A Bird Flies Into the Clouds
June 18th, 2008Heather and I took a walk along the beach. I was transfixed by this cloud formation and in the middle of shooting it 30 times, this bird flew into frame. This is the only frame with the bird, but when I previewed it on the beach, I knew I’d want to share it. You’ll have to view it large to see the bird more clearly. It’s pretty tiny.
Heather’s surf crashing shots are infinitely better than mine, which is something I’m proud to admit. It’s that dynamic that I love about being with Heather—it’s not so much about competition as it is about, hey, that’s a great way to see that shot. It’s been going on for seven years almost, and something I’m continually excited about creatively. I hope we can keep it up over the years, because one of my favorite things is to make photographic art.
I’ve got a half dozen or so prints I need to add to the shop, when they are added, I’ll do a quick post about it. I can’t thank you enough for your support! o
Tags: bird, clouds, destin, florida, summer, sunset
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June 18th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
I don’t see the bird :-[ But that is a great shot.
It’s a pretty awesome thing when you’re a creative type to be with someone of a similar caliber. I’m all about photography and design and hope to eventually marry someone with similar interests. I aspire to the blurbodoocery.
June 18th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Took me FOREVER to find the bird…VERY cool though.
What a beautiful sight. I love that you both are able to see things so differently. Taking pictures of the same thing and seeing it in a completely different light is amazing.
June 18th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Love it. Will it be one of the ones for sale?
June 18th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Those colors are gorgeous.
June 18th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
I had to squint to see the bird… great picture though!
It reminds me of those photos where you have to examine them to see the hidden art/messages. The bird is like an extra bonus to an already great picture.
June 18th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
big deal. a cloud. You really think much more of your photography than you should.
June 18th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
(me-yow, doug! some people should keep their thoughts to themselves.)
that is one teeeeeeny bird! sometime, you should sell prints on etsy right at the beginning of the month so i can buy one-some of us get paid once a month, yo.
June 18th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Cool! It almost looks like something out of Startrek of Independance day… (the weird shape reminds my of the Romulan/Alien ships in those movies)
I hope you guys keep doing it too because its pretty cool from here too.
June 18th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
wow, GREAT shot
June 18th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Dougs like that give other dougs a bad name.
June 18th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
This is what I imagine Heaven might look like! Although the bird would be my horse Flurry and/or my dog Kia running towards me.
thanks for putting up this beautiful photograph for all to see, I hope the walk was just as gorgeous :0)
p.s. How’s the poop situation?
June 18th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
I love it. You have an amazing talent.
June 18th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Hey Doug #1…you seem like a really cool guy. Can I hang out with you?
June 18th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
I think Doug #1 can suck it!
I just looked around at your etsy shop, and LOVE the park bench photo. Any chance you might be printing any bigger versions (10″ x 14″)? I’d love to have this in my living room.
June 18th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
doug (comment #6), rorschach much? because what i see is something shoved way, way up your …
just let jon keep creating, for goodness’ sake. he loves it, and it’s not too shabby at all.
June 18th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
A feast for the eyes. It’s the next best thing to being there (Doug!).
Thanks and keep these photos coming.
I see the bird, and how wonderful that something so small and delicate is made to to soar in skies as grand as that.
June 18th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Go away, Doug. Didn’t your mother teach you that if you can’t say something nice, you shouldn’t say anything at all?
I, for one, love the photo. Makes me miss the yearly family trips to Destin.
June 18th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Awesome!
June 18th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Oh, that’s beautiful - I can’t decide if I would rather dive into the ocean or the sky - love, love, love the colors in this.
June 18th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Beautiful shot. I saw the bird. Also, I saw that my screen is filthy! So thanks for that too!
June 18th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Would someone please give a hint as to which quadrant contains the bird? I can’t see it!
June 18th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Regarding Doug. People are allowed to have a differnt opinion and taste. No need to attack.
June 18th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Melissa, look in the right half of the picture in the very whitest part of the cloud - it’s right in that area. Tiny bird with wings outstretched.
June 18th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
Ahhhh….There is the bird…I’d love to buy this print
June 18th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
@Doug#1 - where are your photos, since you’re so judge-y?
@Lynn - eh, people are entitled to their own opinion/aesthetic, but his comment was not constructive or critical, it was just rude.
I love the shot. Thanks for making it, Jon!
June 18th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
Lets be honest Jon. NO one would buy your stuff hell read your blog if it weren’t for your wife.
Coattails. Ride much?
June 18th, 2008 at 11:27 pm
Wow… what a bunch of assholes. Jon, just keep on keepin’ on.
June 19th, 2008 at 12:48 am
That’s beautiful. I want to go to Florida with my camera now!
Doug #1 and Bae - bugger off. It’s a pity you have nothing better to do than troll blog and leave rude comments, would you like me to assign you something more productive? I can, you know, I’m good like that.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:35 am
Great Photo (I found the bird right away
) @ people commenting on Doug#1…. come on… my mother learned me not to argue with mentally illed people…. I still follow that advice. You are giving him exactly what he wants…. discussions about his foulness… that is what keeps people like him ticking !
Love and peace
Jac Nordquist
June 19th, 2008 at 5:41 am
I would love to be able to buy your cloud photo and Heather’s surf photo and hang them side by side.
Would you make them both available for sale? Pretty please?
June 19th, 2008 at 6:32 am
try browsing flickr. it is a cloud and you all act like he discovered weather! A bench, a flashing light, a clump of straw and you sycophants line up and drool on his shoes. Take a class in art, take a walk outside and see a real cloud, bench, clump of straw for yourselves. You want some interesting photography, google for Scott Mutter or Andrzej Dragan. That is art and interesting photography.
Don’t buy a print of a cloud… buy a window and have all the clouds you want.
June 19th, 2008 at 6:40 am
you are right Bae. and for those that claim I am rude, how so? Because I don’t worship the drivel that this guy makes, I was rude? I made no personal attack, I referred to the ridiculous fawning over a cloud photo that took 30 shots to get. How deluded are you folks with your “I’d love to buy your print of (insert mundane object)”.
Buy yourselves a point-and-click camera at wal-mart or target for $79. Go outside. Aim at sky. click. dump to your Acer PC. Open a photo editing program and throw a “film-effects” plugin at the photo. ==the same thing as his photo.
Try it.
June 19th, 2008 at 6:46 am
Hey Jon! I’m a first time commenter–I’ve just recently finished reading through all of your archives (whew!) after linking to your site from Heather’s. You both sure know how to make a girl uncomfortable at work what with all your stories making me cry and laugh…my boss thinks I’m nuts.
Love the beautiful photography, I’m heading over to your Etsy page now. I live in NYC, so views like this, we do not get. : (
June 19th, 2008 at 7:02 am
Nothing personal but I’m going to have to agree with Doug. I see little talent and a whole lot of schmooze with a large portion of fluff. A cloud is a cloud, let’s call it what it is.
June 19th, 2008 at 7:18 am
I have to say, Jon - you really are creating a distinctive style for yourself. I think I like Heather’s style a bit more, but I’ve seen a marked improvement in your shots over the years.
June 19th, 2008 at 7:39 am
Most of us don’t walk outside to an ocean-scape everyday. And if we are lucky enough to be on vacation near one, it’s rare to catch in a photograph such a stunning cloud formation and color palette. Trust me, I’ve tried to get a great ocean shot last summer in Maine, I’ve got 100’s and not ONE even comes remotely close to this one. If it did, it would be enlarged and framed in my livingroom. Jon .. kudos to you and thanks for sharing!!!
Doug - if you don’t like Jon’s photography why are you even bothering with his site? You’re a troll looking to stir up nonsense.
Don’t you have better things to do with your bitter self than to stir up trouble on a site you clearly are not interested in looking at. Give it a rest Doug.
June 19th, 2008 at 7:50 am
sarah. I was fascinated by you sycophants more than his mediocre shutter clicking. He only feels like he is talented because you drones keep telling him that a picture of a street sign is utterly amazing. Your reactions to this photos is bewildering and what is more bizarre is that he apparently sells this stuff. I can’t fault him for exploiting you all to make his living. Baby birds eat puked worms too.
And for all you other meterological cripples like sarah, you don’t need to go to an ocean to see a cloud. Refer back to my previous comment regarding a window.
People become better photographers / artists / writers / workers / whatever not by getting a constant stream of adoring praise, but by criticisms and being held accountable to reality. Reality is he takes low grade photos of mundane objects then throws a few push-button filters on them. Let’s see some real talent in portraiture or themed pieces. Refer to Mutter and Dragan again for examples of talent.
June 19th, 2008 at 8:35 am
True enough, everyone has a right to their own opinion.
But, the sign of a truly mature person is expressing said opinion without being a jerk while doing so.
Some of the pictures I like, and some I don’t like as much. And that’s….OK.
But, I DO know that they are a damn sight better than anything I could ever do, and so I can appreciate that.
If Jon can put his stuff out there, and make some cash from it, why the heck not? It doesn’t hurt anyone, unlike needlessly harsh and critical comments can.
June 19th, 2008 at 8:49 am
I am not sure why everyone is ganging up on Doug. He expressed his opinion. A one sentence opinion and instead of just reading it and thinking..oh there is a person with a different opinion…people feel the need to attack him because it goes against the majority. If you people did not get so up in arms about his original opinion then his comment would have just been another in a line of comments. So you get on him to respect Jon’s work even if it may not be his taste and then turn around and disrespect Doug for having an opinion different than yours.
June 19th, 2008 at 9:19 am
Found the bird! I love both of yours (Heather and yours) beach shots. So clear. Did you take pictures of the moon last night? If you did I would love to see them. Mine came out horrible with no definition to them. Out of 50 shots I probably got only 2 clear shots but the moon was white instead of the yellow/gold/orange color it was….
June 19th, 2008 at 9:28 am
Wow!?
To Bae, I’m new to the whole Dooce/Blurb world and I kind of see them as a pair ..as a package..each compliments the other. That goes for the websites and writing and photos and everything really. They both seem like really cool people w/ cool sense of humors and real problems and real lives and they’re good at this stuff.
instigate conflict much?
June 19th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Doug, what is this “window” you speak of?.. Did Jon discover that too?
June 19th, 2008 at 9:54 am
We are all entitled to hold our own opinions. My opinion is that it is beautiful. Doug’s opinion is no big deal and that is fine. But Doug also expressed another opinion which attacked Jon’s character. That is uncalled for and I will not just sit back and listen.
June 19th, 2008 at 10:00 am
I’m glad it’s for sale! Not only do I not have an ocean view to take pictures of, I have a horrible camera and no computer expertise with which to manipulate otherwise bad photos. I’m glad there are people like Heather and Jon who not only enjoy doing this, but are happy to share it with those less talented.
June 19th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Ah, you’ve arrived. You’re getting hate comments just like Heather. Time to limit the opening of comments, perhaps?
People can be so cruel hiding behind their computers.
June 19th, 2008 at 10:10 am
I wasn’t so much offended by Doug’s opinion, although I did think he offered it in a rude way, I was offended when he started the name calling.
Does it make you feel superior, Doug, calling people obscure names, and alluding to a superior intellect?
I love that the internel allows differing opinions to be voiced, but I hate it when people try to make themselves feel better about themselves by putting other people down.
You go Jon, I love your nerdy self!
June 19th, 2008 at 10:22 am
Did Doug start the “name” calling before or after everyone ganged up on him for having a unique opinion?
June 19th, 2008 at 10:26 am
I didn’t say I hated anything. I didn’t attack Jon’s character, I attacked the sycophancy and idiocy of you lemmings. Jon just think he can crap out gold, which is obviously not true. Your reactions have been quite different than Jon’s and shows how off-kilter you all are. I am positive that I am not the only one that thinks these photos are bland and pointless at best. If hearing that shakes your existance more than Jon’s then you all have issues.
Get away from the blog of others’ lives and try living your own. YOU go do something noteworthy maybe once and write about it you vicarious bunch of empty shells.
And Ashley, unless you were raised as the incestuous spawn of that demon Fritzl from Austria, you should damn well know what a window is
June 19th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Don’t feed the trolls, people.
I’ve turned on registration for comments. I appreciate constructive criticism. Calling names isn’t constructive. One word reviews aren’t constructive. For the record, I do not shit gold. I’ve had several medical professionals look into it. As much as I want to shit gold, I cannot.
If you are afraid to use a real name, email address and/or URL, you shouldn’t be reading this site or leaving comments.
I appreciate that people who come to this site may not like me, my work, my attempts at art or my family. I appreciate that visitors may not like other visitors. Bear in mind, you are guests here.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:38 am
I had to jump through registration for Jon just to tell him that I think he’s a grown up.
And, I like his sense of humor.
June 19th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
At the risk of sounding like a sycophant, I would just like to say how brave I think it is for anyone to share their creative efforts.
The cool thing about art is that there is something out there for everyone, no matter your taste, and that is because people are brave enough to put it out there in the first place even knowing that some people won’t like it.
The cool thing about being a thinking human being is knowing that it is okay not to like something, being able to dislike something without being rude about it, and moving on to whatever it is you prefer.
June 19th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
I love this picture. I love the way the light was hitting those clouds, making it absolutely GLOW. And yes, I see the bird.
People like Doug and other who say “big deal it’s a cloud” just need to wander over to flickr or photobucket and look at OTHER peoples cloud pictures. Do they glow? Are they framed just right? Did they adjust the settings for the light? No. There is more to photography then just finding something to take a picture of. People like Doug are just those without any artistic insight. Too bad for them!
June 19th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
I love this photo, reminds me of many that I have taken in Florida; clouds, sea, surf & sunsets alot different in FL You captured a little extra something that you just cant get.. in say… Cape Cod!! Plus the water is a lot different in color!
Thanks for the Photos keep them coming.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Photo is ok, nothing spectacular. Could use some cropping. Doug was somewhat rude, but if you post your stuff on the net, be prepared to take the heat and defend yourself. I also see the trail of “happy, happy, joy, joy” comments as well. Instead of all the pats on the back and atta boys, truly look at this photo and analyze it. Then offer some constructive criticisms that would help anyone take better photos. ‘Atta boys’ and ‘pats on the back’ are great for low self confidence, but not for producing works of art.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
I happen to love your work, Jon. Got my print today and it’s even more wonderful in person. It will be framed this evening and be hung in my house and enjoyed fortnightly.
Thank you for getting it to me so quickly! I really do love it.
Melanie
June 19th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Jeeze, Jon, the whole shitting gold thing would be a handy talent to have. Instead, you’ll have to be satisfied with being a good writer and photographer (and musician and husband and father and doggydaddy and etc. and etc.). Which ain’t a bad gig either, at least until you can develop the colonic alchemy skill.
We do have some spectacular cloud formations over the Gulf here in Florida, and I often just sit on our dock or the beach and just watch them build and change. People may debate its qualification as Capital-A Art, but your shot captures the splendor and beauty, and I for one appreciate your vision.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
I think it a great picture. But I think that $40 unmated is a lot of money. So unfortantly I will not be buying a print.
June 19th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Great writers. Great photographers. The talent you and Heather possess is astounding! I’m adding the Gulf to my list of places I must visit before I die.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
You and Heather are lovely, and I like both of your blogs (and your work) very much. In fact, for whatever reason, I’ve read Blurbomat on a more consistent basis, so coattails my behind.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
Er, and the REST of your work. Blog-insult not intended.
June 20th, 2008 at 4:15 am
I really like the range of colors as I pan down and across. The sharpness of the elements is stunning. I eagerly anticipate this one being in your Etsy shop!
June 20th, 2008 at 5:16 am
Sometimes people don’t think before they act. And sometimes it feeds the trolls. And then it turns them into trolls. And then they feel guilty about causing a ruckus as a guest at a website of a person they adore and respect. And then they wonder if they can show their faces here ever again. Lesson learned.
The photo is nice. I like the sharpness of the water’s ripples and especially the colors. It’s great you caught such a tall cloud in Florida. I wonder if Utah might lend itself to your playing with more clouds. I remember the sunsets being quite fetching.
June 20th, 2008 at 10:10 am
Ok, so here’s where my confusion lies…if you don’t appreciate the photos, why come to the site. There’s got to be something that keeps you coming back.
I’ve been hooked on Dooce and Blurb from the first moment I read them. Just because you read one, doesn’t mean you HAVE to read the other.
There have been some photos on here that I haven’t connected to, but that doesn’t mean someone else doesn’t. We all have a different view of the world. I see these pictures as Jon’s way of looking at the world. I am always fascinated when someone can see art in something that I view as ordinary.
We all have a right to our own opinions, but wasting time posting nasty comments on someone else’s blog and then criticizing the people who actually enjoy it, well that’s just pointless. Doug, you tell other people to stop reading blogs and go live their own lives. Well, the same can be said to you. You’re actually sitting there reading a blog you don’t even like! You should take your own advice. Go take a picture of a cloud.
June 20th, 2008 at 11:26 am
Doug is being overly harsh, but I have to agree with his comments. Not the rudeness of them, but the ideas behind them. Jon, some of your work is really good, and some of it is just plain ordinary; the same can be said for any photographer. Art is a personal thing and not everyone likes everything. But what irritates me about your site is all of the people who, even if it’s an overly processed fire hydrant, kiss your ass and worship at your feet as if you’re Ansel Adams reincarnated. And if they don’t and dare to tell you, you call them a troll and delete their comments, as if your delicate self esteem can’t take a little criticism. I’ve seen you do this a number of times. Granted, it’s your site and you have every right to do with it what you wish, but opening comments so that people can heap praise upon you but deleting the comments that don’t makes you seem petty and self-important. As much as I enjoy Heather’s writing, all the people that comment to say the same thing over and over again (sometimes 800 people in a row, all saying the same thing; makes you wonder about the collective intelligence of her audience) - “Heather, you’re so wonderful, and everything you do is wonderful, and… blah, blah, blah” - all that worship turns me off to what Heather is creating. I realize she can’t control the comments she gets, but the very fact that both of you sensor your comments makes you seem cowardly, unable to take the little bit of constructive criticism that might be gained from those you label “trolls”.
June 20th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Having fed the trolls myself without knowing there was such a thing until I read it today in the wikipedia link, I still want to make one more point. As far as I know, Jon Armstrong posted his blog and his photos just like millions of others, to share them with the internet. He did not advertise them to sell, or refer to them as art, or tell us that he has the best clouds, or birds, or anything else. Well, maybe he thinks he has the best wife, but you can’t blame him for that. My impression is that offering his photos for sale was in response to the great demand to do so. Like the Chuck calendar. I have never heard him call it art. But many many people want to look at it and to own it. Art, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. “Doug” sneers at the photo and then sneers at the people who praise it and/or want to own it. Every single person who made a name for himself or herself in history–artist, writer, musician, composer, you name it–has had admirers and detractors. Jon doesn’t seem too interested in “Doug’s” opinion. Why should he be? “Doug” is obviously not a fan nor a customer yet he spent his time and energy to comment over and over on this site. For Jon, it’s all good (a phrase I’m personally tired of but, hey, if it applies why not use it?)! My two cents. And in the future I will know better than to be lured into the net of a troll. Never too old to learn.
June 20th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
P.S. Did I just say I wouldn’t again be lured by a troll? Well just this one more time! How many people think “Doug” and Lynnie are the same person? Haha. Maybe not, because “Doug” uses a lot of big words correctly and Lynnie doesn’t know how to spell censor, so chances are they are just equally bitter about something. What I have to say is: Check back, Lynnie; no comments have been deleted. All Jon has done is have his commenters register so that they have to use their true identity and not spit their venom from a cowardly undisclosed location. Probably the same for Heather, although if she gets 800 favorable comments in a row my assumption is that the people who comment are fans and the rest of the people in the world have something else they prefer to do. If you have taken the time to read 800 comments in hopes of finding someone who isn’t a fan, perhaps it is not Heather’s audience whose intelligence you should be wondering about.
June 20th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
Lynnie aka Doug - dude, you need to change up your language if you’re going to persuade us you’re not the same person…and whoa, lame dude, lame!, coming in here posing as someone else. Haven’t the guts to stand on your own, I see.
Though I can’t speak for Jon about the ordinariness of some of his photographs, my response to you in this regard has to be SO WHAT? This is a blog and Jon is merely sharing photos he’s taken. Get a grip. This isn’t an art gallery to which you paid admission. You can like or not like a picture of a cloud, that’s your business, but Jon doesn’t have any obligation to you. He’s also not claiming - and never has - that his photos are masterpieces. Indeed, he merely provides a short caption or describes the context for them, that is all. I don’t get where you’re seeing undue or any ego on his part. As for his Photoshop tips, he shares because people ask. His instruction has utility whether you like it or not.
If you’re wanting Jon to start hammering on his readers and tell them not to compliment him - if you really think Jon thinks we kiss his ass and worship him (laugh) - you’ve got a screw loose, dude. Let me have at your blog and I’ll be happy to tell you you’re a complete fucking hoser. Let’s see how you like that.
Btw, I’d like to see your photography or art. Show us your superior skillz man.