Pose For the Camera

The theory of nicotine-based herbicides causing problems with bees is clear to me.
I have photographed far too many dead bees, face deep in the flower's chemistry.
I noticed this one was still moving after taking a few shots.
Needless to say I tried to save its life.
It tried to fly.
Who knows if I made a difference.
I choose hope.


2014

A camera is a licence to inspect things I wouldn't have given a second thought. As I study flowers, I have found an odd phenomena: dead bees. It's an overdose. They're stone-cold, thorax deep in the good-stuff. Today, I noticed a bee flying around this plant. Then, I noticed the three dead ones, all assuming this same pose. But one didn't seem so dead. I blew on it. It moved, slowly. I blew harder and it seemed to roll over. I took a pic. Dead bees make great models and I have many pics. This is the first one I caught still alive.  It only looks like peek-a-boo, In reality, this bee is sprawled-out, dying. 

Shadow Fence

The morning light casts dancing shadows across the wooden fence.

2014

This is my favorite time of year.

Cloud and Tree Touch

The shape of the cloud and tree create a touching moment of harmony.

2014

Living in the South, I always felt suffocated by the narrow perception of distance. I knew life existed beyond the trees and houses before me but I couldn't see it. Out west were the mountains rise above the horizon in all directions, I am always able to feel their distance, their reassuring reminder that everything around me is not all that is. There is a certain sanity provided by the perception of pure space. Nothing defines distance like a towering mountain range.

Slices of Reflection

The shinny surface of a plastic fence
captures slices of a reflected image.

2014

A close up view of a tree knot becomes a south-western canyon with a little blurring.

Rolling Storm

A passing summer storm
does not interfere with the sport,
played at the park.

2014

When we remember just how great it is to live in a country were we have the time and space to enjoy simple things like a beautiful sunrise, it makes handling all the horrible news from all the distant places in the world just a little easier.

Crazy Cloud Shape

Moisture, mountains, and the right conditions create some seriously interesting shapes.

2014

You cannot close your eyes in Heaven.

Pastel Summer Color

The soft colors of summer invite
the eye and mind to dreamy imagination.


2014

Having an answer to the question of life is not the same as 

knowing how to live it.

Tree Shadow Field

Morning casts a large tree's shadow into frame.

2014



The Fear of the Human Animal

Menacing Flower

This flower almost looks threatening,
as if it is a creature rising from the dark to strike.

2014

Soon, the weather will change and we will be frozen. Although winter may not have the stunning colors and life of summer, it has its own beauty and form. Enjoy the change of pace. Slow down and visit with friends and family. Before long, we'll be right back, sweltering in the heat of summer.

Fruit Water Droplets

The skin of a the fruit wicks the water into tight droplets, 

ready to run.

2014

There are moments when we catch nature showing-off the intensity of color. It reminds us of how the changing seasons creates an enchanting spectrum.

Sleeping Mountain Dinosaur

I have always looked at this mountain
and seen a dinosaur,
trapped in time
and stone.

2014

Everyone asks the same question when I say I hate summer, "Why?" Simple. Legally speaking, there is a limit to the clothing you can remove; however there is no limit to what you may put on to keep warm. Plus, sleep is the most valued resource in my life. One only sleeps well when one feels safe in a cool, dark place.

Rustic Flower

Racing pigment rushes along withering petals.

2014

I don't take a lot of moon pictures because my camera is not, well let us say, of professional quality. But every so often, a shot presents itself and my camera rises to the challenge. I like this one because the fence looks like an urban version of the mountains or maybe a childlike drawing of two simple pyramids on the desert plain in early morning. 

Cloud Blows-Off Peak

The cloud flows from the mountain peak straight into the atmosphere in the shape of a fan
as if it is smoke, blowing from within the earth.

2014

Whenever I show this picture, people ask the same question:

"How do you know it was sleeping and not dead?"
"Because I woke it up and it flew away.

It was an early summer morning. I'd just got my camera. I found it on the road and decided to experiment with a few settings. When I was done, I was surprised the thing didn't fly off. It was in the middle of the road. If it was still alive, it could get run over. I blew on it. It moved. I blew again. It flew away and I continued my walk, happy with the closeup.

Flower Streamers

It's as if the flower is celebrating with streaming casts of color

2014

It looks like the sun is burrowing through the top of this mountain when in reality it is rising between twin peaks. The partial sun-dog is a bonus to a shot I'd been spending years locating.

Cloud Ball

A cloud ball surrounded by color and form.

2014

I've always wondered about the ratio of happy accidents to discarded pics. One thing is for sure, if you wait for perfection, you're bound to miss a few. It sounds reasonable to me that one great shot for every ten marginal ones beats the odds.

Structured Shadow

There is a nice tension between the dark shadows, the steel form,
the soft gravel, and the warm light.

2014

These can be the hardest shots to get because looking directly into the sun is not an option

but looking into the view finder is.

Green Leaf

Sometimes I have to let the image speak for itself.

2014

Ever wonder how to move a house? 

A few of these and a wide berth. 

New Shot, Old Subject

In honor of posting this shot last year on this day,
I am posting a new version with my new camera.

Today, my photo is exploding on Tumblr (www.jaxoncohen.tumblr.com). I'm new to all this and most of my posts get no more than a handful of likes. This post is different. Why? Simple. All it takes is one content agitator to highlight a work and boom! 

Why this particular post? Couldn't tell ya. All my work is equally significant and beautiful to me. I take pride in everything I do. So I thank lensblr-network for re-blogging this post. It's nice to know that when people actually see my work, they like it.

Golden Cloud Fountain

Cloud shapes fan from the horizon to the sky above
in a cascade of color.

2014

I often find objects on my walks that tell a story. This shoe was left at the playground, where the concrete edge of the road met the gravel pit. It's as if the child bolted into the fun, never to return for the shoe. It tells of both the child's memory as well as the memories of childhood; how we could literally run out of our shoes because they fit so poorly and our bodies were that powerful at that time. It also speaks of a child, so enveloped in the moment, a missing shoe doesn't even register when it's time to go home. 

The Coolest Thing I've Seen?

Today I was handed this tiny piece of exceptional origami.
It might be the coolest thing I've seen.
United as One ...

2014

Out here in the West,
even our robot mailboxes brandish sidearms. 

Squirrel Power!

Why are there no squirrel superheros?
And the powers of Super Squirrel Man?
Fast, agile, ballsy, and super annoying.

Under Squirrel Man's watch,
no one escapes notice.

2014

In this shot, I see a popcorn kernel, exploding from the pan and racing towards the lens. There is that brown nub in the center that sure looks like an opening popcorn seed. It doesn't take much to see the white flower as the exploding soft part and the yellow flowers as the visual trail of oil.

Addictive Nature

Addiction is an environmental condition.

2014

It almost seems as if the sun, clouds, and mountain are attempting contact. You can just make out a wrist,  hand, and finger, reaching for the light.

Sunrise Streaks

Subtle sun-streaks cast from tiny clouds,
hovering over a mountain peak.

2014

One can only assume a powerful rainstorm caught someone prepared to ward off the water but unprepared for the accompanying micro-burst.

Colorful Cloud-Bubbles

Pouring moisture creates
bubbles of color.

2014

This picture reminds me a of dragon of fire and light, diving for cover behind the mountains.
Or maybe I just see things while standing in church parking lots.

Fractal Flower

Fractal Design:

So many petals produce
flowers within flowers.

2014

I'm doing what I can to be who I am.