Chicago for a show in November. They are one of my favorite bands and I have never seen them live, so I am quite excited. I hope I can get tickets.

I am only featuring one image today, but it is really something:


By carettacaretta

I have been drooling over this image for a few days now. I know nothing of sea life or underwater photography but this image made me quite jealous.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone!

-Ryan

]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/14753610/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/14753610/ Sun, 23 Sep 2007 07:18:42 PDT


To say I am elated would be a massive understatement. Many thanks to KevLewis for recommending it and also to Ksenkat, whose comments were featured along with the DD. She has been very supportive of my work and is a true asset to this community, devoting her time quite generously to giving constructive and insightful comments. Again, a big thanks to both of them!!

During the past few days I have had a bunch of features (detailed below) that have resulted in so many comments and favorites that I don't know what to do about responding. I'll just take a moment here to say thank you to each and every one of you that stopped by to look at my gallery and give your support. In many ways you have all validated the many hours spent behind my camera and in front of my computer, and that means a great deal to me as well.

Here are two new images I added to my gallery yesterday:



I hadn't intended to present these two images in contrast to one another, but an odd thing happened. Emeemo recommended a video of a professor diagnosed with terminal cancer who recently gave a speech [link]

I was editing both as I watched the video and they aligned for me only then.

I am not a sentimental person by nature, but I was certainly moved by this man's brazen optimism in the face of impending demise. Quite powerful.

-----------------------------

9/21 - I was featured in Gilad's journal today [link]

I have been a big fan of his for some time now so this is a bit surreal. Thank you, Gilad!

And if that wasn't cool enough Emeemo dedicated an image to me. Check it out [link]


I added the following to my gallery today:



I hope you enjoy them!

And now for a few features...do yourself a favor and check these great artists out!





http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/14719505/ Fri, 21 Sep 2007 10:59:22 PDT UPDATE 9/21 - I was featured in Gilad's journal today [link]

I have been a big fan of his for some time now so this is a bit surreal. Thank you, Gilad!

And if that wasn't cool enough Emeemo dedicated an image to me. Check it out [link]


I added the following to my gallery today:



I hope you enjoy them!

And now for a few features...do yourself a favor and check these great artists out!











I recently received two features; one by Daily Deviants [link]

And by Ksenkat [link]

This has been quite flattering and I can't thank either of the above enough for their support. It really means alot!

]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/14549181/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/14549181/ Sat, 08 Sep 2007 17:10:43 PDT UPDATE 9/19

I woke up this morning to find that I had been featured twice; by Daily Deviants [link]

And by Ksenkat [link]

This has been quite flattering and I can't thank either of the above enough for their support. It really means alot!


I just went over 2,000 page views some time last night. Thanks to everyone for the interest and support!

During the past week I added the following to my gallery:




I still can't say enough about the PB-4 Bellows and 105mm Bellows lens that I started using recently. I am thinking about getting the 135mm Nikkor Bellows lens for a little more versatility, though. We'll see!

Here are some of my favorites from the past few weeks:



Thanks for stopping by!

Be well,

Ryan

]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/14291338/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/14291338/ Fri, 31 Aug 2007 09:08:53 PDT


-------------------



All of the above images were shot with the rig detailed below...so much fun!

My girlfriend and I will be heading to Wisconsin this afternoon for the Rage Against the Machine show at Alpine Valley. I haven't seen them live in 11 years (wow, I'm getting old!) and I can't wait to get there. However, the weather in this area has gotten a bit out of control. There is flooding everywhere and I am not sure if we will even be able to reach our destination. The venue does not cancel shows for bad weather, so it would be a total loss if we can't make it. Wish us luck!

UPDATE - The show was amazing, aside from the ineptitude of those handling traffic in and out of the venue and some of the event staff. Roughly 40,000 fans in attendance and RATM did not disappoint. It was a "greatest hits" set but I just felt fortunate to see them again.

-----------------------------------------------------

After searching for the past several years for a rather unique close-up/macro solution that was both affordable and provided perspective control, I have finally completed my quest:



What you see above is:

-Nikon D70
-20mm Kenko Extension Tube (so camera grip can clear PB-4 rails)
-Nikon PB-4 Bellows (made in the 60's and 70's)
-Bellows-Nikkor-P 105 mm f/4.0 (made in the late 60's and 70's)
-Nikon DR-6 Right Angle Viewfinder (makes the D70 viewfinder tolerable with 2X view mode)

While not ideal in some respects (lens is prone to flare) this is my dream set-up. The PB-4 provides not only the tilt function but is also a precision focusing instrument with dual rails (one to determine magnification, one to focus). Also, what makes this set-up rather unique is the fact that it can be used for both close-up (around 1:6 magnification) and macro (just beyond 1:1 with bellows at full extension) and it is fully usable anywhere in between. In addition, the working distance at any magnification is very generous; at full extension you still have plenty of room between the lens and subject. This is achieved because the lens is a 105mm short mount; it is actually shorter than a 50mm normal lens despite being a 105mm. Another quirk is that the lens does not have an auto diaphragm, so you have to manually stop down the lens after focusing wide open. I have already forgotten to stop it down a few times before tripping the IR remote.

Before all of the parts arrived I was quite nervous as it was a large investment for me and I wasn't entirely sure it would work the way I intended it to. All of that went away as soon as I began focusing on my first subject yesterday afternoon. It worked out almost perfectly. Here are some of the first images I captured:

*circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/14116737/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/14116737/ Sat, 11 Aug 2007 08:55:08 PDT UPDATE 8/16 - Two new images added today:





I added 4 new images to my gallery today:



I hope you enjoy them!

I have never done a watcher feature before, but here it goes...two very talented individuals:

By photodream



By KsenKat



And now for some random features from my favorites:





http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/13911433/ Sat, 04 Aug 2007 08:57:41 PDT Holy Crap....Chet Zar is here!! I have been a big fan of his work for years and just stumbled upon his gallery [link]

Do yourself a favor and check it out!


During the past week or so I have added 8 new images that I am quite proud of:










I added some of these images to the Conceptual gallery for the first time, upon the recommendation of my lady friend. She brought to my attention that people may not see what I intend them to see in my photographs; that is, in almost all of my work there is a preconceived human element that I try to bring out of nature. If you look long enough at some of my photographs you will find faces, bodies, personalities; all reflections of human kind in the natural world around us.

To me, when a leaf, flower or other piece of nature dies it is given a chance to reveal itself. No two things will die in the same way...each leaf will curl and warp uniquely from the next, revealing what I see as an underlying personality manifesting itself physically.

My intention is not to humanize nature, but to remind humans of our bond to the natural world. If one is able to see themselves in a piece of nature and, as an extension, the true nature of their self, I believe we can evolve back into what we once were....a benevolent member of the natural world, not a malevolent force bent on its destruction. This aim may be naive and possibly too grandiose for this medium, but it is what I am compelled to do and I enjoy it very much.

Obviously, there is more than a little bit of imagination required for this to work; an open mind willing to accept that we are not alone, and never have been. That audible speech and bipedal motion are not all that constitute sentience. That the natural world can speak to you, if you know how to listen.

If any of you see what I intend, please do let me know. It would mean the world to me if my vision translated to someone on a personal level.


Here are the features from my last journal. It was only a week ago and these pieces deserve more time than that. I am constantly amazed by the level of talent here....the only downside is that there simply isn't enough time to enjoy it all:

By pedroinacio



By http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/13819683/ Sat, 21 Jul 2007 10:46:50 PDT Atomic Grace I & Atomic Grace II:



Obviously these images are not truly "atomic", but the word rang true for me as a general theme.

Both images were shot using my long dormant Kenko extension tubes; the former shot at 1.6x life size, the latter 2.1x.

I was inspired to go beyond 1:1 after viewing islandtime's amazing photograph, Mechanical Cauliflower:



I am also now on a hunt for this particular type of Cauliflower, romanescu, as it is apparently very unique. A big thank you to islandtime for the inspiration!

Another inspiration for the Atomic Grace session was SEM imaging, which I have long been a fan of. Here are some examples of images captured with a Scanning Electron Microscope by some very talented deviants:





Now that is serious magnification!

On the theme of inspiration, here are some of my favorite deviations from the past few weeks. I am constantly amazed by the level of talent here....the only downside is that there simply isn't enough time to enjoy it all:

By pedroinacio



By bypass2020



By islandtime (also featured above)

*circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/13784419/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/13784419/ Wed, 18 Jul 2007 16:35:11 PDT




I hope you enjoy them!

Some good news for fans of Nik plug-ins; Dfine 2.0 was just released ([link]) and it looks like a big improvement over 1.0, which I have used for several years now. I will surely be upgrading as soon as the billfold allows.

Sane Sinistrorsum,

Ryan



Why am I always hungry when adding new journal entries?

I was featured by the Undiscovered magazine! Check it out:



]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/13711316/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/13711316/ Thu, 12 Jul 2007 18:01:46 PDT


I can't decide which version of Iracund I like more. Please take a look and let me know what you think, if you have time....thanks in advance.


I added three new images to my gallery today (7/12):



During the past week I have been the proud recipient of three features:

"Watcher Feature 2" from The Undiscovered Magazine (special thanks to Iardacil!)



By ArtIsterik in the UnKnown Artists 7 contest

And most recently in DigitalDreamers' Journal Feature.

This has been my best week on DA thus far and I am very grateful to everyone who has viewed, commented on and favorited my work. Thank you so much!

I have never done a feature, and now seems like a good time to start. Here are some of my favorite deviations at random:









http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/13667437/ Mon, 09 Jul 2007 05:39:47 PDT



...and by ArtIsterik in his Unknown Artist feature [link]

I don't know what to say, other than I am quite flattered and grateful. Thank you!

Be well,

Ryan

]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/13606065/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/13606065/ Wed, 04 Jul 2007 11:09:05 PDT






The Heretic II was actually shot because of a recommendation by Aeravi to isolate the main subject in The Heretic. I think this new image is more effective than the original...thanks Aeravi!

Hopefully I can be more productive in the coming months than I have been as of late.

Thanks for stopping by!

Be well,

Ryan ]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/12700767/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/12700767/ Mon, 23 Apr 2007 05:48:05 PDT
I woke up this morning and found that my image, The Orphan, had been featured by Aeravi:

[link]

This is my first feature, so I am quite excited! Big thanks to Aeravi!

Be well,

Ryan

]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/12681356/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/12681356/ Sat, 21 Apr 2007 14:14:53 PDT
I updated my gallery with 10 new images today...some old, some new. Because I have been sick the past few weeks I have had time to go through alot of my older work again. It has been quite enjoyable, but odd at the same time. When several years have passed between when a photograph was taken and when you rediscover it, so much is lost in the interim....what lighting you used and how you used it, the subject and how it felt and looked in person, etc. I suppose that is a good thing sometimes as distance allows for more objectivity and a fresh perspective....a more critcal eye.

In any case, I hope you enjoy the new images!


Be well,

Ryan

]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/12607229/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/12607229/ Sun, 15 Apr 2007 14:59:44 PDT
I updated my gallery with a few new images...two of which are manipulations using polaroid transfers I did yesterday. I hope you enjoy them.

I am starting to feel better after being sick for the past week. I can actually go to work tomorrow!

Be well,

Ryan

]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/12578465/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/12578465/ Fri, 13 Apr 2007 09:31:47 PDT
I am sick....again. Ever since last year, when I had some serious health issues, I have been getting sick over and over again because of the medicine I was given. I was on antibiotics for over half a year which ruined my immune system for the short term. Hopefully I will be better one of these days. Wish me well!

I updated my gallery with 11 images today; some old, some new. I hope you enjoy them.

Be well,

Ryan

]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/12442643/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/12442643/ Tue, 03 Apr 2007 09:55:16 PDT
My birthday was a few days ago (4/1) and I was the very fortunate recipient of a Really Right Stuff CRD-87 camera rotation device [link]

I had been using a Nikon PG-2 for several years, which caused many problems as it was originally designed for film cameras and not DSLRs. As a result, nearly the entire LCD was blocked and, whenever the camera was rotated, one side of the cameras controls were also blocked. Needless to say, this device is a major upgrade for me.

I resubmitted all of the pictures in my gallery with both a subtle watermark and a signature. I really do not like having to do this, but felt it was necessary given some people's inexplicable need to pilfer original artwork. Let me know if you feel the watermark is distracting or takes away from any of my photographs as that is the last thing I want to do.

Thanks for stopping by!

Be well,

Ryan

]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/12350968/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/12350968/ Tue, 27 Mar 2007 14:18:12 PDT
Well, I finally got around to putting some of my work on DA, after what seems like years of putting it off.

The 13 photographs you see are a sampling of what I have been up as of late. Please note that none of the images were heavily altered in any program. The images you see are very close to their original exposures, aside from RAW conversion, cleaning and noise reduction/sharpening using Nikon Capture and Photoshop CS2.

Some of said images were on display for several months last year at the Koros gallery in Chicago. In summation, all but one of the images are now hanging on the walls in our apartment. On that note, I am not sure if I will sell any prints on DA just yet but I do sell prints of my work via my website, [link]. Eventually I will have an actual web store, but for now I accept mail orders only.

Hopefully I can be more active on this site from now on. There are so many talented artists here and so much to explore.

If you like any of the images you see, let me know. It would be nice to strike up a dialogue with some fellow artists.


Be well,

Ryan

]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/9758723/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/9758723/ Thu, 17 Aug 2006 10:27:48 PDT
The police officer that helped me with the falcon called yesterday. She survived and is recovering as we speak. I was so happy to hear this news, especially since I had such a bad day (totalled my car, had to go to the hospital). Hopefully she will make it back to the wild and enjoy life again.

Be well,

Ryan

]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/9703590/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/9703590/ Sat, 12 Aug 2006 15:00:24 PDT
On a different note, I helped an American Kestrel today. I was at the gas station when two girls yelled for my help. Apparently, the small falcon had flown right into their car and was stuck inside. They were too scared to get her out, so I grabbed a t-shirt from their car and carefully removed her. I thought that maybe she was just stunned, so I found a nice shaded, grassy area and set her down. She got back on her feet after a few minutes and I thought everything was going to be ok. I went inside and got what I needed and came back to check on her progress. It appeared that she had walked or flown about 5 feet and did not make it any further. She was on her side, wings splayed out, and she was moving only slightly. I got her in a more comfortable position as she looked up at me in what appeared to be terror, but I assured her that I was only there to help.

After a few minutes of wait and see, it was obvious that she was seriously injured. She opened her mouth in an attempt to make a noise, but all that came out was blood. She was bleeding internally and soon shut her eyes and she rolled over, her breathing becoming slower and slower.

With the help of a local Sheriff Deputy I found a Wildlife Foundation that was willing to take her in and hopefully save her life. I drove like a madman to the location which is about 30 minutes away from my apartment with the falcon wrapped in my t-shirt. I talked to her the whole way, urging her to stay alive, and there were times when I thought she would not make it through the trip.

She was still alive when we arrived and the staff at the Willowbrook Wildlife Foundation was very helpful. They will mail me a postcard to let me know what happened to her in the next few weeks.

She was bleeding from her mouth and not moving at all, so I am not sure if she will survive. Based on the falcon's appearance, the woman at the foundation said she was only 1 year old, likely suffered head trauma and that her chances were not so good. The woman was very calm and had obviously dealt with this very same type of situation many times. This was both reassuring and alarming because it informed me right away as to how common this really is.

It is truly a shame when any animal is injured or killed because of human interference. This beautiful falcon was just flying through the sky, possibly looking for a meal or a place to stop and rest, and now she will probably die very prematurely because of our parasitic presence on this earth.

My thoughts are with my new friend and I hope she will recover and fly again someday. I will post information about her once I get that postcard.

Be well,

Ryan ]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/9619289/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/9619289/ Sun, 06 Aug 2006 16:03:51 PDT
As mentioned in my previous entry, my first photography show will be opening on August 11th at the Koros gallery in Chicago. I just signed the photographs last week at Gamma and they looked stunning. They were printed on an Epson 9800 on Hahnemuehle Photo Rag 308. Each print is 16"x24" and will be 20"x30" when matted and framed. This was my first experience making fine art prints for display and sale, so it was all quite alot of fun despite the 1 hour train ride to and from the city each day and being quite sick.

We mailed the postcards for the show this weekend and the email campaign will start tomorrow. If you are interested in seeing some of my work, please visit my website as I have not had time to upload images here just yet:

[link]

If you are in the Chicago area on August 11th or will be between then and around the end of September/early October, please visit the gallery:

Koros Art and Style
1019 West Lake St.
Chicago, IL 60607

Thanks to all of my family, friends and especially my girlfriend, Kristy Yarbrough (5th Anniversary this month), for all of their help and support. I would not have been able to do any of this without them.

Be well,

Ryan Ewart

]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/8478630/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/8478630/ Sat, 15 Apr 2006 12:12:12 PDT
Alot of time has passed since I last logged onto this site. My last message stated my intentions for updating, which has fallen by the wayside for various reasons. My website and space here will, however, be updated very soon.....hopefully. I have a show coming up in June at Koros in Chicago. They will be displaying and selling 12 of my photographs, none of which are available online just yet.

My health has made forward progress fairly difficult in that I am dealing with a chronic, but not fatal, condition that leaves me mostly inactive. With any hope I will be able to overcome this obstacle in the coming weeks in anticipation of the Koros show. Wish me well, as I do you.

Be well,

Ryan

]]> *circumbendibus http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/6191943/ http://circumbendibus.deviantart.com/journal/6191943/ Wed, 10 Aug 2005 20:41:08 PDT
The work I have on display, both here and on my own site, is not truly indicative of my artistic state at this time. I am currently re-working my images, from beginning to end, which is a harrowing concept given the number of pictures this entails. In the coming weeks I will post new pictures as my evolving workflow takes shape.

On a side note, my girlfriend and I are getting ever closer to purchasing an Epson R2400 printer, having given up on saving for the 4800. We are both very excited about the prospect of printing and selling our own work in the near future. Prints will be available through my site as soon as rigorous testing and acclamation to said printer have come to pass.

Be well,

Ryan

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