symmetry – Decaseconds

The Atomium

2025-Jan-012025-Jan-02 adohertyh1 Comment

The scale of Belgium’s Atomium seems to be poorly captured in pictures—perhaps because it’s difficult to capture the structure and its surroundings together, or perhaps because the 102-m-tall structure so resembles something we might be more comfortable seeing at 10 m scale. The shrinking lines of sculptural lampposts helps a bit, but it’s night that I believe truly fixes the scale issue. See the band of red in the topmost sphere? That band is the array of full-length windows of the restaurant at the top of the structure, and the red light is the lighting inside.

Beneath the Kilmainham Stairs

2024-Mar-132024-Mar-14 adohertyhLeave a comment

The enormous internal volume of Kilmainham Gaol’s later wing makes the iron stairs and bridges spanning it extremely imposing—which was, I suppose, kind of the point.

Faithful Symmetry

2024-Feb-092024-Feb-08 adohertyhLeave a comment

For all of the mirror symmetry imparted by St. Canice’s architecture, the sunlight entering through windows (or not) shows that the external world is always ready to break some symmetry.

Warm Wood of the Gazebo

2023-Oct-092023-Oct-07 adohertyhLeave a comment

From one Mohonk framing to another, we arrive one of Mohonk’s signature gazebos (but during the day this time.) After a gentle hike, a charming view is a perfect way to cap off the summer season.

Campanile Symmetry

2023-Jun-282023-Jun-27 adohertyhLeave a comment

Trinity College Dublin’s Campanile forms a center of reflection symmetry on campus—one broken, in this case, by pedestrians, clouds, and construction equipment.

Keyhole View from Skytop

2023-Jun-022023-Jun-01 adohertyh1 Comment

If that picture of Skytop from last week sparked the question, “What does the view look like from the top?” I’ll meet you halfway; this is the view from the climb up. (The rest of the view will come Monday.)

That cliff face exploding from the trees is part of the Shawangunk Range of mountains, home of Mohonk Mountain House.

Shopping Spaces in Dublin

2023-May-242023-May-23 adohertyhLeave a comment

Reviewing my street photography from last November’s trip to Dublin, I was interested to find this set of three otherwise-unrelated images in which the sense of perspective above a busy crowd induced an element of symmetry and order.

Two Spontaneous Alignments in San Diego

2023-Apr-26 adohertyhLeave a comment

With so many tall, vertically oriented structures in a city, it’s probably no surprise that some of them should fall into pleasing alignment with one another. The modest glow of sunrise light through the gap between the clocktower and the adjacent building provides a friendly spark to guide the eye to the center of this image.

In this second case, it’s harsher Sun, rather than palm trees and clock towers, that has found its way into a special alignment through the streets of San Diego. Bright light falls into this canyon that should otherwise be dawn dim.

Rocking Chair Array

2023-Mar-062023-Mar-05 adohertyhLeave a comment

This photograph places into contrast the way humans made linear forms and nature exists beyond those patterned limits. Not only do the sloping hillsides contrast with the columns, but even the shadows cast by the Sun take orthogonal shapes and skew them to other angles.

Golden Dome Symmetry

2019-Jul-052019-Jul-05 adohertyhLeave a comment

Reflection symmetry makes the golden dome of Les Invalides all the more imposing.

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Eiffel Reflection

2019-Jul-012019-Jun-30 adohertyh1 Comment

I have no idea why Paris lines the highly trafficked paths around the Eiffel Tower with light gravel footing that turns to thick white mud with the slightest presence of weather… But it does make reflection shots like this one possible.

Tour Eiffel

2018-Nov-28 adohertyh1 Comment

There’s that perfect moment when the sky is still blue but the oranges of sodium vapor lamps begin to scatter from the surfaces of the clouds and the Eiffel Tower looks particularly otherworldly. When so many American cities have switched to lighting their streets with white LED lights, I was surprised at how much of Paris is still lit by sodium lamps.

A Woodford County Farm

2018-Jul-25 adohertyhLeave a comment

The rolling limestone hillsides of eastern Kentucky make for lots of stone walls. I’ve also been told that it makes for hard water, good whiskey, and strong bones in horses. I have no data to back up the latter two claims.

Slouching in Heaven

2013-Jul-15 adohertyh1 Comment

Spending an afternoon wandering the labyrinthine corridors of the Cathedral of Learning renders me literally impressed–feeling the weight of knowledge and Neo-Gothic architecture on my mind. The symmetry, detail, and even the height all produce an overwhelming impression. Evidently, the effect was a bit more pronounced in the case of the gentleman at lower left. Is there anything more quintessential of the current age than slouching and checking a cell phone in the presence of such beauty?